Study on remote control technology of airflow during a mine fire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, D.; Wang, Y; Zhou, Y.; Zhou, F. [China University of Mining and Technology, Jiangsu (China). College of Mineral and Energy Resource

2001-07-01

In order to realize remote control of airflow during a mine fire and minimize fire losses, two kinds of the airflow remote control systems have been developed. One uses compressed air as power source, and transmits control signals by a monitor system for mine environment. Another uses electric power and transmits control signals through a telephone network underground. The mine door controllers of the remote airflow controlling systems are developed with a single-chip microcomputer. Then the controller can not only do logical analysis and judgement, but also has a strong anti-disturb ability and sufficient reliability. The two kinds of airflow remote control system have been successfully applied in some coal mines in China. Their effects of running are very good. 2 refs., 5 figs.

Low-airflow drying of fungicide-treated shelled corn

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, W.H.; Benson, P.W.

1993-02-01

Approved fungicides inhibit mold growth in shelled corn and allow for longer, natural-air drying. The longer drying periods permit lower than-normal airflows and smaller power units, thus reducing electrical demands on utilities in corn-producing states. Researchers placed approximately 67 m 3 (1900 bu) of one variety of shelled corn at approximately 24% moisture in each of five equally sized storage bins. They partitioned each bin vertically and filled one half of each bin with fungicide-treated corn and one half with untreated corn. Each of four bins used a different airflow. A fifth bin used the lowest of the four airflows but was equipped to capture and use solar energy. All corn dried rapidly with resulting good quality. The percentage of damaged kernels was significantly higher for untreated than for treated corn. The energy required for the lowest airflow system was approximately one half of that required for the higher, more traditional airflows. Because of lower-than-normal airflows, the electrical demand on the utility is approximately one fourth as great as that imposed when the higher, more traditional natural-air systems are used. The 1991 corn growing and drying seasons were unusual in central Illinois, the site of the study. Both harvest and drying occurred several weeks ahead of schedule. Additional work is needed to verify that findings hold true during more-normal Midwest corn growing and drying seasons; the investigators predict that they will. It should be noted that the fungicide used in this study has not yet been approved for widespread use in drying corn

Airflow Measurement of the Car HVAC Unit Using Hot-wire Anemometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fojtlín Miloš

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Thermal environment in a vehicular cabin significantly influence drivers’ fatigue and passengers’ thermal comfort. This environment is traditionally managed by HVAC cabin system that distributes air and modifies its properties. In order to simulate cabin thermal behaviour, amount of the air led through car vents must be determined. The aim of this study was to develop methodology to measure airflow from the vents, and consequently calculate corresponding air distribution coefficients. Three climatic cases were selected to match European winter, summer, and spring / fall conditions. Experiments were conducted on a test vehicle in a climatic chamber. The car HVAC system was set to automatic control mode, and the measurements were executed after the system stabilisation—each case was independently measured three times. To be able to evaluate precision of the method, the airflow was determined at the system inlet (HVAC suction and outlet (each vent, and the total airflow values were compared. The airflow was calculated by determining a mean value of the air velocity multiplied by an area of inlet / outlet cross-section. Hot-wire anemometry was involved to measure the air velocity. Regarding the summer case, total airflow entering the cabin was around 57 l s-1 with 60 % of the air entering the cabin through dashboard vents; no air was supplied to the feet compartment. The remaining cases had the same total airflow of around 42 l s-1, and the air distribution was focused mainly on feet and windows. The inlet and outlet airflow values show a good match with a maximum mass differential of 8.3 %.

Minimum airflow reset of single-duct VAV terminal boxes

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Young-Hum

Single duct Variable Air Volume (VAV) systems are currently the most widely used type of HVAC system in the United States. When installing such a system, it is critical to determine the minimum airflow set point of the terminal box, as an optimally selected set point will improve the level of thermal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ) while at the same time lower overall energy costs. In principle, this minimum rate should be calculated according to the minimum ventilation requirement based on ASHRAE standard 62.1 and maximum heating load of the zone. Several factors must be carefully considered when calculating this minimum rate. Terminal boxes with conventional control sequences may result in occupant discomfort and energy waste. If the minimum rate of airflow is set too high, the AHUs will consume excess fan power, and the terminal boxes may cause significant simultaneous room heating and cooling. At the same time, a rate that is too low will result in poor air circulation and indoor air quality in the air-conditioned space. Currently, many scholars are investigating how to change the algorithm of the advanced VAV terminal box controller without retrofitting. Some of these controllers have been found to effectively improve thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency. However, minimum airflow set points have not yet been identified, nor has controller performance been verified in confirmed studies. In this study, control algorithms were developed that automatically identify and reset terminal box minimum airflow set points, thereby improving indoor air quality and thermal comfort levels, and reducing the overall rate of energy consumption. A theoretical analysis of the optimal minimum airflow and discharge air temperature was performed to identify the potential energy benefits of resetting the terminal box minimum airflow set points. Applicable control algorithms for calculating the ideal values for the minimum airflow reset were developed and

Numerical Simulations of Airflow and Droplet Dispersion in a Horizontal Ammonia Scrubber

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Li; Nielsen, Peter Vilhelm; Heiselberg, Per Kvols

2015-01-01

Ammonia released in pig production industries can lead to eutrophication of surface waters, soil acidification, fertilization of vegetation and changes in ecosystems, etc. Air scrubbers with spray of aerosolized sulphur solution were used to remove the ammonia mixed in the airflow ventilated out...... plate or a flow straightener were tested. Impact of nozzle velocity and droplet residue size were analysed. It is found that additional input on the pump pressure to increase the injection velocity may not cause any more benefit in our cases, and the ammonia removal efficiency of the horizontal scrubber...... from a piggery. In this study, numerical method were used to investigate airflow pattern, droplet dispersion, ammonia absorption at droplet surface and overall removal efficiency in an air cleaner. Droplet trajectories and elapsed time in air were adopted to characterize the absorption efficiency...

Underground anemotactic orientation in leaf-cutting ants: perception of airflow and experience-dependent choice of airflow direction during digging

Science.gov (United States)

Halboth, Florian; Roces, Flavio

2017-10-01

Air exchange between the large nests of Atta vollenweideri leaf-cutting ants and the environment strongly relies on a passive, wind-induced ventilation mechanism. Air moves through nest tunnels and airflow direction depends on the location of the tunnel openings on the nest mound. We hypothesized that ants might use the direction of airflow along nest tunnels as orientation cue in the context of climate control, as digging workers might prefer to broaden or to close tunnels with inflowing or outflowing air in order to regulate nest ventilation. To investigate anemotactic orientation in Atta vollenweideri, we first tested the ants' ability to perceive air movements by confronting single workers with airflow stimuli in the range 0 to 20 cm/s. Workers responded to airflow velocities ≥ 2 cm/s, and the number of ants reacting to the stimulus increased with increasing airflow speed. Second, we asked whether digging workers use airflow direction as an orientation cue. Workers were exposed to either inflow or outflow of air while digging in the nest and could subsequently choose between two digging sites providing either inflow or outflow of air, respectively. Workers significantly chose the side with the same airflow direction they experienced before. When no airflow was present during initial digging, workers showed no preference for airflow directions. Workers developed preferences for airflow direction only after previous exposure to a given airflow direction. We suggest that experience-modified anemotaxis might help leaf-cutting ants spatially organize their digging activity inside the nest during tasks related to climate control.

Airflow Patterns In Nuclear Workplace - Computer Simulation And Qualitative Tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haim, M.; Szanto, M.; Weiss, Y.; Kravchick, T.; Levinson, S.; German, U.

1999-01-01

Concentration of airborne radioactive materials inside a room can vary widely from one location to another, sometimes by orders of magnitude even for locations that are relatively close. Inappropriately placed samplers can give misleading results and. therefore, the location of air samplers is important. Proper placement of samplers cannot be determined simply by observing the position of room air supply and exhaust vents. Airflow studies, such as the release of smoke aerosols, should be used. The significance of airflow pattern studies depends on the purpose of sampling - for estimating worker intakes, warning of high concentrations. defacing airborne radioactive areas, testing for confinement of sealed radioactive materials. etc. When sampling air in rooms with complex airflow patterns, it may be useful to use qualitative airflow studies with smoke tubes, smoke candles or isostatic bubbles. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Regulatory Guide 8.25 [1]. suggests that an airflow study should be conducted after any changes at work area including changes in the setup of work areas, ventilation system changes, etc. The present work presents an airflow patterns study conducted in a typical room using two methods: a computer simulation and a qualitative test using a smoke tube

Coupling fast fluid dynamics and multizone airflow models in Modelica Buildings library to simulate the dynamics of HVAC systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tian, Wei [Univ. of Miami, FL (United States). Dept. of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering; Sevilla, Thomas Alonso [Univ. of Miami, FL (United States). Dept. of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering; Zuo, Wangda [Univ. of Miami, FL (United States). Dept. of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering; Sohn, Michael D. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Div.

2017-06-08

Historically, multizone models are widely used in building airflow and energy performance simulations due to their fast computing speed. However, multizone models assume that the air in a room is well mixed, consequently limiting their application. In specific rooms where this assumption fails, the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models may be an alternative option. Previous research has mainly focused on coupling CFD models and multizone models to study airflow in large spaces. While significant, most of these analyses did not consider the coupled simulation of the building airflow with the building's Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems. This paper tries to fill the gap by integrating the models for HVAC systems with coupled multizone and CFD simulations for airflows, using the Modelica simul ation platform. To improve the computational efficiency, we incorporated a simplified CFD model named fast fluid dynamics (FFD). We first introduce the data synchronization strategy and implementation in Modelica. Then, we verify the implementation using two case studies involving an isothermal and a non-isothermal flow by comparing model simulations to experiment data. Afterward, we study another three cases that are deemed more realistic. This is done by attaching a variable air volume (VAV) terminal box and a VAV system to previous flows to assess the capability of the models in studying the dynamic control of HVAC systems. Finally, we discuss further research needs on the coupled simulation using the models.

Influence of Airflow on Laboratory Storage of High Moisture Corn Stover

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lynn M. Wendt; Ian J. Bonner; Amber N. Hoover; Rachel M. Emerson; William A. Smith

2014-04-01

Storing high moisture biomass for bioenergy use is a reality in many areas of the country where wet harvest conditions and environmental factors prevent dry storage from being feasible. Aerobic storage of high moisture biomass leads to microbial degradation and self-heating, but oxygen limitation can aid in material preservation. To understand the influence of oxygen presence on high moisture biomass (50 %, wet basis), three airflow rates were tested on corn stover stored in laboratory reactors. Temperature, carbon dioxide production, dry matter loss, chemical composition, fungal abundance, pH, and organic acids were used to monitor the effects of airflow on storage conditions. The results of this work indicate that oxygen availability impacts both the duration of self-heating and the severity of dry matter loss. High airflow systems experienced the greatest initial rates of loss but a shortened microbially active period that limited total dry matter loss (19 %). Intermediate airflow had improved preservation in short-term storage compared to high airflow systems but accumulated the greatest dry matter loss over time (up to 27 %) as a result of an extended microbially active period. Low airflow systems displayed the best performance with the lowest rates of loss and total loss (10 %) in storage at 50 days. Total structural sugar levels of the stored material were preserved, although glucan enrichment and xylan loss were documented in the high and intermediate flow conditions. By understanding the role of oxygen availability on biomass storage performance, the requirements for high moisture storage solutions may begin to be experimentally defined.

Optimized damper control of pressure and airflow in ventilation systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koulani, Chrysanthi Sofia; Hviid, Christian Anker; Terkildsen, Søren

2014-01-01

Conventional control strategies in variable air volume (VAV) ventilation systems do not take fully into advantage the potential energy savings since the system operation is based on maintaining a constant static pressure (CSP) set point in the main duct irrespective of the actual pressure demand...... by using the Simulink programming tool which is addon software to MATLAB mathematical programming language. A model of a VAV ventilation system was created in Simulink based on the International Building Physics Toolbox (IBPT); the IBPT thermal zone was remodelled in order to calculate dynamically...... the airflow demand according to the zone air temperature. The performance of the Simulink model was evaluated based on the experimental setup of the ventilation system. The SPR control method established stable system operation and was proven efficient to maintain comfortable space conditions while reducing...

Estimation of Airflow in Livestock Buildings using Image Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Rasmus

1996-01-01

of a livestock building, the airflow in a laser-illuminated plane may be visualized. Based on sequences of images recorded of this plane using a video camera, estimates of 2--D flow vectors are derived locally. The local estimates of velocity are found using a set of spatio-temporal convolution filters...... and camera may be placed so they do not disturb the airflow) for estimating air velocity in a 2--D plane.......In order to evaluate a given ventilation system in a livestock building and its sensitivity to wind, presence of heat sources (e.g. livestock) etc. it is of interest to estimate flow vector fields corresponding to the airflow. By introducing particles (e.g. smoke) into the air inlets of a model...

Nocturnal airflow obstruction, histamine, and the autonomic central nervous system in children with allergic asthma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Aalderen, W. M.; Postma, D. S.; Koëter, G. H.; Knol, K.

1991-01-01

A study was carried out to investigate whether an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system or release of histamine, or both, is responsible for the nocturnal increase in airflow obstruction in asthmatic children. The study comprised 18 children with allergic asthma, nine with (group 1) and nine

Measuring Airflow in Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems. Module 23. Vocational Education Training in Environmental Sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Consumer Dynamics Inc., Rockville, MD.

This module, one of 25 on vocational education training for careers in environmental health occupations, contains self-instructional materials on measuring airflow in local exhaust ventilation systems. Following guidelines for students and instructors and an introduction that explains what the student will learn are three lessons: (1) naming each…

Airflow and radon transport modeling in four large buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, J.B.; Persily, A.K.

1995-01-01

Computer simulations of multizone airflow and contaminant transport were performed in four large buildings using the program CONTAM88. This paper describes the physical characteristics of the buildings and their idealizations as multizone building airflow systems. These buildings include a twelve-story multifamily residential building, a five-story mechanically ventilated office building with an atrium, a seven-story mechanically ventilated office building with an underground parking garage, and a one-story school building. The air change rates and interzonal airflows of these buildings are predicted for a range of wind speeds, indoor-outdoor temperature differences, and percentages of outdoor air intake in the supply air Simulations of radon transport were also performed in the buildings to investigate the effects of indoor-outdoor temperature difference and wind speed on indoor radon concentrations

Numerical study of the air-flow in an oscillating water column wave energy converter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paixao Conde, J.M. [Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, New University of Lisbon, Monte de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); IDMEC, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Technical University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Gato, L.M.C. [IDMEC, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Technical University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal)

2008-12-15

The paper presents a numerical study of the air-flow in a typical pneumatic chamber geometry of an oscillating water column (OWC)-type wave energy converter (WEC), equipped with two vertical-axis air turbines, asymmetrically placed on the top of the chamber. Outwards and inwards, steady and periodic, air-flow calculations were performed to investigate the flow distribution at the turbines' inlet sections, as well as the properties of the air-jet impinging on the water free-surface. The original design of the OWC chamber is likely to be harmful for the operation of the turbines due to the possible air-jet-produced water-spray at the water free-surface subsequently ingested by the turbine. A geometry modification of the air chamber, using a horizontal baffle-plate to deflect the air from the turbines, is proposed and proved to be very effective in reducing the risk of water-spray production from the inwards flow. The flow distribution at the turbines' inlet sections for the outwards flow was found to be fairly uniform for the geometries considered, providing good inlet flow conditions for the turbines. Steady flow was found to be an acceptable model to study the air-flow inside the pneumatic chamber of an OWC-WEC. (author)

Airflow-Restricting Mask Reduces Acute Performance in Resistance Exercise

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuri L. Motoyama

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background: The aim of this study was to compare the number of repetitions to volitional failure, the blood lactate concentration, and the perceived exertion to resistance training with and without an airflow-restricting mask. Methods: Eight participants participated in a randomized, counterbalanced, crossover study. Participants were assigned to an airflow-restricting mask group (MASK or a control group (CONT and completed five sets of chest presses and parallel squats until failure at 75% one-repetition-maximum test (1RM with 60 s of rest between sets. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPEs, blood lactate concentrations (Lac−, and total repetitions were taken after the training session. Results: MASK total repetitions were lower than those of the CONT, and (Lac− and MASK RPEs were higher than those of the CONT in both exercises. Conclusions: We conclude that an airflow-restricting mask in combination with resistance training increase perceptions of exertion and decrease muscular performance and lactate concentrations when compared to resistance training without this accessory. This evidence shows that the airflow-restricting mask may change the central nervous system and stop the exercise beforehand to prevent some biological damage.

NOCTURNAL AIR-FLOW OBSTRUCTION, HISTAMINE, AND THE AUTONOMIC CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM IN CHILDREN WITH ALLERGIC-ASTHMA

NARCIS (Netherlands)

VANAALDEREN, WMC; POSTMA, DS; KOETER, GH; KNOL, K

A study was carried out to investigate whether an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system or release of histamine, or both, is responsible for the nocturnal increase in airflow obstruction in asthmatic children. The study comprised 18 children with allergic asthma,nine with (group 1) and nine

Occupational Exposures and Chronic Airflow Limitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helen Dimich-Ward

1996-01-01

Full Text Available The recent literature was reviewed to evaluate whether chronic airflow limitation is associated with occupational exposures to dusts. Only those studies that controlled for the effects of smoking were included. There is compelling evidence that exposure to inorganic dusts, such as from coal and hardrock mining or asbestos, are associated with the development of chronic airflow limitation, independently of pneumoconiosis. Nonsmoking gold miners are particularly at high risk of airflow obstruction and emphysema. Findings from studies of organic dusts, such as exposures to wood, cotton, grain or other agricultural dusts, or to mixed dust exposures, were less consistent but tended to show positive dose-response associations. In the majority of studies, no statistical interaction was shown between dust exposures and smoking; however, the effects of the dust exposures were often more pronounced. An occupational history should be considered, in addition to a smoking history, as an integral part of an investigation of chronic airflow limitation in a patient.

Airflow obstruction in young adults in Canada

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Al-Hazmi, Manal; Wooldrage, Kate; Anthonisen, Nicholas R.

2007-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Airflow obstruction is relatively uncommon in young adults, and may indicate potential for the development of progressive disease. The objective of the present study was to enumerate and characterize airflow obstruction in a random sample of Canadians aged 20 to 44 years. SETTING: The ...

Comparison between mixed and laminar airflow systems in operating rooms and the influence of human factors: experiences from a Swedish orthopedic center.

Science.gov (United States)

Erichsen Andersson, Annette; Petzold, Max; Bergh, Ingrid; Karlsson, Jón; Eriksson, Bengt I; Nilsson, Kerstin

2014-06-01

The importance of laminar airflow systems in operating rooms as protection from surgical site infections has been questioned. The aim of our study was to explore the differences in air contamination rates between displacement ventilation and laminar airflow systems during planned and acute orthopedic implant surgery. A second aim was to compare the influence of the number of people present, the reasons for traffic flow, and the door-opening rates between the 2 systems. Active air sampling and observations were made during 63 orthopedic implant operations. The laminar airflow system resulted in a reduction of 89% in colony forming units in comparison with the displacement system (P operating rooms offer high-quality air during surgery, with very low levels of colony forming units close to the surgical wound. The continuous maintenance of laminar air flow and other technical systems are crucial, because minor failures in complex systems like those in operating rooms can result in a detrimental effect on air quality and jeopardize the safety of patients. The technical ventilation solutions are important, but they do not guarantee clean air, because many other factors, such as the organization of the work and staff behavior, influence air cleanliness. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Airflow Pattern Genereated by Three Air Diffusers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olmedo, Inés; Nielsen, Peter V.; de Adana, Manuel Ruiz

The correct description of air diffusers plays a crucial role in the CFD predictions of the airflow pattern into a room. The numerical simulation of air distribution in an indoor space is challenging because of the complicated airflow pattern generated. An experimental study has been carried out...... in a full scale test room, 4.10 m (length), 3.20 m (width), and 2.70 m (height), in order to take velocity measurements of the airflow pattern generated by three different air diffusers: displacement, mixing and a low impulse diffuser. Smoke visualization has been developed to determine the direction...

Airflow Pattern Generated by Three Air Diffusers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olmedo, Inés; Nielsen, Peter V.; Ruiz de Adana, Manuel

2011-01-01

The correct description of air diffusers plays a crucial role in the CFD predictions of the airflow pattern into a room. The numerical simulation of air distribution in an indoor space is challenging because of the complicated airflow pattern generated. Many authors have developed simplified geom...

COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF AIRFLOW IN NONREGULAR SHAPED CHANNELS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Voronin

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The basic approaches to computational modeling of airflow in the human nasal cavity are analyzed. Different models of turbulent flow which may be used in order to calculate air velocity and pressure are discussed. Experimental measurement results of airflow temperature are illustrated. Geometrical model of human nasal cavity reconstructed from computer-aided tomography scans and numerical simulation results of airflow inside this model are also given. Spatial distributions of velocity and temperature for inhaled and exhaled air are shown.

Reduction of Airborne Bacterial Burden in the OR by Installation of Unidirectional Displacement Airflow (UDF) Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Sebastian; Thieves, Martin; Hirsch, Tobias; Fischer, Klaus-Dieter; Hubert, Helmine; Beppler, Steffen; Seipp, Hans-Martin

2015-08-13

Intraoperative bacterial contamination is a major risk factor for postoperative wound infections. This study investigated the influence of type of ventilation system on intraoperative airborne bacterial burden before and after installation of unidirectional displacement air flow systems. We microbiologically monitored 1286 surgeries performed by a single surgical team that moved from operating rooms (ORs) equipped with turbulent mixing ventilation (TMV, according to standard DIN-1946-4 [1999], ORs 1, 2, and 3) to ORs with unidirectional displacement airflow (UDF, according to standard DIN-1946-4, annex D [2008], ORs 7 and 8). The airborne bacteria were collected intraoperatively with sedimentation plates. After incubation for 48 h, we analyzed the average number of bacteria per h, peak values, and correlation to surgery duration. In addition, we compared the last 138 surgeries in ORs 1-3 with the first 138 surgeries in ORs 7 and 8. Intraoperative airborne bacterial burden was 5.4 CFU/h, 5.5 CFU/h, and 6.1 CFU/h in ORs 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Peak values of burden were 10.7 CFU/h, 11.1 CFU/h, and 11.0 CFU/h in ORs 1, 2, and 3, respectively). With the UDF system, the intraoperative airborne bacterial burden was reduced to 0.21 CFU/h (OR 7) and 0.35 CFU/h (OR 8) on average (pAirborne bacterial burden increased linearly with surgery duration in ORs 1-3, but the UDF system in ORs 7 and 8 kept bacterial levels constantly low (airborne bacterial burden (5 CFU/h vs. 0.29 CFU/h, pairborne bacterial burden under real clinical conditions by more than 90%. Although decreased postoperative wound infection incidence was not specifically assessed, it is clear that airborne microbiological burden contributes to surgical infections.

Effect of isolator plates on telecom shelter

Science.gov (United States)

Drid, M. Mebrouk; Dokkar, Boubekeur; Dokkar, Abdelghani; Settou, Noureddine; Chennouf, Nasreddine

2018-05-01

Passive ventilation systems are being increasingly proposed as an alternate to mechanical ventilation systems. This tendency is due to their potential benefits in terms of operational cost, energy requirement and carbon dioxide emission. In the present work, fresh flow is introduced under external isolator plates in order to reduce indoor temperature of telecom shelter located at neighboring of Ouargla city (south of Algeria). The metallic plates play two roles; the first one is to protect shelter from sun rays and the second is to operate as solar chimney. This chimney creates upward airflow which operates as passive cooling for the microwave relay. During the whole year, Shelter audit energy has been examined using Trnsys 16 software. Then, CFD code (Fluent 6.3) is used to predict thermal performance and fluid flow in two-dimensional computational domain for solar chimneys. The obtained results show that flow increase at shelter inlet causes a marked improvement in shelter cooling. This improvement indicates that shelter can be designed with small conventional air conditioning which leads to significant energy consumption fall. Indeed, with this technique, indoor temperature reduction can reach about 30°K without any electrical energy dispenses.

Majority of never-smokers with airflow limitation do not have asthma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Çolak, Yunus; Afzal, Shoaib; Nordestgaard, Børge G

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: A substantial proportion of individuals with airflow limitation are never-smokers. However, whether never-smokers with airflow limitation have undiagnosed asthma is unknown. We hypothesised that the majority of never-smokers with respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation but without...... known asthma have undiagnosed asthma by comparing characteristics and prognosis in never-smokers with airflow limitation and asthma (NS+AFL+A) with never-smokers with airflow limitation but without asthma (NS+AFL-A). METHODS: Among 94 079 participants aged 20-100 years from the general population, 39...... 102 (42%) were never-smokers. In this group, 13 719 (35%) reported to have respiratory symptoms of whom 1610 (12%) had airflow limitation. We investigated characteristics and risk of complications (asthma or COPD exacerbations, pneumonias and all-cause mortality) and comorbidities (lung cancer...

Voltage-current characteristics of a pin-plate system with different plate configurations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Zhuangbo; Long, Zhengwei

2013-01-01

In this paper, the voltage-current (V-I) characteristics of a pin-plate system with four types of collection plate configurations are studied experimentally. The collection plates consider a single metal plate, a metal plate with a fly ash cake layer, a metal plate with a clean filter media and a metal plate with a dirty filter media. The results show that the clean filter media has no obvious effect on the V-I characteristics. But the dirty filter media reduces the current density because of its high resistance. The thick fly ash cake layer increase current density because of the anti-corona effect but the increment is not very obvious.

Integration of a Multizone Airflow Model into a Thermal simulation Program

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Rasmus Lund; Sørensen, Karl Grau; Heiselberg, Per

2007-01-01

An existing computer model for dynamic hygrothermal analysis of buildings has been extended with a multizone airflow model based on loop equations to account for the coupled thermal and airflow in natural and hybrid ventilated buildings.......An existing computer model for dynamic hygrothermal analysis of buildings has been extended with a multizone airflow model based on loop equations to account for the coupled thermal and airflow in natural and hybrid ventilated buildings....

Pitot-tube flowmeter for quantification of airflow during sleep

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirkness, J P; McGinley, B M; Schwartz, A R; Smith, P L; Patil, S P; Schneider, H; Verma, M; Wheatley, J R; Amis, T C; Erlacher, M

2011-01-01

The gold-standard pneumotachograph is not routinely used to quantify airflow during overnight polysomnography due to the size, weight, bulkiness and discomfort of the equipment that must be worn. To overcome these deficiencies that have precluded the use of a pneumotachograph in routine sleep studies, our group developed a lightweight, low dead space 'pitot flowmeter' (based on pitot-tube principle) for use during sleep. We aimed to examine the characteristics and validate the flowmeter for quantifying airflow and detecting hypopneas during polysomnography by performing a head-to-head comparison with a pneumotachograph. Four experimental paradigms were utilized to determine the technical performance characteristics and the clinical usefulness of the pitot flowmeter in a head-to-head comparison with a pneumotachograph. In each study (1–4), the pitot flowmeter was connected in series with a pneumotachograph under either static flow (flow generator inline or on a face model) or dynamic flow (subject breathing via a polyester face model or on a nasal mask) conditions. The technical characteristics of the pitot flowmeter showed that, (1) the airflow resistance ranged from 0.065 ± 0.002 to 0.279 ± 0.004 cm H 2 O L –1 s –1 over the airflow rates of 10 to 50 L min −1 . (2) On the polyester face model there was a linear relationship between airflow as measured by the pitot flowmeter output voltage and the calibrated pneumtachograph signal a (β 1 = 1.08 V L −1 s −1 ; β 0 = 2.45 V). The clinically relevant performance characteristics (hypopnea detection) showed that (3) when the pitot flowmeter was connected via a mask to the human face model, both the sensitivity and specificity for detecting a 50% decrease in peak-to-peak airflow amplitude was 99.2%. When tested in sleeping human subjects, (4) the pitot flowmeter signal displayed 94.5% sensitivity and 91.5% specificity for the detection of 50% peak-to-peak reductions in pneumotachograph

Pitot-tube flowmeter for quantification of airflow during sleep.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirkness, J P; Verma, M; McGinley, B M; Erlacher, M; Schwartz, A R; Smith, P L; Wheatley, J R; Patil, S P; Amis, T C; Schneider, H

2011-02-01

The gold-standard pneumotachograph is not routinely used to quantify airflow during overnight polysomnography due to the size, weight, bulkiness and discomfort of the equipment that must be worn. To overcome these deficiencies that have precluded the use of a pneumotachograph in routine sleep studies, our group developed a lightweight, low dead space 'pitot flowmeter' (based on pitot-tube principle) for use during sleep. We aimed to examine the characteristics and validate the flowmeter for quantifying airflow and detecting hypopneas during polysomnography by performing a head-to-head comparison with a pneumotachograph. Four experimental paradigms were utilized to determine the technical performance characteristics and the clinical usefulness of the pitot flowmeter in a head-to-head comparison with a pneumotachograph. In each study (1-4), the pitot flowmeter was connected in series with a pneumotachograph under either static flow (flow generator inline or on a face model) or dynamic flow (subject breathing via a polyester face model or on a nasal mask) conditions. The technical characteristics of the pitot flowmeter showed that, (1) the airflow resistance ranged from 0.065 ± 0.002 to 0.279 ± 0.004 cm H(2)O L(-1) s(-1) over the airflow rates of 10 to 50 L min(-1). (2) On the polyester face model there was a linear relationship between airflow as measured by the pitot flowmeter output voltage and the calibrated pneumotachograph signal a (β(1) = 1.08 V L(-1) s(-1); β(0) = 2.45 V). The clinically relevant performance characteristics (hypopnea detection) showed that (3) when the pitot flowmeter was connected via a mask to the human face model, both the sensitivity and specificity for detecting a 50% decrease in peak-to-peak airflow amplitude was 99.2%. When tested in sleeping human subjects, (4) the pitot flowmeter signal displayed 94.5% sensitivity and 91.5% specificity for the detection of 50% peak-to-peak reductions in pneumotachograph-measured airflow. Our data

Airflow patterns in complex workplaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishima, J.; Selby, J.M.; Lynch, T.P.; Langer, G.; Vallario, E.J.

1987-01-01

There are many considerations in obtaining an accurate evaluation of aerosols. One aspect that has been neglected is the study of airflow patterns within the workplace. In many nuclear facilities, the operations performed required extensive equipment (e.g., glove boxes, piping) that create complex arrangements of physical barriers to flow. To provide samples of the airborne materials, particularly particles, knowledge of these complex airflow patterns is required for sampler placement. Recent studies have shown that materials introduced into the air flow within a workplace act as plumes embedded in major airflow streams. Portions of the plumes can recycle through the ventilated area, be lost to dead air pockets, or exhaust through unusual, unexpected outlets. Unusual flow patterns are observed even in relatively uncomplicated arrangements of equipment. This behavior must be factored into sampling/monitoring programs for evaluation of the airborne hazard to personnel within the workplace consistent with the objective of the program. Other factors that also must be considered to provide valid samples of airborne particulate materials are objectives of the sampling program, characteristics of the airborne particulate materials, nonsegregatory transport for the extracted materials, and requirements for the measurement techniques used

Three distinct surgical clothing systems in a turbulent mixing operating room equipped with mobile ultraclean laminar airflow screen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sadrizadeh, Sasan; Holmberg, Sture; Nielsen, Peter Vilhelm

2016-01-01

on the operating and instrument tables with and without the additional mobile airflow screen. Three different source strengths (the mean bacteria-carrying particle value emitted from one person per second) due to staff clothing variety were considered. Model validation was performed through result comparisons...... a clothing system with high protective capacity reduced particle concentration....

New CFD tools to evaluate nasal airflow.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgos, M A; Sanmiguel-Rojas, E; Del Pino, C; Sevilla-García, M A; Esteban-Ortega, F

2017-08-01

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a mathematical tool to analyse airflow. As currently CFD is not a usual tool for rhinologists, a group of engineers in collaboration with experts in Rhinology have developed a very intuitive CFD software. The program MECOMLAND ® only required snapshots from the patient's cross-sectional (tomographic) images, being the output those results originated by CFD, such as airflow distributions, velocity profiles, pressure, temperature, or wall shear stress. This is useful complementary information to cover diagnosis, prognosis, or follow-up of nasal pathologies based on quantitative magnitudes linked to airflow. In addition, the user-friendly environment NOSELAND ® helps the medical assessment significantly in the post-processing phase with dynamic reports using a 3D endoscopic view. Specialists in Rhinology have been asked for a more intuitive, simple, powerful CFD software to offer more quality and precision in their work to evaluate the nasal airflow. We present MECOMLAND ® and NOSELAND ® which have all the expected characteristics to fulfil this demand and offer a proper assessment with the maximum of quality plus safety for the patient. These programs represent a non-invasive, low-cost (as the CT scan is already performed in every patient) alternative for the functional study of the difficult rhinologic case. To validate the software, we studied two groups of patients from the Ear Nose Throat clinic, a first group with normal noses and a second group presenting septal deviations. Wall shear stresses are lower in the cases of normal noses in comparison with those for septal deviation. Besides, velocity field distributions, pressure drop between nasopharynx and the ambient, and flow rates in each nostril were different among the nasal cavities in the two groups. These software modules open up a promising future to simulate the nasal airflow behaviour in virtual surgery intervention scenarios under different pressure or

Bipolar Plates for PEM Systems

OpenAIRE

Lædre, Sigrid

2016-01-01

Summary of thesis: The Bipolar Plate (BPP) is an important component in both Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) and Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers (PEMWEs). Bipolar plate material and processing constitutes for a large fraction of the cost and weight of a PEM cell stack. The main tasks for the bipolar plates in both systems are to separate single cell in a stack, conduct current between single cells and remove heat from active areas. In addition, the BPPs distribu...

Surgical clothing systems in laminar airflow operating room: a numerical assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadrizadeh, Sasan; Holmberg, Sture

2014-01-01

This study compared two different laminar airflow distribution strategies - horizontal and vertical - and investigated the effectiveness of both ventilation systems in terms of reducing the sedimentation and distribution of bacteria-carrying particles. Three different staff clothing systems, which resulted in source strengths of 1.5, 4 and 5 CFU/s per person, were considered. The exploration was conducted numerically using a computational fluid dynamics technique. Active and passive air sampling methods were simulated in addition to recovery tests, and the results were compared. Model validation was performed through comparisons with measurement data from the published literature. The recovery test yielded a value of 8.1 min for the horizontal ventilation scenario and 11.9 min for the vertical ventilation system. Fewer particles were captured by the slit sampler and in sedimentation areas with the horizontal ventilation system. The simulated results revealed that under identical conditions in the examined operating room, the horizontal laminar ventilation system performed better than the vertical option. The internal constellation of lamps, the surgical team and objects could have a serious effect on the movement of infectious particles and therefore on postoperative surgical site infections. Copyright © 2014 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Root-Contact/Pressure-Plate Assembly For Hydroponic System

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Carlton E.; Loretan, Philip A.; Bonsi, Conrad K.; Hill, Walter A.

1994-01-01

Hydroponic system includes growth channels equipped with rootcontact/pressure-plate assemblies. Pump and associated plumbing circulate nutrient liquid from reservoir, along bottom of growth channels, and back to reservoir. Root-contact/pressure-plate assembly in each growth channel stimulates growth of roots by applying mild contact pressure. Flat plate and plate connectors, together constitute pressure plate, free to move upward to accommodate growth of roots. System used for growing sweetpotatoes and possibly other tuber and root crops.

Factors associated with persistent airflow limitation in severe asthma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ten Brinke, A.; Zwinderman, A. H.; Sterk, P. J.; Rabe, K. F.; Bel, E. H.

2001-01-01

Persistent airflow limitation can develop in nonsmoking patients with asthma. However, the prevalence and risk factors for airways obstruction with incomplete reversibility in asthma are unknown. We assessed the prevalence of persistent airflow limitation (defined as postbronchodilator FEV(1) or

New insight into the evolution of the vertebrate respiratory system and the discovery of unidirectional airflow in iguana lungs.

Science.gov (United States)

Cieri, Robert L; Craven, Brent A; Schachner, Emma R; Farmer, C G

2014-12-02

The generally accepted framework for the evolution of a key feature of the avian respiratory system, unidirectional airflow, is that it is an adaptation for efficiency of gas exchange and expanded aerobic capacities, and therefore it has historically been viewed as important to the ability of birds to fly and to maintain an endothermic metabolism. This pattern of flow has been presumed to arise from specific features of the respiratory system, such as an enclosed intrapulmonary bronchus and parabronchi. Here we show unidirectional airflow in the green iguana, a lizard with a strikingly different natural history from that of birds and lacking these anatomical features. This discovery indicates a paradigm shift is needed. The selective drivers of the trait, its date of origin, and the fundamental aerodynamic mechanisms by which unidirectional flow arises must be reassessed to be congruent with the natural history of this lineage. Unidirectional flow may serve functions other than expanded aerobic capacity; it may have been present in the ancestral diapsid; and it can occur in structurally simple lungs.

Climate chamber for environmentally controlled laboratory airflow experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Even-Tzur, Nurit; Zaretsky, Uri; Grinberg, Orly; Davidovich, Tomer; Kloog, Yoel; Wolf, Michael; Elad, David

2010-01-01

Climate chambers have been widely used in in vitro and in vivo studies which require controlled environmental temperature and humidity conditions. This article describes a new desktop climate chamber that was developed for application of respiratory airflows on cultured nasal epithelial cells (NEC) under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. Flow experiments were performed by connecting the climate chamber to an airflow generator via a flow chamber with cultured NEC. Experiments at two controlled climate conditions, 25 degrees C and 40% relative humidity (RH) and 37 degrees C and 80%RH, were conducted to study mucin secretion from the cultures inresponse to the flow. The new climate chamber is a relatively simple and inexpensive apparatus which can easily be connected to any flow system for climate controlled flow experiments. This chamber can be easily adjusted to various in vitro experiments, as well as to clinical studies with animals or human subjects which require controlled climate conditions.

Advanced airflow distribution methods for reduction of personal exposure to indoor pollutants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cao, Guangyu; Kosonen, Risto; Melikov, Arsen

2016-01-01

The main objective of this study is to recognize possible airflow distribution methods to protect the occupants from exposure to various indoor pollutants. The fact of the increasing exposure of occupants to various indoor pollutants shows that there is an urgent need to develop advanced airflow ...... distribution methods to reduce indoor exposure to various indoor pollutants. This article presents some of the latest development of advanced airflow distribution methods to reduce indoor exposure in various types of buildings.......The main objective of this study is to recognize possible airflow distribution methods to protect the occupants from exposure to various indoor pollutants. The fact of the increasing exposure of occupants to various indoor pollutants shows that there is an urgent need to develop advanced airflow...

Simulation of Thermal Distribution and Airflow for Efficient Energy Consumption in a Small Data Centers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Ni

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Data centers have become ubiquitous in the last few years in an attempt to keep pace with the processing and storage needs of the Internet and cloud computing. The steady growth in the heat densities of IT servers leads to a rise in the energy needed to cool them, and constitutes approximately 40% of the power consumed by data centers. However, many data centers feature redundant air conditioning systems that contribute to inefficient air distribution, which significantly increases energy consumption. This remains an insufficiently explored problem. In this paper, a typical, small data center with tiles for an air supply system with a raised floor is used. We use a fluent (Computational Fluid Dynamics, CFD to simulate thermal distribution and airflow, and investigate the optimal conditions of air distribution to save energy. The effects of the airflow outlet angle along the tile, the cooling temperature and the rate of airflow on the beta index as well as the energy utilization index are discussed, and the optimal conditions are obtained. The reasonable airflow distribution achieved using 3D CFD calculations and the parameter settings provided in this paper can help reduce the energy consumption of data centers by improving the efficiency of the air conditioning.

Characteristics of Turbulent Airflow Deduced from Rapid Surface Thermal Fluctuations: An Infrared Surface Anemometer

Science.gov (United States)

Aminzadeh, Milad; Breitenstein, Daniel; Or, Dani

2017-12-01

The intermittent nature of turbulent airflow interacting with the surface is readily observable in fluctuations of the surface temperature resulting from the thermal imprints of eddies sweeping the surface. Rapid infrared thermography has recently been used to quantify characteristics of the near-surface turbulent airflow interacting with the evaporating surfaces. We aim to extend this technique by using single-point rapid infrared measurements to quantify properties of a turbulent flow, including surface exchange processes, with a view towards the development of an infrared surface anemometer. The parameters for the surface-eddy renewal (α and β ) are inferred from infrared measurements of a single-point on the surface of a heat plate placed in a wind tunnel with prescribed wind speeds and constant mean temperatures of the surface. Thermally-deduced parameters are in agreement with values obtained from standard three-dimensional ultrasonic anemometer measurements close to the plate surface (e.g., α = 3 and β = 1/26 (ms)^{-1} for the infrared, and α = 3 and β = 1/19 (ms)^{-1} for the sonic-anemometer measurements). The infrared-based turbulence parameters provide new insights into the role of surface temperature and buoyancy on the inherent characteristics of interacting eddies. The link between the eddy-spectrum shape parameter α and the infrared window size representing the infrared field of view is investigated. The results resemble the effect of the sampling height above the ground in sonic anemometer measurements, which enables the detection of larger eddies with higher values of α . The physical basis and tests of the proposed method support the potential for remote quantification of the near-surface momentum field, as well as scalar-flux measurements in the immediate vicinity of the surface.

Real-time visualization and analysis of airflow field by use of digital holography

Science.gov (United States)

Di, Jianglei; Wu, Bingjing; Chen, Xin; Liu, Junjiang; Wang, Jun; Zhao, Jianlin

2013-04-01

The measurement and analysis of airflow field is very important in fluid dynamics. For airflow, smoke particles can be added to visually observe the turbulence phenomena by particle tracking technology, but the effect of smoke particles to follow the high speed airflow will reduce the measurement accuracy. In recent years, with the advantage of non-contact, nondestructive, fast and full-field measurement, digital holography has been widely applied in many fields, such as deformation and vibration analysis, particle characterization, refractive index measurement, and so on. In this paper, we present a method to measure the airflow field by use of digital holography. A small wind tunnel model made of acrylic glass is built to control the velocity and direction of airflow. Different shapes of samples such as aircraft wing and cylinder are placed in the wind tunnel model to produce different forms of flow field. With a Mach-Zehnder interferometer setup, a series of digital holograms carrying the information of airflow filed distributions in different states are recorded by CCD camera and corresponding holographic images are numerically reconstructed from the holograms by computer. Then we can conveniently obtain the velocity or pressure information of the airflow deduced from the quantitative phase information of holographic images and visually display the airflow filed and its evolution in the form of a movie. The theory and experiment results show that digital holography is a robust and feasible approach for real-time visualization and analysis of airflow field.

Integration of a Multizone Airflow Model into a Thermalsimulation Program

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Rasmus Lund; Sørensen, Karl Grau; Heiselberg, Per

2007-01-01

An existing computer model for dynamic hygrothermal analysis of buildings has been extended with a multizone airflow model based on loop equations to account for the coupled thermal and airflow in natural and hybrid ventilated buildings. In water distribution network and related fields loop...... a methodology adopted from water distribution network that automatically sets up the independent loops and is easy to implement into a computer program. Finally an example of verification of the model is given which demonstrates the ability of the models to accurately predict the airflow of a simple multizone...

Unidirectional pulmonary airflow patterns in the savannah monitor lizard.

Science.gov (United States)

Schachner, Emma R; Cieri, Robert L; Butler, James P; Farmer, C G

2014-02-20

The unidirectional airflow patterns in the lungs of birds have long been considered a unique and specialized trait associated with the oxygen demands of flying, their endothermic metabolism and unusual pulmonary architecture. However, the discovery of similar flow patterns in the lungs of crocodilians indicates that this character is probably ancestral for all archosaurs--the group that includes extant birds and crocodilians as well as their extinct relatives, such as pterosaurs and dinosaurs. Unidirectional flow in birds results from aerodynamic valves, rather than from sphincters or other physical mechanisms, and similar aerodynamic valves seem to be present in crocodilians. The anatomical and developmental similarities in the primary and secondary bronchi of birds and crocodilians suggest that these structures and airflow patterns may be homologous. The origin of this pattern is at least as old as the split between crocodilians and birds, which occurred in the Triassic period. Alternatively, this pattern of flow may be even older; this hypothesis can be tested by investigating patterns of airflow in members of the outgroup to birds and crocodilians, the Lepidosauromorpha (tuatara, lizards and snakes). Here we demonstrate region-specific unidirectional airflow in the lungs of the savannah monitor lizard (Varanus exanthematicus). The presence of unidirectional flow in the lungs of V. exanthematicus thus gives rise to two possible evolutionary scenarios: either unidirectional airflow evolved independently in archosaurs and monitor lizards, or these flow patterns are homologous in archosaurs and V. exanthematicus, having evolved only once in ancestral diapsids (the clade encompassing snakes, lizards, crocodilians and birds). If unidirectional airflow is plesiomorphic for Diapsida, this respiratory character can be reconstructed for extinct diapsids, and evolved in a small ectothermic tetrapod during the Palaeozoic era at least a hundred million years before the

A Real-time License Plate Detection System for Parking Access

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roenadi Koesdijarto

2010-08-01

Full Text Available The automatic and real-time license plate detection system can be used as an access control entry of vehicles into the parking area. The problem is how to recognize the vehicles that will go into the parking lot and how to recognize various types of license plates in various light conditions quickly and accurately. In this research, the prototype was developed with a detection system to recognize the vehicles that will enter the parking area, and a license plate recognition system. In the license plate recognition system, the Fourier transform and Hidden Markov model method have proposed to detect location of license plate and as characters segmentation to recognize Indonesia license plates. The research results have shown that the developed prototype system has successfully recognized all Indonesia license plates in several of light condition and camera position. The percentage of plate recognition in the real-time experiment is 84.38%, and the average execution time for all recognition process is 5.834 second.

Experimental Study of an SWH System with V-Shaped Plate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jalaluddin

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Solar energy is known as an environmentally friendly energy source with a wide range of applications. This energy can be utilized in various applications such as domestic and industrial water heating using solar water heating (SWH systems. The thermal performance of an SWH system using a V-shaped absorber plate is presented in this study. Two SWH systems with different absorber plates, i.e. a flat-plate and a V-shaped plate, have been investigated experimentally. First, the absorptivity of the absorber plates was calculated analytically. The optimum V-shaped configuration with angle at β = 21° (V-shaped dimensions t = 4 cm and l = 4 cm was determined from various V-shaped plate absorbers based on their absorptivity and applied in the experimental study. Two SWH systems were installed and tested at a low flowrate of 0.5 L/min and at a high flowrate of 2 L/min. The results showed that the SWH system with V-shaped plate absorber had a 3.6-4.4% better performance compared with that of the system with flat-plate absorber.

Two-media boundary layer on a flat plate

OpenAIRE

Nikolay Ilyich Klyuev; Asgat Gatyatovich Gimadiev; Yuriy Alekseevich Kryukov

2014-01-01

The present paper provides a solution to the problem of a flow over a flat semi-infinite plate set at an angle to the horizon, and having a thin liquid film on its surface by external airflow. The film is formed by extrusion of liquid from the porous wall. The paper proposes a mathematical model of a two-media boundary layer flow. The main characteristics of the flow to a zero and a first approximation are determined. A drop of frictional stress is obtained.

Finite Element Modeling of Airflow During Phonation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Šidlof P.

2010-07-01

Full Text Available In the paper a mathematical model of airflow in human vocal folds is presented. The geometry of the glottal channel is based on measurements of excised human larynges. The airflow is modeled by nonstationary incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in a 2D computational domain, which is deformed in time due to vocal fold vibration. The paper presents numerical results and focuses on flow separation in glottis. Quantitative data from numerical simulations are compared to results of measurements by Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV, performed on a scaled self-oscillating physical model of vocal folds.

Sleep position and the ocular surface in a high airflow environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinod Gauba, FRCOphth

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To study the relationship between sleep position and ocular surface symptoms and signs in an high air flow environment. Methods: Prospective observational study of new patients attending the dry eye clinic was performed. Patients with pre-existing ocular history, relevant systemic history (e.g. Sjogren’s syndrome or who were using topical or systemic therapy for dry eye were not included. Data were collected from the patient to document their dry eye symptoms; preferred dependent sleeping side and their bedroom airflow. All patients were examined by a clinician blind to the patient’s responses where Schirmer’s test and slit lamp examination were performed looking for the presence of lagophthalmos and corneal epitheliopathy. Results: 48 patients enrolled into the study of which 23 were males and 25 were females with a normal and comparable age distribution. The study found a strong association between patients’ preferred sleeping side and the incidence of corneal epitheliopathy in the contralateral eye particularly in patients with evidence of lagophthalmos. Dry eye symptoms were found to be worse and tear production lower on the contralateral side to the preferred sleeping side particularly in patients who sleep in a high airflow environment. Conclusion: In patients sleeping in a high airflow environment with nocturnal lagophthalmos, this study observed an association between preferred dependent sleep position and increased dry eye symptoms, lower Schirmer’s scores and increased corneal epitheliopathy in the contralateral eye. Keywords: Sleep, Dry eyes, Lagophthalmos, Epiphora

Computed tomography structural lung changes in discordant airflow limitation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Firdaus A A Mohamed Hoesein

Full Text Available There is increasing evidence that structural lung changes may be present before the occurrence of airflow limitation as assessed by spirometry. This study investigated the prevalence of computed tomography (CT quantified emphysema, airway wall thickening and gas trapping according to classification of airflow limitation (FEV1/FVC 70%; group 2LLN; and group 370% but FEV1 <80% predicted, were excluded. Multivariate regression analysis correcting for covariates was used to asses the extent of emphysema, airway wall thickening and gas trapping according to three groups of airflow limitation.Mean (standard deviation age was 62.5 (5.2 years and packyears smoked was 41.0 (18.0. Group 2 subjects when compared to group 1 had a significantly lower 15(th percentile, -920.6 HU versus -912.2 HU; a higher Pi10, 2.87 mm versus 2.57 mm; and a higher E/I-ratio, 88.6% versus 85.6% (all p<0.001.Subjects with an FEV1/FVC<70%, but above the LLN, have a significant greater degree of structural lung changes on CT compared to subjects without airflow limitation.

Performance of the PBX-M passive plate stabilization system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kugel, H.W.; Bell, R.; Bernabei, S.

1994-02-01

The PBX-M passive plate stabilization system provides significant stabilization of long-wavelength external kink modes, the slowing of vertical instability growth rates, and the amelioration of disruption characteristics. The passive plate stabilization system has allowed the use of LHCD and IBW to induce current density and pressure profile modifications, and m = 1 divertor biasing for modifying edge plasma transport. Improvements in the passive plate system insulators and support structures have provided reliable operation. Impurity influxes with the close-fitting passive plates are low. Solid target boronization is applied routinely to reduce conditioning time and maintain clean conditions

Risk factors for persistent airflow limitation: Analysis of 306 patients with asthma

OpenAIRE

Wang, Lingcheng; Gao, Shuncui; Zhu, Wei; Su, Jun

2014-01-01

Objectives : To determine the risk factors associated with persistent airflow limitation in patients with asthma. Method s: This study was designed and carried out in the department of respiratory medicine, fourth People?s Hospital of Jinan City, Shandong province, China between Jan 2012 and Dec 2012. Three hundred and six asthma patients participating in the study were divided into persistent airflow limitation group (PAFL) and no persistent airflow limitation group (NPAFL). The patients par...

Daily efficiency of flat-plate solar air collectors for grain drying

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ting, K.C.; Shove, G.C.

1983-01-01

Single cover flat-plate solar collectors incorporated into walls and roofs of farm buildings have been used to heat ambient air for low temperature grain drying systems. Large surface area and high airflow rate are common features of these collectors. The drying period may range from several days to several weeks. Therefore, a knowledge of the variations of the collectors' daily efficiencies with respect to their design parameters would be helpful in applying solar collectors to grain drying. The objective of this study was to develop a simpler means of direct calculation of a collector's daily efficiency based on its design parameters. Many factors, such as configuration of the collector, airflow rate, weather conditions, etc. will affect the performance of solar collectors. A large number of varied conditions need to be tested in order to investigate the effect of different parameters on the collector performance. To facilitate this investigation, a computer simulation model developed by Ting was used to calculate the daily efficiencies of collectors under different operating conditions. The computer model was verified by Morrison's experimental data. Based on the simulation results, a functional relationship was developed between the daily efficiencies of collectors and their design parameters.

Inert gas handling in ion plating systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goode, A.R.; Burden, M.St.J.

1979-01-01

The results of an investigation into the best methods for production and monitoring of the inert gas environment for ion plating systems are reported. Work carried out on Pirani gauges and high pressure ion gauges for the measurement of pressures in the ion plating region (1 - 50mtorr) and the use of furnaces for cleaning argon is outlined. A schematic of a gas handling system is shown and discussed. (UK)

Using Coupled Energy, Airflow and IAQ Software (TRNSYS/CONTAM) to Evaluate Building Ventilation Strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Dols, W Stuart; Emmerich, Steven J; Polidoro, Brian J

2016-03-01

Building energy analysis tools are available in many forms that provide the ability to address a broad spectrum of energy-related issues in various combinations. Often these tools operate in isolation from one another, making it difficult to evaluate the interactions between related phenomena and interacting systems, forcing oversimplified assumptions to be made about various phenomena that could otherwise be addressed directly with another tool. One example of such interdependence is the interaction between heat transfer, inter-zone airflow and indoor contaminant transport. In order to better address these interdependencies, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed an updated version of the multi-zone airflow and contaminant transport modelling tool, CONTAM, along with a set of utilities to enable coupling of the full CONTAM model with the TRNSYS simulation tool in a more seamless manner and with additional capabilities that were previously not available. This paper provides an overview of these new capabilities and applies them to simulating a medium-size office building. These simulations address the interaction between whole-building energy, airflow and contaminant transport in evaluating various ventilation strategies including natural and demand-controlled ventilation. CONTAM has been in practical use for many years allowing building designers, as well as IAQ and ventilation system analysts, to simulate the complex interactions between building physical layout and HVAC system configuration in determining building airflow and contaminant transport. It has been widely used to design and analyse smoke management systems and evaluate building performance in response to chemical, biological and radiological events. While CONTAM has been used to address design and performance of buildings implementing energy conserving ventilation systems, e.g., natural and hybrid, this new coupled simulation capability will enable users to apply the

Relationships among smoking habits, airflow limitations, and metabolic abnormalities in school workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Horie, Masafumi; Noguchi, Satoshi; Tanaka, Wakae; Goto, Yasushi; Yoshihara, Hisanao; Kawakami, Masaki; Suzuki, Masaru; Sakamoto, Yoshio

2013-01-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is caused mainly by habitual smoking and is common among elderly individuals. It involves not only airflow limitation but also metabolic disorders, leading to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We evaluated relationships among smoking habits, airflow limitation, and metabolic abnormalities. Between 2001 and 2008, 15,324 school workers (9700 males, 5624 females; age: ≥ 30 years) underwent medical checkups, including blood tests and spirometry. They also responded to a questionnaire on smoking habits and medical history. Airflow limitation was more prevalent in current smokers than in ex-smokers and never-smokers in men and women. The frequency of hypertriglyceridemia was higher in current smokers in all age groups, and those of low high-density-lipoprotein cholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus were higher in current smokers in age groups ≥ 40 s in men, but not in women. There were significant differences in the frequencies of metabolic abnormalities between subjects with airflow limitations and those without in women, but not in men. Smoking index was an independent factor associated with increased frequencies of hypertriglyceridemia (OR 1.015; 95% CI: 1.012-1.018; psmoking cessation was an independent factor associated with a decreased frequency of hypertriglyceridemia (0.984; 0.975-0.994; p = 0.007). Habitual smoking causes high incidences of airflow limitation and metabolic abnormalities. Women, but not men, with airflow limitation had higher frequencies of metabolic abnormalities.

Computer simulation of airflow through a multi-generation tracheobronchial conducting airway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, B.; Cheng, Yung-Sung; Yeh, Hsu-Chi

1995-12-01

Knowledge of airflow patterns in the human lung is important for an analysis of lung diseases and drug delivery of aerosolized medicine for medical treatment. However, very little systematic information is available on the pattern of airflow in the lung and on how this pattern affects the deposition of toxicants in the lung, and the efficacy of aerosol drug therapy. Most previous studies have only considered the airflow through a single bifurcating airway. However, the flow in a network of more than one bifurcation is more complicated due to the effect of interrelated lung generations. Because of the variation of airway geometry and flow condition from generation to generation, a single bifurcating airway cannot be taken as a representative for the others in different generations. The flow in the network varies significantly with airway generations because of a redistribution of axial momentum by the secondary flow motions. The influence of the redistribution of flow is expected in every generation. Therefore, a systematic information of the airflow through a multi-generation tracheobronchial conducting airway is needed, and it becomes the purpose of this study. This study has provided information on airflow in a lung model which is necessary to the study of the deposition of toxicants and therapeutic aerosols.

Computer simulation of airflow through a multi-generation tracheobronchial conducting airway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, B.; Cheng, Yung-Sung; Yeh, Hsu-Chi.

1995-01-01

Knowledge of airflow patterns in the human lung is important for an analysis of lung diseases and drug delivery of aerosolized medicine for medical treatment. However, very little systematic information is available on the pattern of airflow in the lung and on how this pattern affects the deposition of toxicants in the lung, and the efficacy of aerosol drug therapy. Most previous studies have only considered the airflow through a single bifurcating airway. However, the flow in a network of more than one bifurcation is more complicated due to the effect of interrelated lung generations. Because of the variation of airway geometry and flow condition from generation to generation, a single bifurcating airway cannot be taken as a representative for the others in different generations. The flow in the network varies significantly with airway generations because of a redistribution of axial momentum by the secondary flow motions. The influence of the redistribution of flow is expected in every generation. Therefore, a systematic information of the airflow through a multi-generation tracheobronchial conducting airway is needed, and it becomes the purpose of this study. This study has provided information on airflow in a lung model which is necessary to the study of the deposition of toxicants and therapeutic aerosols

Experimental study on the characterization of airflow effect on the direct methanol fuel cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuan, Yean-Der [Department of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Energy Engineering, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Taichung (China); Lee, Shi-Min [Department of Aerospace Engineering, Tamkang University, Taipei (China); Sung, Min-Feng [Department of Mechanical and Electromechanical Engineering, Tamkang University, Taipei (China)

2009-08-15

The PCB manufacturing process has been applied to the DMFC package which is especially suitable for the planar type DMFC module design. Maintaining the planar DMFC in good operating condition is an important task. This paper discusses the cathode airflow effect on the single cell and also on the 3-cell planar DMFC module. In the single cell study, the research starts from the airflow rate to airflow velocity viewpoint. In the DMFC module study, a 3-cell DMFC module, a substitute of 3-Cell PCB DMFC module, with a parallel flow board are compared. The results indicate that providing suitable cathode airflow velocity is more important than merely considering the airflow rate in the DMFC single or 3-cell DMFC module. (author)

Room Airflows with Low Reynolds Number Effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Topp, Claus; Nielsen, Peter V.; Davidson, Lars

The behaviour of room airflows under fully turbulent conditions is well known both in terms of experiments and, numerical calculations by computational fluid dynamics (CFD). For room airflows where turbulence is not fully developed though, i.e. flows at low Reynolds numbers, the existing knowledge...... is limited. It has been the objective to investigate the behaviour of a plane isothermal wall jet in a full-scale ventilated room at low Reynolds numbers, i.e. when the flow is not fully turbulent. The results are significantly different from known theory for fully turbulent flows. It was found that the jet...... constants are a strong function of the Reynolds number up to a level of Reh≈500....

Poppet valve control of throat stability bypass to increase stable airflow range of a Mach 2.5. inlet with 60 percent internal contraction

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, G. A.; Sanders, B. W.

1975-01-01

The throat of a Mach 2.5 inlet with a coldpipe termination was fitted with a stability-bypass system. System variations included several stability bypass entrance configurations. Poppet valves controlled the bypass airflow. The inlet stable airflow range achieved with each configuration was determined for both steady state conditions and internal pulse transients. Results are compared with those obtained without a stability bypass system. Transient results were also obtained for the inlet with a choke point at the diffuser exit and for the inlet with large and small stability bypass plenum volumes. Poppet valves at the stability bypass exit provided the inlet with a stable airflow range of 20 percent or greater at all static and transient conditions.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition System for IPhone Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Călin Enăchescu

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a system for automatic number plate recognition, implemented for devices running the iOS operating system. The methods used for number plate recognition are based on existing methods, but optimized for devices with low hardware resources. To solve the task of automatic number plate recognition we have divided it into the following subtasks: image acquisition, localization of the number plate position on the image and character detection. The first subtask is performed by the camera of an iPhone, the second one is done using image pre-processing methods and template matching. For the character recognition we are using a feed-forward artificial neural network. Each of these methods is presented along with its results.

Experimental and numerical simulation the effect of distribution plates in a mobile electrostatic precipitator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noorpoor, A. R.; Sadeghi, M.

2003-01-01

In this investigation, behaviour of airflow inside an electrostatic precipitator with three different distribution plates has been considered by means of numerical and experimental methods and results have been compared together. This device has been designed and produced in this center for the first time in Iran, and its ability to absorb particles, haze and soot is good. But for increasing the efficiency there must be some changes to an miscellaneous sections. Therefore, here we consider the effect of distribution plates to increase performance, because when distribution flow at cross sections of precipitator is uniform, the efficiency will increase. To have a numerical simulation, fluent software version 5.3 was and for modeling turbulence the RNG k-Σ turbulent model applied. This program after discretization governing equations on a body fitted coordinate system, that is produced in preprocessor, integrates this equations on control volumes and determines the rate of quantities on control volume faces using order two (upwind)approximations. Finally by means of a pitot tube velocity magnitude of fluid in two sections of domain was measured and compared with numerical results which shows a good agreement. After simulation the three model, e.g. without distribution plate, with a distribution plate after inlet duct and with two distribution plates (one after inlet duct and before outlet duct), and taking some results and by comparing them, we conclude that use of combined distribution plate can give a good result

Influence of furnishing on indoor airflow near external walls

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Lone Hedegaard; Rode, Carsten; Peuhkuri, Ruut

2008-01-01

Simulations of indoor environments in buildings are usually performed assuming uniform distribution of temperature and humidity of the indoor air, such as it would be in an idealised unfurnished room. The flow patterns near external walls may however be very different from the undisturbed airflow...... distributions, as the walls behind furniture may be colder than the other surroundings of the room, and the furniture to some extent obstructs the airflow. This paper describes an investigation of a room with a piece of furniture placed near an external wall. This was investigated using Particle Image...... Velocimetry (PIV) measurements. It was found how the pattern of airflow behind furniture placed near cold walls was influenced by the thickness of air gaps behind and below the furniture. But it was also found that even if the furniture was placed directly on the floor, there would be a considerable flow...

Experimental Research on Optimizing Inlet Airflow of Wet Cooling Towers under Crosswind Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, You Liang; Shi, Yong Feng; Hao, Jian Gang; Chang, Hao; Sun, Feng Zhong

2018-01-01

A new approach of installing air deflectors around tower inlet circumferentially was proposed to optimize the inlet airflow and reduce the adverse effect of crosswinds on the thermal performance of natural draft wet cooling towers (NDWCT). And inlet airflow uniformity coefficient was defined to analyze the uniformity of circumferential inlet airflow quantitatively. Then the effect of air deflectors on the NDWCT performance was investigated experimentally. By contrast between inlet air flow rate and cooling efficiency, it has been found that crosswinds not only decrease the inlet air flow rate, but also reduce the uniformity of inlet airflow, which reduce NDWCT performance jointly. After installing air deflectors, the inlet air flow rate and uniformity coefficient increase, the uniformity of heat and mass transfer increases correspondingly, which improve the cooling performance. In addition, analysis on Lewis factor demonstrates that the inlet airflow optimization has more enhancement of heat transfer than mass transfer, but leads to more water evaporation loss.

Measurement of the resistivity of porous materials with an alternating air-flow method.

Science.gov (United States)

Dragonetti, Raffaele; Ianniello, Carmine; Romano, Rosario A

2011-02-01

Air-flow resistivity is a main parameter governing the acoustic behavior of porous materials for sound absorption. The international standard ISO 9053 specifies two different methods to measure the air-flow resistivity, namely a steady-state air-flow method and an alternating air-flow method. The latter is realized by the measurement of the sound pressure at 2 Hz in a small rigid volume closed partially by the test sample. This cavity is excited with a known volume-velocity sound source implemented often with a motor-driven piston oscillating with prescribed area and displacement magnitude. Measurements at 2 Hz require special instrumentation and care. The authors suggest an alternating air-flow method based on the ratio of sound pressures measured at frequencies higher than 2 Hz inside two cavities coupled through a conventional loudspeaker. The basic method showed that the imaginary part of the sound pressure ratio is useful for the evaluation of the air-flow resistance. Criteria are discussed about the choice of a frequency range suitable to perform simplified calculations with respect to the basic method. These criteria depend on the sample thickness, its nonacoustic parameters, and the measurement apparatus as well. The proposed measurement method was tested successfully with various types of acoustic materials.

A Malaysian Vehicle License Plate Localization and Recognition System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ganapathy Velappa

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Technological intelligence is a highly sought after commodity even in traffic-based systems. These intelligent systems do not only help in traffic monitoring but also in commuter safety, law enforcement and commercial applications. In this paper, a license plate localization and recognition system for vehicles in Malaysia is proposed. This system is developed based on digital images and can be easily applied to commercial car park systems for the use of documenting access of parking services, secure usage of parking houses and also to prevent car theft issues. The proposed license plate localization algorithm is based on a combination of morphological processes with a modified Hough Transform approach and the recognition of the license plates is achieved by the implementation of the feed-forward backpropagation artificial neural network. Experimental results show an average of 95% successful license plate localization and recognition in a total of 589 images captured from a complex outdoor environment.

Simulation of whole building coupled hygrothermal-airflow transfer in different climates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin Menghao; Walton, George; Belarbi, Rafik; Allard, Francis

2011-01-01

The coupled heat, air and moisture transfer between building envelopes and indoor air is complicated, and has a significant influence on the indoor environment and the energy performance of buildings. In the paper, a model for predicting coupled multi-zone hygrothermal-airflow transfer is presented. Both heat and moisture transfer in the building envelope and multi-zone indoor airflow are simultaneously considered; their interactions are modeled. The coupled system model is implemented into Matlab-Simulink, and is validated by using a series of testing tools and experiments. The new program is applied to investigate the moisture transfer effect on indoor air humidity and building energy consumption in different climates (hot-humid, temperate and hot-dry climates). The results show that not accounting for hygrothermal effects in modeling will result in overestimation of energy costs for hot and humid climate situations and possible over sizing of plant leading to inefficient operation.

Automatic system for localization and recognition of vehicle plate numbers

OpenAIRE

Vázquez, N.; Nakano, M.; Pérez-Meana, H.

2003-01-01

This paper proposes a vehicle numbers plate identification system, which extracts the characters features of a plate from a captured image by a digital camera. Then identify the symbols of the number plate using a multilayer neural network. The proposed recognition system consists of two processes: The training process and the recognition process. During the training process, a database is created using 310 vehicular plate images. Then using this database a multilayer neural network is traine...

Validity of peak expiratory flow measurement in assessing reversibility of airflow obstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Dekker, F W; Schrier, A C; Sterk, P J; Dijkman, J H

1992-01-01

BACKGROUND: Assessing the reversibility of airflow obstruction by peak expiratory (PEF) measurements would be practicable in general practice, but its usefulness has not been investigated. METHODS: PEF measurements were performed (miniWright peak flow meter) in 73 general practice patients (aged 40 to 84) with a history of asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease before and after 400 micrograms inhaled sulbutamol. The change in PEF was compared with the change in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). Reversible airflow obstruction was analysed in two ways according to previous criteria. When defined as a 9% or greater increase in FEV1 expressed as a percentage of predicted values reversibility was observed in 42% of patients. Relative operating characteristic analysis showed that an absolute improvement in PEF of 60 l/min or more gave optimal discrimination between patients with reversible and irreversible airflow obstruction (the sensitivity and specificity of an increase of 60 l/min in detecting a 9% or more increase in FEV1 as a percentage of predicted values were 68% and 93% respectively, with a positive predictive value of 87%). When defined as an increase of 190 ml or more in FEV1, reversible airflow obstruction was observed in 53% of patients. Again an absolute improvement in PEF of 60 l/min or more gave optimal discrimination between patients with reversible and irreversible airflow obstruction (sensitivity 56%, specificity 94%, and positive predictive value 92%). CONCLUSION: Absolute changes in PEF can be used as a simple technique to diagnose reversible airflow obstruction in patients from general practice. PMID:1519192

Strongly coupled interaction between a ridge of fluid and an inviscid airflow

KAUST Repository

Paterson, C.; Wilson, S. K.; Duffy, B. R.

2015-01-01

ridge down near to its edges and to pull it up near to its middle. At a critical airflow strength, the upslope contact angle reaches the receding contact angle at which the upslope contact line de-pins, and continuing to increase the airflow strength

Performance analysis of air conditioning system and airflow simulation in an operating theater

Science.gov (United States)

Alhamid, Muhammad Idrus; Budihardjo, Rahmat

2018-02-01

The importance of maintaining performance of a hospital operating theater is to establish an adequate circulation of clean air within the room. The parameter of air distribution in a space should be based on Air Changes per Hour (ACH) to maintain a positive room pressure. The dispersion of airborne particles in the operating theater was governed by regulating the air distribution so that the operating theater meets clean room standards ie ISO 14664 and ASHRAE 170. Here, we introduced several input parameters in a simulation environment to observe the pressure distribution in the room. Input parameters were air temperature, air velocity and volumetric flow rate entering and leaving room for existing and designed condition. In the existing operating theatre, several observations were found. It was found that the outlet air velocity at the HEPA filter above the operating table was too high thus causing a turbulent airflow pattern. Moreover, the setting temperature at 19°C was found to be too low. The supply of air into the room was observed at lower than 20 ACH which is under the standard requirement. Our simulation using FloVent 8.2™ program showed that not only airflow turbulence could be reduced but also the amount of particle contamination could also be minimized.

Impact of airflow interaction on inhaled air quality and transport of contaminants in rooms with personalized and total volume ventilation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Cermak, Radim; Kovar, O.

2003-01-01

The impact of airflow interaction on inhaled air quality and transport of contaminants between occupants was studied in regard to pollution from floor covering, human bioeffluents and exhaled air, with combinations of two personalized ventilation systems (PV) with mixing and displacement...... quality with personalized and mixing ventilation was higher or at least similar compared to mixing ventilation alone. In the case of PV combined with displacement ventilation, the interaction caused mixing of the room air, an increase in the transport of bioeffluents and exhaled air between occupants and...... ventilation. In total, 80 L/s of clean air supplied at 20°C was distributed between the ventilation systems at different combinations of personalized airflow rate. Two breathing thermal manikins were used to simulate occupants in a full-scale test room. Regardless of the airflow interaction, the inhaled air...

Using Computational Fluid Dynamics to examine airflow characteristics in Empty Nose Syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Flint, Tim; Esmaily-Moghadam, Mahdi; Thamboo, Andrew; Velasquez, Nathalia; Nayak, Jayakar V.; Sellier, Mathieu; Moin, Parviz

2016-11-01

The enigmatic disorder, empty nose syndrome (ENS), presents with a complex subjective symptom profile despite objectively patent nasal airways, and recent reports suggest that surgical augmentation of the nasal airway can improve quality of life and ENS-related complaints. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was performed both prior to, and following, inferior turbinate augmentation to model the resultant changes in airflow patterns and better understand the pathophysiology of ENS. An ENS patient with marked reduction in ENS symptoms following turbinate augmentation was identified, and pre- and post-operative CT imaging was collected. A Finite element framework with the variational multiscale method (Esmaily-Moghadam, Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Engrg. 2015) was used to compute the airflow, temperature, and moisture transport through the nasal cavity. Comparison of the CFD results following corrective surgery showed higher levels of airflow turbulence. Augmentation produced 50%, 25%, and 25% increases in root mean square pressure, wall shear stress, and heat flux respectively. These results provide insight into the changes in nasal airflow characteristics attainable through surgical augmentation, and by extension, how nasal airflow patterns may be distorted in the 'overly patent' airway of ENS patients. Supported by Stanford University CTR and Fulbright New Zealand.

Occupational exposure to pesticides are associated with fixed airflow obstruction in middle-age.

Science.gov (United States)

Alif, Sheikh M; Dharmage, Shyamali C; Benke, Geza; Dennekamp, Martine; Burgess, John A; Perret, Jennifer L; Lodge, Caroline J; Morrison, Stephen; Johns, David Peter; Giles, Graham G; Gurrin, Lyle C; Thomas, Paul S; Hopper, John Llewelyn; Wood-Baker, Richard; Thompson, Bruce R; Feather, Iain H; Vermeulen, Roel; Kromhout, Hans; Walters, E Haydn; Abramson, Michael J; Matheson, Melanie Claire

2017-11-01

Population-based studies have found evidence of a relationship between occupational exposures and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), but these studies are limited by the use of prebronchodilator spirometry. Establishing this link using postbronchodilator is critical, because occupational exposures are a modifiable risk factor for COPD. To investigate the associations between occupational exposures and fixed airflow obstruction using postbronchodilator spirometry. One thousand three hundred and thirty-five participants were included from 2002 to 2008 follow-up of the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study (TAHS). Spirometry was performed and lifetime work history calendars were used to collect occupational history. ALOHA plus Job Exposure Matrix was used to assign occupational exposure, and defined as ever exposed and cumulative exposure unit (EU)-years. Fixed airflow obstruction was defined by postbronchodilator FEV 1 /FVC biological dust (relative risk (RR)=1.58, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.48), pesticides (RR=1.74,95% CI 1.00 to 3.07) and herbicides (RR=2.09,95% CI 1.18 to 3.70) were associated with fixed airflow obstruction. Cumulative EU-years to all pesticides (RR=1.11,95% CI 1.00 to 1.25) and herbicides (RR=1.15,95% CI 1.00 to 1.32) were also associated with fixed airflow obstruction. In addition, all pesticides exposure was consistently associated with chronic bronchitis and symptoms that are consistent with airflow obstruction. Ever exposure to mineral dust, gases/fumes and vapours, gases, dust or fumes were only associated with fixed airflow obstruction in non-asthmatics only. Pesticides and herbicides exposures were associated with fixed airflow obstruction and chronic bronchitis. Biological dust exposure was also associated with fixed airflow obstruction in non-asthmatics. Minimising occupational exposure to these agents may help to reduce the burden of COPD. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the

Airflow Dynamics over a Beach and Foredune System with Large Woody Debris

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael J. Grilliot

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Airflow dynamics over beach-foredune systems can be complex. Although a great deal is known about the effects of topographic forcing and vegetation cover on wind-field modification, the role of large woody debris (LWD as a roughness element and modifier of boundary layer flow is relatively understudied. Individual pieces of LWD are non-porous elements that impose bluff body effects and induce secondary flow circulation that varies with size, density, and arrangement. Large assemblages of LWD are common on beaches near forested watersheds and collectively have a degree of porosity that increases aerodynamic roughness in ways that are not fully understood. A field study on a mesotidal sandy beach with a scarped foredune (Calvert Island, British Columbia, Canada shows that LWD influences flow patterns and turbulence levels. Overall mean and fluctuating energy decline as flow transitions across LWD, while mean energy is converted to turbulent energy. Such flow alterations have implications for sand transport pathways and resulting sedimentation patterns, primarily by inducing deposition within the LWD matrix.

Lung sound intensity in patients with emphysema and in normal subjects at standardised airflows.

Science.gov (United States)

Schreur, H J; Sterk, P J; Vanderschoot, J; van Klink, H C; van Vollenhoven, E; Dijkman, J H

1992-01-01

BACKGROUND: A common auscultatory finding in pulmonary emphysema is a reduction of lung sounds. This might be due to a reduction in the generation of sounds due to the accompanying airflow limitation or to poor transmission of sounds due to destruction of parenchyma. Lung sound intensity was investigated in normal and emphysematous subjects in relation to airflow. METHODS: Eight normal men (45-63 years, FEV1 79-126% predicted) and nine men with severe emphysema (50-70 years, FEV1 14-63% predicted) participated in the study. Emphysema was diagnosed according to pulmonary history, results of lung function tests, and radiographic criteria. All subjects underwent phonopneumography during standardised breathing manoeuvres between 0.5 and 2 1 below total lung capacity with inspiratory and expiratory target airflows of 2 and 1 l/s respectively during 50 seconds. The synchronous measurements included airflow at the mouth and lung volume changes, and lung sounds at four locations on the right chest wall. For each microphone airflow dependent power spectra were computed by using fast Fourier transformation. Lung sound intensity was expressed as log power (in dB) at 200 Hz at inspiratory flow rates of 1 and 2 l/s and at an expiratory flow rate of 1 l/s. RESULTS: Lung sound intensity was well repeatable on two separate days, the intraclass correlation coefficient ranging from 0.77 to 0.94 between the four microphones. The intensity was strongly influenced by microphone location and airflow. There was, however, no significant difference in lung sound intensity at any flow rate between the normal and the emphysema group. CONCLUSION: Airflow standardised lung sound intensity does not differ between normal and emphysematous subjects. This suggests that the auscultatory finding of diminished breath sounds during the regular physical examination in patients with emphysema is due predominantly to airflow limitation. Images PMID:1440459

Characterization of the Airflow from a Bottom Hung Window under Natural Ventilation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svidt, Kjeld; Heiselberg, Per; Nielsen, Peter V.

This paper describes the results of laboratory measurements of the airflow from a bottom hung window mounted near the ceiling of a ventilated room. In the laboratory set-up it was possible to control the temperature difference and the airflow rate through the window. The pressure drop through...

The efficacy of airflow and seat vibration on reducing visually induced motion sickness.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Amour, Sarah; Bos, Jelte E; Keshavarz, Behrang

2017-09-01

Visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) is a well-known sensation in virtual environments and simulators, typically characterized by a variety of symptoms such as pallor, sweating, dizziness, fatigue, and/or nausea. Numerous methods to reduce VIMS have been previously introduced; however, a reliable countermeasure is still missing. In the present study, the effect of airflow and seat vibration to alleviate VIMS was investigated. Eighty-two participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups (airflow, vibration, combined airflow and vibration, and control) and then exposed to a 15 min long video of a bicycle ride shot from first-person view. VIMS was measured using the Fast Motion Sickness Scale (FMS) and the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ). Results showed that the exposure of airflow significantly reduced VIMS, whereas the presence of seat vibration, in contrast, did not have an impact on VIMS. Additionally, we found that females reported higher FMS scores than males, however, this sex difference was not found in the SSQ scores. Our findings demonstrate that airflow can be an effective and easy-to-apply technique to reduce VIMS in virtual environments and simulators, while vibration applied to the seat is not a successful method.

Composite Bipolar Plate for Unitized Fuel Cell/Electrolyzer Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Mittelsteadt, Cortney K.; Braff, William

2009-01-01

In a substantial improvement over present alkaline systems, an advanced hybrid bipolar plate for a unitized fuel cell/electrolyzer has been developed. This design, which operates on pure feed streams (H2/O2 and water, respectively) consists of a porous metallic foil filled with a polymer that has very high water transport properties. Combined with a second metallic plate, the pore-filled metallic plates form a bipolar plate with an empty cavity in the center.

Airflow attenuation and bed net utilization: observations from Africa and Asia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

von Seidlein, Lorenz; Ikonomidis, Konstantin; Bruun, Rasmus

2012-01-01

Background/Methods Qualitative studies suggest that bed nets affect the thermal comfort of users. To understand and reduce this discomfort the effect of bed nets on temperature, humidity, and airflow was measured in rural homes in Asia and Africa, as well as in an experimental wind tunnel. Two...... discomfort is a factor limiting bed net use and open a range of architectural possibilities to overcome this limitation. Keywords: Malaria; Bed nets; Africa; Tanzania; The Gambia; Asia; Thailand; Philippines; Airflow; Temperature; Humidity; Climate...... investigators with architectural training selected 60 houses in The Gambia, Tanzania, Philippines, and Thailand. Data-loggers were used to measure indoor temperatures in hourly intervals over a 12 months period. In a subgroup of 20 houses airflow, temperature and humidity were measured at five-minute intervals...

Prevalence of airflow obstruction in patients with stable systolic heart failure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dalsgaard, Morten; Plesner, Louis Lind; Schou, Morten

2017-01-01

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important differential diagnosis in heart failure (HF). However, routine use of spirometry in outpatient HF clinics is not implemented. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of both airflow obstruction and non...... failure clinics were examined with spirometry at their first visit and after optimal medical treatment for HF was achieved. airflow obstruction was classified and graded according to the GOLD 2011 revision. Results: Baseline spirometry was performed in 593 included patients and 71 (12%) had a clinical......%) had mild disease (GOLD I) and 180 (30%) patients had moderate to very severe disease (GOLD II-IV). No difference in spirometric variables was observed following up titration of medication. Conclusion: In stable patients with HF airflow obstruction is frequent and severely underdiagnosed. Spirometry...

Plate Tectonics as a Far-From-Equilibrium Self-Organized Dissipative System

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, D. L.

2001-12-01

A fluid above the critical Rayleigh number is far from equilibrium and spontaneously organizes itself into patterns involving the collective motion of large numbers of molecules which are resisted by the viscosity of the fluid. No external template is involved in forming the pattern. In 1928 Pearson showed that Bénard's experiments were driven by variations in surface tension at the top of the fluid and the surface motions drove convection in the fluid. In this case, the surface organized itself AND the underlying fluid. Both internal buoyancy driven flow and flow driven by surface forces can be far-from-equilibrium self-organized open systems that receive energy and matter from the environment. In the Earth, the cold thermal boundary layer at the surface drives plate tectonics and introduces temperature, shear and pressure gradients into the mantle that drive mantle convection. The mantle provides energy and material but may not provide the template. Plate tectonics is therefore a candidate for a far-from-equilibrium dissipative self-organizing system. Alternatively, one could view mantle convection as the self-organized system and the plates as simply the surface manifestation. Lithospheric architecture also imposes lateral temperature gradients onto the mantle which can drive and organize flow. Far-from-equilibrium self-organization requires; an open system, interacting parts, nonlinearities or feedbacks, an outside steady source of energy or matter, multiple possible states and a source of dissipation. In uniform fluids viscosity is the source of dissipation. Sources of dissipation in the plate system include bending, breaking, folding, shearing, tearing, collision and basal drag. These can change rapidly, in contrast to plate driving forces, and introduce the sort of fluctuations that can reorganize far-from-equilibrium systems. Global plate reorganizations can alternatively be thought of as convective overturns of the mantle, or thermal weakening of plates

Harvesting energy from airflow with a michromachined piezoelectric harvester inside a Helmholtz resonator

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Matova, S.P.; Elfrink, R.; Vullers, R.J.M.; Schaijk, R. van

2011-01-01

In this paper we report an airflow energy harvester that combines a piezoelectric energy harvester with a Helmholtz resonator. The resonator converts airflow energy to air oscillations which in turn are converted into electrical energy by a piezoelectric harvester. Two Helmholtz resonators with

Airflow Test of Acoustic Board Samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Rasmus Lund; Jensen, Lise Mellergaard

In the laboratory of Indoor Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University an airflow test on 2x10 samples of acoustic board were carried out the 2nd of June 2012. The tests were carried out for Rambøll and STO AG. The test includes connected values of volume flow...

Airflow Obstruction and Use of Solid Fuels for Cooking or Heating: BOLD Results.

Science.gov (United States)

Amaral, André F S; Patel, Jaymini; Kato, Bernet S; Obaseki, Daniel O; Lawin, Hervé; Tan, Wan C; Juvekar, Sanjay K; Harrabi, Imed; Studnicka, Michael; Wouters, Emiel F M; Loh, Li-Cher; Bateman, Eric D; Mortimer, Kevin; Buist, A Sonia; Burney, Peter G J

2017-09-12

Evidence supporting the association of COPD or airflow obstruction with use of solid fuels is conflicting and inconsistent. To assess the association of airflow obstruction with self-reported use of solid fuels for cooking or heating. We analysed 18,554 adults from the BOLD study, who had provided acceptable post-bronchodilator spirometry measurements and information on use of solid fuels. The association of airflow obstruction with use of solid fuels for cooking or heating was assessed by sex, within each site, using regression analysis. Estimates were stratified by national income and meta-analysed. We carried out similar analyses for spirometric restriction, chronic cough and chronic phlegm. We found no association between airflow obstruction and use of solid fuels for cooking or heating (ORmen=1.20, 95%CI 0.94-1.53; ORwomen=0.88, 95%CI 0.67-1.15). This was true for low/middle and high income sites. Among never smokers there was also no evidence of an association of airflow obstruction with use of solid fuels (ORmen=1.00, 95%CI 0.57-1.76; ORwomen=1.00, 95%CI 0.76-1.32). Overall, we found no association of spirometric restriction, chronic cough or chronic phlegm with the use of solid fuels. However, we found that chronic phlegm was more likely to be reported among female never smokers and those who had been exposed for ≥20 years. Airflow obstruction assessed from post-bronchodilator spirometry was not associated with use of solid fuels for cooking or heating.

Integrated building (and) airflow simulation: an overview

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hensen, J.L.M.

2002-01-01

This paper aims to give a broad overview of building airflow simulation, and advocates that the essential ingredients for quality assurance are: domain knowledge; selection of appropriate level of resolution; calibration and validation; and a correct performance assessment methodology. Directions

Airway wall thickness associated with forced expiratory volume in 1 second decline and development of airflow limitation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoesein, Firdaus A. A. Mohamed; de Jong, Pim A.; Lammers, Jan-Willem J.; Mali, Willem P. T. M.; Schmidt, Michael; de Koning, Harry J.; van der Aalst, Carlijn; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Groen, Harry J. M.; van Ginneken, Bram; van Rikxoort, Eva M.; Zanen, Pieter

Airway wall thickness and emphysema contribute to airflow limitation. We examined their association with lung function decline and development of airflow limitation in 2021 male smokers with and without airflow limitation. Airway wall thickness and emphysema were quantified on chest computed

Thermal sensation and comfort during exposure to local airflow to face or legs.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamashita, Kazuaki; Matsuo, Juntaro; Tochihara, Yutaka; Kondo, Youichiro; Takayama, Shizuka; Nagayama, Hiroki

2005-01-01

The present study examined the contribution of local airflow temperature to thermal sensation and comfort in humans. Eight healthy male students were exposed to local airflow to their faces (summer condition) or legs (winter condition) for 30 minutes. Local airflow temperature (Tf) was maintained at 18 degrees C to 36 degrees C, and ambient temperature (Ta) was maintained at 17.4 degrees C to 31.4 degrees C. Each subject was exposed to 16 conditions chosen from the combination of Tf and Ta. Based on the results of multiple regression analysis, the standardized partial regression coefficient of Tf and Ta were determined to be 0.93 and 0.13 in the summer condition, and 0.71 and 0.36 in the winter condition at the end of the exposure. Also, thermal comfort was observed to depend closely on the interrelation between Tf and Ta. The present data suggested that local airflow temperature is an important thermal factor regarding thermal sensation and comfort.

Airflow in Tracheobronchial Tree of Subjects with Tracheal Bronchus Simulated Using CT Image Based Models and CFD Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Shouliang; Zhang, Baihua; Yue, Yong; Shen, Jing; Teng, Yueyang; Qian, Wei; Wu, Jianlin

2018-03-01

Tracheal Bronchus (TB) is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by the presence of an abnormal bronchus originating from the trachea or main bronchi and directed toward the upper lobe. The airflow pattern in tracheobronchial trees of TB subjects is critical, but has not been systemically studied. This study proposes to simulate the airflow using CT image based models and the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. Six TB subjects and three health controls (HC) are included. After the geometric model of tracheobronchial tree is extracted from CT images, the spatial distribution of velocity, wall pressure, wall shear stress (WSS) is obtained through CFD simulation, and the lobar distribution of air, flow pattern and global pressure drop are investigated. Compared with HC subjects, the main bronchus angle of TB subjects and the variation of volume are large, while the cross-sectional growth rate is small. High airflow velocity, wall pressure, and WSS are observed locally at the tracheal bronchus, but the global patterns of these measures are still similar to those of HC. The ratio of airflow into the tracheal bronchus accounts for 6.6-15.6% of the inhaled airflow, decreasing the ratio to the right upper lobe from 15.7-21.4% (HC) to 4.9-13.6%. The air into tracheal bronchus originates from the right dorsal near-wall region of the trachea. Tracheal bronchus does not change the global pressure drop which is dependent on multiple variables. Though the tracheobronchial trees of TB subjects present individualized features, several commonalities on the structural and airflow characteristics can be revealed. The observed local alternations might provide new insight into the reason of recurrent local infections, cough and acute respiratory distress related to TB.

Proportion and clinical characteristics of non-asthmatic non-smokers among adults with airflow obstruction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroto Takiguchi

Full Text Available Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD mainly develops after long-term exposure to cigarette or biomass fuel smoke, but also occurs in non-smokers with or without a history of asthma. We investigated the proportion and clinical characteristics of non-smokers among middle-aged to elderly subjects with airflow obstruction.We retrospectively analyzed 1,892 subjects aged 40-89 years who underwent routine preoperative spirometry at a tertiary university hospital in Japan. Airflow obstruction was defined as a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1/forced vital capacity < 0.7 or as the lower limit of the normal.Among 323 patients presenting with FEV1/forced vital capacity < 0.7, 43 had asthma and 280 did not. Among the non-asthmatic patients with airflow obstruction, 94 (34% were non-smokers. A larger number of women than men with airflow obstruction had asthma (26% vs. 7.6%, p < 0.001, or were non-smokers among non-asthmatics (72% vs. 20%, p < 0.001. Non-asthmatic non-smokers, rather than non-asthmatic smokers, asthmatic non-smokers, and asthmatic smokers, exhibited better pulmonary function (median FEV1: 79% of predicted FEV1 vs. 73%, 69%, and 66%, respectively, p = 0.005 and less dyspnea on exertion (1% vs. 12%, 12%, and 28%, respectively, p = 0.001. Pulmonary emphysema on thoracic computed tomography was less common in non-smokers (p < 0.001. Using the lower limit of the normal to define airflow obstruction yielded similar results.There are a substantial number of non-smokers with airflow obstruction compatible with COPD in Japan. In this study, airflow obstruction in non-smokers was more common in women and likelier to result in mild functional and pathological abnormalities than in smokers. Further studies are warranted to investigate the long-term prognosis and appropriate management of this population in developed countries, especially in women.

Airflow resistivity instrument for in situ measurement on the earth's ground surface

Science.gov (United States)

Zuckerwar, A. J.

1983-01-01

An airflow resistivity instrument features a novel specimen holder, especially designed for in situ measurement on the earth's ground surface. This capability eliminates the disadvantages of prior intrusive instruments, which necessitate the removal of a test specimen from the ground. A prototype instrument can measure airflow resistivities in the range 10-5000 cgs rayl/cm, at specimen depths up to 15.24 cm (6 in.), and at differential pressures up to 2490.8 dyn sq cm (1 in. H2O) across the specimen. Because of the close relationship between flow resistivity and acoustic impedance, this instrument should prove useful in acoustical studies of the earth's ground surface. Results of airflow resistivity measurements on an uncultivated grass field for varying values of moisture content are presented.

Prevalence of asthma with airflow limitation, COPD, and COPD with variable airflow limitation in older subjects in a general Japanese population: the Hisayama Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Koichiro; Seki, Nanae; Fukuyama, Satoru; Moriwaki, Atsushi; Kan-o, Keiko; Matsunaga, Yuko; Noda, Naotaka; Yoshida, Makoto; Koto, Hiroshi; Takata, Shohei; Nakanishi, Yoichi; Kiyohara, Yutaka; Inoue, Hiromasa

2015-01-01

Elucidating the prevalence of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is important for designing a public health strategy. Recent studies have discriminated a phenotype of COPD with variable airflow limitation (COPD-VAL) associated with asthma-COPD overlap syndrome. Its prevalence remains uncertain. The age and occupational distributions in the town of Hisayama and in Japan are nearly identical. Each disease's prevalence was estimated for the town's residents. In 2008, town residents (≥ 40 years) were solicited to participate in a health checkup. Individuals with abnormal spirometry (forced expiratory volume in 1s/forced vital capacity [FEV1/FVC]fashion reviewed their medical records, including bronchodilator reversibility. Individuals with airflow limitation were classified as having asthma, COPD, COPD-VAL, or other diseases. The prevalence of each disease was then estimated. A total of 2100 residents (43.4% of residents in the age group) completed spirometry. In 455 residents with abnormal spirometry, 190 residents had further evaluations, and the medical records of 174 residents were reviewed. The prevalence of asthma with airflow limitation, COPD, and COPD-VAL, were 2.0%, 8.4%, and 0.9%, respectively. The prevalence of COPD and COPD-VAL were higher in men and smokers than in women and never-smokers. The prevalence of COPD, but not COPD-VAL or asthma, increased with age. The prevalence of asthma with airflow limitation, COPD, and COPD-VAL were estimated in a population of residents (≥ 40 years) in Hisayama. Copyright © 2014 The Japanese Respiratory Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A radiophotoluminescent glass plate system for medium-sized field dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagawa, Keiichi; Koyanagi, Hiroki; Shiraki, Takashi; Saegusa, Shigeki; Sasaki, Katsutake; Oritate, Takashi; Mima, Kazuo; Miyazawa, Masanori; Ishidoya, Tatsuyo; Ohtomo, Kuni; Yoda, Kiyoshi

2005-01-01

A two-dimensional radiophotoluminescent system for medium-sized field dosimetry has been developed using a silver-activated phosphate glass plate with a dimension of 120 mmx120 mmx1 mm and a readout unit comprising a UV excitation lamp and a CCD imager. A dose ranging from 0 to 400 cGy, provided by a 6 MV x-ray beam, was delivered to the glass plate oriented perpendicularly to the beam and positioned in a water phantom at a depth of 10 cm, where the center of the glass plate coincided with the linac isocenter. After the dose delivery, the glass plate was placed in the readout system. The CCD output intensity increased linearly with the applied dose. The angular dependence of response on the direction of radiation incidence was measured by rotating the glass plate in the water phantom, indicating that the output remained constant up to 75 deg. from perpendicular incident direction, followed by a steep reduction down to 85% at an angle of 90 deg. A lateral dose distribution resulting from a 60 mmx60 mm irradiation was compared between the glass plate and an x-ray film having had the same exposure, showing that the glass plate and the x-ray film led to identical dose distributions. The dose reproducibility for a glass plate and the sensitivity variation among different glass plates were also evaluated

Proportion and clinical characteristics of non-asthmatic non-smokers among adults with airflow obstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Takiguchi, Hiroto; Takeuchi, Tomoe; Niimi, Kyoko; Tomomatsu, Hiromi; Tomomatsu, Katsuyoshi; Hayama, Naoki; Oguma, Tsuyoshi; Aoki, Takuya; Urano, Tetsuya; Asai, Satomi; Miyachi, Hayato; Asano, Koichiro

2018-01-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mainly develops after long-term exposure to cigarette or biomass fuel smoke, but also occurs in non-smokers with or without a history of asthma. We investigated the proportion and clinical characteristics of non-smokers among middle-aged to elderly subjects with airflow obstruction. We retrospectively analyzed 1,892 subjects aged 40-89 years who underwent routine preoperative spirometry at a tertiary university hospital in Japan. Airflow obstruction was defined as a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity non-asthmatic patients with airflow obstruction, 94 (34%) were non-smokers. A larger number of women than men with airflow obstruction had asthma (26% vs. 7.6%, p non-smokers among non-asthmatics (72% vs. 20%, p Non-asthmatic non-smokers, rather than non-asthmatic smokers, asthmatic non-smokers, and asthmatic smokers, exhibited better pulmonary function (median FEV1: 79% of predicted FEV1 vs. 73%, 69%, and 66%, respectively, p = 0.005) and less dyspnea on exertion (1% vs. 12%, 12%, and 28%, respectively, p = 0.001). Pulmonary emphysema on thoracic computed tomography was less common in non-smokers (p non-smokers with airflow obstruction compatible with COPD in Japan. In this study, airflow obstruction in non-smokers was more common in women and likelier to result in mild functional and pathological abnormalities than in smokers. Further studies are warranted to investigate the long-term prognosis and appropriate management of this population in developed countries, especially in women.

Finite Element Modeling of Airflow During Phonation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šidlof, P.; Lunéville, E.; Chambeyron, C.; Doaré, O.; Chaigne, A.; Horáček, Jaromír

2010-01-01

Roč. 4, č. 1 (2010), s. 121-132 ISSN 1802-680X R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KJB200760801 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20760514 Keywords : vocal fold s * airflow * numerical modeling * ALE * flow separation Subject RIV: BI - Acoustics

Scoliosis associated with airflow obstruction due to endothoracic vertebral hump.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Kenyu; Kawakami, Noriaki; Miyasaka, Kazuyoshi; Tsuji, Taichi; Ohara, Tetsuya; Nohara, Ayato

2012-12-01

A retrospective clinical study of scoliosis-associated airflow obstruction due to endothoracic vertebral hump. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and present anatomical features of patients with scoliosis who showed airflow obstruction caused by endothoracic vertebral hump. It is well known that severe scoliosis causes airflow restriction due to thoracic cage deformity. There have been few reports of clinical data and anatomical features on scoliosis associated with airflow obstruction due to endothoracic vertebral hump. The subjects were 6 patients. The diagnoses were idiopathic scoliosis in 3 patients, symptomatic scoliosis in 2 patients, and thoracogenic scoliosis in 1 patient. The radiological outcome, comorbidities, pre- and postoperative respiratory function, and surgical complication were analyzed. Four patients had preoperative atelectasis on the convex side of the lower lobe and improved after the operations. All patients showed main thoracic curves and their apex was located at T7-T9. All patients had lordoscoliosis except 1, who demonstrated kyphosing scoliosis. The correction rate was 78% (62.8%-83.5%). Preoperative thoracic lordosis within the range of -5° to -47° was postoperatively corrected to a substantially normal kyphosis within the range of 9° to 24°. The average vital capacity, percent VC improved from 0.72 L (0.33-1.17 L) to 1.21 L (0.82-1.71 L) and 45.5% (37.3%- 50.8%) to 63.7% (41.0%-88.6%) relatively. Spine Penetration Index improved from 23% (18%-35%) to 16% (13%-19%). Endothoracic hump ratio improved from 1.34 (0.98-1.93) to 1.12 (0.86-1.28). Each patient with symptomatic scoliosis and thoracogenic scoliosis required relatively long periods of respiration management. Patients having lordoscoliosis with an apex located between T7 and T9 may develop airflow obstruction due to an endothoracic vertebral hump. Correction of lordoscoliosis through anterior and posterior approaches successfully improved endothoracic hump ratio and

Prevalence of airflow limitation in outpatients with cardiovascular diseases in Japan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Onishi K

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Katsuya Onishi,1 Daisuke Yoshimoto,2 Gerry W Hagan,3 Paul W Jones4 1Onishi Heart Clinic, Mie, 2Medical Affairs Respiratory, GlaxoSmithKline KK, Tokyo, Japan; 3Independent Consultant, Marbella, Spain; 4Division of Clinical Science, St George's, University of London, London, UK Background and objectives: Cardiovascular disease (CVD and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD commonly coexist and share common risk factors. The prevalence of COPD in outpatients with a smoking history and CVD in Japan is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of Japanese patients with a smoking history being treated for CVD who have concurrent airflow limitation compatible with COPD. A secondary objective was to test whether the usage of lung function tests performed in the clinic influenced the diagnosis rate of COPD in the patients identified with airflow limitation. Methods: In a multicenter observational prospective study conducted at 17 centers across Japan, the prevalence of airflow limitation compatible with COPD (defined as forced expiratory volume (FEV1/FEV6 <0.73, by handheld spirometry was investigated in cardiac outpatients ≥40 years old with a smoking history who routinely visited the clinic for their CVD. Each patient completed the COPD Assessment Test prior to spirometry testing. Results: Data were available for 995 patients with a mean age of 66.6±10.0 years, of whom 95.5% were male. The prevalence of airflow limitation compatible with COPD was 27.0% (n=269, and 87.7% of those patients (n=236 did not have a prior diagnosis of COPD. The prevalence of previously diagnosed airflow limitation was higher in sites with higher usage of lung function testing (14.0%, 15.2% respectively compared against sites where it is performed seldom (11.1%, but was still low. Conclusion: The prevalence of airflow limitation in this study indicates that a quarter of outpatients with CVD have COPD, almost all of whom are undiagnosed. This

Virtual haptic system for intuitive planning of bone fixation plate placement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kup-Sze Choi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Placement of pre-contoured fixation plate is a common treatment for bone fracture. Fitting of fixation plates on fractured bone can be preoperatively planned and evaluated in 3D virtual environment using virtual reality technology. However, conventional systems usually employ 2D mouse and virtual trackball as the user interface, which makes the process inconvenient and inefficient. In the paper, a preoperative planning system equipped with 3D haptic user interface is proposed to allow users to manipulate the virtual fixation plate intuitively to determine the optimal position for placement on distal medial tibia. The system provides interactive feedback forces and visual guidance based on the geometric requirements. Creation of 3D models from medical imaging data, collision detection, dynamics simulation and haptic rendering are discussed. The system was evaluated by 22 subjects. Results show that the time to achieve optimal placement using the proposed system was shorter than that by using 2D mouse and virtual trackball, and the satisfaction rating was also higher. The system shows potential to facilitate the process of fitting fixation plates on fractured bones as well as interactive fixation plate design.

Computational fluid dynamics study on the influence of airflow patterns on carbon dioxide distribution in a scaled livestock building

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rong, Li; Nielsen, P V; Tong, G

2008-01-01

building with slatted floor. Contaminant sources are assumed to be modelled as a constant concentration on the manure surface. Three different ventilation rates and two different deflector degrees are studied, in which the deflector is applied to change the airflow patterns. A CFD commercial software code......Airflow patterns and airflow rate have an important influence on contaminant distribution in livestock buildings. The objective of this paper is to model and evaluate the effect of airflow rates and airflow patterns effect on CO2 concentration distribution and emission rates in a scaled livestock...

Difference in airflow obstruction between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White female smokers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sood, Akshay; Stidley, Christine A; Picchi, Maria A; Celedón, Juan C; Gilliland, Frank; Crowell, Richard E; Belinsky, Steven A; Tesfaigzi, Yohannes

2008-10-01

Smoking-related respiratory diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. However, the relationship between smoking and respiratory disease has not been well-studied among ethnic minorities in general and among women in particular. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the risk of airflow obstruction and to assess lung function among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White (NHW) female smokers in a New Mexico cohort. Participants completed a questionnaire detailing smoking history and underwent spirometry testing. Outcomes studied included airflow obstruction, selected lung function parameters, and chronic mucus hyper-secretion. Chi square, logistic, and linear regression techniques were utilized. Of the 1,433 eligible women participants, 248 (17.3%) were Hispanic; and 319 had airflow obstruction (22.3%). Hispanic smokers were more likely to be current smokers, and report lower pack-years of smoking, compared to NHW smokers (p smokers were at a reduced risk of airflow obstruction compared to NHW smokers, with an O.R. of 0.51, 95% C.I. 0.34, 0.78 (p = 0.002) after adjustment for age, BMI, pack-years and duration of smoking, and current smoking status. Following adjustment for covariates, Hispanic smokers also had a higher mean absolute and percent predicted post-bronchodilator FEV(1)/FVC ratio, as well as higher mean percent predicted FEV(1) (p smokers in this New Mexico-based cohort had lower risk of airflow obstruction and better lung function than NHW female smokers. Further, smoking history did not completely explain these associations.

Proportion and clinical characteristics of non-asthmatic non-smokers among adults with airflow obstruction

Science.gov (United States)

Takiguchi, Hiroto; Takeuchi, Tomoe; Niimi, Kyoko; Tomomatsu, Hiromi; Tomomatsu, Katsuyoshi; Hayama, Naoki; Oguma, Tsuyoshi; Urano, Tetsuya; Asai, Satomi; Miyachi, Hayato; Asano, Koichiro

2018-01-01

Background and objectives Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mainly develops after long-term exposure to cigarette or biomass fuel smoke, but also occurs in non-smokers with or without a history of asthma. We investigated the proportion and clinical characteristics of non-smokers among middle-aged to elderly subjects with airflow obstruction. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 1,892 subjects aged 40–89 years who underwent routine preoperative spirometry at a tertiary university hospital in Japan. Airflow obstruction was defined as a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity non-asthmatic patients with airflow obstruction, 94 (34%) were non-smokers. A larger number of women than men with airflow obstruction had asthma (26% vs. 7.6%, p non-smokers among non-asthmatics (72% vs. 20%, p Non-asthmatic non-smokers, rather than non-asthmatic smokers, asthmatic non-smokers, and asthmatic smokers, exhibited better pulmonary function (median FEV1: 79% of predicted FEV1 vs. 73%, 69%, and 66%, respectively, p = 0.005) and less dyspnea on exertion (1% vs. 12%, 12%, and 28%, respectively, p = 0.001). Pulmonary emphysema on thoracic computed tomography was less common in non-smokers (p non-smokers with airflow obstruction compatible with COPD in Japan. In this study, airflow obstruction in non-smokers was more common in women and likelier to result in mild functional and pathological abnormalities than in smokers. Further studies are warranted to investigate the long-term prognosis and appropriate management of this population in developed countries, especially in women. PMID:29742176

Experimental study on airflow fluctuation characteristic of an underfloor air supply terminal unit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Jinping [School of Electric Power, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640 (China); State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Building Science, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Wu, Yanfang [Design Institute of Guangzhou Metro Corporation, Guangzhou 510010 (China)

2010-11-15

In order to investigate dynamic characteristic of underfloor air supply terminal unit, an IFV900A hot-wire anemometer was used to measure the corresponding velocity field. Turbulence intensity and power spectrum density exponent of air velocity signal were analyzed. The result showed that the outlet velocity distribution of underfloor air supply terminal unit was uniform. With increment of height, the velocity distribution trends to be uniform. Two velocity attenuation regions appear during airflow development. Turbulence intensity changes obviously with height. It is lower than that of mechanical wind. Turbulence intensity goes up with the increment of jetting distance. Power spectrum density exponent trends to the value of natural wind with increase of jetting distance and decrease of wind velocity. The exponent value approaches to the value of typical natural wind for the air velocity is 0.5 m/s under high supply air rate. With airflow diffusion, the fluctuation characteristic of airflow varies obviously with the jetting direction. The fluctuation characteristic of airflow changes to that of natural wind with the increase of height which can improve comfort of indoor environment. (author)

Harvesting energy from airflow with a michromachined piezoelectric harvester inside a Helmholtz resonator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matova, S P; Elfrink, R; Vullers, R J M; Van Schaijk, R

2011-01-01

In this paper we report an airflow energy harvester that combines a piezoelectric energy harvester with a Helmholtz resonator. The resonator converts airflow energy to air oscillations which in turn are converted into electrical energy by a piezoelectric harvester. Two Helmholtz resonators with adjustable resonance frequencies have been designed—one with a solid bottom and one with membrane on the bottom. The resonance frequencies of the resonators were matched to the complementing piezoelectric harvesters during harvesting. The aim of the presented work is a feasibility study on using packaged piezoelectric energy harvesters with Helmholtz resonators for airflow energy harvesting. The maximum energy we were able to obtain was 42.2 µW at 20 m s −1

Improving greater trochanteric reattachment with a novel cable plate system.

Science.gov (United States)

Baril, Yannick; Bourgeois, Yan; Brailovski, Vladimir; Duke, Kajsa; Laflamme, G Yves; Petit, Yvan

2013-03-01

Cable-grip systems are commonly used for greater trochanteric reattachment because they have provided the best fixation performance to date, even though they have a rather high complication rate. A novel reattachment system is proposed with the aim of improving fixation stability. It consists of a Y-shaped fixation plate combined with locking screws and superelastic cables to reduce cable loosening and limit greater trochanter movement. The novel system is compared with a commercially available reattachment system in terms of greater trochanter movement and cable tensions under different greater trochanteric abductor application angles. A factorial design of experiments was used including four independent variables: plate system, cable type, abductor application angle, and femur model. The test procedure included 50 cycles of simultaneous application of an abductor force on the greater trochanter and a hip force on the femoral head. The novel plate reduces the movements of a greater trochanter fragment within a single loading cycle up to 26%. Permanent degradation of the fixation (accumulated movement based on 50-cycle testing) is reduced up to 46%. The use of superelastic cables reduces tension loosening up to 24%. However this last improvement did not result in a significant reduction of the grater trochanter movement. The novel plate and cables present advantages over the commercially available greater trochanter reattachment system. The plate reduces movements generated by the hip abductor. The superelastic cables reduce cable loosening during cycling. Both of these positive effects could decrease the risks related to grater trochanter non-union. Copyright © 2012 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stress and displacement analysis of a core plate, i.e. grid-perforated plate compound, modelled as an equivalent beam system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frank, R.; Engel, R.

1979-01-01

The core support plate is a very important component of the reactor pressure vessel internals. Therefore, an exact stress analysis is desired. This analysis will cause high computer costs with a detailed FEM-model because of the complexity of this compound system. In this paper, a method is suggested to solve the problem with a much cheaper beam element model. The main problem is to establish an equivalent beam system with nearly the same stiffness property as the perforated circular plate stiffened by a grid. Furthermore, the system must allow to determine the maximum stresses with sufficient accuracy. The calculation of the equivalent beam stiffness is based on the analysis of perforated plates by T. SLOT and W.J. O'DONNELL. This analysis method utilizes the concept of the equivalent solid plate. In this method, the perforated plate is replaced by a solid one which is geometrically similar to the perforated plate but has modified values of the elastic constants. The simple equivalent beam system of one half of the core support plate (symmetry) was loaded with a pressure difference and stresses and displacements were analysed. After that, these results were compared with the stress and displacement analysis of a part of the real structure. This substructure was discretized by three-dimensional 20-node brick-elements. The comparison of the results of the two models shows that the stresses and displacements, calculated with the simple beam model, are in good agreement with those of the real structure. (orig.)

Comparative evaluation of 2.3 mm locking plate system vs conventional 2.0 mm non locking plate system for mandibular condyle fracture fixation: a seven year retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, J; Wang, X; Wu, R-H; Zhuang, Q-W; Gu, Q P; Meng, J

2015-01-01

This retrospective study evaluated the efficacy of a 2.3 mm locking plate/screw system compared with a 2.0-mm non-locking plate/screw system in fixation of isolated non comminuted mandibular condyle fractures. Surgical records of 101 patients who received either a 2.3 mm locking plate (group A, n = 51) or 2.0 mm non locking plate (group B, n = 50) were analyzed. All patients were followed up to a minimum of 6 months postoperatively and evaluated for hardware related complications, occlusal stability, need for and duration of MMF and mandibular functional results. Four complications occurred in the locking group and eighteen in the non locking group with complication rates equalling 8% and 36% respectively. When comparing the overall results according to plates used, the χ2 test showed a statistically significant difference between the locking and non locking plates (p Mandibular condyle fractures treated with a 2.3 mm locking plate exhibited stable osteosynthesis, were associated with minimal complications and resulted in acceptable mandibular range of motion compared with a 2.0 mm non locking plate.

Influence of forced internal air circulation on airflow distribution and heat transfer in a gas double-dynamic solid-state fermentation bioreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hongzhang; Qin, Lanzhi; Li, Hongqiang

2014-02-01

Internal air circulation affects the temperature field distribution in a gas double-dynamic solid-state fermentation bioreactor (GDSFB). To enhance heat transfer through strengthening internal air circulation in a GDSFB, we put an air distribution plate (ADP) into the bioreactor and studied the effects of forced internal air circulation on airflow, heat transfer, and cellulase activity of Trichoderma viride L3. Results showed that ADP could help form a steady and uniform airflow distribution, and with gas-guide tubes, air reversal was formed inside the bioreactor, thus resulting in a smaller temperature difference between medium and air by enhancing convective heat transfer inside the bioreactor. Using an ADP of 5.35 % aperture ratio caused a 1 °C decrease in the average temperature difference during the solid-state fermentation process of T. viride L3. Meanwhile, the cellulase activity of T. viride L3 increased by 13.5 %. The best heat-transfer effect was attained when using an ADP of 5.35 % aperture ratio and setting the fan power to 125 V (4.81 W) in the gas double-dynamic solid-state fermentation (GDSF) process. An option of suitable aperture ratio and fan power may be conducive to ADPs' industrial amplification.

Global Plate Velocities from the Global Positioning System

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Kristine M.; Freymueller, Jeffrey T.; Philipsen, Steven

1997-01-01

We have analyzed 204 days of Global Positioning System (GPS) data from the global GPS network spanning January 1991 through March 1996. On the basis of these GPS coordinate solutions, we have estimated velocities for 38 sites, mostly located on the interiors of the Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Eurasia, Nazca, North America, Pacific, and South America plates. The uncertainties of the horizontal velocity components range from 1.2 to 5.0 mm/yr. With the exception of sites on the Pacific and Nazca plates, the GPS velocities agree with absolute plate model predictions within 95% confidence. For most of the sites in North America, Antarctica, and Eurasia, the agreement is better than 2 mm/yr. We find no persuasive evidence for significant vertical motions (less than 3 standard deviations), except at four sites. Three of these four were sites constrained to geodetic reference frame velocities. The GPS velocities were then used to estimate angular velocities for eight tectonic plates. Absolute angular velocities derived from the GPS data agree with the no net rotation (NNR) NUVEL-1A model within 95% confidence except for the Pacific plate. Our pole of rotation for the Pacific plate lies 11.5 deg west of the NNR NUVEL-1A pole, with an angular speed 10% faster. Our relative angular velocities agree with NUVEL-1A except for some involving the Pacific plate. While our Pacific-North America angular velocity differs significantly from NUVEL-1A, our model and NUVEL-1A predict very small differences in relative motion along the Pacific-North America plate boundary itself. Our Pacific-Australia and Pacific- Eurasia angular velocities are significantly faster than NUVEL-1A, predicting more rapid convergence at these two plate boundaries. Along the East Pacific Pise, our Pacific-Nazca angular velocity agrees in both rate and azimuth with NUVFL-1A.

An Edge-Based Macao License Plate Recognition System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chi-Man Pun

2011-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a system to recognize Macao license plates. Sobel edge detector is employed to extract the vertical edges, and an edge composition algorithm is proposed to combine the edges into candidate plate regions. They are further examined on the existence of the character qMq by a verification algorithm. A row separation algorithm is also proposed to cater both one-row and two-row types of plates. Projection analysis and template matching methods are exploited to segment and recognize the characters. Various pre and post processing steps are proposed other than traditional implementation so as to improve the recognition accuracy. This work achieves a high recognition rate of 95%.

Biomechanical properties of orthogonal plate configuration versus parallel plate configuration using the same locking plate system for intra-articular distal humeral fractures under radial or ulnar column axial load.

Science.gov (United States)

Kudo, Toshiya; Hara, Akira; Iwase, Hideaki; Ichihara, Satoshi; Nagao, Masashi; Maruyama, Yuichiro; Kaneko, Kazuo

2016-10-01

Previous reports have questioned whether an orthogonal or parallel configuration is superior for distal humeral articular fractures. In previous clinical and biomechanical studies, implant failure of the posterolateral plate has been reported with orthogonal configurations; however, the reason for screw loosening in the posterolateral plate is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate biomechanical properties and to clarify the causes of posterolateral plate loosening using a humeral fracture model under axial compression on the radial or ulnar column separately. And we changed only the plate set up: parallel or orthogonal. We used artificial bone to create an Association for the Study of Internal Fixation type 13-C2.3 intra-articular fracture model with a 1-cm supracondylar gap. We used an anatomically-preshaped distal humerus locking compression plate system (Synthes GmbH, Solothurn, Switzerland). Although this is originally an orthogonal plate system, we designed a mediolateral parallel configuration to use the contralateral medial plate instead of the posterolateral plate in the system. We calculated the stiffness of the radial and ulnar columns and anterior movement of the condylar fragment in the lateral view. The parallel configuration was superior to the orthogonal configuration regarding the stiffness of the radial column axial compression. There were significant differences between the two configurations regarding anterior movement of the capitellum during axial loading of the radial column. The posterolateral plate tended to bend anteriorly under axial compression compared with the medial or lateral plate. We believe that in the orthogonal configuration axial compression induced more anterior displacement of the capitellum than the trochlea, which eventually induced secondary fragment or screw dislocation on the posterolateral plate, or nonunion at the supracondylar level. In the parallel configuration, anterior movement of the capitellum or

Clinically remitted childhood asthma is associated with airflow obstruction in middle-aged adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Omori, Keitaro; Iwamoto, Hiroshi; Yamane, Takashi; Nakashima, Taku; Haruta, Yoshinori; Hattori, Noboru; Yokoyama, Akihito; Kohno, Nobuoki

2017-01-01

While adult asthma has been shown to be a risk factor for COPD, the effect of remitted childhood asthma on adult lung function has not been clarified. The aim of this study was to examine whether remitted childhood asthma is a risk factor for airflow obstruction in a middle-aged general population. A total of 9896 participants (range: 35-60 years) from five healthcare centres were included in the study. The participants were classified into four categories based on the presence or absence of physician-diagnosed childhood/adulthood asthma and asthma symptoms as follows: healthy controls (n = 9154), remitted childhood asthma (n = 287), adulthood-onset asthma (n = 354) and childhood-adulthood asthma (n = 101). The prevalence of respiratory symptoms was similar in both the participants with remitted childhood asthma and healthy controls. The prevalence of airflow obstruction (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 )/forced vital capacity (FVC) childhood asthma, those with adult-onset asthma and those with childhood-adulthood asthma (5.2%, 14.4% and 16.8%, respectively) compared with healthy controls (2.2%). Multivariate logistic regression showed that remitted childhood asthma was independently associated with airflow obstruction. Among the participants with remitted childhood asthma, ever-smokers had significantly lower FEV 1 /FVC than never-smokers. Clinically remitted childhood asthma is associated with airflow obstruction in middle-aged adults. Smoking and remitted childhood asthma may be additive factors for the development of airflow obstruction. © 2016 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

Is there any relationship between right and left hand dominance and right and left nasal airflow dominance?

Science.gov (United States)

Price, A; Eccles, R

2017-10-01

Left- or right-handedness is a common human trait, and it has been previously reported that human nasal airflow dominance correlates with hand dominance. Any relationship between hand dominance and nasal airflow dominance would be unusual. This study aimed to measure nasal airflow and look for any relationship to handedness. The modified Glatzel mirror was used to record the dominant nasal passage at 15-minute intervals over a 6-hour period in 29 healthy participants consisting of 15 left-handers and 14 right-handers. In left-handers, the percentage of time that the left nasal passage was dominant ranged from 0 to 100 per cent. In right-handers, the percentage of time that the right nasal passage was dominant ranged from 4.2 to 95.8 per cent. No correlation between nasal airflow dominance and hand dominance was identified. The results do not support the hypothesis that nasal airflow and handedness are related.

[Development of polyaxial locking plate screw system of sacroiliac joint].

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Weijie; Xie, Xuesong; Zhou, Shuping; Zhang, Yonghu

2014-09-01

To develop an instrument for sacroiliac joint fixation with less injury and less complications. Firstly, 18 adult pelvic specimens (8 males and 10 females) were used to measure the anatomical data related to the locking plates and locking screws on the sacrum and ilium, and the polyaxial locking plate screw system of the sacroiliac joint was designed according to the anatomic data. This system was made of medical titanium alloy. Then 4 adult male plevic specimens were harvested and the experiment was divided into 3 groups: group A (normal pelvic), group B (the dislocated sacroiliac joint fixed with sacroiliac screws), and group C (the dislocated sacroiliac joint fixed with polyaxial locking plate screw system). The vertical displacement of sacroiliac joint under the condition of 0-700 N vertical load and the horizontal displacement on angle under the condition of 0-12 N·m torsional load were compared among the 3 groups by using the biological material test system. Finally, the simulated application test was performed on 1 adult male cadaveric specimen to observe soft tissue injury and the position of the locking plate and screw by X-ray films. According to the anatomic data of the sacrum and ilium, the polyaxial locking plate screw system of the sacroiliac joint was designed. The biomechanical results showed that the vertical displacement of the sacroiliac joint under the condition of 0-700 N vertical load in group A was significantly bigger than that in group B and group C (P 0.05). The horizontal displacement on angle under the condition of 0-12 N·m torsional load in group A was significantly less than that in group B and group C (P 0.05). The test of simulating application showed that the specimen suffered less soft tissue injury, and this instrument could be implanted precisely and safely. The polyaxial locking plate screw system of the sacroiliac joint has the advantages of smaller volume and less injury; polyaxial fixation enables flexible adjustment screw

Airflow resistivity of models of fibrous acoustic materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tarnow, Viggo

1996-01-01

A new way of calculating the airflow resistivity of randomly placed parallel cylinders is presented. The calculation is based on Voronoi polygons, and the resistivity is given by the mean spacing between the fibers, their diameters, and the physical properties of air. New explicit formulas...

Lighting system for the lower core plate of a nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feuillet, P.; Bonin, J.P.

1986-01-01

The invention proposes a grazing lighting system for the lower core plate, creating an excellent contrast and offering a good estimation of the relief; it can stay at the same place during the whole or at least the greater part of the core refueling operation. This lighting system is proposed for a reactor of which the lower core plate has fuel assembly centering elements. It has a sealed vessel with a transparent side wall containing several lights independently controlled and each one illuminating a sector of its wall. The vessel has a bottom aimed at resting on the lower plate and provided with centering and holding means acting with several of the said centering means through the plate, and/or apertures for coolant through the plate, and an upper container provided with gripping and handling elements and sealed conduits for electrical cables feeding the lights [fr

Investigation of airflow patterns in a microclimate by particle image velocimetry (PIV)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Lone Hedegaard; Rode, Carsten; Peuhkuri, Ruut

2008-01-01

Problems with mould growth in dwellings usually occur in bedrooms in the microclimate behind closets placed next to exterior walls with poor insulation. It is anticipated that the problems are caused by lack of airflow behind the furniture in combination with a colder surface temperature and a high...... that the flow rates behind the furniture will increase with increased distance between the closet and the wall, and even higher airflow rates are seen when the furniture is elevated by legs....

Statistical data analysis method for multi-zonal airflow measurement using multiple kinds of perfluorocarbon tracer gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okuyama, Hiroyasu; Onishi, Yoshinori [Institute of Technology, Shimizu Corporation, 4-17, Etchujima 3-chome, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8530 (Japan); Tanabe, Shin-ichi [School of Science and Engineering, Department of Architecture, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan); Kashihara, Seiichi [R and D Laboratories, Asahi Kasei Homes Corporation, 2-1, Samejima Fuji-shi, Shizuoka 416-8501 (Japan)

2009-03-15

Conventional multi-zonal ventilation measurement methods by multiple types of perfluorocarbon tracers use a number of different gases equal to the number of zones (n). The possible n x n+n airflows are estimated from the mass balance of the gases and the airflow balance. However, some airflows may not occur because of inter-zonal geometry, and the introduction of unnecessary, unknown parameters can impair the accuracy of the estimation. Also, various error factors often yield an irrational negative airflow rate. Conventional methods are insufficient for the evaluation of error. This study describes a way of using the least-squares technique to improve the precision of estimation and to evaluate reliability. From the equations' residual, the error variance-covariance matrix {lambda}{sub q} of the estimated airflow rate error is deduced. In addition, the coefficient of determinant using the residual sum of squares and total variation is introduced. Furthermore, the error matrix{sub m}{lambda}{sub q} from the measurement errors in the gas concentration and gas emission rate is deduced. The discrepancy ratio of the model premises is defined by dividing the diagonal elements of the former by those of the latter. Moreover, the index of irrationality of the estimated negative airflow rate is defined, based on the different results of the three estimation methods. Some numerical experiments are also carried out to verify the flow rate estimation and the reliability evaluation theory. (author)

Airflow characteristics and pollution distribution around a thermal manikin - Impact of specific personal and indoor environmental factors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Licina, Dusan; Tham, Kwok Wai; Melikov, Arsen Krikor

2016-01-01

, and ventilation flow considerably affected airflow characteristics and pollution distribution around the thermal manikin. Under the specific set of conditions studied, the most favorable airflow patterns in preventing the feet pollution from reaching the breathing zone was transverse flow from the front......This study presents a summary of experimental measurements on the airflow characteristics and pollution distribution around a non-breathing thermal manikin. The two objectives are: (1) to examine the extent to which personal (body posture, clothing insulation, table positioning) and environmental...... factors (room air temperature and ventilation flow) affect the airflow characteristic (velocity and temperature) around the thermal manikin and (2) to examine the pollution distribution within the convective boundary layer (CBL) around a thermal manikin and personal exposure to two types of airborne...

Dual PD Control Regulation with Nonlinear Compensation for a Ball and Plate System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Galvan-Colmenares

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The normal proportional derivative (PD control is modified to a new dual form for the regulation of a ball and plate system. First, to analyze this controller, a novel complete nonlinear model of the ball and plate system is obtained. Second, an asymptotic stable dual PD control with a nonlinear compensation is developed. Finally, the experimental results of ball and plate system are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

Experimental investigation into heating and airflow in trombe walls and solar chimneys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Habib, A.; Burek, S.

2006-01-01

Trombe Walls and solar chimneys are examples of passive solar air heating systems. However, the airflow and thermal efficiency characteristics of this type of system are not well understood, and partly for this reason, they are not commonly utilised. This paper reports on an experimental investigation into buoyancy-driven convection in a test rig designed to simulate the operation of a passive solar collector. The test rig comprised a vertical open-ended channel, approximately 1a square, heated from one side. The channel depth could be varied from 20mm to 110mm, and heating inputs varied from 200W to 1000W. Temperatures and airflow rates were measured and recorded, to characterise both steady-state and transient performance. The principal findings are: 1. Time constants (for heating)ranged typically between 30 and 70 minutes. 2. Flow regimes were mainly laminar (Reynolds number varing from ∼500 to ∼4000, depending on heat input and channel depth. 3. The thermal efficiency (as a solar collector and the heat transfer coefficient were functions of heat input, and were not depended on the channel depth. 4. The mass flow rate through the channel increased bath as the heat input increased and as the channel depth increased. The paper presents these findings and discusses their implications in more detail.(Author)

Majority of never-smokers with airflow limitation do not have asthma: the Copenhagen General Population Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Çolak, Yunus; Afzal, Shoaib; Nordestgaard, Børge G; Lange, Peter

2016-07-01

A substantial proportion of individuals with airflow limitation are never-smokers. However, whether never-smokers with airflow limitation have undiagnosed asthma is unknown. We hypothesised that the majority of never-smokers with respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation but without known asthma have undiagnosed asthma by comparing characteristics and prognosis in never-smokers with airflow limitation and asthma (NS+AFL+A) with never-smokers with airflow limitation but without asthma (NS+AFL-A). Among 94 079 participants aged 20-100 years from the general population, 39 102 (42%) were never-smokers. In this group, 13 719 (35%) reported to have respiratory symptoms of whom 1610 (12%) had airflow limitation. We investigated characteristics and risk of complications (asthma or COPD exacerbations, pneumonias and all-cause mortality) and comorbidities (lung cancer, ischaemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, deep venous thrombosis and PE) during 4.5 years median follow-up. NS+AFL-A compared with NS+AFL+A reported less allergy and respiratory symptoms, and had higher FEV1 and lower levels of eosinophils and IgE in peripheral blood. NS+AFL+A had increased risk of asthma and COPD exacerbations, but not of pneumonias; adjusted HRs in NS+AFL+A compared with NS+AFL-A were 16 (95% CI 3.7 to 73) for asthma exacerbations and 15 (2.8 to 80) for COPD exacerbations. Still, NS+AFL-A had increased risk of COPD exacerbations and pneumonias, but not of asthma exacerbations; adjusted HRs in NS+AFL-A compared with never-smokers without airflow limitation or asthma (NS-AFL-A) were 7.7 (2.8 to 21) for COPD exacerbations and 1.7 (1.3 to 2.3) for pneumonias. Risk of comorbidities or all-cause mortality was not increased in NS+AFL-A or NS+AFL+A compared with NS-AFL-A. Majority of NS+AFL-A do not seem to have undiagnosed asthma and may instead have airflow limitation caused by other risk factors. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not

Structural assessments of plate type support system for APR1400 reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, Anh Tung; Namgung, Ihn, E-mail: inamgung@kings.ac.kr

2017-04-01

Highlights: • This paper investigates plate-type support structure for the reactor vessel of the APR 1400. • The tall column supports of APR1400 reactor challenges in seismic and severe accident events. • A plate-type support of reactor vessel was proposed and evaluated based on ASME code. • The plate-type support was assessed to show its higher rigidity than column-type. - Abstract: This paper investigates an alternative form of support structure for the reactor vessel of the APR 1400. The current reactor vessel adopts a four-column support arrangement locating on the cold legs of the vessel. Although having been successfully designed, the tall column structure challenges in seismic events. In addition, for the mitigation of severe accident consequences, the columns inhibit ex-vessel coolant flow, hence the elimination of the support columns proposes extra safety advantages. A plate-type support was proposed and evaluated for the adequacy of meeting the structural stiffness by Finite Element Analysis (FEA) approach. ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code was used to verify the design. The results, which cover thermal and static structural analysis, show stresses are within allowable limits in accordance with the design code. Even the heat conduction area is increased for the plate-type of support system, the results showed that the thermal stresses are within allowable limits. A comparison of natural frequencies and mode shapes for column support and plate-type support were presented as well which showed higher fundamental frequencies for the plate-type support system resulting in greater rigidity of the support system. From the outcome of this research, the plate-type support is proven to be an alternative to current APR column type support design.

Development of simplified nuclear dry plate measuring system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sato, Y; Ohta, I [Utsunomiya Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Education; Tezuka, I; Tezuka, T; Makino, K

1981-08-01

A simplified nuclear dry plate measuring system was developed. The system consists of a microscope, an ITV camera, a monitor TV, an XY tracker and a micro-computer. The signals of the images of tracks in a nuclear dry plate are sent to the XY tracker, and shown on the monitor TV. The XY tracker displays a pointer on the monitor TV, and makes the output signal of its XY coordinate. This output signal is analyzed by the microcomputer. The software for the measuring process is composed of a program system written in BASIC and the machine language. The data in take, the expansion of the range of measurement and the output of analyzed data are controlled by the program. The accuracy of the measurement of coordinate was studied, and was about 0.39 micrometer for 10 micrometer distance.

Experimental and modelling study of the effect of airflow orientation with respect to strip electrode on ozone production of surface dielectric barrier discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Mikeš, J.; Pekárek, S.; Soukup, I.

2016-11-01

This study examines the effect of airflow orientation with respect to the strip active electrode on concentration of ozone and nitrogen dioxide produced in a planar generator based on the surface dielectric barrier discharge. The orientation of the airflow was tested in parallel and perpendicular with respect to the strips. It was found that in the investigated range of average discharge power, the ozone concentration increases approximately by 25% when airflow was oriented in parallel with respect to the strips in comparison with perpendicular orientation of the airflow. Similarly the increase of nitrogen dioxide concentration was observed for parallel orientation of the airflow with respect to the strips in comparison with the perpendicular orientation of the airflow. Within the range of wavelengths from 250 to 1100 nm, the changes of intensities of spectral lines associated with airflow orientation have been observed. A 3D numerical model describing ion trajectories and airflow patterns have also been developed.

Pulmonary anatomy in the Nile crocodile and the evolution of unidirectional airflow in Archosauria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emma R. Schachner

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The lungs of birds have long been known to move air in only one direction during both inspiration and expiration through most of the tubular gas-exchanging bronchi (parabronchi. Recently a similar pattern of airflow has been observed in American alligators, a sister taxon to birds. The pattern of flow appears to be due to the arrangement of the primary and secondary bronchi, which, via their branching angles, generate inspiratory and expiratory aerodynamic valves. Both the anatomical similarity of the avian and alligator lung and the similarity in the patterns of airflow raise the possibility that these features are plesiomorphic for Archosauria and therefore did not evolve in response to selection for flapping flight or an endothermic metabolism, as has been generally assumed. To further test the hypothesis that unidirectional airflow is ancestral for Archosauria, we measured airflow in the lungs of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus. As in birds and alligators, air flows cranially to caudally in the cervical ventral bronchus, and caudally to cranially in the dorsobronchi in the lungs of Nile crocodiles. We also visualized the gross anatomy of the primary, secondary and tertiary pulmonary bronchi of C. niloticus using computed tomography (CT and microCT. The cervical ventral bronchus, cranial dorsobronchi and cranial medial bronchi display similar characteristics to their proposed homologues in the alligator, while there is considerable variation in the tertiary and caudal group bronchi. Our data indicate that the aspects of the crocodilian bronchial tree that maintain the aerodynamic valves and thus generate unidirectional airflow, are ancestral for Archosauria.

Strongly coupled interaction between a ridge of fluid and an inviscid airflow

KAUST Repository

Paterson, C.

2015-07-01

© 2015 AIP Publishing LLC. The behaviour of a steady thin sessile or pendent ridge of fluid on an inclined planar substrate which is strongly coupled to the external pressure gradient arising from an inviscid airflow parallel to the substrate far from the ridge is described. When the substrate is nearly horizontal, a very wide ridge can be supported against gravity by capillary and/or external pressure forces; otherwise, only a narrower (but still wide) ridge can be supported. Classical thin-aerofoil theory is adapted to obtain the governing singular integro-differential equation for the profile of the ridge in each case. Attention is focused mainly on the case of a very wide sessile ridge. The effect of strengthening the airflow is to push a pinned ridge down near to its edges and to pull it up near to its middle. At a critical airflow strength, the upslope contact angle reaches the receding contact angle at which the upslope contact line de-pins, and continuing to increase the airflow strength beyond this critical value results in the de-pinned ridge becoming narrower, thicker, and closer to being symmetric in the limit of a strong airflow. The effect of tilting the substrate is to skew a pinned ridge in the downslope direction. Depending on the values of the advancing and receding contact angles, the ridge may first de-pin at either the upslope or the downslope contact line but, in general, eventually both contact lines de-pin. The special cases in which only one of the contact lines de-pins are also considered. It is also shown that the behaviour of a very wide pendent ridge is qualitatively similar to that of a very wide sessile ridge, while the important qualitative difference between the behaviour of a very wide ridge and a narrower ridge is that, in general, for the latter one or both of the contact lines may never de-pin.

Childhood-onset asthma in smokers. association between CT measures of airway size, lung function, and chronic airflow obstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, Alejandro A; Hardin, Megan E; Come, Carolyn E; San José Estépar, Raúl; Ross, James C; Kurugol, Sila; Okajima, Yuka; Han, MeiLan K; Kim, Victor; Ramsdell, Joe; Silverman, Edwin K; Crapo, James D; Lynch, David A; Make, Barry; Barr, R Graham; Hersh, Craig P; Washko, George R

2014-11-01

Asthma is associated with chronic airflow obstruction. Our goal was to assess the association of computed tomographic measures of airway wall volume and lumen volume with the FEV1 and chronic airflow obstruction in smokers with childhood-onset asthma. We analyzed clinical, lung function, and volumetric computed tomographic airway volume data from 7,266 smokers, including 590 with childhood-onset asthma. Small wall volume and small lumen volume of segmental airways were defined as measures 1 SD below the mean. We assessed the association between small wall volume, small lumen volume, FEV1, and chronic airflow obstruction (post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio childhood-onset asthma, those with childhood-onset asthma had smaller wall volume and lumen volume (P childhood-onset asthma, those with the smallest wall volume and lumen volume had the lowest FEV1 and greatest odds of chronic airflow obstruction. A similar tendency was seen in those without childhood-onset asthma. When comparing these two groups, both small wall volume and small lumen volume were more strongly associated with FEV1 and chronic airflow obstruction among subjects with childhood-asthma in multivariate models. In smokers with childhood-onset asthma, smaller airways are associated with reduced lung function and chronic airflow obstruction. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00608764).

Definition of airflow rate induced by polifractional materials

Science.gov (United States)

Popov, E. N.

2018-03-01

This paper deals with further analysis of a probabilistic and statistical approach to determine the aerodynamic drag coefficient of particles in a flow of free-falling polifractional material. It also describes the experimental assembly enabling one to determine airflow rate induced by polifractional material and provides comparison of analytical calculations with experimental data.

Impact of surface disinfection and sterile draping of furniture on room air quality in a cardiac procedure room with a ventilation and air-conditioning system (extrusion airflow, cleanroom class 1b (DIN 1946-4)).

Science.gov (United States)

Below, Harald; Ryll, Sylvia; Empen, Klaus; Dornquast, Tina; Felix, Stefan; Rosenau, Heike; Kramer, Sebastian; Kramer, Axel

2010-09-21

In a cardiac procedure room, ventilated by a ventilation and air-conditioning system with turbulent mixed airflow, a protection zone in the operating area could be defined through visualization of airflows. Within this protection zone, no turbulence was detectable in the room air.Under the given conditions, disinfection of all surfaces including all furniture and equipment after the last operation and subsequent draping of furniture and all equipment that could not be removed from the room with sterile surgical drapes improved the indoor room air quality from cleanroom class C to cleanroom class B. This also allows procedures with elevated requirements to be performed in room class 1b.

A study on new method of noninvasive esophageal venous pressure measurement based on the airflow and laser detection technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Chenghuan; Huang, Feizhou; Zhang, Rui; Zhu, Shaihong; Nie, Wanpin; Liu, Xunyang; Liu, Yinglong; Li, Peng

2015-01-01

Using optics combined with automatic control and computer real-time image detection technology, a novel noninvasive method of noncontact pressure manometry was developed based on the airflow and laser detection technology in this study. The new esophageal venous pressure measurement system was tested in-vitro experiments. A stable and adjustable pulse stream was produced from a self-developed pump and a laser emitting apparatus could generate optical signals which can be captured by image acquisition and analysis system program. A synchronization system simultaneous measured the changes of air pressure and the deformation of the vein wall to capture the vascular deformation while simultaneously record the current pressure value. The results of this study indicated that the pressure values tested by the new method have good correlation with the actual pressure value in animal experiments. The new method of noninvasive pressure measurement based on the airflow and laser detection technology is accurate, feasible, repeatable and has a good application prospects.

Evaluating Picture Quality of Image Plates in Digital CR Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwak, Byung Joon [Dept. of Radiological Tecnology, Choonhae College of Health Science, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of); Ji Tae Jeong [Dept. of Radiological Science, Kaya University, Kimhae (Korea, Republic of)

2011-12-15

Lab effectively supplemented the effects of outside radiation on image plates in the process of image acquisition of CR (computed radiography) systems and conducted for effective utilization in the case of clinical application. For this, Lab classified the storage places and time periods of image plates and compared and analyzed the differences between small dark spots. Lab also assessed the concentration distribution within the boundaries of images. Lab compared and measured the number of dark spots in a light room and a dark room depending on the storage places of image plates and found that dark spots slightly increased in an image plate when stored in a light room on the first and second days. Dark spots increased in proportion to the length of time stored. In the case of the image plate stored in a dark room, the number of dark spots remarkably decreased. With regard to picture quality as related to the location of image plates, the damage to picture quality could be reduced by locating regions of interest in the center. With regard to differences in sharpness following changes in the thickness of subjects, fewer scatter rays occurred and sharpness improved by reducing the thickness of subjects as much as possible. To get medical images of excellent quality, image plates should be managed effectively and it is desirable to keep images plates in dark iron plate boxes and not to expose them to outside radiation for a long time.

Evaluating Picture Quality of Image Plates in Digital CR Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwak, Byung Joon; Ji Tae Jeong

2011-01-01

Lab effectively supplemented the effects of outside radiation on image plates in the process of image acquisition of CR (computed radiography) systems and conducted for effective utilization in the case of clinical application. For this, Lab classified the storage places and time periods of image plates and compared and analyzed the differences between small dark spots. Lab also assessed the concentration distribution within the boundaries of images. Lab compared and measured the number of dark spots in a light room and a dark room depending on the storage places of image plates and found that dark spots slightly increased in an image plate when stored in a light room on the first and second days. Dark spots increased in proportion to the length of time stored. In the case of the image plate stored in a dark room, the number of dark spots remarkably decreased. With regard to picture quality as related to the location of image plates, the damage to picture quality could be reduced by locating regions of interest in the center. With regard to differences in sharpness following changes in the thickness of subjects, fewer scatter rays occurred and sharpness improved by reducing the thickness of subjects as much as possible. To get medical images of excellent quality, image plates should be managed effectively and it is desirable to keep images plates in dark iron plate boxes and not to expose them to outside radiation for a long time.

Airflow Interaction Interface: Playful 3-D CAD and Gaming

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wendrich, Robert E.

2016-01-01

This paper describes the vision and development of a tangible user interface (TUI) that allows ‘glassblowing-like’ interaction (IA) with a computer. The premise is that human fidelity in exerting pressure and airflow (i.e. breathing, blowing) could stimulate intuition, creative processing, and

Fine-scale flight strategies of gulls in urban airflows indicate risk and reward in city living.

Science.gov (United States)

Shepard, Emily L C; Williamson, Cara; Windsor, Shane P

2016-09-26

Birds modulate their flight paths in relation to regional and global airflows in order to reduce their travel costs. Birds should also respond to fine-scale airflows, although the incidence and value of this remains largely unknown. We resolved the three-dimensional trajectories of gulls flying along a built-up coastline, and used computational fluid dynamic models to examine how gulls reacted to airflows around buildings. Birds systematically altered their flight trajectories with wind conditions to exploit updraughts over features as small as a row of low-rise buildings. This provides the first evidence that human activities can change patterns of space-use in flying birds by altering the profitability of the airscape. At finer scales still, gulls varied their position to select a narrow range of updraught values, rather than exploiting the strongest updraughts available, and their precise positions were consistent with a strategy to increase their velocity control in gusty conditions. Ultimately, strategies such as these could help unmanned aerial vehicles negotiate complex airflows. Overall, airflows around fine-scale features have profound implications for flight control and energy use, and consideration of this could lead to a paradigm-shift in the way ecologists view the urban environment.This article is part of the themed issue 'Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Performance assessment of imaging plates for the JHR transfer Neutron Imaging System

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, E.; Guimbal, P. AB(; )

2018-01-01

The underwater Neutron Imaging System to be installed in the Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR-NIS) is based on a transfer method using a neutron activated beta-emitter like Dysprosium. The information stored in the converter is to be offline transferred on a specific imaging system, still to be defined. Solutions are currently under investigation for the JHR-NIS in order to anticipate the disappearance of radiographic films commonly used in these applications. We report here the performance assessment of Computed Radiography imagers (Imaging Plates) performed at LLB/Orphée (CEA Saclay). Several imaging plate types are studied, in one hand in the configuration involving an intimate contact with an activated dysprosium foil converter: Fuji BAS-TR, Fuji UR-1 and Carestream Flex XL Blue imaging plates, and in the other hand by using a prototypal imaging plate doped with dysprosium and thus not needing any contact with a separate converter foil. The results for these imaging plates are compared with those obtained with gadolinium doped imaging plate used in direct neutron imaging (Fuji BAS-ND). The detection performances of the different imagers are compared regarding resolution and noise. The many advantages of using imaging plates over radiographic films (high sensitivity, linear response, high dynamic range) could palliate its lower intrinsic resolution.

Performance of a thermal neutron radiographic system using imaging plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silvani, Maria Ines; Almeida, Gevaldo L. de; Furieri, Rosanne; Lopes, Ricardo T.

2009-01-01

A performance evaluation of a neutron radiographic system equipped with a thermal neutron sensitive imaging plate has been undertaken. It includes the assessment of spatial resolution, linearity, dynamic range and the response to exposure time, as well as a comparison of these parameters with the equivalent ones for neutron radiography employing conventional films and a gadolinium foil as converter. The evaluation and comparison between the radiographic systems have been performed at the Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear - CNEN, using the Argonauta Reactor as source of thermal neutrons and a commercially available imaging plate reader. (author)

Thermal performance of natural airflow window in subtropical and temperate climate zones - A comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chow Tintai; Lin Zhang; Fong Kwongfai; Chan Lokshun; He Miaomiao

2009-01-01

Airflow window is highly useful in conserving building energy, and lessens the comfort problems caused by glazing. In this study, the thermal performance of a natural airflow window was examined through the use of a dynamic model, developed based on the integrated energy balance and airflow networks. The validity of the model was first tested by measured data obtained from a prototype installed at an environmental chamber. The application in the subtropical and temperate climate zones were then examined with the typical weather data of Hong Kong and Beijing. The findings confirmed that the natural airflow window can achieve substantial energy saving in both cities, and the reversible window frame is only required for Beijing, a location with hot summer and cold winter. The space cooling load via fenestration in Hong Kong, a subtropical city, can be reduced to 60% of the commonly used single absorptive glazing. In Beijing, as an example of the temperate climate, this can be reduced to 75% of the commonly used double glazing configuration in the summer period, and the space heat gain can be improved by 46% in the winter period.

Current status of nuclear medicine in chronic airflow limitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clarke, S.W.; Agnew, J.E.; Royal Free Hospital, London

1987-01-01

Radionuclide imaging, quite apart from its role in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, offers information about the distribution of ventilatory and perfusion abnormalities within the lung. The extent of ventilatory abnormality seen can be related to the severity of airways obstruction as assessed spirometrically, whilst abnormalities in the matching of perfusion to ventilation can be related to the severity of hypoxaemia in patients with chronic airflow limitation. Clearance of mucus from the lungs of patients with chronic mucus hypersection may be assessed by following the clearance rate of insoluble radioaerosol particles; by such means the relative contributions of mucociliary transport and of cough to the overall clearance can be observed. Clearance is often severely impaired in patients with airways obstruction; the radioaerosol technique can be used to determine the effects of drug or physiotherapy treatment. Chronic airflow limitation leading to hypoxaemia can be associated with pulmonary artery hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy - this may be investigated noninvasively by a radionuclide test of right ventricular ejection fraction. (orig.)

Current status of nuclear medicine in chronic airflow limitation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clarke, S.W.; Agnew, J.E.

1987-06-01

Radionuclide imaging, quite apart from its role in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, offers information about the distribution of ventilatory and perfusion abnormalities within the lung. The extent of ventilatory abnormality seen can be related to the severity of airways obstruction as assessed spirometrically, whilst abnormalities in the matching of perfusion to ventilation can be related to the severity of hypoxaemia in patients with chronic airflow limitation. Clearance of mucus from the lungs of patients with chronic mucus hypersection may be assessed by following the clearance rate of insoluble radioaerosol particles; by such means the relative contributions of mucociliary transport and of cough to the overall clearance can be observed. Clearance is often severely impaired in patients with airways obstruction; the radioaerosol technique can be used to determine the effects of drug or physiotherapy treatment. Chronic airflow limitation leading to hypoxaemia can be associated with pulmonary artery hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy - this may be investigated noninvasively by a radionuclide test of right ventricular ejection fraction.

Room airflow studies using sonic anemometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Wasiolek, P T; Whicker, J J; Gong, H; Rodgers, J C

1999-06-01

To ensure prompt response by real-time air monitors to an accidental release of toxic aerosols in a workplace, safety professionals should understand airflow patterns. This understanding can be achieved with validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computer simulations, or with experimental techniques, such as measurements with smoke, neutrally buoyant markers, trace gases, or trace aerosol particles. As a supplementary technique to quantify airflows, the use of a state-of-the art, three-dimensional sonic anemometer was explored. This instrument allows for the precise measurements of the air-velocity vector components in the range of a few centimeters per second, which is common in many indoor work environments. Measurements of air velocities and directions at selected locations were made for the purpose of providing data for characterizing fundamental aspects of indoor air movement in two ventilated rooms and for comparison to CFD model predictions. One room was a mockup of a plutonium workroom, and the other was an actual functioning plutonium workroom. In the mockup room, air-velocity vector components were measured at 19 locations at three heights (60, 120 and 180 cm) with average velocities varying from 1.4 cm s-1 to 9.7 cm s-1. There were complex flow patterns observed with turbulence intensities from 39% up to 108%. In the plutonium workroom, measurements were made at the breathing-zone height, recording average velocities ranging from 9.9 cm s-1 to 35.5 cm s-1 with turbulence intensities from 33% to 108%.

Oscillations of a spring-magnet system damped by a conductive plate

Science.gov (United States)

Ladera, C. L.; Donoso, G.

2013-09-01

We study the motion of a spring-magnet system that oscillates with very low frequencies above a circular horizontal non-magnetizable conductive plate. The magnet oscillations couple with the plate via the Foucault currents induced therein. We develop a simple theoretical model for this magneto-mechanical oscillator, a model that leads to the equation of a damped harmonic oscillator, whose weak attenuation constant depends upon the system parameters, e.g. the electrical conductivity of the constituent material of the plate and its thickness. We present a set of validating experiments, the results of which are predicted with good accuracy by our analytical model. Additional experiments can be performed with this oscillating system or its variants. This oscillator is simple and low-cost, easy to assemble, and can be used in experiments or project works in physics teaching laboratories at the undergraduate level.

Oscillations of a spring–magnet system damped by a conductive plate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ladera, C L; Donoso, G

2013-01-01

We study the motion of a spring–magnet system that oscillates with very low frequencies above a circular horizontal non-magnetizable conductive plate. The magnet oscillations couple with the plate via the Foucault currents induced therein. We develop a simple theoretical model for this magneto-mechanical oscillator, a model that leads to the equation of a damped harmonic oscillator, whose weak attenuation constant depends upon the system parameters, e.g. the electrical conductivity of the constituent material of the plate and its thickness. We present a set of validating experiments, the results of which are predicted with good accuracy by our analytical model. Additional experiments can be performed with this oscillating system or its variants. This oscillator is simple and low-cost, easy to assemble, and can be used in experiments or project works in physics teaching laboratories at the undergraduate level. (paper)

Characteristics and Sampling Efficiencies of Two Impactor Bioaerosol Samplers: MAS-100(Registered) (Microbial Air Monitoring System) and Single-Stage Andersen Viable Microbial Samplers

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hottell, K

2004-01-01

.... A petri dish with agar is used as the impaction surface for these samplers. The MAS-l00 is a single-stage impactor that aspirates air through a 400-hole perforated entry plate onto an agar plate at an airflow rate of 100 L/min...

Transient Dynamics Simulation of Airflow in a CT-Scanned Human Airway Tree: More or Fewer Terminal Bronchi?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shouliang Qi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD method, the feasibility of simulating transient airflow in a CT-based airway tree with more than 100 outlets for a whole respiratory period is studied, and the influence of truncations of terminal bronchi on CFD characteristics is investigated. After an airway model with 122 outlets is extracted from CT images, the transient airflow is simulated. Spatial and temporal variations of flow velocity, wall pressure, and wall shear stress are presented; the flow pattern and lobar distribution of air are gotten as well. All results are compared with those of a truncated model with 22 outlets. It is found that the flow pattern shows lobar heterogeneity that the near-wall air in the trachea is inhaled into the upper lobe while the center flow enters the other lobes, and the lobar distribution of air is significantly correlated with the outlet area ratio. The truncation decreases airflow to right and left upper lobes and increases the deviation of airflow distributions between inspiration and expiration. Simulating the transient airflow in an airway tree model with 122 bronchi using CFD is feasible. The model with more terminal bronchi decreases the difference between the lobar distributions at inspiration and at expiration.

EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND AIRFLOW ON VOLUME DEVELOPMENT DURING BAKING AND ITS INFLUENCE ON QUALITY OF CAKE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

NURUL ATIQAH SANI

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Volume and texture of cake are among the important parameters in measuring the quality of cake. The processing conditions play important roles in producing cakes of good quality. Recent studies focused more on the formulation and the manipulation of baking temperature, humidity and time instead of airflow condition. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of baking temperature and airflow on the volume development of cake and final cake quality such as volume development, firmness, springiness and moisture content. The cake was baked at three different temperatures (160oC, 170oC, and 180oC, and two different airflow conditions. Baking time, height changes of batter, texture and moisture content of cake were compared to identify the differences or similarities on the final product as the process conditions varied. Results showed that, airflow has more significant effects towards the product quality compared to baking temperature especially on baking time which was 25.58 - 45.16%, and the rate of height changes which was 0.7 mm/min. However, different baking temperatures had more significant effects towards volume expansion which was 2.86 – 8.37% and the springiness of cake which was 3.44% compared to airflow conditions.

High resolution Fresnel zone plate laser alignment system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bressler, V.E.; Fischer, G.E.; Ruland, R.E.; Wang, T.

1992-03-01

The existing Fresnel zone plate laser alignment system is currently being extended and upgraded for the Final Focus Test Beam (FFTB). Previously, the resolution of this system has been several tens of micrometers. After the upgrade, the resolution will be a few micrometers. Details of the upgrade as well as simulation and experimental results will be presented

Chronic airflow obstruction after successful treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anthony L. Byrne

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Cross-sectional studies reveal an association between tuberculosis (TB and chronic airflow obstruction, but cannot adequately address confounding. We hypothesised that treated pulmonary TB is an independent risk factor for chronic airflow obstruction. The Pulmones Post TB cohort study enrolled participants from Lima, Peru, aged 10–70 years with a history of drug-susceptible (DS- or multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB who had completed treatment and were clinically cured. Unexposed participants without TB were randomly selected from the same districts. We assessed respiratory symptoms, relevant environmental exposures, and spirometric lung function pre- and post-bronchodilator. In total, 144 participants with DS-TB, 33 with MDR-TB and 161 unexposed participants were fully evaluated. Compared with unexposed participants, MDR-TB patients had lower lung volumes (adjusted mean difference in forced vital capacity −370 mL, 95% CI −644– −97 and post-bronchodilator airflow obstruction (adjusted OR 4.89, 95% CI 1.27–18.78. Participants who had recovered from DS-TB did not have lower lung volumes than unexposed participants, but were more likely to have a reduced forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity ratio <0.70 (adjusted OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.01–6.03. Individuals successfully treated for TB may experience long-lasting sequelae. Interventions facilitating earlier TB treatment and management of chronic respiratory disease should be explored.

Advanced airflow distribution methods for reducing exposure of indoor pollution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cao, Guangyu; Nielsen, Peter Vilhelm; Melikov, Arsen

2017-01-01

The adverse effect of various indoor pollutants on occupants’ health have been recognized. In public spaces flu viruses may spread from person to person by airflow generated by various traditional ventilation methods, like natural ventilation and mixing ventilation (MV Personalized ventilation (PV......) supplies clean air close to the occupant and directly into the breathing zone. Studies show that it improves the inhaled air quality and reduces the risk of airborne cross-infection in comparison with total volume (TV) ventilation. However, it is still challenging for PV and other advanced air distribution...... methods to reduce the exposure to gaseous and particulate pollutants under disturbed conditions and to ensure thermal comfort at the same time. The objective of this study is to analyse the performance of different advanced airflow distribution methods for protection of occupants from exposure to indoor...

Advanced airflow distribution methods for reducing exposure of indoor pollution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cao, Guangyu; Nielsen, Peter Vilhelm; Melikov, Arsen Krikor

methods to reduce the exposure to gaseous and particulate pollutants under disturbed conditions and to ensure thermal comfort at the same time. The objective of this study is to analyse the performance of different advanced airflow distribution methods for protection of occupants from exposure to indoor......The adverse effect of various indoor pollutants on occupants’ health have been recognized. In public spaces flu viruses may spread from person to person by airflow generated by various traditional ventilation methods, like natural ventilation and mixing ventilation (MV Personalized ventilation (PV......) supplies clean air close to the occupant and directly into the breathing zone. Studies show that it improves the inhaled air quality and reduces the risk of airborne cross-infection in comparison with total volume (TV) ventilation. However, it is still challenging for PV and other advanced air distribution...

Design and experimental investigation of a Multi-segment plate concentrated photovoltaic solar energy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Gang; Chen, Zeshao; Hu, Peng

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A multi-segment plate concentrated photovoltaic solar energy system was proposed. • A prototype of this new concentrator was developed for experimental investigation. • Experimental investigation results showed a good concentrating uniformity. - Abstract: Solar energy is one of the most promising renewable energies and meaningful for the sustainable development of energy source. A multi-segment plate concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar power system was proposed in this paper, the design principle of the multi-segment plate concentrator of this solar power system was given, which could provide uniform solar radiation flux density distribution on solar cells. A prototype of this multi-segment plate CPV solar power system was developed for the experimental study, aiming at the investigations of solar radiation flux density distribution and PV performances under this concentrator design. The experimental results showed that the solar radiation flux density distribution provided by the multi-segment plate concentrator had a good uniformity, and the number and temperature of solar cells both influence the photoelectric transformation efficiency of the CPV solar power system.

FURTHER STUDIES ON THE VARIATION OF SPRAY DEPOSITS IN VINEYARDS WITH AIRFLOW RATE AND VOLUME RATE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emanuele Cerruto

2007-03-01

Full Text Available The present research, continuing that reported in [2], deals with the spray application subject, so to investigate as volume rate and airflow rate, forward speed being equal, affect the foliar deposition in an espalier vineyard. Experimental trials were carried out by means of an air assisted towed sprayer, equipped with “Albuz ATR” nozzles. To take into account the influence of the development of the trees, the field trials were replicated in two phenological stages with an interval of about one month: “Inflorescences fully developed” (stage 1 and “Beginning of berry touch” (stage 2. A full factorial experiment was carried out for each growth stage, with two airflow rates (3.9 and 7.5 m3/s, three volume rates (103, 216, and 276 L/ha in the first growth stage and 154, 330 and 432 L/ha in the second growth stage, and four replicates, arranged according to a randomised complete block design. Working pressure (1.2 MPa and forward speed (1.4 m/s were kept unchanged for all the trials. The foliar deposition was measured by means of a spectrophotometric technique. The leaves were sampled on two depth layers and two or three heights, according to the trees’ development. The results showed that volume rate did not significantly influence the mean foliar deposition in both the two growth stages, while the highest deposits were obtained with the lowest airflow rate. The airflow rate × volume rate interaction, though not statistically significant, showed that low volume rates together with high airflow rates, result in a noticeable reduction in foliar deposition (29% with respect the grand mean, due to an increase of the spry drift, especially at the first growth stage, when the foliar development is little. These second tests, unlike those described in [2], did not show any positive influence of the airflow rate on the foliar deposition in the inner part of the canopy, so further investigations could be necessary to better understand the

Evaluation of the Minnesota Easy Culture System II Bi-Plate and Tri-Plate for identification of common mastitis pathogens in milk.

Science.gov (United States)

Royster, E; Godden, S; Goulart, D; Dahlke, A; Rapnicki, P; Timmerman, J

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to validate use of the Minnesota Easy Culture System II Bi-Plate and Tri-Plate (University of Minnesota Laboratory for Udder Health, St. Paul) to identify common mastitis pathogens in milk. A total of 283 quarter and composite milk samples submitted to the University of Minnesota Laboratory for Udder Health during the spring of 2010 were cultured simultaneously using 3 methods: standard laboratory culture (reference method) and the Minnesota Easy Culture System II Bi-Plate and Tri-Plate methods. Bi-Plate and Tri-Plate cultures were incubated for 18 to 24h and interpreted by 2 independent, untrained readers within 5h of each other. An experienced technician completed the standard laboratory culture. For each sample, all 3 study personnel recorded the culture result (yes/no) for each of the following diagnostic categories: no bacterial growth (NG), mixed (2 organisms), contaminated (3 or more organisms), gram-positive (GP), gram-negative (GN), Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis, Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., and other. For each category, the prevalence, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and predictive values of a positive and negative test were calculated, and the agreement between readers and between each reader and the laboratory was assessed. Specificity, overall accuracy, and negative predictive values were generally high (>80%) for the Bi-Plate and Tri-Plate for each category. Sensitivity and positive predictive values were intermediate (>60%) or high (>80%) for the broad categories of NG, GP, GN, Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp., and for Staph. aureus, but were generally lower (negative predictive value for Streptococcus spp., and higher interreader agreement for some of the more specific categories. Our conclusion was that Bi-Plate and Tri-Plate results will

Effects of T-type Channel on Natural Convection Flows in Airflow-Path of Concrete Storage Cask

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Gyeong Uk; Kim, Hyoung Jin; Cho, Chun Hyung [KORAD, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

The natural convection flows occurring in airflow-path are not simple due to complex flow-path configurations such as horizontal ducts, bent tube and annular flow-path. In addition, 16 T type channels acting as the shroud are attached vertically and 16 channel supporting the canister are attached horizontally on the inner surface of over-pack. The existence and nonexistence of T type channels have influences on the flow fields in airflow- path. The concrete storage cask has to satisfy the requirements to secure the thermal integrity under the normal, off-normal, and accident conditions. The present work is aiming at investigating the effects of T type channels on the flows in airflow-path under the normal conditions using the FLUENT 16.1 code. In order to focus on the flows in airflow-path, fuel regions in the canister are regarded as a single cylinder with heat sources and other components are fully modeled. This study investigated the flow fields in airflow-path of concrete storage cask, numerically. It was found that excepting for the fuel regions, maximum temperatures on other components were evaluated below allowable values. The location of maximum velocities depended on support channels, T type channels and flow area. The flows through air inlets developed along annular flow- path with forming the hot plumes. According to the existence and nonexistence of T type channel, the plume behavior showed the different flow patterns.

Effects of hot airflow during spin-coating process on CH3NH3PbI3-xClx perovskite solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Hiroki; Ohishi, Yuya; Oku, Takeo

2018-01-01

CH3NH3PbI3-xClx photovoltaic devices were fabricated, and the effects of hot airflow during spin-coating were investigated. Cubic perovskite crystals that is a high temperature phase were obtained by the hot airflow method. The conversion efficiencies of the devices prepared by the hot airflow were remained even after 56 days.

Thermo-hydraulic performance of solar air heater having multiple v-shaped rib roughness on absorber plates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dhananjay Kumar

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the performance analysis of the effect of geometrical parameters having multiple v-shaped rib roughness on the airflow side of the absorber plates. Mathematical approach and solution procedure for the analysis of such a solar air heater has been developed theoretically and MATLAB code generated for the solution of the mathematical equations. The effect of parameters such as flow Reynolds number and Relative roughness height on the thermohydraulic performance have been examined and compared with the conventional flat plate solar air heater. A substantial improvement in thermal efficiency of roughened solar air heater as compared to smooth one due to appreciable enhancement in heat transfer coefficient. The enhancement in heat transfer coefficient is also accompanied by a considerable enhancement in pumping power requirement due to the increase in friction factor.

Room airflow studies using sonic anemometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wasiolek, P.T.; Whicker, J.J.; Gong, H.; Rodgers, J.C.

1999-01-01

To ensure prompt response by real-time air monitors to an accidental release of toxic aerosols in a workplace, safety professionals should understand airflow patterns. This understanding can be achieved with validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computer simulations, or with experimental techniques, such as measurements with smoke, neutrally buoyant markers, trace gases, or trace aerosol particles. As a supplementary technique to quantify airflows, the use of a state-of-the-art, three-dimensional sonic anemometer was explored. This instrument allows for the precise measurements of the air-velocity vector components in the range of a few centimeters per second, which is common in many indoor work environments. Measurements of air velocities and directions at selected locations were made for the purpose of providing data for characterizing fundamental aspects of indoor air movement in two ventilated rooms and for comparison to CFD model predictions. One room was a mockup of a plutonium workroom, and the other was an actual functioning plutonium workroom. In the mockup room, air-velocity vector components were measured at 19 locations at three heights (60, 120 and 180 cm) with average velocities varying from 1.4 cm s -1 to 9.7 cm s -1 . There were complex flow patterns observed with turbulence intensities from 39% up to 108%. In the plutonium workroom, measurements were made at the breathing-zone height, recording average velocities ranging from 9.9 cm s -1 to 35.5 cm s -1 with turbulence intensities from 33% to 108%. (au)

Room airflow studies using sonic anemometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wasiolek, P.T.; Whicker, J.J.; Gong, H.; Rodgers, J.C. [Los Alamos National Lab., Health Physics Measurements Group, Los Alamos, NM (United States)

1999-10-01

To ensure prompt response by real-time air monitors to an accidental release of toxic aerosols in a workplace, safety professionals should understand airflow patterns. This understanding can be achieved with validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computer simulations, or with experimental techniques, such as measurements with smoke, neutrally buoyant markers, trace gases, or trace aerosol particles. As a supplementary technique to quantify airflows, the use of a state-of-the-art, three-dimensional sonic anemometer was explored. This instrument allows for the precise measurements of the air-velocity vector components in the range of a few centimeters per second, which is common in many indoor work environments. Measurements of air velocities and directions at selected locations were made for the purpose of providing data for characterizing fundamental aspects of indoor air movement in two ventilated rooms and for comparison to CFD model predictions. One room was a mockup of a plutonium workroom, and the other was an actual functioning plutonium workroom. In the mockup room, air-velocity vector components were measured at 19 locations at three heights (60, 120 and 180 cm) with average velocities varying from 1.4 cm s{sup -1} to 9.7 cm s{sup -1}. There were complex flow patterns observed with turbulence intensities from 39% up to 108%. In the plutonium workroom, measurements were made at the breathing-zone height, recording average velocities ranging from 9.9 cm s{sup -1} to 35.5 cm s{sup -1} with turbulence intensities from 33% to 108%. (au) 17 refs.

Inflammatory Biomarkers Predict Airflow Obstruction After Exposure to World Trade Center Dust

Science.gov (United States)

Nolan, Anna; Naveed, Bushra; Comfort, Ashley L.; Ferrier, Natalia; Hall, Charles B.; Kwon, Sophia; Kasturiarachchi, Kusali J.; Cohen, Hillel W.; Zeig-Owens, Rachel; Glaser, Michelle S.; Webber, Mayris P.; Aldrich, Thomas K.; Rom, William N.; Kelly, Kerry; Prezant, David J.

2012-01-01

Background: The World Trade Center (WTC) collapse on September 11, 2001, produced airflow obstruction in a majority of firefighters receiving subspecialty pulmonary evaluation (SPE) within 6.5 years post-September 11, 2001. Methods: In a cohort of 801 never smokers with normal pre-September 11, 2001, FEV1, we correlated inflammatory biomarkers and CBC counts at monitoring entry within 6 months of September 11, 2001, with a median FEV1 at SPE (34 months; interquartile range, 25-57). Cases of airflow obstruction had FEV1 less than the lower limit of normal (LLN) (100 of 801; 70 of 100 had serum), whereas control subjects had FEV1 greater than or equal to LLN (153 of 801; 124 of 153 had serum). Results: From monitoring entry to SPE years later, FEV1 declined 12% in cases and increased 3% in control subjects. Case subjects had elevated serum macrophage derived chemokine (MDC), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and interferon inducible protein-10 levels. Elevated GM-CSF and MDC increased the risk for subsequent FEV1 less than LLN by 2.5-fold (95% CI, 1.2-5.3) and 3.0-fold (95% CI, 1.4-6.1) in a logistic model adjusted for exposure, BMI, age on September 11, 2001, and polymorphonuclear neutrophils. The model had sensitivity of 38% (95% CI, 27-51) and specificity of 88% (95% CI, 80-93). Conclusions: Inflammatory biomarkers can be risk factors for airflow obstruction following dust and smoke exposure. Elevated serum GM-CSF and MDC levels soon after WTC exposure were associated with increased risk of airflow obstruction in subsequent years. Biomarkers of inflammation may help identify pathways producing obstruction after irritant exposure. PMID:21998260

Real-time monitoring for alpha emitters in high-airflow environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koster, J.E.; MacArthur, D.W.; Bounds, J.A.; Rawool-Sullivan, M.; Whitley, C.R.; Conaway, J.G.; Steadman, P.A.

1996-01-01

Key problems in detecting alpha contamination for site characterization and decontamination and decommissioning that remain to be solved include measurement of airborne contamination, material holdup within pipes, and leakage of material containers. These problems are very difficult using traditional alpha detectors and systems. The ionization detection method (long-range alpha detection of LRAD) offers a number of specific advantages for these environmental measurements. An LRAD system detects the air molecules ionized by alpha-emitting contamination rather than the alpha particles. Thus, LRAD-based detectors are not limited by the short range of alpha particles and can be used to detect contamination anywhere that air can penetrate. Extending this technology to large enclosures of long pipes requires a system optimized for large airflows. In this paper we will present designs and preliminary results for high-volume flow-through air monitors based on the LRAD technique. In addition, we will discuss the behavior of the monitors and their potential applications

Control of nasal vasculature and airflow resistance in the dog.

Science.gov (United States)

Lung, M A; Phipps, R J; Wang, J C; Widdicombe, J G

1984-01-01

Nasal vascular and airflow resistances have been measured in dogs, simultaneously on both sides separately. Vascular resistance was measured either by constant flow perfusion of the terminal branch of the maxillary artery (which supplies, via the sphenopalatine artery, the nasal septum, most of the turbinates and the nasal sinuses) or by measuring blood flow through this artery, maintained by the dog's own blood pressure. Airflow resistance was assessed by inserting balloon-tipped endotracheal catheters into the back of each nasal cavity via the nasopharynx, and measuring transnasal pressure at constant airflow through each side of the nose simultaneously. Preliminary experiments indicated that there was 5-10% collateral anastomosis between the two sides. Close-arterial injection of drugs showed different patterns of response. Adrenaline, phenylephrine, chlorpheniramine and low doses of prostaglandin F2 alpha increased vascular resistance and lowered airway resistance. Salbutamol, methacholine and histamine lowered vascular resistance and increased airway resistance. Dobutamine decreased airway resistance with a small increase in vascular resistance. Prostaglandins E1, E2 and F2 alpha (high dose) decreased both vascular and airway resistances. Substance P, eledoisin-related peptide and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide lowered vascular resistance with little change in airway resistance. The results are interpreted in terms of possible drug actions on precapillary resistance vessels, sinusoids and venules, and arteriovenous anastomoses. It is concluded that nasal airway resistance cannot be correlated with vascular resistance or blood flow, since the latter has a complex and ill-defined relationship with nasal vascular blood volume. PMID:6204040

The Automated System for Identification of License Plates of Cars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FRATAVCHAN, V.

2008-04-01

Full Text Available The paper focuses on the automated traffic rule control system. It examines the basic scheme of the system, basic constituents, principles of constituent interactions, search methods of moving objects, localization, and identification of the license plate.

Estimation of the site of wheezes in pulmonary emphysema: airflow simulation study by the use of A 4D lung model.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitaoka, Hiroko; Cok, Salim

2013-01-01

Adventitious lung sounds in pulmonary emphysema, wheezes, are continuous musical sounds during expiration with 400 Hz or more. The textbook tells that expiratory airflow limitation in emphysema occurs at the peripheral airways and that wheezes are generated there. We have recently proposed a novel hypothesis based on image analysis and theoretical consideration that expiratory airflow limitation in emphysema occurs at the intra-mediastinal airway (trachea, main bronchi, and right lobar bronchi) due to compression by overinflated lungs. We performed expiratory airflow simulation by the use of a 4D finite element lung model, and found periodical vortex release with 300-900 Hz at the end of protrusion of the the tracheal posterior wall. Relationship between the peak frequency of pressure fluctuation and airflow velocity was in agreement with Strahal's law either in normal or emphysematous condition. Contrarily, airflow simulation in a small bronchus (1.5 mm in diameter) indicated no apparent periodic vortex release.

GMFilter and SXTestPlate: software tools for improving the SNPlex™ genotyping system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schreiber Stefan

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Genotyping of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs is a fundamental technology in modern genetics. The SNPlex™ mid-throughput genotyping system (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA enables the multiplexed genotyping of up to 48 SNPs simultaneously in a single DNA sample. The high level of automation and the large amount of data produced in a high-throughput laboratory require advanced software tools for quality control and workflow management. Results We have developed two programs, which address two main aspects of quality control in a SNPlex™ genotyping environment: GMFilter improves the analysis of SNPlex™ plates by removing wells with a low overall signal intensity. It enables scientists to automatically process the raw data in a standardized way before analyzing a plate with the proprietary GeneMapper software from Applied Biosystems. SXTestPlate examines the genotype concordance of a SNPlex™ test plate, which was typed with a control SNP set. This program allows for regular quality control checks of a SNPlex™ genotyping platform. It is compatible to other genotyping methods as well. Conclusion GMFilter and SXTestPlate provide a valuable tool set for laboratories engaged in genotyping based on the SNPlex™ system. The programs enhance the analysis of SNPlex™ plates with the GeneMapper software and enable scientists to evaluate the performance of their genotyping platform.

78 FR 59065 - Interview Room Recording System Standard and License Plate Reader Standard Workshops

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-25

... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Office of Justice Programs [OJP (NIJ) Docket No. 1632] Interview Room..., Department of Justice. ACTION: Notice of the Interview Room Recording System Standard and License Plate... performance standards for Interview Room Recording Systems and License Plate Readers used by criminal justice...

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigation of impacts of an obstruction on airflow in underground mines.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, L; Goodman, G; Martikainen, A

2013-01-01

Continuous airflow monitoring can improve the safety of the underground work force by ensuring the uninterrupted and controlled distribution of mine ventilation to all working areas. Air velocity measurements vary significantly and can change rapidly depending on the exact measurement location and, in particular, due to the presence of obstructions in the air stream. Air velocity must be measured at locations away from obstructions to avoid the vortices and eddies that can produce inaccurate readings. Further, an uninterrupted measurement path cannot always be guaranteed when using continuous airflow monitors due to the presence of nearby equipment, personnel, roof falls and rib rolls. Effective use of these devices requires selection of a minimum distance from an obstacle, such that an air velocity measurement can be made but not affected by the presence of that obstacle. This paper investigates the impacts of an obstruction on the behavior of downstream airflow using a numerical CFD model calibrated with experimental test results from underground testing. Factors including entry size, obstruction size and the inlet or incident velocity are examined for their effects on the distributions of airflow around an obstruction. A relationship is developed between the minimum measurement distance and the hydraulic diameters of the entry and the obstruction. A final analysis considers the impacts of continuous monitor location on the accuracy of velocity measurements and on the application of minimum measurement distance guidelines.

Impact of acoustic airflow on intrasinus drug deposition: New insights into the vibrating mode and the optimal acoustic frequency to enhance the delivery of nebulized antibiotic.

Science.gov (United States)

Leclerc, Lara; Merhie, Amira El; Navarro, Laurent; Prévôt, Nathalie; Durand, Marc; Pourchez, Jérémie

2015-10-15

We investigated the impact of vibrating acoustic airflow, the high frequency (f≥100 Hz) and the low frequency (f≤45 Hz) sound waves, on the enhancement of intrasinus drug deposition. (81m)Kr-gas ventilation study was performed in a plastinated human cast with and without the addition of vibrating acoustic airflow. Similarly, intrasinus drug deposition in a nasal replica using gentamicin as a marker was studied with and without the superposition of different modes of acoustic airflow. Ventilation experiments demonstrate that no sinus ventilation was observed without acoustic airflow although sinus ventilation occurred whatever the modes of acoustic airflow applied. Intrasinus drug deposition experiments showed that the high frequency acoustic airflow led to 4-fold increase in gentamicin deposition into the left maxillary sinus and to 2-fold deposition increase into the right maxillary sinus. Besides, the low frequency acoustic airflow demonstrated a significant increase of 4-fold and 2-fold in the right and left maxillary sinuses, respectively. We demonstrated the benefit of different modes of vibrating acoustic airflow for maxillary sinus ventilation and intrasinus drug deposition. The degree of gentamicin deposition varies as a function of frequency of the vibrating acoustic airflow and the geometry of the ostia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of mobile laminar airflow units on airborne bacterial contamination during neurosurgical procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

von Vogelsang, A-C; Förander, P; Arvidsson, M; Löwenhielm, P

2018-03-24

Surgical site infections (SSIs) after neurosurgery are potentially life-threatening and entail great costs. SSIs may occur from airborne bacteria in the operating room, and ultraclean air is desired during infection-prone cleaning procedures. Door openings and the number of persons present in the operating room affect the air quality. Mobile laminar airflow (MLAF) units, with horizontal laminar airflow, have previously been shown to reduce airborne bacterial contamination. To assess the effect of MLAF units on airborne bacterial contamination during neurosurgical procedures. In a quasi-experimental design, bacteria-carrying particles (colony-forming units: cfu) during neurosurgical procedures were measured with active air-sampling in operating rooms with conventional turbulent ventilation, and with additional MLAF units. The MLAF units were shifted between operating rooms monthly. Colony-forming unit count and bacterial species detection were conducted after incubation. Data was collected for a period of 18 months. A total of 233 samples were collected during 45 neurosurgical procedures. The use of MLAF units significantly reduced the numbers of cfu in the surgical site area (P neurosurgery to ultraclean air levels. MLAF units are valuable when the main operating room ventilation system is unable to produce ultraclean air in infection-prone clean neurosurgery. Copyright © 2018 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanical System Analysis of C-Frame for Steel Plate Thickness Gauge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sri Sudadiyo

2007-01-01

Nuclear base instrument is not only applied in the area of research such as medical and agriculture sciences, but also in the field of industry especially for thickness gauge. To the present at the steel industry, the gauge that is applied to cut plate thickness using infra-red ray method, it cannot result in accurately data. To solve that case, it is developed a thickness gauge of steel plate by using gamma ray method that it is named C-Frame. This thickness gauge is hoped that it could control in cutting the steel plate by on-line, accurate, and safe, therefore, it could socialize the advanced technology in the nuclear field to support the production process in domestic industries (national industries). The present study yields the calculations of mechanical system of that C-Frame including structure, detector support, source container of radioisotope, and transmission system, be also computed by running Professional Microsoft Fortran Version 5.10, NISA-II program, and AutoCAD program. From the obtained results could be known that the design meets the requirement, so that could be employed properly to measure the thickness of plate in the steel industries. (author)

Faulting and hydration of the Juan de Fuca plate system

Science.gov (United States)

Nedimović, Mladen R.; Bohnenstiehl, DelWayne R.; Carbotte, Suzanne M.; Pablo Canales, J.; Dziak, Robert P.

2009-06-01

Multichannel seismic observations provide the first direct images of crustal scale normal faults within the Juan de Fuca plate system and indicate that brittle deformation extends up to ~ 200 km seaward of the Cascadia trench. Within the sedimentary layering steeply dipping faults are identified by stratigraphic offsets, with maximum throws of 110 ± 10 m found near the trench. Fault throws diminish both upsection and seaward from the trench. Long-term throw rates are estimated to be 13 ± 2 mm/kyr. Faulted offsets within the sedimentary layering are typically linked to larger offset scarps in the basement topography, suggesting reactivation of the normal fault systems formed at the spreading center. Imaged reflections within the gabbroic igneous crust indicate swallowing fault dips at depth. These reflections require local alteration to produce an impedance contrast, indicating that the imaged fault structures provide pathways for fluid transport and hydration. As the depth extent of imaged faulting within this young and sediment insulated oceanic plate is primarily limited to approximately Moho depths, fault-controlled hydration appears to be largely restricted to crustal levels. If dehydration embrittlement is an important mechanism for triggering intermediate-depth earthquakes within the subducting slab, then the limited occurrence rate and magnitude of intraslab seismicity at the Cascadia margin may in part be explained by the limited amount of water imbedded into the uppermost oceanic mantle prior to subduction. The distribution of submarine earthquakes within the Juan de Fuca plate system indicates that propagator wake areas are likely to be more faulted and therefore more hydrated than other parts of this plate system. However, being largely restricted to crustal levels, this localized increase in hydration generally does not appear to have a measurable effect on the intraslab seismicity along most of the subducted propagator wakes at the Cascadia margin.

A Malaysian Vehicle License Plate Localization and Recognition System

OpenAIRE

Ganapathy Velappa; Dennis LUI Wen Lik

2008-01-01

Technological intelligence is a highly sought after commodity even in traffic-based systems. These intelligent systems do not only help in traffic monitoring but also in commuter safety, law enforcement and commercial applications. In this paper, a license plate localization and recognition system for vehicles in Malaysia is proposed. This system is developed based on digital images and can be easily applied to commercial car park systems for the use of documenting access of parking services,...

CFD modeling of airflow for indoor comfort in the tropics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aynsley, R.; Su, B.

2006-01-01

In humid tropical environments air movement is a common means to achieving indoor thermal comfort. In many locations closer to the equator, breezes are weaker and less reliable. Whatever the source of air movement it is important to quantity its potential in terms of the percentage of time the air movement will be available and the likely speed of the air movement in occupied zone of a building. It is also important to establish appropriate thermal comfort criteria with respect to air temperature, humidity and air movement. There are a number of techniques for modeling air movement inside naturally ventilated buildings. Boundary layer wind tunnels provide an opportunity to both measure and visually observe such airflow through model building. It is important to model adjacent buildings and any significant landscaping features that will influence outdoor airflow patterns. Such studies are relatively expensive. The recent availability of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software for personal computers offers an alternative method for modeling air movement inside naturally ventilated buildings. Very expensive versions of this software have been available for large computers and work stations for many years but they have only recently become available for smaller computers. There are some features of such software that should be compared before purchasing a copy or a license. This paper discusses such features in detail. It is important in the case of natural ventilation that adjacent buildings and any significant landscaping features that will influence outdoor airflow patterns are included in the modeling. This paper also stresses the importance of calibrating the CFD software output against some physical measurements or wind tunnel modeling to ensure that the CFD results are realistic

Measuring OutdoorAir Intake Rates Using Electronic Velocity Sensors at Louvers and Downstream of Airflow Straighteners

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisk, William; Sullivan, Douglas; Cohen, Sebastian; Han, Hwataik

2008-10-01

Practical and accurate technologies are needed for continuously measuring and controlling outdoor air (OA) intake rates in commercial building heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. This project evaluated two new measurement approaches. Laboratory experiments determined that OA flow rates were measurable with errors generally less than 10percent using electronic air velocity probes installed between OA intake louver blades or at the outlet face of louvers. High accuracy was maintained with OA flow rates as low as 15percent of the maximum for the louvers. Thus, with this measurement approach HVAC systems do not need separate OA intakes for minimum OA supply. System calibration parameters are required for each unique combination of louver type and velocity sensor location but calibrations are not necessary for each system installation. The research also determined that the accuracy of measuring OA flow rates with velocity probes located in the duct downstream of the intake louver was not improved by installing honeycomb airflow straighteners upstream of the probes. Errors varied with type of upstream louver, were as high as 100percent, and were often greater than 25percent. In conclusion, use of electronic air velocity probes between the blades of OA intake louvers or at the outlet face of louvers is a highly promising means of accurately measuring rates of OA flow into HVAC systems. The use of electronic velocity probes downstream of airflow straighteners is less promising, at least with the relatively small OA HVAC inlet systems employed in this research.

Numerical investigation on thermal performance and correlations of double skin facade with buoyancy-driven airflow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pappas, Alexandra; Zhai, Zhiqiang [Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado, UCB 428, ECOT 441, Boulder, CO 80309-0428 (United States)

2008-07-01

This paper briefly reviews the primary parameters for a double skin facade (DSF) design. The research presents an integrated and iterative modeling process for analyzing the thermal performance of DSF cavities with buoyancy-driven airflow by using a building energy simulation program (BESP) along with a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package. A typical DSF cavity model has been established and simulated. The model and the modeling process have been calibrated and validated against the experimental data. The validated model was used to develop correlations that can be implemented in a BESP, allowing users to take advantage of the accuracy gained from CFD simulations without the required computation time. Correlations were developed for airflow rate through cavity, average and peak cavity air temperature, cavity air pressure, and interior convection coefficient. The correlations are valuable for 'back of the envelope' calculation and for examining accuracy of zonal-model-based energy and airflow simulation programs. (author)

Voluntary Cough Airflow Differentiates Safe versus Unsafe Swallowing in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Science.gov (United States)

Plowman, Emily K.; Watts, Stephanie A.; Robison, Raele; Tabor, Lauren; Dion, Charles; Gaziano, Joy; Vu, Tuan; Gooch, Clifton

2016-01-01

Dysphagia and aspiration are prevalent in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and contribute to malnutrition, aspiration pneumonia and death. Early detection of at risk individuals is critical to ensure maintenance of safe oral intake and optimal pulmonary function. We therefore aimed to determine the discriminant ability of voluntary cough airflow measures in detecting penetration/aspiration status in ALS patients. Seventy individuals with ALS (El-Escorial criteria) completed voluntary cough spirometry testing and underwent a standardized videofluoroscopic swallowing evaluation (VFSE). A rater blinded to aspiration status derived six objective measures of voluntary cough airflow and evaluated airway safety using the Penetration Aspiration Scale (PAS). A between groups ANOVA (safe vs. unsafe swallowers) was conducted and sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC) and likelihood ratios were calculated. VFSE analysis revealed 24 penetrator/aspirators (PAS ≥3) and 46 non-penetrator/aspirators (PAS ≤2). Cough volume acceleration (CVA), peak expiratory flow rise time (PEFRT), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) were significantly different between airway safety groups (p 76ms had sensitivities of 91.3%, 82.6% and 73.9% respectively and specificities of 82.2%, 73.9%, and 78.3% for identifying ALS penetrator/aspirators. Voluntary cough airflow measures identified ALS patients at risk for penetration/aspiration and may be a valuable screening tool with high clinical utility. PMID:26803772

Application of Shark Skin Flow Control Techniques to Airflow

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Jackson Alexander

Due to millions of years of evolution, sharks have evolved to become quick and efficient ocean apex predators. Shark skin is made up of millions of microscopic scales, or denticles, that are approximately 0.2 mm in size. Scales located on the shark's body where separation control is paramount (such as behind the gills or the trailing edge of the pectoral fin) are capable of bristling. These scales are hypothesized to act as a flow control mechanism capable of being passively actuated by reversed flow. It is believed that shark scales are strategically sized to interact with the lower 5% of a boundary layer, where reversed flow occurs at the onset of boundary layer separation. Previous research has shown shark skin to be capable of controlling separation in water. This thesis aims to investigate the same passive flow control techniques in air. To investigate this phenomenon, several sets of microflaps were designed and manufactured with a 3D printer. The microflaps were designed in both 2D (rectangular) and 3D (mirroring shark scale geometry) variants. These microflaps were placed in a low-speed wind tunnel in the lower 5% of the boundary layer. Solid fences and a flat plate diffuser with suction were placed in the tunnel to create different separated flow regions. A hot film probe was used to measure velocity magnitude in the streamwise plane of the separated regions. The results showed that low-speed airflow is capable of bristling objects in the boundary layer. When placed in a region of reverse flow, the microflaps were passively actuated. Microflaps fluctuated between bristled and flat states in reverse flow regions located close to the reattachment zone.

Effect of laminar airflow ventilation on surgical site infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bischoff, Peter; Kubilay, N Zeynep; Allegranzi, Benedetta; Egger, Matthias; Gastmeier, Petra

2017-05-01

The role of the operating room's ventilation system in the prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs) is widely discussed, and existing guidelines do not reflect current evidence. In this context, laminar airflow ventilation was compared with conventional ventilation to assess their effectiveness in reducing the risk of SSIs. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and WHO regional medical databases from Jan 1, 1990, to Jan 31, 2014. We updated the search for MEDLINE for the period between Feb 1, 2014, and May 25, 2016. We included studies most relevant to our predefined question: is the use of laminar airflow in the operating room associated with the reduction of overall or deep SSI as outcomes in patients of any age undergoing surgical operations? We excluded studies not relevant to the study question, studies not in the selected languages, studies published before Jan 1, 1990, or after May 25, 2016, meeting or conference abstracts, and studies of which the full text was not available. Data were extracted by two independent investigators, with disagreements resolved through further discussion. Authors were contacted if the full-text article was not available, or if important data or information on the paper's content was absent. Studies were assessed for publication bias. Grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation was used to assess the quality of the identified evidence. Meta-analyses were done with RevMan (version 5.3). We identified 1947 records of which 12 observational studies were comparing laminar airflow ventilation with conventional turbulent ventilation in orthopaedic, abdominal, and vascular surgery. The meta-analysis of eight cohort studies showed no difference in risk for deep SSIs following total hip arthroplasty (330 146 procedures, odds ratio [OR] 1·29, 95% CI 0·98-1·71; p=0·07, I 2 =83%). For total knee arthroplasty, the meta-analysis of six cohort studies showed no difference

Experimental investigation into the interaction between the human body and room airflow and its effect on thermal comfort under stratum ventilation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Y; Lin, Z

2016-04-01

Room occupants' comfort and health are affected by the airflow. Nevertheless, they themselves also play an important role in indoor air distribution. This study investigated the interaction between the human body and room airflow under stratum ventilation. Simplified thermal manikin was employed to effectively resemble the human body as a flow obstacle and/or free convective heat source. Unheated and heated manikins were designed to fully evaluate the impact of the manikin at various airflow rates. Additionally, subjective human tests were conducted to evaluate thermal comfort for the occupants in two rows. The findings show that the manikin formed a local blockage effect, but the supply airflow could flow over it. With the body heat from the manikin, the air jet penetrated farther compared with that for the unheated manikin. The temperature downstream of the manikin was also higher because of the convective effect. Elevating the supply airflow rate from 7 to 15 air changes per hour varied the downstream airflow pattern dramatically, from an uprising flow induced by body heat to a jet-dominated flow. Subjective assessments indicated that stratum ventilation provided thermal comfort for the occupants in both rows. Therefore, stratum ventilation could be applied in rooms with occupants in multiple rows. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Influence of airflow rate and substrate nature on heterogeneous struvite precipitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Saidou, H; Ben Moussa, S; Ben Amor, M

2009-01-01

In wastewater treatment plants a hard scale consisting of struvite crystals can be formed, in pipes and recirculation pumps, during anaerobic digestion of wastewater. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of airflow rate and substrate nature on nucleation type, induction period and supersaturation coefficient during struvite precipitation. A crystallization reactor similar to that designed for calcium carbonate precipitation was used. The pH of synthetic wastewater solution was increased by air bubbling. Experimental results indicated that the airflow increased heterogeneous precipitation of struvite. The susceptibility to scale formation was more important on polyamide and polyvinyl chloride than on stainless steel. In all cases, X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy showed that the precipitated solid phase was solely struvite. No difference in crystal morphology was observed. However, at similar experimental conditions, the particle size of struvite was higher for stainless-steel material than that for plastic materials.

Relative motions of the Australian, Pacific and Antarctic plates estimated by the Global Positioning System

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Kristine M.; Freymueller, Jeff

1995-01-01

Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements spanning approximately 3 years have been used to determine velocities for 7 sites on the Australian, Pacific and Antarctic plates. The site velocities agree with both plate model predictions and other space geodetic techniques. We find no evidence for internal deformation of the interior of the Australian plate. Wellington, New Zealand, located in the Australian-Pacific plate boundary zone, moves 20 +/- 5 mm/yr west-southwest relative to the Australian plate. Its velocity lies midway between the predicted velocities of the two plates. Relative Euler vectors for the Australia-Antarctica and Pacific-Antarctica plates agree within one standard deviation with the NUVEL-1A predictions.

Centralized Gap Clearance Control for Maglev Based Steel-Plate Conveyance System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GUNEY, O. F.

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The conveyance of steel-plates is one of the potential uses of the magnetic levitation technology in industry. However, the electromagnetic levitation systems inherently show nonlinear feature and are unstable without an active control. Well-known U-shaped or E-shaped electromagnets cannot provide redundant levitation with multiple degrees of freedom. In this paper, to achieve the full redundant levitation of the steel plate, a quadruple configuration of U shaped electromagnets has been proposed. To resolve the issue of instability and attain more robust levitation, a centralized control algorithm based on a modified PID controller (I PD is designed for each degree of freedom by using the Manabe canonical polynomial technique. The model of the system is carried out using electromechanical energy conversion princi¬ples and verified by 3-D FEM analysis. An experimental bench is built up to test the system performance under trajectory tracking and external disturbance excitation. The results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed system and the control approach to obtain a full redundant levitation even in case of disturbances. The paper demonstrates the feasibility of the con¬veyance of steel plates by using the quadruple configuration of U-shaped electromagnets and shows the merits of I-PD controller both in stabilization and increased robust levitation.

Design of Stress-Strain Measuring System for Bulldozing Plate Based on Virtual Instrument Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, S C; Li, J Q; Zhang, R

2006-01-01

Soil is a kind of discrete, multiphase compound that is composed of soil particles, liquid and air. When soil is disturbed by bulldozing plate, the mechanical behavior of the soil will become very complex. Based on the law of action and reaction, the dynamic mechanical behavior of disturbed soil was indirectly analyzed by measuring and studying the forces on the bulldozing plate by soil currently, so a stress-strain virtual measuring system for bulldozing plate, which was designed by the graphical programming language DASYLab, was used to measure the horizontal force Fz acting on the bulldozing plate. In addition, during the course of design, the experimental complexities and the interferential factors influencing on signal logging were analyzed when bulldozing plate worked, so the anti-jamming methods of hardware and software technology were adopted correlatively. In the end, the horizontal force Fz was analyzed with Error Theory, the result shown that the quantificational analysis of Fz were identical to the qualitative results of soil well, and the error of the whole test system is under 5 percent, so the tress-strain virtual measuring system was stable and credible

Differentiating between adductor and abductor spasmodic dysphonia using airflow interruption

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Matthew R.; Jiang, Jack J.; Rieves, Adam L.; McElveen, Kelsey A.B.; Ford, Charles N.

2009-01-01

Objective To measure the laryngeal resistance (RL), subglottal pressure (Ps), and mean flow rate (MFR) of adductor (ADSD) and abductor (ABSD) spasmodic dysphonia patients using the airflow interrupter. Methods The RL of six ABSD and seven ADSD patients was measured using the airflow interrupter, a noninvasive device designed to measure MFR and Ps via mechanical balloon valve interruption. Subjects performed ten trials at each of two intensity levels, with each trial consisting of a sustained /a/ during which phonation was interrupted for 500 ms. Laryngeal resistance was calculated as subglottal pressure divided by airflow. Results Mean RL for the ADSD and ABSD subtypes at 65 dB were 24.78 cmH2O/l/s and 14.51 cmH2O/l/s, respectively (p = 0.04). Mean RL at 70 dB were 40.02 cmH2O/l/s and 15.84 cmH2O/l/s (p = 0.014). Ps for the ADSD and ABSD subtypes at 65 dB were 10.23 cmH2O and 8.32 cmH2O, respectively (p = 0.582). At the 70 dB level, Ps were 12.39 cmH2O and 11.78 cmH2O (p = 0.886). MFR for the ADSD and ABSD subtypes at 65 dB were 435 ml/s and 746 ml/s (p = 0.205). Mean MFR at 70 dB were 518 ml/s and 848 ml/s (p = 0.198). Conclusion Noninvasive measurements of RL may be useful for differentiating between ADSD and ABSD. This simple objective test which produces a quantitative output could be used to evaluate laryngeal function in patients with spasmodic dysphonia. PMID:19554636

Morphological measurements in computed tomography correlate with airflow obstruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: systematic review and meta-analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie, XueQian; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn [University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Medical Imaging-North East Netherlands (CMI-NEN), Department of Radiology, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30.001, RB, Groningen (Netherlands); Jong, Pim A. de [University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Heidelberglaan 100, P.O. Box 85.500, CX, Utrecht (Netherlands); Wang, Ying [Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Department of Radiology, Tianjin (China); Hacken, Nick H.T. ten [University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30.001, RB, Groningen (Netherlands); Miao, Jingtao; Zhang, GuiXiang [Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated First People' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Shanghai (China); Bock, Geertruida H. de [University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30.001, RB, Groningen (Netherlands)

2012-10-15

To determine the correlation between CT measurements of emphysema or peripheral airways and airflow obstruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). PubMed, Embase and Web of Knowledge were searched from 1976 to 2011. Two reviewers independently screened 1,763 citations to identify articles that correlated CT measurements to airflow obstruction parameters of the pulmonary function test in COPD patients, rated study quality and extracted information. Three CT measurements were accessed: lung attenuation area percentage < -950 Hounsfield units, mean lung density and airway wall area percentage. Two airflow obstruction parameters were accessed: forced expiratory volume in the first second as percentage from predicted (FEV{sub 1} %pred) and FEV{sub 1} divided by the forced volume vital capacity. Seventy-nine articles (9,559 participants) were included in the systematic review, demonstrating different methodologies, measurements and CT airflow obstruction correlations. There were 15 high-quality articles (2,095 participants) in the meta-analysis. The absolute pooled correlation coefficients ranged from 0.48 (95 % CI, 0.40 to 0.54) to 0.65 (0.58 to 0.71) for inspiratory CT and 0.64 (0.53 to 0.72) to 0.73 (0.63 to 0.80) for expiratory CT. CT measurements of emphysema or peripheral airways are significantly related to airflow obstruction in COPD patients. CT provides a morphological method to investigate airway obstruction in COPD. (orig.)

Testing measurements of airflow velocity in road tunnels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danišovič Peter

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Within the project entitled “Models of formation and spread of fire to increase safety of road tunnels”, it was necessary to devise a method how to record airflow velocity during the fire in situ tests in road tunnels. Project is in first year of its solution so one testing measurement was performed to check the functionality of anemometers selected for this project and the first in situ measurement was also performed just a few days ago.

The effect of airflow rates and aeration mode on the respiration activity of four organic wastes: Implications on the composting process.

Science.gov (United States)

Mejias, Laura; Komilis, Dimitrios; Gea, Teresa; Sánchez, Antoni

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the airflow and of the aeration mode on the composting process of non-urban organic wastes that are found in large quantities worldwide, namely: (i) a fresh, non-digested, sewage sludge (FSS), (ii) an anaerobically digested sewage sludge (ADSS), (iii) cow manure (CM) and (iv) pig sludge (PS). This assessment was done using respirometric indices. Two aeration modes were tested, namely: (a) a constant air flowrate set at three different initial fixed airflow rates, and (b) an oxygen uptake rate (OUR)-controlled airflow rate. The four wastes displayed the same behaviour namely a limited biological activity at low aeration, while, beyond a threshold value, the increase of the airflow did not significantly increase the dynamic respiration indices (DRI 1 max , DRI 24 max and AT 4 ). The threshold airflow rate varied among wastes and ranged from 42NL air kg -1 DMh -1 for CM and from 67 to 77NL air kg -1 DMh -1 for FSS, ADSS and PS. Comparing the two aeration modes tested (constant air flow, OUR controlled air flow), no statistically significant differences were calculated between the respiration activity indices obtained at those two aeration modes. The results can be considered representative for urban and non-urban organic wastes and establish a general procedure to measure the respiration activity without limitations by airflow. This will permit other researchers to provide consistent results during the measurement of the respiration activity. Results indicate that high airflows are not required to establish the maximum respiration activity. This can result in energy savings and the prevention of off-gas treatment problems due to the excessive aeration rate in full scale composting plants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomechanical evaluation of a new MatrixMandible plating system on cadaver mandibles.

Science.gov (United States)

Gateno, Jaime; Cookston, Christopher; Hsu, Sam Sheng-Pin; Stal, Drew N; Durrani, Salim K; Gold, Jonathan; Ismaily, Sabir; Alexander, Jerry W; Noble, Philip C; Xia, James J

2013-11-01

Current mandibular plating systems contain a wide range of plates and screws needed for the treatment of mandibular reconstruction and mandibular fractures. The authors' hypothesis was that a single diameter screw could be used in all applications in a plating system. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to test if the 2.0-mm locking screws could replace the 2.4-mm screws to stabilize a 2.5-mm-thick reconstruction plate in the treatment of mandibular discontinuity. Thirty-six fresh human cadaveric mandibles were used: 18 were plated using 2.0-mm locking screws (experimental) and the other 18 were plated using 2.4-mm locking screws (control). Each group was further divided into 3 subgroups based on the site of loading application: the ipsilateral (right) second premolar region, the central incisal region, and the contralateral (left) first molar region. The same ipsilateral (right) mandibular angular discontinuity was created by the same surgeon. The mandible was mounted on a material testing machine. The micromotions between the 2 segments, permanent and elastic displacements, were recorded after incremental ramping loads. The magnitude of screw back-out and the separation between plate and bone were recorded using a laser scanner (resolution, 0.12 mm) before and after the loading applications. The data were processed. Descriptive analyses and a general linear model for repeated measures analysis of variance were performed. There was no statistically significant difference in permanent displacement (mean, 1.16 and 0.82 mm, respectively) between the 2.0-mm and 2.4-mm screw groups. There also was no statistically significant difference in elastic displacement between the 2 groups (mean, 1.48 and 1.21 mm, respectively). Finally, there were no statistically significant differences in screw back-out or separation between plate and bone between the 2 groups. All means for screw back-out and separation between screw and bone for each group were judged within the

Magnetic resonance imaging and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of rabbit nasal airflows for the development of hybrid CFD/PBPK models.

Science.gov (United States)

Corley, R A; Minard, K R; Kabilan, S; Einstein, D R; Kuprat, A P; Harkema, J R; Kimbell, J S; Gargas, M L; Kinzell, John H

2009-05-01

The percentages of total airflows over the nasal respiratory and olfactory epithelium of female rabbits were calculated from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of steady-state inhalation. These airflow calculations, along with nasal airway geometry determinations, are critical parameters for hybrid CFD/physiologically based pharmacokinetic models that describe the nasal dosimetry of water-soluble or reactive gases and vapors in rabbits. CFD simulations were based upon three-dimensional computational meshes derived from magnetic resonance images of three adult female New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. In the anterior portion of the nose, the maxillary turbinates of rabbits are considerably more complex than comparable regions in rats, mice, monkeys, or humans. This leads to a greater surface area to volume ratio in this region and thus the potential for increased extraction of water soluble or reactive gases and vapors in the anterior portion of the nose compared to many other species. Although there was considerable interanimal variability in the fine structures of the nasal turbinates and airflows in the anterior portions of the nose, there was remarkable consistency between rabbits in the percentage of total inspired airflows that reached the ethmoid turbinate region (approximately 50%) that is presumably lined with olfactory epithelium. These latter results (airflows reaching the ethmoid turbinate region) were higher than previous published estimates for the male F344 rat (19%) and human (7%). These differences in regional airflows can have significant implications in interspecies extrapolations of nasal dosimetry.

Auditory signal design for automatic number plate recognition system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heydra, C.G.; Jansen, R.J.; Van Egmond, R.

2014-01-01

This paper focuses on the design of an auditory signal for the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system of Dutch national police. The auditory signal is designed to alert police officers of suspicious cars in their proximity, communicating priority level and location of the suspicious car and

To evaluate the efficacy of biodegradable plating system for fixation of maxillofacial fractures: A prospective study

OpenAIRE

Bali, Rishi K.; Sharma, Parveen; Jindal, Shalu; Gaba, Shivani

2013-01-01

Aims: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of biodegradable plating system for fixation of maxillofacial fractures and to study the morbidity associated with the use of biodegradable plates and screws. Materials and Methods: This prospective study consisted of 10 patients with maxillofacial fractures requiring open reduction and internal fixation. Fractures with infection, comminuted and pathological fractures were excluded. All were plated with biodegradable system (Inio...

Occupational exposures to solvents and metals are associated with fixed airflow obstruction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alif, Sheikh M; Dharmage, Shyamali C; Benke, Geza; Dennekamp, Martine; Burgess, John A; Perret, Jennifer L; Lodge, Caroline J; Morrison, Stephen; Johns, David P; Giles, Graham G.; Gurrin, Lyle C; Thomas, Paul S; Hopper, John L; Wood-Baker, Richard; Thompson, Bruce R; Feather, Iain H; Vermeulen, Roel; Kromhout, Hans; Walters, E Haydn; Abramson, Michael J; Matheson, Melanie C

2017-01-01

Objectives This study investigated the associations between occupational exposures to solvents and metals and fixed airflow obstruction (AO) using post-bronchodilator spirometry. Methods We included 1335 participants from the 2002-2008 follow-up of the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study.

A neural network based artificial vision system for licence plate recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Draghici, S

1997-02-01

This paper presents a neural network based artificial vision system able to analyze the image of a car given by a camera, locate the registration plate and recognize the registration number of the car. The paper describes in detail various practical problems encountered in implementing this particular application and the solutions used to solve them. The main features of the system presented are: controlled stability-plasticity behavior, controlled reliability threshold, both off-line and on-line learning, self assessment of the output reliability and high reliability based on high level multiple feedback. The system has been designed using a modular approach. Sub-modules can be upgraded and/or substituted independently, thus making the system potentially suitable in a large variety of vision applications. The OCR engine was designed as an interchangeable plug-in module. This allows the user to choose an OCR engine which is suited to the particular application and to upgrade it easily in the future. At present, there are several versions of this OCR engine. One of them is based on a fully connected feedforward artificial neural network with sigmoidal activation functions. This network can be trained with various training algorithms such as error backpropagation. An alternative OCR engine is based on the constraint based decomposition (CBD) training architecture. The system has showed the following performances (on average) on real-world data: successful plate location and segmentation about 99%, successful character recognition about 98% and successful recognition of complete registration plates about 80%.

Changes in Peak Airflow Measurement During Maximal Cough After Vocal Fold Augmentation in Patients With Glottic Insufficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Dion, Gregory R; Achlatis, Efstratios; Teng, Stephanie; Fang, Yixin; Persky, Michael; Branski, Ryan C; Amin, Milan R

2017-11-01

Compromised cough effectiveness is correlated with dysphagia and aspiration. Glottic insufficiency likely yields decreased cough strength and effectiveness. Although vocal fold augmentation favorably affects voice and likely improves cough strength, few data exist to support this hypothesis. To assess whether vocal fold augmentation improves peak airflow measurements during maximal-effort cough following augmentation. This case series study was conducted in a tertiary, academic laryngology clinic. Participants included 14 consecutive individuals with glottic insufficiency due to vocal fold paralysis, which was diagnosed via videostrobolaryngoscopy as a component of routine clinical examination. All participants who chose to proceed with augmentation were considered for the study whether office-based or operative augmentation was planned. Postaugmentation data were collected only at the first follow-up visit, which was targeted for 14 days after augmentation but varied on the basis of participant availability. Data were collected from June 5, 2014, to October 1, 2015. Data analysis took place between October 2, 2015, and March 3, 2017. Peak airflow during maximal volitional cough was quantified before and after vocal fold augmentation. Participants performed maximal coughs, and peak expiratory flow during the maximal cough was captured according to American Thoracic Society guidelines. Among the 14 participants (7 men and 7 women), the mean (SD) age was 62 (18) years. Three types of injectable material were used for vocal fold augmentation: carboxymethylcellulose in 5 patients, hyaluronic acid in 5, and calcium hydroxylapatite in 4. Following augmentation, cough strength increased in 11 participants and decreased cough strength was observed in 3. Peak airflow measurements during maximal cough varied from a decrease of 40 L/min to an increase of 150 L/min following augmentation. When preaugmentation and postaugmentation peak airflow measurements were compared, the

Beach-dune dynamics: Spatio-temporal patterns of aeolian sediment transport under complex offshore airflow

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, K.; Jackson, D.; Delgado-Fernandez, I.; Cooper, J. A.; Baas, A. C.; Beyers, M.

2010-12-01

This study examines sand transport and wind speed across a beach at Magilligan Strand, Northern Ireland, under offshore wind conditions. Traditionally the offshore component of local wind regimes has been ignored when quantifying beach-dune sediment budgets, with the sheltering effect of the foredune assumed to prohibit grain entrainment on the adjoining beach. Recent investigations of secondary airflow patterns over coastal dunes have suggested this may not be the case, that the turbulent nature of the airflow in these zones enhances sediment transport potential. Beach sediment may be delivered to the dune toe by re-circulating eddies under offshore winds in coastal areas, which may explain much of the dynamics of aeolian dunes on coasts where the dominant wind direction is offshore. The present study investigated aeolian sediment transport patterns under an offshore wind event. Empirical data were collected using load cell traps, for aeolian sediment transport, co-located with 3-D ultrasonic anemometers. The instrument positioning on the sub-aerial beach was informed by prior analysis of the airflow patterns using computational fluid dynamics. The array covered a total beach area of 90 m alongshore by 65 m cross-shore from the dune crest. Results confirm that sediment transport occurred in the ‘sheltered’ area under offshore winds. Over short time and space scales the nature of the transport is highly complex; however, preferential zones for sand entrainment may be identified. Alongshore spatial heterogeneity of sediment transport seems to show a relationship to undulations in the dune crest, while temporal and spatial variations may also be related to the position of the airflow reattachment zone. These results highlight the important feedbacks between flow characteristics and transport in a complex three dimensional surface.

EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND AIRFLOW ON VOLUME DEVELOPMENT DURING BAKING AND ITS INFLUENCE ON QUALITY OF CAKE

OpenAIRE

NURUL ATIQAH SANI; FARAH SALEENA TAIP; SITI MAZLINA MUSTAPA KAMAL; NORASHIKIN AB. AZIZ

2014-01-01

Volume and texture of cake are among the important parameters in measuring the quality of cake. The processing conditions play important roles in producing cakes of good quality. Recent studies focused more on the formulation and the manipulation of baking temperature, humidity and time instead of airflow condition. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of baking temperature and airflow on the volume development of cake and final cake quality such as volume development, firm...

Erosion Modeling of the High Contraction Chromium Plated Crusader Gun System

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Sopok, S

2003-01-01

Thermal-chemical- mechanical erosion modeling predictions are given for the high contraction chromium plated Crusader gun system based on extensive cannon firing, inspection, characterization, and experimental data...

Separation of Cadmium in Printing Industrial Liquid Waste by Electromagnetic Plating System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prayitno

2007-01-01

To prevent incidence of environmental contamination and its effect to society health and other mortal, poisonous and dangerous substance waste have to be managed peculiarly by minimizing or eliminating the nature of its danger. Various processing have been developed to degrade the waste rate for example sorption, flotation, flocculation, etc., but the yield of the degradation of metal rate can not fulfill permanent standard quality of liquid waste. Because of the reason explained before, its important to make a new breakthrough as one of final phase processing alternative named reductant electromagnetic plating. Waste to be degraded in this research is cadmium. In fact cadmium represent the foregain metal for human and is not require at all in human body for metabolism process. Though plenty of cadmium exploited, but during for centuries it caused the food poisoned because this metal insoluble in organic acid. Separation of cadmium rate with electromagnetic plating influenced by time process, concentration, current strength, and type of electrode plate. Result of research indicate that the optimum time processing if using plate of copper electrode is during 30 minute and using plate of aluminium electrode is during 20 minute. Optimum of strong current that used in process of electromagnetic plating is only 0.8 Ampere and concentration effective is 5 mg / L. The most effective type of electrode plate for reducing cadmium from waste by using electromagnetic plating is aluminium. Appliance of electromagnetic plating system is very compatible used for the reduction of cadmium and others metal for feed concentration (1 - 5) mg/L .at the price efficiency of reduction is (95 - 98) %, standard quality of liquid waste is (0.05 - 1) mg/L. (author)

Investigation on the effect of blending ratio and airflow rate on syngas profile produced from co-gasification of blended feedstock

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inayat Muddasser

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Shortages of feedstock supply due to seasonal availability, high transportation costs, and lack of biomass market are creating serious problems in continues operation of bioenergy industry. Aiming at this problem, utilization of blended feedstock is proposed. In this work blends of two different biomasses (wood and coconut shells were co-gasified using externally heated downdraft gasifier. The effects of varying biomass blending ratio and airflow rate on gaseous components of syngas and its heating value were investigated. The results obtained from the experiments revealed that W20:CS80 blend yielded higher values for H2 (20 Vol.% and HHV (18 MJ/Nm3 as compared to the other blends. The higher airflow rate has a negative effect on syngas profile and heating value. The CO and CH4 were observed higher at the start of the process, however, CO was observed decreasing afterward, and the CH4 dropped to 5.0 Vol.%. The maximum H2 and CH4 were obtained at 2.5 LPM airflow rate. The process was noticed more stable at low air flow rates. The HHV was observed higher at the start of process at low airflow rate. It is concluded that low airflow rate and a higher ratio of coconut shells can improve the syngas quality during co-gasification.

Numerical Simulation of the Application of Solar Radiant Systems, Internal Airflow and Occupants’ Presence in the Improvement of Comfort in Winter Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eusébio Z. E. Conceição

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In this work, the use of numerical simulation in the application of solar radiant systems, internal airflow and occupants’ presence in the improvement of comfort in winter conditions is made. The thermal comfort, the local thermal discomfort and the air quality in an occupied chamber space are evaluated. In the experimental measurements, a wood chamber, a desk, two seats, two seated hygro-thermal manikins, a warm radiant floor, a solar radiation simulator and a water solar collector are used. The air velocity and the air temperature fluctuation are experimentally evaluated around 15 human body sections. The chamber surface temperature is experimentally measured. In the numerical simulation, a coupling human thermal comfort (HTC integral model, a computational fluids dynamics (CFD differential model and a building thermal response (BTR integral model are applied. The human thermal comfort level is evaluated by the HTC numerical model. The airflow inside the virtual chamber, using the k-epsilon and RNG turbulence models, is evaluated by the CFD numerical model. The chamber surface and the collector temperatures are evaluated by the BTR numerical model. In the human thermal comfort level, in non-uniform environments, the predicted mean vote (PMV and the predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD people are numerically evaluated; in the local thermal discomfort level the draught risk (DR is experimentally and numerically analyzed; and in the air quality, the carbon dioxide CO2 concentration is numerically calculated. In the validation tests, the experimental and numerical values of the chamber surface temperature, the air temperature, the air velocity, the air turbulence intensity and the DR are presented.

Hybridized electromagnetic-triboelectric nanogenerator for scavenging air-flow energy to sustainably power temperature sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xue; Wang, Shuhua; Yang, Ya; Wang, Zhong Lin

2015-04-28

We report a hybridized nanogenerator with dimensions of 6.7 cm × 4.5 cm × 2 cm and a weight of 42.3 g that consists of two triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) and two electromagnetic generators (EMGs) for scavenging air-flow energy. Under an air-flow speed of about 18 m/s, the hybridized nanogenerator can deliver largest output powers of 3.5 mW for one TENG (in correspondence of power per unit mass/volume: 8.8 mW/g and 14.6 kW/m(3)) at a loading resistance of 3 MΩ and 1.8 mW for one EMG (in correspondence of power per unit mass/volume: 0.3 mW/g and 0.4 kW/m(3)) at a loading resistance of 2 kΩ, respectively. The hybridized nanogenerator can be utilized to charge a capacitor of 3300 μF to sustainably power four temperature sensors for realizing self-powered temperature sensor networks. Moreover, a wireless temperature sensor driven by a hybridized nanogenerator charged Li-ion battery can work well to send the temperature data to a receiver/computer at a distance of 1.5 m. This work takes a significant step toward air-flow energy harvesting and its potential applications in self-powered wireless sensor networks.

CFD modelling and wind tunnel validation of airflow through plant canopies using 3D canopy architecture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Endalew, A. Melese; Hertog, M.; Delele, M.A.; Baetens, K.; Persoons, T.; Baelmans, M.; Ramon, H.; Nicolai, B.M.; Verboven, P.

2009-01-01

The efficiency of pesticide application to agricultural fields and the resulting environmental contamination highly depend on atmospheric airflow. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling of airflow within plant canopies using 3D canopy architecture was developed to understand the effect of the canopy to airflow. The model average air velocity was validated using experimental results in a wind tunnel with two artificial model trees of 24 cm height. Mean air velocities and their root mean square (RMS) values were measured on a vertical plane upstream and downstream sides of the trees in the tunnel using 2D hotwire anemometer after imposing a uniform air velocity of 10 m s -1 at the inlet. 3D virtual canopy geometries of the artificial trees were modelled and introduced into a computational fluid domain whereby airflow through the trees was simulated using Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations and k-ε turbulence model. There was good agreement of the average longitudinal velocity, U between the measurements and the simulation results with relative errors less than 2% for upstream and 8% for downstream sides of the trees. The accuracy of the model prediction for turbulence kinetic energy k and turbulence intensity I was acceptable within the tree height when using a roughness length (y 0 = 0.02 mm) for the surface roughness of the tree branches and by applying a source model in a porous sub-domain created around the trees. The approach was applied for full scale orchard trees in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and was compared with previous approaches and works. The simulation in the ABL was made using two groups of full scale orchard trees; short (h = 3 m) with wider branching and long (h = 4 m) with narrow branching. This comparison showed good qualitative agreements on the vertical profiles of U with small local differences as expected due to the spatial disparities in tree architecture. This work was able to show airflow within and above the

Airflow measurements at a wavy air-water interface using PIV and LIF

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley, Marc P.; Veron, Fabrice

2017-11-01

Physical phenomena at an air-water interface are of interest in a variety of flows with both industrial and natural/environmental applications. In this paper, we present novel experimental techniques incorporating a multi-camera multi-laser instrumentation in a combined particle image velocimetry and laser-induced fluorescence system. The system yields accurate surface detection thus enabling velocity measurements to be performed very close to the interface. In the application presented here, we show results from a laboratory study of the turbulent airflow over wind driven surface waves. Accurate detection of the wavy air-water interface further yields a curvilinear coordinate system that grants practical and easy implementation of ensemble and phase averaging routines. In turn, these averaging techniques allow for the separation of mean, surface wave coherent, and turbulent velocity fields. In this paper, we describe the instrumentation and techniques and show several data products obtained on the air-side of a wavy air-water interface.

Influence of bronchial diameter change on the airflow dynamics based on a pressure-controlled ventilation system.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Shuai; Cai, Maolin; Shi, Yan; Xu, Weiqing; Zhang, Xiaohua Douglas

2018-03-01

Bronchial diameter is a key parameter that affects the respiratory treatment of mechanically ventilated patients. In this paper, to reveal the influence of bronchial diameter on the airflow dynamics of pressure-controlled mechanically ventilated patients, a new respiratory system model is presented that combines multigeneration airways with lungs. Furthermore, experiments and simulation studies to verify the model are performed. Finally, through the simulation study, it can be determined that in airway generations 2 to 7, when the diameter is reduced to half of the original value, the maximum air pressure (maximum air pressure in lungs) decreases by nearly 16%, the maximum flow decreases by nearly 30%, and the total airway pressure loss (sum of each generation pressure drop) is more than 5 times the original value. Moreover, in airway generations 8 to 16, with increasing diameter, the maximum air pressure, maximum flow, and total airway pressure loss remain almost constant. When the diameter is reduced to half of the original value, the maximum air pressure decreases by 3%, the maximum flow decreases by nearly 5%, and the total airway pressure loss increases by 200%. The study creates a foundation for improvement in respiratory disease diagnosis and treatment. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An imaging method of wavefront coding system based on phase plate rotation

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Rigui; Chen, Xi; Dong, Liquan; Liu, Ming; Zhao, Yuejin; Liu, Xiaohua

2018-01-01

Wave-front coding has a great prospect in extending the depth of the optical imaging system and reducing optical aberrations, but the image quality and noise performance are inevitably reduced. According to the theoretical analysis of the wave-front coding system and the phase function expression of the cubic phase plate, this paper analyzed and utilized the feature that the phase function expression would be invariant in the new coordinate system when the phase plate rotates at different angles around the z-axis, and we proposed a method based on the rotation of the phase plate and image fusion. First, let the phase plate rotated at a certain angle around the z-axis, the shape and distribution of the PSF obtained on the image surface remain unchanged, the rotation angle and direction are consistent with the rotation angle of the phase plate. Then, the middle blurred image is filtered by the point spread function of the rotation adjustment. Finally, the reconstruction images were fused by the method of the Laplacian pyramid image fusion and the Fourier transform spectrum fusion method, and the results were evaluated subjectively and objectively. In this paper, we used Matlab to simulate the images. By using the Laplacian pyramid image fusion method, the signal-to-noise ratio of the image is increased by 19% 27%, the clarity is increased by 11% 15% , and the average gradient is increased by 4% 9% . By using the Fourier transform spectrum fusion method, the signal-to-noise ratio of the image is increased by 14% 23%, the clarity is increased by 6% 11% , and the average gradient is improved by 2% 6%. The experimental results show that the image processing by the above method can improve the quality of the restored image, improving the image clarity, and can effectively preserve the image information.

Ultrahigh resolution radiation imaging system using an optical fiber structure scintillator plate.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Seiichi; Kamada, Kei; Yoshikawa, Akira

2018-02-16

High resolution imaging of radiation is required for such radioisotope distribution measurements as alpha particle detection in nuclear facilities or high energy physics experiments. For this purpose, we developed an ultrahigh resolution radiation imaging system using an optical fiber structure scintillator plate. We used a ~1-μm diameter fiber structured GdAlO 3 :Ce (GAP) /α-Al 2 O 3 scintillator plate to reduce the light spread. The fiber structured scintillator plate was optically coupled to a tapered optical fiber plate to magnify the image and combined with a lens-based high sensitivity CCD camera. We observed the images of alpha particles with a spatial resolution of ~25 μm. For the beta particles, the images had various shapes, and the trajectories of the electrons were clearly observed in the images. For the gamma photons, the images also had various shapes, and the trajectories of the secondary electrons were observed in some of the images. These results show that combining an optical fiber structure scintillator plate with a tapered optical fiber plate and a high sensitivity CCD camera achieved ultrahigh resolution and is a promising method to observe the images of the interactions of radiation in a scintillator.

Human perception of air movement. Impact of frequency and airflow direction on draught sensation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Genhong Zhou

1999-08-01

Draught is defined as an unwanted local cooling of the human body caused by air movement. Air velocity and temperature are the main characteristics of air movement in rooms. Characteristics of instantaneous air velocity and temperature records previously measured in ventilated indoor spaces were analyzed. Air velocity and temperature fluctuated randomly. The amplitude and frequency of the fluctuations changed over time. Air movements around the human body were measured with a three-dimensional laser Doppler amemometer. A new parameter, equivalent frequency, was defined as an integral single parameter for describing the frequency characteristics of air velocity. The equivalent frequency of a randomly fluctuating velocity is defined as the frequency of sinusoidal velocity fluctuations with the same ratio of the standard deviation of acceleration to the standard deviation of air velocity as in the random velocity fluctuations. The equivalent frequencies of numerous instantaneous air-velocity records measured in ventilated space were analysed. The equivalent frequency of an airflow in an indoor space was found to be 0.1 to 2 Hz. The equivalent frequencies of most of the airflows were between 0.2 and 0.6 Hz. The relation between equivalent frequency and mean air velocity and standard deviation was established. Experiments were performed to identify the impact of the equivalent frequency on the human perception of draught. Forty subjects (20 women and 20 men) were subjected to airflows from behind with mean air velocities of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 m/s, with equivalent frequencies from 0 to 1 Hz at an air temperature of 20 deg. C. In this human-subject experimental study the frequency was found to have a significant impact on draught sensation. Subjects were more sensitive to airflow at an equivalent frequency between 0.2 and 0.6 Hz. A mathematical model for the simulation of draught was established and a computer program was developed for simulating the draught. The program

Morphological measurements in computed tomography correlate with airflow obstruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: systematic review and meta-analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, XueQian; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Jong, Pim A. de; Wang, Ying; Hacken, Nick H.T. ten; Miao, Jingtao; Zhang, GuiXiang; Bock, Geertruida H. de

2012-01-01

To determine the correlation between CT measurements of emphysema or peripheral airways and airflow obstruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). PubMed, Embase and Web of Knowledge were searched from 1976 to 2011. Two reviewers independently screened 1,763 citations to identify articles that correlated CT measurements to airflow obstruction parameters of the pulmonary function test in COPD patients, rated study quality and extracted information. Three CT measurements were accessed: lung attenuation area percentage 1 %pred) and FEV 1 divided by the forced volume vital capacity. Seventy-nine articles (9,559 participants) were included in the systematic review, demonstrating different methodologies, measurements and CT airflow obstruction correlations. There were 15 high-quality articles (2,095 participants) in the meta-analysis. The absolute pooled correlation coefficients ranged from 0.48 (95 % CI, 0.40 to 0.54) to 0.65 (0.58 to 0.71) for inspiratory CT and 0.64 (0.53 to 0.72) to 0.73 (0.63 to 0.80) for expiratory CT. CT measurements of emphysema or peripheral airways are significantly related to airflow obstruction in COPD patients. CT provides a morphological method to investigate airway obstruction in COPD. (orig.)

Development of Portable Automatic Number Plate Recognition System on Android Mobile Phone

Science.gov (United States)

Mutholib, Abdul; Gunawan, Teddy S.; Chebil, Jalel; Kartiwi, Mira

2013-12-01

The Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) System has performed as the main role in various access control and security, such as: tracking of stolen vehicles, traffic violations (speed trap) and parking management system. In this paper, the portable ANPR implemented on android mobile phone is presented. The main challenges in mobile application are including higher coding efficiency, reduced computational complexity, and improved flexibility. Significance efforts are being explored to find suitable and adaptive algorithm for implementation of ANPR on mobile phone. ANPR system for mobile phone need to be optimize due to its limited CPU and memory resources, its ability for geo-tagging image captured using GPS coordinates and its ability to access online database to store the vehicle's information. In this paper, the design of portable ANPR on android mobile phone will be described as follows. First, the graphical user interface (GUI) for capturing image using built-in camera was developed to acquire vehicle plate number in Malaysia. Second, the preprocessing of raw image was done using contrast enhancement. Next, character segmentation using fixed pitch and an optical character recognition (OCR) using neural network were utilized to extract texts and numbers. Both character segmentation and OCR were using Tesseract library from Google Inc. The proposed portable ANPR algorithm was implemented and simulated using Android SDK on a computer. Based on the experimental results, the proposed system can effectively recognize the license plate number at 90.86%. The required processing time to recognize a license plate is only 2 seconds on average. The result is consider good in comparison with the results obtained from previous system that was processed in a desktop PC with the range of result from 91.59% to 98% recognition rate and 0.284 second to 1.5 seconds recognition time.

WIND TUNNEL RESEARCH ON THE INFLUENCE OF ACTIVE AIRFLOW ON THE LIFT FORCE GENERATED BY THE AIRFOIL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paweł Magryta

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The paper discusses the results of wind tunnel tests of airfoils with additional active airflow applied to their upper surfaces. These studies were carried out for a range of velocities up to 28 m/s in an open wind tunnel. Several types of airfoils selected for the examination feature different geometries and are widely applied in today’s aviation industry. The changes in the lift and drag force generated by these airfoils were recorded during the study. The test bench for the tests was equipped with a compressor and a vacuum pump to enable airflow through some holes on the airfoil upper surface. A rapid prototyping method and a 3D printer based on a powder printing technique were applied to print the airfoils. All of their surfaces were subject to surface grinding to smooth their external surfaces. The wind tunnel tests with and without active airflow applied to airfoils are summarised in the paper.

Study on airflow characteristics of rear wing of F1 car

Science.gov (United States)

Azmi, A. R. S.; Sapit, A.; Mohammed, A. N.; Razali, M. A.; Sadikin, A.; Nordin, N.

2017-09-01

The paper aims to investigate CFD simulation is carried out to investigate the airflow along the rear wing of F1 car with Reynold number of 3 × 106 and velocity, u = 43.82204 m/s. The analysis was done using 2-D model consists of main plane and flap wing, combined together to form rear wing module. Both of the aerofoil is placed inside a box of 350mm long and 220mm height according to regulation set up by FIA. The parameters for this study is the thickness and the chord length of the flap wing aerofoil. The simulations were performed by using FLUENT solver and k-kl-omega model. The wind speed is set up to 43 m/s that is the average speed of F1 car when cornering. This study uses NACA 2408, 2412, and 2415 for the flap wing and BE50 for the main plane. Each cases being simulated with a gap between the aerofoil of 10mm and 50mm when the DRS is activated. Grid independence test and validation was conduct to make sure the result obtained is acceptable. The goal of this study is to investigate aerodynamic behavior of airflow around the rear wing as well as to see how the thickness and the chord length of flap wing influence the airflow at the rear wing. The results show that increasing in thickness of the flap wing aerofoil will decreases the downforce. The results also show that although the short flap wing generate lower downforce than the big flap wing, but the drag force can be significantly reduced as the short flap wing has more change in angle of attack when it is activated. Therefore, the type of aerofoil for the rear wing should be decided according to the circuit track so that it can be fully optimized.

Plate Motion and Crustal Deformation Estimated with Geodetic Data from the Global Positioning System

Science.gov (United States)

Argus, Donald F.; Heflin, Michael B.

1995-01-01

We use geodetic data taken over four years with the Global Positioning System (GPS) to estimate: (1) motion between six major plates and (2) motion relative to these plates of ten sites in plate boundary zones. The degree of consistency between geodetic velocities and rigid plates requires the (one-dimensional) standard errors in horizontal velocities to be approx. 2 mm/yr. Each of the 15 angular velocities describing motion between plate pairs that we estimate with GPS differs insignificantly from the corresponding angular velocity in global plate motion model NUVEL-1A, which averages motion over the past 3 m.y. The motion of the Pacific plate relative to both the Eurasian and North American plates is observed to be faster than predicted by NUVEL-1A, supporting the inference from Very Long B ase- line Interferometry (VLBI) that motion of the Pacific plate has speed up over the past few m.y. The Eurasia-North America pole of rotation is estimated to be north of NUVEL-1A, consistent with the independent hypothesis that the pole has recently migrated northward across northeast Asia to near the Lena River delta. Victoria, which lies above the main thrust at the Cascadia subduction zone, moves relative to the interior of the overriding plate at 30% of the velocity of the subducting plate, reinforcing the conclusion that the thrust there is locked beneath the continental shelf and slope.

Hybrid heat recovery - flat plate Stirling engine system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogdanizh, A.M.; Budin, R.; Sutlovizh, I.

2000-01-01

In this paper, the possibility of process condensate heat recovery for boiler water preheating as well as for combined heat and power production for chosen process in textile industry has been investigated. The garment industry requires low pressure process steam or hot water for which production expensive fossil fuel should be used. Fuel usage can be reduced by various energy conservation methods. During the process a great quantity of hot condensate or waste hot water is rejected in the sewage system. To reduce heat wastes and improve technological process this condensate could be returned to the boiler for feed water preheating. When 60% condensate is returned to the steam generator about 8 % natural gas is saved. The rest of the condensate should be used for driving low temperature flat plate Stirling motor the advantage of the flat plate Stirling engine is ability to work at low temperatures. This engine produces electrical energy which can put in motion an electrogenerator in the same plant. While Stirling engine can be used electrical power and economical effect could be much greater using such a hybrid system the process waste heat is not only converted into useful work but at the same time thermal pollution is greatly diminished. (Author)

Observations in the Past of Solar System Bodies with MAO NANU Plate Archives

Science.gov (United States)

Sergeeva, T. P.; Golovnya, V. V.; Yizhakevych, E. M.; Shatokhina, S. V.; Sergeev, A. V.

2006-04-01

The plate archives of the Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine contain more than 100,000 images of minor planets with magnitude up to 16.7m. About 10% of the minor planets, found on our archival plates, were discovered many years after taking the plates. So we can rediscover them by so called "observation in the past" and obtain their positions for improvement of the dynamical models of their motions. Other Solar System bodies for which we try to get "observation in the past" are the external planets satellites. The criteria for chosen objects, the search methods, identification and determination of positions are discussed. The first results of the asteroids and the external planet satellites search in MAO plate archives are presented.

To evaluate the efficacy of biodegradable plating system for fixation of maxillofacial fractures: A prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bali, Rishi K; Sharma, Parveen; Jindal, Shalu; Gaba, Shivani

2013-07-01

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of biodegradable plating system for fixation of maxillofacial fractures and to study the morbidity associated with the use of biodegradable plates and screws. This prospective study consisted of 10 patients with maxillofacial fractures requiring open reduction and internal fixation. Fractures with infection, comminuted and pathological fractures were excluded. All were plated with biodegradable system (Inion CPS) using standard plating principles and observed for a total period of 24 weeks. Characteristics of the fractures, ease of use of bioresorbable plate/screw system and post operative complications were assessed. Of total 10 patients, eight patients were of midface fracture and two pediatric patients with mandibular fracture, with nine male and one female. The mean age was 32.8 years. Out of 20 plates and 68 screws applied to the 10 fractures sites; there were three incidences of screw breakage with no other intraoperative difficulties. Paresthesia of the infraorbital nerve was present in two patients, and recovered completely in four weeks after surgery. Fracture reduction was considered to be satisfactory in all cases. One patient developed postsurgical infection and was managed with oral antibiotics and analgesics. Favorable healing can be observed through the use of biodegradable plates and screws to stabilize selected midface fractures in patients of all ages, as well as mandible fractures in early childhood, however further studies with more sample size are required.

Emphysema predicts hospitalisation and incident airflow obstruction among older smokers: a prospective cohort study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David A McAllister

Full Text Available Emphysema on CT is common in older smokers. We hypothesised that emphysema on CT predicts acute episodes of care for chronic lower respiratory disease among older smokers.Participants in a lung cancer screening study age ≥ 60 years were recruited into a prospective cohort study in 2001-02. Two radiologists independently visually assessed the severity of emphysema as absent, mild, moderate or severe. Percent emphysema was defined as the proportion of voxels ≤ -910 Hounsfield Units. Participants completed a median of 5 visits over a median of 6 years of follow-up. The primary outcome was hospitalization, emergency room or urgent office visit for chronic lower respiratory disease. Spirometry was performed following ATS/ERS guidelines. Airflow obstruction was defined as FEV1/FVC ratio <0.70 and FEV1<80% predicted.Of 521 participants, 4% had moderate or severe emphysema, which was associated with acute episodes of care (rate ratio 1.89; 95% CI: 1.01-3.52 adjusting for age, sex and race/ethnicity, as was percent emphysema, with similar associations for hospitalisation. Emphysema on visual assessment also predicted incident airflow obstruction (HR 5.14; 95% CI 2.19-21.1.Visually assessed emphysema and percent emphysema on CT predicted acute episodes of care for chronic lower respiratory disease, with the former predicting incident airflow obstruction among older smokers.

Reconstruction of sound source signal by analytical passive TR in the environment with airflow

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Long; Li, Min; Yang, Debin; Niu, Feng; Zeng, Wu

2017-03-01

In the acoustic design of air vehicles, the time-domain signals of noise sources on the surface of air vehicles can serve as data support to reveal the noise source generation mechanism, analyze acoustic fatigue, and take measures for noise insulation and reduction. To rapidly reconstruct the time-domain sound source signals in an environment with flow, a method combining the analytical passive time reversal mirror (AP-TR) with a shear flow correction is proposed. In this method, the negative influence of flow on sound wave propagation is suppressed by the shear flow correction, obtaining the corrected acoustic propagation time delay and path. Those corrected time delay and path together with the microphone array signals are then submitted to the AP-TR, reconstructing more accurate sound source signals in the environment with airflow. As an analytical method, AP-TR offers a supplementary way in 3D space to reconstruct the signal of sound source in the environment with airflow instead of the numerical TR. Experiments on the reconstruction of the sound source signals of a pair of loud speakers are conducted in an anechoic wind tunnel with subsonic airflow to validate the effectiveness and priorities of the proposed method. Moreover the comparison by theorem and experiment result between the AP-TR and the time-domain beamforming in reconstructing the sound source signal is also discussed.

Laterally Loaded Nail-Plates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jacob; Rathkjen, Arne

Load-displacement curves from about 200 short-term and laterally loaded nail-plate joints are analysed. The nail-plates are from Gang-Nail Systems, type GNA 20 S. The test specimens and the measuring systems are described. The tests are divided into 32 different series. The influence of the number...

Conceptual design of control rod regulating system for plate type fuels of Triga-2000 reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eko Priyono; Saminto

2016-01-01

Conceptual design of the control rod regulating system for plate type fuel of TRIGA-2000 reactor has been made. Conceptual design of the control rod regulating system for plate type fuel of TRIGA-2000 reactor was made with refer to study result of instrument and control system which is used in BATAN'S reactor. Conceptual design of the control rod regulating system for plate type fuel of TRIGA-2000 reactor consist of 4 segments that is control panel, translator, driver and display. Control panel is used for regulating, safety and display control rod, translator is used for signal processing from control panel, driver is used for driving control rod and display is used for display control rod level position. The translator was designed in 2 modes operation i.e operation by using PLC modules and IC TTL modules. These conceptual design can be used as one of reference of control rod regulating system detail design. (author)

Behavior of HEPA filters under high humidity airflows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ricketts, C.I.

1992-10-01

To help determine and improve the safety margins of High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter units in nuclear facilities under possible accident conditions, the structural limits and failure mechanisms of filter in high-humidity airflows were established and the fundamental physical phenomena underlying filter failure or malfunction in humid air were identified. Empirical models for increases in filter pressure drop with time in terms of the relevant airstream parameters were also developed. The weaknesses of currently employed humidity countermeasures used in filter protection are discussed and fundamental explanations for reported filter failures in normal service are given. (orig./DG) [de

Prevalence of Airflow Limitation Defined by Pre- and Post-Bronchodilator Spirometry in a Community-Based Health Checkup: The Hisayama Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuyama, Satoru; Matsumoto, Koichiro; Kaneko, Yasuko; Kan-o, Keiko; Noda, Naotaka; Tajiri-Asai, Yukari; Nakano, Takako; Ishii, Yumiko; Kiyohara, Yutaka; Nakanishi, Yoichi; Inoue, Hiromasa

2016-02-01

Spirometry in health checkup may contribute to early diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Although post-bronchodilator airflow limitation is essential for definite diagnosis of COPD and post-bronchodilator normalization of airflow is suggestive of asthma, this test has not been prevailed in health checkup. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of airflow limitation defined by pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry in health checkup. Post-bronchodilator spirometry was conducted for participants with airflow limitation in a town-wide health checkup for residents aged 40 years and older in Hisayama, a town in the western part of Japan. The prevalence of pre- and post-bronchodilator airway limitation defined by FEV1/FVC spirometry. In males, the age of current smokers was significantly younger than those of never smokers and former smokers. In females, the ages of current- and former smokers were significantly younger than never smokers. The values of %FEV1 and %FVC in current smokers were significantly lower than those in former smokers and never smokers. Two hundred sixty nine subjects, 85% of total subjects with a pre-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC spirometry. The prevalence of pre-bronchodilator airflow limitation was 14.6% in males and 13.7% in females, and the prevalence of post-bronchodilator airway limitation was 8.7% and 8.7%, respectively. Post-bronchodilator spirometry in health checkup would reduce the number of subjects with probable COPD to two-third. Recommendation for those examinees to take further evaluations may pave the way for early intervention.

Aspects of volumetric efficiency measurement for reciprocating engines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pešić Radivoje B.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The volumetric efficiency significantly influences engine output. Both design and dimensions of an intake and exhaust system have large impact on volumetric efficiency. Experimental equipment for measuring of airflow through the engine, which is placed in the intake system, may affect the results of measurements and distort the real picture of the impact of individual structural factors. This paper deals with the problems of experimental determination of intake airflow using orifice plates and the influence of orifice plate diameter on the results of the measurements. The problems of airflow measurements through a multi-process Otto/Diesel engine were analyzed. An original method for determining volumetric efficiency was developed based on in-cylinder pressure measurement during motored operation, and appropriate calibration of the experimental procedure was performed. Good correlation between the results of application of the original method for determination of volumetric efficiency and the results of theoretical model used in research of influence of the intake pipe length on volumetric efficiency was determined. [Acknowledgments. The paper is the result of the research within the project TR 35041 financed by the Ministry of Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia

Characterization of dust particles produced in an all-tungsten wall tokamak and potentially mobilized by airflow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rondeau, A., E-mail: anthony.rondeau@irsn.fr [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSN-RES, SCA, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Peillon, S.; Roynette, A.; Sabroux, J.-C.; Gelain, T.; Gensdarmes, F. [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSN-RES, SCA, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Rohde, V. [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Boltzmannstraße 2, 85748 Garching (Germany); Grisolia, C. [CEA, IRFM, 13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Chassefière, E. [Laboratoire Géosciences Paris Sud (GEOPS), UMR 8148, Université Paris Sud, 91403 Orsay Cedex (France)

2015-08-15

At the starting of the shutdown of the AUG (ASDEX Upgrade: Axially Symmetric Divertor EXperiment) German tokamak, we collected particles deposited on the divertor surfaces by means of a dedicated device called “Duster Box”. This device allows to collect the particles using a controlled airflow with a defined shear stress. Consequently, the particles collected correspond to a potentially mobilizable fraction, by an airflow, of deposited dust. A total of more than 70,000 tungsten particles was, analysed showing a bimodal particle size distribution with a mode composed of flakes at 0.6 μm and a mode composed of spherical particles at 1.8 μm.

Synthesis of Fluorophore-Doped Polystyrene Microspheres: Seed Material for Airflow Sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wohl, Christopher J; Kiefer, Jacob M; Petrosky, Brian J; Tiemsin, Pacita I; Lowe, K Todd; Maisto, Pietro M F; Danehy, Paul M

2015-09-23

Kiton red 620 (KR620) doped polystyrene latex microspheres (PSLs) were synthesized via soap-free emulsion polymerization to be utilized as a relatively nontoxic, fluorescent seed material for airflow characterization experiments. Poly(styrene-co-styrenesulfonate) was used as the PSL matrix to promote KR620 incorporation. Additionally, a bicarbonate buffer and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), polyD, cationic polymer were added to the reaction solution to stabilize the pH and potentially influence the electrostatic interactions between the PSLs and dye molecules. A design of experiments (DOE) approach was used to efficiently investigate the variation of these materials. Using a 4-factor, 2-level response surface design with a center point, a series of experiments were performed to determine the dependence of these factors on particle diameter, diameter size distribution, fluorescent emission intensity, and KR620 retention. Using statistical analysis, the factors and factor interactions that most significantly affect the outputs were identified. These particles enabled velocity measurements to be made much closer to walls and surfaces than previously. Based on these results, KR620-doped PSLs may be utilized to simultaneously measure the velocity and mixing concentration, among other airflow parameters, in complex flows.

Investigation of Airflow Patterns in a New Design of Wind Tower with a Wetted Surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madjid Soltani

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Passive cooling systems, such as wind towers, can help to reduce energy consumption in buildings and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas (GHG emissions. Wind towers can naturally ventilate buildings and also can create enhanced thermal comfort for occupants during the warm months. This study proposes a modern wind tower design with a moistened pad. The new design includes a fixed column, a rotating and movable head, an air opening with a screen, and two windows at the end of the column. The wind tower can be installed on roof-tops to take advantage of ambient airflow. The wind tower’s head can be controlled manually or automatically to capture optimum wind velocity based on desired thermal condition. To maximize its performance, a small pump was considered to circulate and spray water on an evaporative cooling pad. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD simulation of airflow around and inside the proposed wind tower is conducted to analyze the ventilation performance of this new design of wind tower. Thereby, the velocity, total pressure, and pressure coefficient distributions around and within the wind tower for different wind velocities are examined. The simulation results illustrate that the new wind tower design with a moistened pad can be a reasonable solution to improve naturally the thermal comfort of buildings in hot and dry climates.

Experimental investigation of nasal airflow.

Science.gov (United States)

Doorly, D; Taylor, D J; Franke, P; Schroter, R C

2008-05-01

The airway geometry of the nasal cavity is manifestly complex, and the manner in which it controls the airflow to accomplish its various physiological functions is not fully understood. Since the complex morphology and inaccessibility of the nasal passageways precludes detailed in-vivo measurements, either computational simulation or in-vitro experiments are needed to determine how anatomical form and function are related. The fabrication of a replica model of the nasal cavity, of a high optical clarity and derived from in-vivo scan data is described here, together with characteristics of the flow field investigated using particle image velocimetry (PIV) and flow visualization. Flow visualization is shown to be a capable and convenient technique for identifying key phenomena. Specifically the emergence of the jet from the internal nasal valve into the main cavity, how it impacts on the middle turbinate, and the large enhancement of dispersion that accompanies the initial appearance of flow instability are revealed as particularly significant features. The findings from the visualization experiments are complemented by PIV imaging, which provides quantitative detail on the variations in velocity in different regions of the nasal cavity. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the cavity geometry in partitioning the flow into high shear zones, which facilitate rapid heat transfer and humidification from the nasal mucosa, and slower zones affording greater residence times to facilitate olfactory sensing. The experimental results not only provide a basis for comparison with other computational modelling but also demonstrate an alternative and flexible means to investigate complex flows, relevant to studies in different parts of the respiratory or cardiovascular systems.

Main bronchial diverticula in the subcarinal region: Their relation to airflow limitations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higuchi, Takeshi; Takahashi, Naoya; Shiotani, Motoi; Sato, Suguru; Ohta, Atsushi; Maeda, Haruo; Nakajima, Haruhiko; Itoh, Kazuhiko; Tsukada, Hiroki

2012-01-01

Background. To date, bronchial diverticula have generally been treated as a pathological condition associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), although only a limited amount of published information is available on the relationship between bronchial diverticula as depicted by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and airflow limitations. Purpose. To evaluate the relationship between airflow limitations and main bronchial diverticula in the subcarinal region using spirometry and thin-section MDCT. Material and Methods. A total of 189 consecutive adult patients were retrospectively evaluated based on spirometry and thin-section MDCT of the chest. All examinations were performed at our institution between June and October 2008. The study group included 70 women and 119 men with a mean age of 65 years (range 19-86 years). The relationship between the FEV1% and bronchial diverticula in the subcarinal region was analyzed (Student's t-test). Results. The indications for conducting the examinations were pulmonary diseases (82 patients), cardiovascular diseases (22), extrapulmonary malignancies (74), and other conditions (11). A total of 84/189 (44.4%) patients showed bronchial diverticula, and the FEV 1 % of 70/84 (83.3%) patients was above 70. The FEV 1 % of patients with lesions ranged from 26.0 to 97.8 (mean 76.8), whereas the range was 28.1-94.4 (mean 73.7) in those without lesions. There was no significant association between the FEV 1 % and the presence of subcarinal bronchial diverticula (P > 0.05). Conclusion. Our data demonstrate that thin-section chest CT commonly demonstrates main bronchial diverticula in the subcarinal region in patients without airflow limitations. We propose that the presence of a small number of tiny bronchial diverticula under the carina may not be a criterion for the diagnosis of COPD

Main bronchial diverticula in the subcarinal region: Their relation to airflow limitations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Higuchi, Takeshi; Takahashi, Naoya; Shiotani, Motoi; Sato, Suguru; Ohta, Atsushi; Maeda, Haruo; Nakajima, Haruhiko; Itoh, Kazuhiko; Tsukada, Hiroki (Department of Radiology, Respiratory Medicine, Niigata City General Hospital, Niigata-city, Niigata-ken (Japan)), Email: higuchi@hosp.niigata.niigata.jp

2012-02-15

Background. To date, bronchial diverticula have generally been treated as a pathological condition associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), although only a limited amount of published information is available on the relationship between bronchial diverticula as depicted by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and airflow limitations. Purpose. To evaluate the relationship between airflow limitations and main bronchial diverticula in the subcarinal region using spirometry and thin-section MDCT. Material and Methods. A total of 189 consecutive adult patients were retrospectively evaluated based on spirometry and thin-section MDCT of the chest. All examinations were performed at our institution between June and October 2008. The study group included 70 women and 119 men with a mean age of 65 years (range 19-86 years). The relationship between the FEV1% and bronchial diverticula in the subcarinal region was analyzed (Student's t-test). Results. The indications for conducting the examinations were pulmonary diseases (82 patients), cardiovascular diseases (22), extrapulmonary malignancies (74), and other conditions (11). A total of 84/189 (44.4%) patients showed bronchial diverticula, and the FEV{sub 1}% of 70/84 (83.3%) patients was above 70. The FEV{sub 1}% of patients with lesions ranged from 26.0 to 97.8 (mean 76.8), whereas the range was 28.1-94.4 (mean 73.7) in those without lesions. There was no significant association between the FEV{sub 1}% and the presence of subcarinal bronchial diverticula (P > 0.05). Conclusion. Our data demonstrate that thin-section chest CT commonly demonstrates main bronchial diverticula in the subcarinal region in patients without airflow limitations. We propose that the presence of a small number of tiny bronchial diverticula under the carina may not be a criterion for the diagnosis of COPD

Airflow characteristics in the occupied zone of ventilated spaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hanzawa, H.; Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Fanger, Povl Ole

1987-01-01

raft is one of the most common causes of complaint in ventilated or air-conditioned spaces. Therefore, knowing the turbulent airflow in these spaces and the impact of this flow on the sensation of draft is very important. The characteristics of turbulent flow (turbulence intensity, length scales...... of turbulence, turbulence kinetic energy, etc. ) were investigated in 20 typically ventilated spaces. Relationships between these characteristics and the mean velocity were found. The turbulence energy spectra are similar to those in a fully developed turbulent flow. The spectra reveal the major contribution...

Identification of damage in plates using full-field measurement with a continuously scanning laser Doppler vibrometer system

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Da-Ming; Xu, Y. F.; Zhu, W. D.

2018-05-01

An effective and reliable damage identification method for plates with a continuously scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (CSLDV) system is proposed. A new constant-speed scan algorithm is proposed to create a two-dimensional (2D) scan trajectory and automatically scan a whole plate surface. Full-field measurement of the plate can be achieved by applying the algorithm to the CSLDV system. Based on the new scan algorithm, the demodulation method is extended from one dimension for beams to two dimensions for plates to obtain a full-field operating deflection shape (ODS) of the plate from velocity response measured by the CSLDV system. The full-field ODS of an associated undamaged plate is obtained by using polynomials with proper orders to fit the corresponding full-field ODS from the demodulation method. A curvature damage index (CDI) using differences between curvatures of ODSs (CODSs) associated with ODSs that are obtained by the demodulation method and the polynomial fit is proposed to identify damage. An auxiliary CDI obtained by averaging CDIs at different excitation frequencies is defined to further assist damage identification. An experiment of an aluminum plate with damage in the form of 10.5% thickness reduction in a damage area of 0.86% of the whole scan area is conducted to investigate the proposed method. Six frequencies close to natural frequencies of the plate and one randomly selected frequency are used as sinusoidal excitation frequencies. Two 2D scan trajectories, i.e., a horizontally moving 2D scan trajectory and a vertically moving 2D scan trajectory, are used to obtain ODSs, CODSs, and CDIs of the plate. The damage is successfully identified near areas with consistently high values of CDIs at different excitation frequencies along the two 2D scan trajectories; the damage area is also identified by auxiliary CDIs.

Mechanical Design of a Performance Test Rig for the Turbine Air-Flow Task (TAFT)

Science.gov (United States)

Forbes, John C.; Xenofos, George D.; Farrow, John L.; Tyler, Tom; Williams, Robert; Sargent, Scott; Moharos, Jozsef

2004-01-01

To support development of the Boeing-Rocketdyne RS84 rocket engine, a full-flow, reaction turbine geometry was integrated into the NASA-MSFC turbine air-flow test facility. A mechanical design was generated which minimized the amount of new hardware while incorporating all test and instrumentation requirements. This paper provides details of the mechanical design for this Turbine Air-Flow Task (TAFT) test rig. The mechanical design process utilized for this task included the following basic stages: Conceptual Design. Preliminary Design. Detailed Design. Baseline of Design (including Configuration Control and Drawing Revision). Fabrication. Assembly. During the design process, many lessons were learned that should benefit future test rig design projects. Of primary importance are well-defined requirements early in the design process, a thorough detailed design package, and effective communication with both the customer and the fabrication contractors.

Breathing life into dinosaurs: tackling challenges of soft-tissue restoration and nasal airflow in extinct species.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourke, Jason M; Porter, W M Ruger; Ridgely, Ryan C; Lyson, Tyler R; Schachner, Emma R; Bell, Phil R; Witmer, Lawrence M

2014-11-01

The nasal region plays a key role in sensory, thermal, and respiratory physiology, but exploring its evolution is hampered by a lack of preservation of soft-tissue structures in extinct vertebrates. As a test case, we investigated members of the "bony-headed" ornithischian dinosaur clade Pachycephalosauridae (particularly Stegoceras validum) because of their small body size (which mitigated allometric concerns) and their tendency to preserve nasal soft tissues within their hypermineralized skulls. Hypermineralization directly preserved portions of the olfactory turbinates along with an internal nasal ridge that we regard as potentially an osteological correlate for respiratory conchae. Fossil specimens were CT-scanned, and nasal cavities were segmented and restored. Soft-tissue reconstruction of the nasal capsule was functionally tested in a virtual environment using computational fluid dynamics by running air through multiple models differing in nasal soft-tissue conformation: a bony-bounded model (i.e., skull without soft tissue) and then models with soft tissues added, such as a paranasal septum, a scrolled concha, a branched concha, and a model combining the paranasal septum with a concha. Deviations in fluid flow in comparison to a phylogenetically constrained sample of extant diapsids were used as indicators of missing soft tissue. Models that restored aspects of airflow found in extant diapsids, such as appreciable airflow in the olfactory chamber, were judged as more likely. The model with a branched concha produced airflow patterns closest to those of extant diapsids. These results from both paleontological observation and airflow modeling indicate that S. validum and other pachycephalosaurids could have had both olfactory and respiratory conchae. Although respiratory conchae have been linked to endothermy, such conclusions require caution in that our re-evaluation of the reptilian nasal apparatus indicates that respiratory conchae may be more widespread

Model Experiments for the Determination of Airflow in Large Spaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Peter V.

Model experiments are one of the methods used for the determination of airflow in large spaces. This paper will discuss the formation of the governing dimensionless numbers. It is shown that experiments with a reduced scale often will necessitate a fully developed turbulence level of the flow....... Details of the flow from supply openings are very important for the determination of room air distribution. It is in some cases possible to make a simplified supply opening for the model experiment....

Plated copper substrates for the LASL Antares CO2 laser system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blevins, D.J.; Munroe, J.L.

1979-01-01

Antares is a large carbon-dioxide laser system presently under construction at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL). Antares will be part of the LASL High Energy Gas Laser Facility (HEGLF). Its purpose will be to investigate inertial confinement fusion with light of 10.6-μm wavelength. Most of the optics comprising Antares will be reflectors and, for many reasons, copper is the material of choice. The mirrors range in size from 2.5 cm in diameter to 45 cm in diameter. The copper must be very pure to help maximize damage threshold, making plated copper an attractive solution. The final mirror should be very stable, i.e., characterized by very low microcreep. This makes an alloy a more suitable substrate candidate than pure copper. For Antares, all of the smaller mirrors will be made of copper plated onto an aluminum-bronze substrate, and all of the larger mirrors will be made of copper plated onto aluminum alloy 2124. This paper discusses how this design was arrived at and the methods used to assure a satisfactory mirror

Cadmium plating replacements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nelson, M.J.; Groshart, E.C.

1995-03-01

The Boeing Company has been searching for replacements to cadmium plate. Two alloy plating systems seem close to meeting the needs of a cadmium replacement. The two alloys, zinc-nickel and tin-zinc are from alloy plating baths; both baths are neutral pH. The alloys meet the requirements for salt fog corrosion resistance, and both alloys excel as a paint base. Currently, tests are being performed on standard fasteners to compare zinc-nickel and tin-zinc on threaded hardware where cadmium is heavily used. The Hydrogen embrittlement propensity of the zinc-nickel bath has been tested, and just beginning for the tin-zinc bath. Another area of interest is the electrical properties on aluminum for tin-zinc and will be discussed. The zinc-nickel alloy plating bath is in production in Boeing Commercial Airplane Group for non-critical low strength steels. The outlook is promising that these two coatings will help The Boeing Company significantly reduce its dependence on cadmium plating.

Interactions of bluff-body obstacles with turbulent airflows affecting evaporative fluxes from porous surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Haghighi, Erfan; Or, Dani

2015-11-01

Bluff-body obstacles interacting with turbulent airflows are common in many natural and engineering applications (from desert pavement and shrubs over natural surfaces to cylindrical elements in compact heat exchangers). Even with obstacles of simple geometry, their interactions within turbulent airflows result in a complex and unsteady flow field that affects surface drag partitioning and transport of scalars from adjacent evaporating surfaces. Observations of spatio-temporal thermal patterns on evaporating porous surfaces adjacent to bluff-body obstacles depict well-defined and persistent zonation of evaporation rates that were used to construct a simple mechanistic model for surface-turbulence interactions. Results from evaporative drying of sand surfaces with isolated cylindrical elements (bluff bodies) subjected to constant turbulent airflows were in good agreement with model predictions for localized exchange rates. Experimental and theoretical results show persistent enhancement of evaporative fluxes from bluff-rough surfaces relative to smooth flat surfaces under similar conditions. The enhancement is attributed to formation of vortices that induce a thinner boundary layer over part of the interacting surface footprint. For a practical range of air velocities (0.5-4.0 m/s), low-aspect ratio cylindrical bluff elements placed on evaporating sand surfaces enhanced evaporative mass losses (relative to a flat surface) by up to 300% for high density of elements and high wind velocity, similar to observations reported in the literature. Concepts from drag partitioning were used to generalize the model and upscale predictions to evaporation from surfaces with multiple obstacles for potential applications to natural bluff-rough surfaces.

Subglottal pressure, tracheal airflow, and intrinsic laryngeal muscle activity during rat ultrasound vocalization

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Vocal production requires complex planning and coordination of respiratory, laryngeal, and vocal tract movements, which are incompletely understood in most mammals. Rats produce a variety of whistles in the ultrasonic range that are of communicative relevance and of importance as a model system, but the sources of acoustic variability were mostly unknown. The goal was to identify sources of fundamental frequency variability. Subglottal pressure, tracheal airflow, and electromyographic (EMG) data from two intrinsic laryngeal muscles were measured during 22-kHz and 50-kHz call production in awake, spontaneously behaving adult male rats. During ultrasound vocalization, subglottal pressure ranged between 0.8 and 1.9 kPa. Pressure differences between call types were not significant. The relation between fundamental frequency and subglottal pressure within call types was inconsistent. Experimental manipulations of subglottal pressure had only small effects on fundamental frequency. Tracheal airflow patterns were also inconsistently associated with frequency. Pressure and flow seem to play a small role in regulation of fundamental frequency. Muscle activity, however, is precisely regulated and very sensitive to alterations, presumably because of effects on resonance properties in the vocal tract. EMG activity of cricothyroid and thyroarytenoid muscle was tonic in calls with slow or no fundamental frequency modulations, like 22-kHz and flat 50-kHz calls. Both muscles showed brief high-amplitude, alternating bursts at rates up to 150 Hz during production of frequency-modulated 50-kHz calls. A differentiated and fine regulation of intrinsic laryngeal muscles is critical for normal ultrasound vocalization. Many features of the laryngeal muscle activation pattern during ultrasound vocalization in rats are shared with other mammals. PMID:21832032

A Computational Study of the Respiratory Airflow Characteristics in Normal and Obstructed Human Airways

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

46] Y.S. Tzeng, K. Lutchen, M. Albert , The difference in ventilation heterogeneity between asthmatic and healthy subjects quantified using...endurance and diaphragmatic activation in patients with chronic airflow limitation, Thorax 44 (1989) 903–912. [52] V.K. Sidhaye, K.S. Schweitzer , M.J

An analysis of heat removal during cryogen spray cooling and effects of simultaneous airflow application.

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, J H; Tunnell, J W; Pikkula, B M; Anvari, B

2001-01-01

Cryogen spray cooling (CSC) is a method used to protect the epidermis from non-specific thermal injury that may occur as a result of various dermatological laser procedures. However, better understanding of cryogen deposition and skin thermal response to CSC is needed to optimize the technique. Temperature measurements and video imaging were carried out on an epoxy phantom as well as human skin during CSC with and without simultaneous application of airflow which was intended to accelerate cryogen evaporation from the substrate surface. An inverse thermal conduction model was used to estimate heat flux and total heat removed. Lifetime of the cryogen film deposited on the surface of skin and epoxy phantom lasted several hundred milliseconds beyond the spurt, but could be reduced to the spurt duration by application of airflow. Values over 100 J/cm(3) were estimated for volumetric heat removed from the epidermis using CSC. "Film cooling" instead of "evaporative cooling" appears to be the dominant mode of CSC on skin. Estimated values of heat removed from the epidermis suggest that a cryogen spurt as long as 200 milliseconds is required to counteract heat generated by high laser fluences (e.g., in treatment of port wine stains) in patients with high concentration of epidermal melanin. Additional cooling beyond spurt termination can be avoided by simultaneous application of airflow, although it is unclear at the moment if avoiding the additional cooling would be beneficial in the actual clinical situation. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Control design and robustness analysis of a ball and plate system by using polynomial chaos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Colón, Diego [University of São Paulo, Polytechnic School, LAC -PTC, São Paulo (Brazil); Balthazar, José M. [São Paulo State University - Rio Claro Campus, Rio Claro (Brazil); Reis, Célia A. dos [São Paulo State University - Bauru Campus, Bauru (Brazil); Bueno, Átila M.; Diniz, Ivando S. [São Paulo State University - Sorocaba Campus, Sorocaba (Brazil); Rosa, Suelia de S. R. F. [University of Brasilia, Brasilia (Brazil)

2014-12-10

In this paper, we present a mathematical model of a ball and plate system, a control law and analyze its robustness properties by using the polynomial chaos method. The ball rolls without slipping. There is an auxiliary robot vision system that determines the bodies' positions and velocities, and is used for control purposes. The actuators are to orthogonal DC motors, that changes the plate's angles with the ground. The model is a extension of the ball and beam system and is highly nonlinear. The system is decoupled in two independent equations for coordinates x and y. Finally, the resulting nonlinear closed loop systems are analyzed by the polynomial chaos methodology, which considers that some system parameters are random variables, and generates statistical data that can be used in the robustness analysis.

Development of a nickel plated aluminum krypton-81m target system.

Science.gov (United States)

Alrumayan, F; Okarvi, S M; Nagatsu, K; Yanbawi, S; Aljammaz, I

2017-03-01

A fully automated system was developed to produce rubidium-81 ( 81 Rb), based on the nat Kr (p, n) 81 Rb reaction. The energy incident on the target was 26MeV. Only 6MeV was stopped inside the gas and the remainder was stopped by a specially designed flange. The target body was characterized by its conical shape and its inner walls were chemically plated with 100±10µm of nickel (Ni). Ni is advantageous as a fairly good conductor of heat whose surface can resist solutions. Additionally, the Ni plated target allowed potassium chloride to dissolve 81 Rb, with no further effect on the target body. The system produced 81 Rb with a production yield of approximately 4.5mCi/µAh, which is close to the calculated expected yield of 5.3mCi/µAh. The system is able to deliver reliable and reproducible radioactivity for patients and can be operated up to 1500µAh before preventive maintenance is due. Key steps in designing the 81 Rb target for selected energy ranges are reported here. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Non-atopic males with adult onset asthma are at risk of persistent airflow limitation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Amelink, M.; de Nijs, S. B.; Berger, M.; Weersink, E. J.; ten Brinke, A.; Sterk, P. J.; Bel, E. H.

2012-01-01

Background Patients with asthma have on average a more rapid decline in FEV1 as compared with the general population. Recent cluster analysis has revealed different asthma phenotypes that can be distinguished by age of onset and reversibility of airflow limitation. Objective This study aimed at

The application of PS printing plate with Biimidazole photosensitive initiating systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Lidong; Xu Jinqi; Gao Fang; Yang Yongyuan

1999-01-01

The ultraviolet photosensitive initiating system is composed of 4,4'-bis(N,N'-dimethyl-amino)benzophenone(MK), 2-chlorohexaarylbiimidazole(o-C1-HABI) and a hydrogen donor co-initiator n-dodecyl mercaptan(SH). Under the irradiation by high pressure mercury lamp, the relationship between the photo-polymerization rate of MMA and the concentration of each component of the system, including MK, o-C1-HABI and SH, was studied. The excellent results have been obtained through studying the system's application on PS lithographic printing plate

Image quality in conventional film screen system, digital phosphor storage plate mammography in magnification technique and digital mammography in CCD-technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulz-Wendtland, R.; Aichinger, U.; Boehner, C.; Dobritz, M.; Bautz, W.; Saebel, M.

2000-01-01

Purpose: Comparison of image quality between conventional film screen system, digital phosphor storage plate mammography in magnification technique and digital mammography in CCD-technique. Materials and Methods: Radiograms of a RMI-mammography phantom were acquired using a conventional film screen system, two digital storage plate systems and two digital systems in CCD-technique. Additionally, the radiograms of one digital phosphor storage plate system were post-processed emphasizing contrast and included in the comparison. Results: The detectability of details was the best with the digital mammography in CCD-technique in comparison with the conventional film screen technique resp. digital phosphor storage plate in magnification technique. Conclusions: Based on these results there is the possibility to replace the conventional film screen system by further studies - this has to be confirmed. (orig.) [de

Stability of midface fracture repair using absorbable plate and screw system pilot holes drilled and pin placement at angles other than 90°.

Science.gov (United States)

Carron, Michael A; Zuliani, Giancarlo; Pereira, Lucio; Abuhamdan, Maher; Thibault, Adrianna; Dau, Nathan; Bir, Cynthia

2014-01-01

Conventional plating systems use titanium plates for fixation of fractures, with benefits of strength and biocompatibility. However, titanium plates require that screws be placed at a 90° angle to the pilot holes. In the midface, this becomes extremely difficult. Today, a variety of craniomaxillofacial osteosynthesis systems are available, including resorbable plating systems. Specifically, the KLS Martin Sonic Weld system ultrasonically fuses the plate and the head of the pin when placed and will fill the pilot hole grooves completely even at less than 90° angles, which provides a tremendous advantage in midface fracture repair. To determine if the KLS Martin Sonic Weld system provides plate-screw construct stability in human heads even when placed at acute angles at the midface buttresses. DESIGN, SETTING, AND SPECIMENS: Twenty cadaveric head specimens with the mandible removed were prepared by creating osteotomies in the midface buttresses bilaterally. Specimens were defleshed and placed in a 2-part testing rig to hold and position the head for testing in a standard material testing system. Testing was performed at the Wayne State University Bioengineering test laboratories, Detroit, Michigan, using an Instron device and high-speed camera. Specimens were plated on one side of the midface using the KLS Martin Sonic Weld system with pilot holes and pins placed at 90° angles. On the contralateral side, the buttresses were plated with the KLS Martin Sonic Weld system at 60°, 45°, and 30° angles. Data were collected using the TDAS data acquisition system and were compared with matched pairs within each specimen. Ultrasonically vibrated pins placed into absorbable mini-plates at less than 90° angles with the KLS Martin Sonic Weld system were compared with the same amount of stress as the system placed at a 90° angle before demonstrating plate-screw construct failure. RESULTS Fifty-seven paired tests were collected, with 114 total tests. Twenty failures were

Lung sound intensity in patients with emphysema and in normal subjects at standardised airflows

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schreur, H. J.; Sterk, P. J.; Vanderschoot, J.; van Klink, H. C.; van Vollenhoven, E.; Dijkman, J. H.

1992-01-01

A common auscultatory finding in pulmonary emphysema is a reduction of lung sounds. This might be due to a reduction in the generation of sounds due to the accompanying airflow limitation or to poor transmission of sounds due to destruction of parenchyma. Lung sound intensity was investigated in

Field measurements of mean and turbulent airflow over a barchan sand dune

Science.gov (United States)

Weaver, Corinne M.; Wiggs, Giles F. S.

2011-05-01

Advances in our knowledge of the aeolian processes governing sand dune dynamics have been restricted by a reliance on measures of time-averaged airflow, such as shear velocity ( u*). It has become clear that such measures are incapable of explaining the complete dynamics of sediment transport across dune surfaces. Past evidence from wind tunnel and modelling studies has suggested that in some regions on a dune's surface the sediment transport might be better explained through investigations of the turbulent nature of the airflow. However, to date there have been no field studies providing data on the turbulent characteristics of the airflow around dunes with which to support or refute such hypotheses. The field investigation presented here provides mean and turbulent airflow measurements across the centre-line of a barchan sand dune in Namibia. Data were collected using arrays of sonic anemometers and were compared with sand flux data measured using wedge-shaped traps. Results support previously published data derived from wind tunnels and numerical models. The decline in mean wind velocity at the upwind toe of the dune is shown to coincide with a rise in turbulence, whilst mean velocity acceleration on the upper slope corresponds with a general decline in measured turbulence. Analysis of the components of Reynold shear stress ( -u'¯w'¯) and normal stresses ( u¯ and w2 ¯) supports the notion that the development of flow turbulence along the dune centre-line is likely to be associated with the interplay between streamline curvature and mean flow deceleration/acceleration. It is suggested that, due to the nature of its calculation, turbulence intensity is a measure of less practical use than direct assessments of the individual components of Reynolds stress, particularly the instantaneous horizontal streamwise component ( u2 ¯) and shear stress ( -uw¯). Whilst, increases in Reynolds shear stress and the horizontal streamwise component of stress in the toe

Orion Boiler Plate Airdrop Test System

Science.gov (United States)

Machin, Ricardo A.; Evans, Carol T.

2013-01-01

On the 29th of February 2012 the Orion Capsule Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) project attempted to perform an airdrop test of a boilerplate test article for the second time. The first attempt (Cluster Development Test 2, July 2008) to deliver a similar boilerplate from a C-17 using the Low Velocity Air Drop (LVAD) technique resulted in the programmer parachute failing to properly inflate, the test article failing to achieve the desired test initiation conditions, and the test article a total loss. This paper will pick up where the CDT-2 failure investigation left off, describing the test technique that was adopted, and outline the modeling that was performed to gain confidence that the second attempt would be successful. The second boiler plate test (Cluster Development Test 3-3) was indeed a complete success and has subsequently been repeated several times, allowing the CPAS project to proceed with the full scale system level development testing required to integrate the hardware to the first Entry Flight Test vehicle as well as go into the Critical Design Review with minimum risk and a mature design.

Modeling particulate removal in plate-plate and wire-plate electrostatic precipitators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Ramechecandane

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The present study is concerned with the modeling of electrically charged particles in a model plate-plate and a single wire-plate electrostatic precipitator (ESP. The particle concentration distributions for both a plate-plate and a wire-plate ESP are calculated using a modified drift flux model. Numerical investigations are performed using the modified drift flux model for particle number concentration, in addition to the RNG k - ε model for the mean turbulent flow field and the Poisson equation for the electric field. The proposed model and the outlined methodology for coupling the flow field, electric field, charging kinetics and particle concentration is applied to two model precipitators that are truly representative of a wide class of commercialized ESPs. The present investigation is quite different from the earlier studies as it does not make assumptions like a homogeneous electric field or an infinite turbulent diffusivity. The electric field calculated is a strong function of position and controls the migration velocity of particles. Hence, the proposed model can be implemented in a flow solver to obtain a full-fledged solution for any kind of ESP with no limitations on the particle number concentration, as encountered in a Lagrangian approach. The effect of turbulent diffusivity on particle number concentration in a plate-plate ESP is investigated in detail and the results obtained are compared with available experimental data. Similarly, the effect of particle size/diameter and applied electric potential on the accumulative collection performance in the case of a wire-plate ESP is studied and the results obtained are compared with available numerical data. The numerical results obtained using the modified drift flux model for both the plate-plate and wire-plate ESP are in close agreement with available experimental and numerical data.

The effect of airflow on thermographically determined temperature of the distal forelimb of the horse.

Science.gov (United States)

Westermann, S; Stanek, C; Schramel, J P; Ion, A; Buchner, H H F

2013-09-01

Current literature suggests that thermographic imaging of horses should be performed in a draught-free room. However, studies on the effect of airflow on determined temperature have not been published. To investigate effects of airflow on thermographically determined temperature of horses' forelimbs; to assess the relationship of wind velocity, rectal temperature, ambient temperature and humidity. Thermographic images were obtained for the forelimbs of 6 horses in a draught-free room. Three replicates (R) with defined wind velocities (R1, 0.5-1.0 m/s; R2, 1.3-2.6 m/s; and R3, 3.0-4.0 m/s) were conducted. Each replicate consisted of a baseline image, a 15 min phase with the wind on and a 15 min phase with the wind off. We exposed only the right leg to airflow and determined the temperature by thermography with the wind on and wind off. Temperature differences between baseline and wind on, between wind on and wind off and between different wind velocities were analysed by a general linear model, Student's paired t test and ANOVA. After the onset of wind, the temperature on the right forelimb decreased within 1-3 min (by approximately 0.6°C at R1, 1.5°C at R2 and 2.1°C at R3). With the wind off, the temperature increased within 3 min (by approximately 1.2°C at R1, 1.7°C at R2 and 2.1°C at R3). With increasing wind velocity, the temperature differences between baseline and wind on and between wind on and wind off increased significantly. Barely noticeable wind velocities caused a decrease in thermographically determined temperatures of the forelimbs of the horse. Further research is required to assess the influence of airflow on other parts of the body and at different ambient temperatures, as well as the effect on horses with inflammatory lesions, especially of the distal limbs. It is essential for practitioners to perform thermography on horses in a draught-free environment in order to avoid false-positive or -negative diagnoses. © 2012 EVJ Ltd.

Occupational exposure to vapor, gas, dust, or fumes and chronic airflow limitation, COPD, and emphysema: the Swedish CArdioPulmonary BioImage Study (SCAPIS pilot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Torén K

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Kjell Torén,1 Jenny Vikgren,2 Anna-Carin Olin,1 Annika Rosengren,3 Göran Bergström,3 John Brandberg2 1Section of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, 2Department of Radiology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, 3Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden Background: The aim of this study was to estimate the occupational burden of airflow limitation, chronic airflow limitation, COPD, and emphysema.Materials and methods: Subjects aged 50–64 years (n=1,050 were investigated with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1 and forced vital capacity (FVC. Airflow limitation was defined as FEV1/FVC <0.7 before bronchodilation. Chronic airflow limitation was defined after bronchodilation either according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD as FEV1/FVC <0.7 or according to the lower limit of normal (LLN approach as FEV1/FVC < LLN. COPD was defined as chronic airflow limitation (GOLD in combination with dyspnea, wheezing, or chronic bronchitis. Emphysema was classified according to findings from computed tomography of the lungs. Occupational exposure was defined as self-reported occupational exposure to vapor, gas, dust, or fumes (VGDF. Odds ratios (OR were calculated in models adjusted for age, gender, and smoking; population-attributable fractions and 95% CI were also calculated.Results: There were significant associations between occupational exposure to VGDF and COPD (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.4–51, airflow limitation (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3–2.5, and emphysema (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1–3.1. The associations between occupational exposure to VGDF and chronic airflow limitation were weaker, and for the OR, the CIs included unity. The population-attributable fraction for occupational exposure to VGDF was 0.37 (95% CI 0.23–0.47 for COPD and 0.23 (95% CI 0.05–0.35 for emphysema.Conclusion: The

Air-flow resistances of silicone rubber voice prostheses after formation of bacterial and fungal biofilms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elving, GJ; van der Mei, HC; Busscher, HJ; van Weissenbruch, R; Albers, FWJ

Laryngectomized patients use silicone rubber voice prostheses to rehabilitate their voice. However, biofilm formation limits the lifetime of voice prostheses by causing leakage or an increased air-flow resistance and the prosthesis has to be replaced. To determine which bacterial or yeast strains,

Degradation behaviour of LAE442-based plate-screw-systems in an in vitro bone model.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolters, Leonie; Besdo, Silke; Angrisani, Nina; Wriggers, Peter; Hering, Britta; Seitz, Jan-Marten; Reifenrath, Janin

2015-04-01

The use of absorbable implant materials for fixation after bone fracture helps to avoid a second surgery for implant removal and the risks and costs involved. Magnesium (Mg) is well known as a potential metallic material for degradable implants. The aim of the present in vitro study was to evaluate if degradable LAE442-based magnesium plate-screw-systems are suitable candidates for osteosynthesis implants in load-bearing bones. The corrosion behaviour was tested concerning the influence of different surface treatments, coatings and screw torques. Steel plates and screws of the same size served as control. Plates without special treatment screwed on up to a specified torque of 15cNm or 7cNm, NaOH treated plates (15cNm), magnesium fluoride coated plates (15cNm) and steel plates as control (15cNm) were examined in pH-buffered, temperature-controlled SBF solution for two weeks. The experimental results indicate that the LAE442 plates and screws coated with magnesium fluoride revealed a lower hydrogen evolution in SBF solution as well as a lower weight loss and volume decrease in μ-computed tomography (μCT). The nanoindentation and SEM/EDX measurements at several plate areas showed no significant differences. Summarized, the different screw torques did not affect the corrosion behaviour differently. Also the NaOH treatment seemed to have no essential influence on the degradation kinetics. The plates coated with magnesium fluoride showed a decreased corrosion rate. Hence, it is recommended to consider this coating for the next in vivo study. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Proceedings of the Flat-Plate Solar Array Project Research Forum on Photovoltaic Metallization Systems

Science.gov (United States)

1983-01-01

A photovoltaic Metallization Research forum, under the sponsorship of the Flat-Plate Solar Array Project consisted of five sessions, covering: (1) the current status of metallization systems, (2) system design, (3) thick-film metallization, (4) advanced techniques, and (5) future metallization challenges.

EMPIRICAL STUDY OF CAR LICENSE PLATES RECOGNITION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nasa Zata Dina

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The number of vehicles on the road has increased drastically in recent years. The license plate is an identity card for a vehicle. It can map to the owner and further information about vehicle. License plate information is useful to help traffic management systems. For example, traffic management systems can check for vehicles moving at speeds not permitted by law and can also be installed in parking areas to se-cure the entrance or exit way for vehicles. License plate recognition algorithms have been proposed by many researchers. License plate recognition requires license plate detection, segmentation, and charac-ters recognition. The algorithm detects the position of a license plate and extracts the characters. Various license plate recognition algorithms have been implemented, and each algorithm has its strengths and weaknesses. In this research, I implement three algorithms for detecting license plates, three algorithms for segmenting license plates, and two algorithms for recognizing license plate characters. I evaluate each of these algorithms on the same two datasets, one from Greece and one from Thailand. For detecting li-cense plates, the best result is obtained by a Haar cascade algorithm. After the best result of license plate detection is obtained, for the segmentation part a Laplacian based method has the highest accuracy. Last, the license plate recognition experiment shows that a neural network has better accuracy than other algo-rithm. I summarize and analyze the overall performance of each method for comparison.

CAD-CAM plates versus conventional fixation plates for primary mandibular reconstruction: A biomechanical in vitro analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rendenbach, Carsten; Sellenschloh, Kay; Gerbig, Lucca; Morlock, Michael M; Beck-Broichsitter, Benedicta; Smeets, Ralf; Heiland, Max; Huber, Gerd; Hanken, Henning

2017-11-01

CAD/CAM reconstruction plates have become a viable option for mandible reconstruction. The aim of this study was to determine whether CAD/CAM plates provide higher fatigue strength compared with conventional fixation systems. 1.0 mm miniplates, 2.0 mm conventional locking plates (DePuy Synthes, Umkirch, Germany), and 2.0 mm CAD/CAM plates (Materialise, Leuven, Belgium/DePuy Synthes) were used to reconstruct a polyurethane mandible model (Synbone, Malans, CH) with cortical and cancellous bone equivalents. Mastication was simulated via cyclic dynamic testing using a universal testing machine (MTS, Bionix, Eden Prairie, MN, USA) until material failure reached a rate of 1 Hz with increasing loads on the left side. No significant difference was found between the groups until a load of 300 N. At higher loads, vertical displacement differed increasingly, with a poorer performance of miniplates (p = 0.04). Plate breakage occurred in miniplates and conventional locking plates. Screw breakage was recorded as the primary failure mechanism in CAD/CAM plates. Stiffness was significantly higher with the CAD/CAM plates (p = 0.04). CAD/CAM plates and reconstruction plates provide higher fatigue strength than miniplates, and stiffness is highest in CAD/CAM systems. All tested fixation methods seem sufficiently stable for mandible reconstruction. Copyright © 2017 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Numerical investigation of coalescing plate system to understand the separation of water and oil in water treatment plant of petroleum industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sedat Yayla

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The most widely utilized process of produced water treatment is considered to be use of coalescing or corrugated plate systems in the oil industry because these systems have promising results in the acceleration of the separation process. Even use of corrugated plate systems seem to be effective in separation processes, the geometrical parameters of the plate system could greatly influence the performance of separation process. In this study, a two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model for coalescing plates was developed to investigate Reynolds number and plate hole shape on separation efficiency. Spacing between plates was set to 12 mm while fluid mixture’s Reynolds number varied between 5 and 45 for the computational model. Hole profile and dimensions were determined to be cylindrical, rectangular and ellipse shapes as 10, 15 and 20 mm based on hydraulic diameter definition, respectively. Furthermore, when hole profiles of coalescing plates were chosen to be ellipse and rectangular shapes, separation efficiency nearly stayed constant regardless of hole dimension. The study also reported that change of oil fraction from 5% to 15% caused approximately 30% increase in the separation efficiency. The investigation also revealed Reynolds number of the mixture was inversely proportional to the separation efficiency. It was also found that the highest separation efficiency was obtained for a cylindrical shape with a hole diameter of 15 mm when distance between plates was 12 mm and Reynolds number was 18.

Visual Servoing Tracking Control of a Ball and Plate System: Design, Implementation and Experimental Validation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Tzu Ho

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the design, implementation and validation of real-time visual servoing tracking control for a ball and plate system. The position of the ball is measured with a machine vision system. The image processing algorithms of the machine vision system are pipelined and implemented on a field programmable gate array (FPGA device to meet real-time constraints. A detailed dynamic model of the system is derived for the simulation study. By neglecting the high-order coupling terms, the ball and plate system model is simplified into two decoupled ball and beam systems, and an approximate input-output feedback linearization approach is then used to design the controller for trajectory tracking. The designed control law is implemented on a digital signal processor (DSP. The validity of the performance of the developed control system is investigated through simulation and experimental studies. Experimental results show that the designed system functions well with reasonable agreement with simulations.

Theroretical modelling of the plate-tubes coupling in the hydroelasticity of the perforated plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dzhupanov, V.A.; Manoach, E.S.

1983-01-01

In the previous investigations on the perforated plate hydroelasticity the problem of the plates-tubes-liquid interaction in the process of the general structural vibration is stated. But the interaction of the vibrating plates with the tubes, passing through them, is taken into account considering the tubes only as absolutely rigid supports. This is one of the possible technical realizations. In the present article the case when the tubes are taking part in the plate motion (vibration) is studied. Two circular perforated plates are supported by the absolutely rigid wall of the modelled roundcircular reactor barrel. The distance between the plates is given. They are connected by tubes, passing through, and clamped into the perforation holes. The plates and the tubes are made by any elastic HOOKIAN material. The volume between the two plates and outwardly to the tubes, but intrinsically of the barrel is filled by ideal, compressible and heavy liquid. Evidently the liquid volume is multiconnected one. The free vibration of the whole system is considered with the purposes: i) to give a theoretical model of the plates-tubes-liquid interaction including governing equations and boundary conditions; ii) to trace the solution of the eigen-value problem for the modelled structure; iii) to underline the engineering sides of the modelling process. (orig./GL)

Sensor network based vehicle classification and license plate identification system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frigo, Janette Rose [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Brennan, Sean M [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Rosten, Edward J [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Raby, Eric Y [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Kulathumani, Vinod K [WEST VIRGINIA UNIV.

2009-01-01

Typically, for energy efficiency and scalability purposes, sensor networks have been used in the context of environmental and traffic monitoring applications in which operations at the sensor level are not computationally intensive. But increasingly, sensor network applications require data and compute intensive sensors such video cameras and microphones. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of two such systems: a vehicle classifier based on acoustic signals and a license plate identification system using a camera. The systems are implemented in an energy-efficient manner to the extent possible using commercially available hardware, the Mica motes and the Stargate platform. Our experience in designing these systems leads us to consider an alternate more flexible, modular, low-power mote architecture that uses a combination of FPGAs, specialized embedded processing units and sensor data acquisition systems.

Comparison of Thermal Performances between Low Porosity Perforate Plate and Flat Plate Solar Air Collector

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Hoy-Yen; Vinson, A. A.; Baljit, S. S. S.; Ruslan, M. H.

2018-04-01

Flat plate solar air collector is the most common collector design, which is relatively simpler to fabricate and lower cost. In the present study, perforated plate solar collector was developed to improve the system thermal performance. A glazed perforated plate of 6mm holes diameter with square geometry was designed and installed as the absorber of the collector. The influences of solar radiation intensity and mass flow rate on the thermal performance were investigated. The perforated collector was compared with the flat plate solar collector under the same operating conditions. The highest values of thermal efficiency in this study for the perforated plate (PP) and the flat plate (FP) solar collectors were 59% and 36% respectively, at solar radiation intensity of 846 Wm-2 and mass flow rate of 0.02 kgs-1. Furthermore, PP collector gave better thermal performance compared to FP collector; and compared to previous studies, the present perforated design was compatible with the flat plate with double pass designs.

System Advisor Model: Flat Plate Photovoltaic Performance Modeling Validation Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freeman, Janine [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Whitmore, Jonathan [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kaffine, Leah [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Blair, Nate [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Dobos, Aron P. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2013-12-01

The System Advisor Model (SAM) is a free software tool that performs detailed analysis of both system performance and system financing for a variety of renewable energy technologies. This report provides detailed validation of the SAM flat plate photovoltaic performance model by comparing SAM-modeled PV system generation data to actual measured production data for nine PV systems ranging from 75 kW to greater than 25 MW in size. The results show strong agreement between SAM predictions and field data, with annualized prediction error below 3% for all fixed tilt cases and below 8% for all one axis tracked cases. The analysis concludes that snow cover and system outages are the primary sources of disagreement, and other deviations resulting from seasonal biases in the irradiation models and one axis tracking issues are discussed in detail.

Maskless, parallel patterning with zone-plate array lithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, D. J. D.; Gil, Dario; Menon, Rajesh; Mondol, Mark K.; Smith, Henry I.; Anderson, Erik H.

1999-01-01

Zone-plate array lithography (ZPAL) is a maskless lithography scheme that uses an array of shuttered zone plates to print arbitrary patterns on a substrate. An experimental ultraviolet ZPAL system has been constructed and used to simultaneously expose nine different patterns with a 3x3 array of zone plates in a quasidot-matrix fashion. We present exposed patterns, describe the system design and construction, and discuss issues essential to a functional ZPAL system. We also discuss another ZPAL system which operates with 4.5 nm x radiation from a point source. We present simulations which show that, with our existing x-ray zone plates and this system, we should be able to achieve 55 nm resolution. (c) 1999 American Vacuum Society

A multichannel deflection plates control system for the ALF facility at the APS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deriy, B.

2006-01-01

A deflection plates control system was developed as part of SPIRIT (Single Photon Ionization/Resonant Ionization to Threshold), a new secondary neutral mass spectrometry (SNMS) instrument that uses tunable vacuum ultraviolet light from the APS ALF (Argonne Linear Free-electron laser) facility for postionization. The system comprises a crate controller with PC104 embedded computer, 32 amplifiers, and two 1-kV power supplies. Thirty-two D/A converters are used to control voltages at the deflection plates within ± 400 V with 100-mV resolution. An algorithm for simultaneous sweeping of up to 16 XY areas with 10-(micro)s time resolution also has been implemented in the embedded computer. The purpose of the system is to supply potentials to various ion optical elements for electrostatic control of keV primary and secondary ion beams in this SNMS instrument. The control system is of particular value in supplying (1) bipolar potentials for steering ions, (2) multiple potentials for octupole lenses that shape the ion beams, and (3) ramped deflection potentials for rastering the primary ion beam. The system has been in use as part of the SPIRIT instrument at the ALF facility since 2002.

Embedded adhesive connection for laminated glass plates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Jens Zangenberg; Poulsen, S.H.; Bagger, A.

2012-01-01

The structural behavior of a new connection design, the embedded adhesive connection, used for laminated glass plates is investigated. The connection consists of an aluminum plate encapsulated in-between two adjacent triple layered laminated glass plates. Fastening between glass and aluminum...... usage in a design situation. The embedded connection shows promising potential as a future fastening system for load-carrying laminated glass plates....

Airflow Characteristics at the Breathing Zone of a Seated Person

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Bolashikov, Zhecho Dimitrov; Nagano, Hideaki

2011-01-01

A method for active control over the interaction between the free convection flow around occupant‘s body and locally applied airflow from front on the velocity field at the breathing zone of a seated person was studied. A workplace equipped with personalised ventilation (PV) generating flow from......) was installed below the table board, above the thighs of the manikin, and was used to exhaust the air of the free convection flow coming from the lower body parts of the manikin. The velocity field at the breathing zone was measured with Particle Image Velocimetry consisting of a dual cavity laser and two CCD...

Collective Odor Source Estimation and Search in Time-Variant Airflow Environments Using Mobile Robots

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Qing-Hao; Yang, Wei-Xing; Wang, Yang; Zeng, Ming

2011-01-01

This paper addresses the collective odor source localization (OSL) problem in a time-varying airflow environment using mobile robots. A novel OSL methodology which combines odor-source probability estimation and multiple robots’ search is proposed. The estimation phase consists of two steps: firstly, the separate probability-distribution map of odor source is estimated via Bayesian rules and fuzzy inference based on a single robot’s detection events; secondly, the separate maps estimated by different robots at different times are fused into a combined map by way of distance based superposition. The multi-robot search behaviors are coordinated via a particle swarm optimization algorithm, where the estimated odor-source probability distribution is used to express the fitness functions. In the process of OSL, the estimation phase provides the prior knowledge for the searching while the searching verifies the estimation results, and both phases are implemented iteratively. The results of simulations for large-scale advection–diffusion plume environments and experiments using real robots in an indoor airflow environment validate the feasibility and robustness of the proposed OSL method. PMID:22346650

Adenosine 5'-Monophosphate Aerosol Challenge Does Not Provoke Airflow Limitation in Healthy Cats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Vondráková

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of our study was to investigate the effects of nebulized adenosine 5'- monophosphate on airflow limitation in healthy cats determined by barometric whole body plethysmography (BWBP, in comparison to the effects of carbachol. Ten healthy 4- to 6-year-old domestic shorthair cats were included in the study. Each cat was placed in a BWBP plexiglass chamber (volume 38 l. Changes in box pressure were measured at baseline and after nebulization of vehicle and increasing concentrations of carbachol and adenosine 5'- monophosphate. Airway responsiveness was monitored as increases in enhanced pause (PENH, a unitless variable derived from dose-response curves estimating airflow limitation. The chosen endpoint was the agonist concentration which increased PENH to 300% of the value obtained after saline nebulization (PCPENH 300. Inter-day repeatability of measurements was assessed by repeated bronchoprovocations with both agonists 2-3 days apart. For carbachol, PCPENH300 was reached in all cats and correlated significantly between days (mean ± SD; 0.54 ± 0.42 mg/ml and 0.64 ± 0.45 mg/ml respectively; r = 0.58, p < 0.05 In contrast, we found no reaction to adenosine 5'- monophosphate even with the highest concentration nebulized during both measurements. At baseline, mean ± SD PENH was 0.47 ± 0.18 and 0.58 ± 0.24 (measurements 1 and 2, whereas PENH after 500 mg/ml adenosine 5'- monophosphate was 0.46 ± 0.20 and 0.71 ± 0.37. All bronchoprovocation tests were well tolerated by the cats. We conclude that healthy airways in cats do not demonstrate airway responsiveness to inhaled adenosine 5'- monophosphate. This is in agreement with observations in humans as well as our previous findings in dogs, where adenosine 5'- monophosphate had no effect on healthy canine airways, but caused significant airflow limitation after induction of acute bronchitis. To define the value of bronchoprovocation testing with adenosine 5'- monophosphate in the feline

Post Occupancy Evaluation of 23 Newly Renovated Apartments in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iqbal, Ahsan; Afshari, Alireza; Bergsøe, Niels Christian

2016-01-01

systems. All the ventilation units are equipped with parallel plate cross flow heat exchangers. The analysis in present article is based on the measured indoor quality parameters as well as energy consumptions. Among four different types of ventilation systems, Type 1 is a traditional decentralized...... ventilation system which works only on two speeds i.e. high airflow rates when kitchen exhaust is on otherwise nominal airflow rates. Type 2 ventilation systems are the decentralized ventilation system with motion sensors in hallways, humidity sensors in rooms and kitchen exhaust hood sensors. Type 3...... ventilation system is a centralized ventilation system with the motion sensors in hallways and toilets, humidity sensors in each room, and kitchen exhaust hood sensors. Type 4 ventilation system is a centralized ventilation system with only kitchen exhaust hood sensor. Type 2, Type 3 and Type 4 ventilation...

Fabricating cooled electronic system with liquid-cooled cold plate and thermal spreader

Science.gov (United States)

Chainer, Timothy J.; Graybill, David P.; Iyengar, Madhusudan K.; Kamath, Vinod; Kochuparambil, Bejoy J.; Schmidt, Roger R.; Steinke, Mark E.

2018-03-27

Methods are provided for facilitating cooling of an electronic component. The method includes providing a liquid-cooled cold plate and a thermal spreader associated with the cold plate. The cold plate includes multiple coolant-carrying channel sections extending within the cold plate, and a thermal conduction surface with a larger surface area than a surface area of the component to be cooled. The thermal spreader includes one or more heat pipes including multiple heat pipe sections. One or more heat pipe sections are partially aligned to a first region of the cold plate, that is, where aligned to the surface to be cooled, and partially aligned to a second region of the cold plate, which is outside the first region. The one or more heat pipes facilitate distribution of heat from the electronic component to coolant-carrying channel sections of the cold plate located in the second region of the cold plate.

Fabricating cooled electronic system with liquid-cooled cold plate and thermal spreader

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chainer, Timothy J.; Graybill, David P.; Iyengar, Madhusudan K.; Kamath, Vinod; Kochuparambil, Bejoy J.; Schmidt, Roger R.; Steinke, Mark E.

2018-04-03

Methods are provided for facilitating cooling of an electronic component. The methods include providing a liquid-cooled cold plate and a thermal spreader associated with the cold plate. The cold plate includes multiple coolant-carrying channel sections extending within the cold plate, and a thermal conduction surface with a larger surface area than a surface area of the component to be cooled. The thermal spreader includes one or more heat pipes including multiple heat pipe sections. One or more heat pipe sections are partially aligned to a first region of the cold plate, that is, where aligned to the surface to be cooled, and partially aligned to a second region of the cold plate, which is outside the first region. The one or more heat pipes facilitate distribution of heat from the electronic component to coolant-carrying channel sections of the cold plate located in the second region of the cold plate.

Testing limits to airflow perturbation device (APD measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamshidi Shaya

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Airflow Perturbation Device (APD is a lightweight, portable device that can be used to measure total respiratory resistance as well as inhalation and exhalation resistances. There is a need to determine limits to the accuracy of APD measurements for different conditions likely to occur: leaks around the mouthpiece, use of an oronasal mask, and the addition of resistance in the respiratory system. Also, there is a need for resistance measurements in patients who are ventilated. Method Ten subjects between the ages of 18 and 35 were tested for each station in the experiment. The first station involved testing the effects of leaks of known sizes on APD measurements. The second station tested the use of an oronasal mask used in conjunction with the APD during nose and mouth breathing. The third station tested the effects of two different resistances added in series with the APD mouthpiece. The fourth station tested the usage of a flexible ventilator tube in conjunction with the APD. Results All leaks reduced APD resistance measurement values. Leaks represented by two 3.2 mm diameter tubes reduced measured resistance by about 10% (4.2 cmH2O·sec/L for control and 3.9 cm H2O·sec/L for the leak. This was not statistically significant. Larger leaks given by 4.8 and 6.4 mm tubes reduced measurements significantly (3.4 and 3.0 cm cmH2O·sec/L, respectively. Mouth resistance measured with a cardboard mouthpiece gave an APD measurement of 4.2 cm H2O·sec/L and mouth resistance measured with an oronasal mask was 4.5 cm H2O·sec/L; the two were not significantly different. Nose resistance measured with the oronasal mask was 7.6 cm H2O·sec/L. Adding airflow resistances of 1.12 and 2.10 cm H2O·sec/L to the breathing circuit between the mouth and APD yielded respiratory resistance values higher than the control by 0.7 and 2.0 cm H2O·sec/L. Although breathing through a 52 cm length of flexible ventilator tubing reduced the APD

Hydrodynamics of a flexible plate between pitching rigid plates

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Junyoung; Kim, Daegyoum

2017-11-01

The dynamics of a flexible plate have been studied as a model problem in swimming and flying of animals and fluid-structure interaction of plants and flags. Motivated by fish schooling and an array of sea grasses, we investigate the dynamics of a flexible plate closely placed between two pitching rigid plates. In most studies on passive deformation of the flexible plate, the plate is immersed in a uniform flow or a wavy flow. However, in this study, the flexible plate experiences periodic deformation by the oscillatory flow generated by the prescribed pitching motion of the rigid plates. In our model, the pitching axes of the rigid plates and the clamping position of the flexible plate are aligned on the same line. The flexible plate shows various responses depending on length and pitching frequency of rigid plates, thickness of a flexible plate, and free-stream velocity. To find the effect of each variable on the response of the flexible plate, amplitude of a trailing edge and modal contribution of a flapping motion are compared, and flow structure around the flexible plate is examined.

Airflow limitation in people living with HIV and matched uninfected controls

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ronit, Andreas; Lundgren, Jens; Afzal, Shoaib

2018-01-01

-matched controls from the Copenhagen General Population Study were included. Lung function was assessed using FEV1 and FVC, while airflow limitation was defined by the lower limit of normal (LLN) of FEV1/FVC and by FEV1/FVClinear regression models were used......INTRODUCTION: Whether HIV influences pulmonary function remains controversial. We assessed dynamic pulmonary function in people living with HIV (PLWHIV) and uninfected controls. METHODS: A total of 1098 PLWHIV from the Copenhagen Co-morbidity in HIV infection study and 12 161 age-matched and sex...

Air-cooled volcanoes ? New insights on convective airflow process within Miyakejima and Piton de la Fournaise volcanoes

Science.gov (United States)

Antoine, R.; Geshi, N.; Kurita, K.; Aoki, Y.; Ichihara, M.; Staudacher, T.; Bachelery, P.

2012-04-01

Subsurface airflow in the unsaturated zone of the soil has been extensively investigated in a variety of disciplines such as mining, nuclear waste or agriculture science. In volcanology, the recent discovery of subsurface airflow close to the terminal cone of Piton de La Fournaise volcano (La Réunion Island, France) provides for the first time insights into the convective behavior of air within the unsaturated layer [1]. The characteristics of the aerothermal system, its occurrence in other volcanoes, its ability to transport heat during quiescent periods and the perturbation of this system before eruptions are the key questions we want to address following this discovery. In this study, we present observations of subsurface convective airflow within opened fractures located at the summit of Miyakejima and Piton de la Fournaise volcanoes from anemometric and temperature data. Two anemometers and thermocouples were placed at the surface and at the center of the fracture at two-meter depth during a diurnal cycle. Six thermocouples also measured the temperature at 1 meter-depth, on a profile set perpendicularly to the fracture. Finally, a thermal camera was used to make punctual measurements of the surface temperature of the fracture. At Miyakejima, two surveys were realized in winter 2010 and summer 2011. During the winter, mild air exit was detected from the fracture with a central vertical velocity of 20 to 50 cm/s. The temperature of the site was constant during the diurnal cycle (~ 22°C), leading to a maximum temperature contrast of 15°C between the fracture and the atmosphere just before sunrise. During summer, a different hydrodynamic behavior was observed: Air inflow was detected during the whole diurnal cycle with a mean velocity of 20 cm/s. The temperature of the fracture followed the temperature of the atmosphere at 2 meters-depth. In the case of Piton de la Fournaise volcano, the same convective behavior was observed at two different fractures during

Application of an imaging plate system to in vivo thyroid 131I monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirota, M.; Saze, T.; Nishizawa, K.

2002-01-01

An imaging plate (IP) system was applied to in vivo thyroid radioactive iodine 131 ( 131 I) monitoring. Thyroid contamination by 131 I occurs when medical staffs and patient's families take in 131 I used as treatment agent for thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism in nuclear medicine, inhabitants take in 131 I released into environment by an accident of nuclear facilities, or worker take in 131 I used by experiment of research. The IP system is a two-dimensional integrating radiation detector which is a plate thinly coated plastic sheet with a kind of phosphore. The IP was exposed to a neck-thyroid phantom loaded 131 I aqueous solution. The IP system displayed a thyroid image that reflects a unique shape characteristic of the thyroid gland. A 131 I thyroid imaging allows visual confirmation of thyroid contamination by 131 I. The counting efficiency was approximately constant when neck diameter, thyroid volume and prethyroid tissue thickness varied within the normal adult. The detection limit of 450Bq was about 1/65 of the screening level of 30kBq. The IP system is applicable for thyroid 131 I monitoring

Empirical Study of Car License Plates Recognition

OpenAIRE

Dina, Nasa Zata; Dailey, Matthew

2015-01-01

The number of vehicles on the road has increased drastically in recent years. The license plate is an identity card for a vehicle. It can map to the owner and further information about vehicle. License plate information is useful to help traffic management systems. For example, traffic management systems can check for vehicles moving at speeds not permitted by law and can also be installed in parking areas to se-cure the entrance or exit way for vehicles. License plate recognition algorithms ...

The usefulness of computed tomography in distinguishing between asthma with irreversible air-flow limitation and pulmonary emphysema

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taniguchi, Hiroyuki; Ogawa, Kenji; Nakajima, Yoko; Amano, Masao; Kondo, Yasuhiro; Matsumoto, Kohei; Yokoyama, Sigeki; Matsubara, Kazuhito

1988-01-01

Chronic asthma may develop irreversible air-flow limitation and in this circumstance, it is clinically difficult to distinguish between asthma and pulmonary emphysema. Recently, it has been reported that computed tomography (CT) may assist in detecting changes in the lung specific for emphysema. We examined patients who suffered from asthma before the age of 45 which led to irreversible air-flow limitation (BA group; n = 17, mean age = 65.9) and patients with pulmonary emphysema (CPE group; n = 19, mean age = 69.8). Pulmonary function testing and CT were performed on all patients. In assessment of CT, areas of low attenuation and vascular disruption were considered to be suggestive of emphysema, and the Emphysema Score (ES) was calculated according to the method of Bergin et al. There was no significant difference in FEV1.0, % FEV1.0, % FEV1.0/FVC, % RV and RV/TLC between the BA group and the CPE group. In contrast, there was a significant decrease in the % DLco in CPE group compared with that of the BA group (p < 0.001). The ES in total lung was 54.9 ± 18.6 % in the CPE group and 7.8 ± 11.0 % in BA group (p < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between the % DLco and the ES in the CPE group (p < 0.01). We conclude that the CT is useful in distinguishing between asthma with irreversible air-flow limitation and pulmonary emphysema. (author)

LICENSE PLATE LOCALIZATION USING GABOR FILTERS AND NEURAL NETWORKS

OpenAIRE

Sami Ktata; Faouzi Benzarti; Hamid Amiri

2013-01-01

Vehicle License Plate Detection (LPD) is an important step for the vehicle plate recognition which can be used in the intelligent transport systems. Many methods have been proposed for the detection of license plates based on: Mathematical morphology, Discrete Wavelet Transform, Hough Transform and others. In general, an LPR system includes four main parts: Vehicle image acquisition, license plate detection, character segmentation and character recognition. In this study, we present a robust ...

Pre-Stressing Timber-Based Plate Tensegrity Structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Falk, Andreas; Kirkegaard, Poul Henning

2012-01-01

Tensile structures occur in numerous varieties utilising combinations of tension and compression. Introducing structural plates in the basic tensegrity unit and tensegric assemblies varies the range of feasible topologies and provides the structural system with an integrated surface. The present...... paper considers the concept of plate tensegrity based on CLT plates (cross-laminated timber). It combines the principles of tensegrity with the principles of plate shells and is characterised by a plate shell stabilised by struts and cables. The paper deals with material aspects and robustness of timber...

Numerical simulation of airway dimension effects on airflow patterns and odorant deposition patterns in the rat nasal cavity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zehong Wei

Full Text Available The sense of smell is largely dependent on the airflow and odorant transport in the nasal cavity, which in turn depends on the anatomical structure of the nose. In order to evaluate the effect of airway dimension on rat nasal airflow patterns and odorant deposition patterns, we constructed two 3-dimensional, anatomically accurate models of the left nasal cavity of a Sprague-Dawley rat: one was based on high-resolution MRI images with relatively narrow airways and the other was based on artificially-widening airways of the MRI images by referencing the section images with relatively wide airways. Airflow and odorant transport, in the two models, were determined using the method of computational fluid dynamics with finite volume method. The results demonstrated that an increase of 34 µm in nasal airway dimension significantly decreased the average velocity in the whole nasal cavity by about 10% and in the olfactory region by about 12% and increased the volumetric flow into the olfactory region by about 3%. Odorant deposition was affected to a larger extent, especially in the olfactory region, where the maximum odorant deposition difference reached one order of magnitude. The results suggest that a more accurate nasal cavity model is necessary in order to more precisely study the olfactory function of the nose when using the rat.

Stand-alone flat-plate photovoltaic power systems: System sizing and life-cycle costing methodology for Federal agencies

Science.gov (United States)

Borden, C. S.; Volkmer, K.; Cochrane, E. H.; Lawson, A. C.

1984-01-01

A simple methodology to estimate photovoltaic system size and life-cycle costs in stand-alone applications is presented. It is designed to assist engineers at Government agencies in determining the feasibility of using small stand-alone photovoltaic systems to supply ac or dc power to the load. Photovoltaic system design considerations are presented as well as the equations for sizing the flat-plate array and the battery storage to meet the required load. Cost effectiveness of a candidate photovoltaic system is based on comparison with the life-cycle cost of alternative systems. Examples of alternative systems addressed are batteries, diesel generators, the utility grid, and other renewable energy systems.

42 CFR 84.157 - Airflow resistance test; Type C supplied-air respirator, pressure-demand class; minimum...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... test; Type C supplied-air respirator, pressure-demand class; minimum requirements. (a) The static... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Airflow resistance test; Type C supplied-air respirator, pressure-demand class; minimum requirements. 84.157 Section 84.157 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH...

42 CFR 84.156 - Airflow resistance test; Type C supplied-air respirator, demand class; minimum requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... C supplied-air respirator, demand class; minimum requirements. (a) Inhalation resistance shall not... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Airflow resistance test; Type C supplied-air respirator, demand class; minimum requirements. 84.156 Section 84.156 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE...

The Golosyiv plate archive digitisation

Science.gov (United States)

Sergeeva, T. P.; Sergeev, A. V.; Pakuliak, L. K.; Yatsenko, A. I.

2007-08-01

The plate archive of the Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Golosyiv, Kyiv) includes about 85 000 plates which have been taken in various observational projects during 1950-2005. Among them are about 25 000 of direct northern sky area plates and more than 600 000 plates containing stellar, planetary and active solar formations spectra. Direct plates have a limiting magnitude of 14.0-16.0 mag. Since 2002 we have been organising the storage, safeguarding, cataloguing and digitization of the plate archive. The very initial task was to create the automated system for detection of astronomical objects and phenomena, search of optical counterparts in the directions of gamma-ray bursts, research of long period, flare and other variable stars, search and rediscovery of asteroids, comets and other Solar System bodies to improve the elements of their orbits, informational support of CCD observations and space projects, etc. To provide higher efficiency of this work we have prepared computer readable catalogues and database for 250 000 direct wide field plates. Now the catalogues have been adapted to Wide Field Plate Database (WFPDB) format and integrated into this world database. The next step will be adaptation of our catalogues, database and images to standards of the IVOA. Some magnitude and positional accuracy estimations for Golosyiv archive plates have been done. The photometric characteristics of the images of NGC 6913 cluster stars on two plates of the Golosyiv's double wide angle astrograph have been determined. Very good conformity of the photometric characteristics obtained with external accuracies of 0.13 and 0.15 mag. has been found. The investigation of positional accuracy have been made with A3± format fixed bed scanner (Microtek ScanMaker 9800XL TMA). It shows that the scanner has non-detectable systematic errors on the X-axis, and errors of ± 15 μm on the Y-axis. The final positional errors are about ± 2 μm (�

SEPARATE AND COMBINED EFFECTS OF CORTICOSTEROIDS AND BRONCHODILATORS ON AIR-FLOW OBSTRUCTION AND AIRWAY HYPERRESPONSIVENESS IN ASTHMA

NARCIS (Netherlands)

WEMPE, JB; POSTMA, DS; BREEDERVELD, N; ALTINGHEBING, D; VANDERMARK, TW; KOETER, GH

We have investigated separate and interactive effects of corticosteroids and bronchodilators on airflow obstruction and airway hyperresponsiveness. Twelve allergic subjects with asthma were treated in a double-blind, crossover, randomized study with budesonide, 1.6 mg daily for 3 weeks, prednisone,

Persistent airflow limitation in adult-onset nonatopic asthma is associated with serologic evidence of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ten Brinke, A.; van Dissel, J. T.; Sterk, P. J.; Zwinderman, A. H.; Rabe, K. F.; Bel, E. H.

2001-01-01

Persistent airflow limitation may develop in patients with asthma, particularly in adults with nonatopic (intrinsic) disease. Although the underlying mechanisms are still unknown, respiratory infections might be involved. We investigated the annual loss of lung function in relation to seropositivity

Reduction of physical activity in daily life and its determinants in smokers without airflow obstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Furlanetto, Karina Couto; Mantoani, Leandro Cruz; Bisca, Gianna; Morita, Andrea Akemi; Zabatiero, Juliana; Proença, Mahara; Kovelis, Demétria; Pitta, Fabio

2014-04-01

In smokers without airflow obstruction, detailed, objective and controlled quantification of the level of physical inactivity in daily life has never been performed. This study aimed to objectively assess the level of physical activity in daily life in adult smokers without airflow obstruction in comparison with matched non-smokers, and to investigate the determinants for daily physical activity in smokers. Sixty smokers (aged 50 (39-54) years) and 50 non-smokers (aged 48 (40-53) years) matched for gender, age, anthropometric characteristics, educational level, employment status and seasons of the year assessment period were cross-sectionally assessed regarding their daily physical activity with a step counter, besides assessment of lung function, functional exercise capacity, quality of life, anxiety, depression, self-reported comorbidities carbon monoxide level, nicotine dependence and smoking habits. When compared with non-smokers, smokers walked less in daily life (7923 ± 3558 vs 9553 ± 3637 steps/day, respectively), presented worse lung function, functional exercise capacity, quality of life, anxiety and depression. Multiple regression analyses identified functional exercise capacity, Borg fatigue, self-reported motivation/physical activity behaviour and cardiac disease as significant determinants of number of steps/day in smokers (partial r(2)  = 0.10, 0.12, 0.16 and 0.05; b = 15, -997, 1207 and -2330 steps/day, respectively; overall fit of the model R(2)  = 0.38; P smokers without airflow obstruction presented reduced level of daily physical activity. Functional exercise capacity, extended fatigue sensation, aspects of motivation/physical activity behaviour and self-reported cardiac disease are significant determinants of physical activity in daily life in smokers. © 2014 The Authors. Respirology © 2014 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

Effects of diffuser airflow minima on occupant comfort, air mixing, and building energy use (RP-1515)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arens, Edward; Zhang, Hui; Hoyt, Tyler

2015-01-01

There is great energy-saving potential in reducing variable air volume box minimum airflow set-points to about 10% of maximum. Typical savings are on the order of 10%-30% of total HVAC energy, remarkable for an inexpensive controls set-point change that properly maintains outside air ventilation....

Subduction and Plate Edge Tectonics in the Southern Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

Levander, A.; Schmitz, M.; Niu, F.; Bezada, M. J.; Miller, M. S.; Masy, J.; Ave Lallemant, H. G.; Pindell, J. L.; Bolivar Working Group

2013-05-01

The southern Caribbean plate boundary consists of a subduction zone at at either end of a complex strike-slip fault system: In the east at the Lesser Antilles subduction zone, the Atlantic part of the South American plate subducts beneath the Caribbean. In the north and west in the Colombia basin, the Caribbean subducts under South America. In a manner of speaking, the two plates subduct beneath each other. Finite-frequency teleseismic P-wave tomography confirms this, imaging the Atlantic and the Caribbean plates subducting steeply in opposite directions to transition zone depths under northern South America (Bezada et al, 2010). The two subduction zones are connected by the El Pilar-San Sebastian strike-slip fault system, a San Andreas scale system that has been cut off at the Bocono fault, the southeastern boundary fault of the Maracaibo block. A variety of seismic probes identify subduction features at either end of the system (Niu et al, 2007; Clark et al., 2008; Miller et al. 2009; Growdon et al., 2009; Huang et al., 2010; Masy et al, 2011). The El Pilar system forms at the southeastern corner of the Antilles subduction zone with the Atlantic plate tearing from South America. The deforming plate edges control mountain building and basin formation at the eastern end of the strike-slip system. Tearing the Atlantic plate from the rest of South America appears to cause further lithospheric instability continentward. In northwestern South America the Caribbean plate very likely also tears, as its southernmost element subducts at shallow angles under northernmost Colombia but then rapidly descends to the transition zone under Lake Maracaibo (Bezada et al., 2010). We believe that the flat slab controls the tectonics of the Neogene Merida Andes, Perija, and Santa Marta ranges. The nonsubducting part of the Caribbean plate also underthrusts northern Venezuela to about the width of the coastal mountains (Miller et al., 2009). We infer that the edge of the underthrust

Studies on the hydrodynamic properties of the sieve plate pulsed column for 30% TRPO-kerosene/nitric acid system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Ronglin; Chen Jing; Xu Shiping; Wu Qiulin; Tai Derong; Song Chongli

2000-01-01

The hydrodynamic properties of the sieve plate pulsed column for 30% TRPO-kerosene/nitric acid system is studied. With the organic phase or aqueous phase as the continuous one, the dispersed phase behaves mainly as coalescing or dispersing, respectively. The sieve plate pulsed column has a fairish flooding throughput for this system. Under the same pulsation intensity, the flooding throughput for the organic phase as the continuous one is more than that for the aqueous phase as the continuous one

Numerical Investigation of a Tuned Heave Plate Energy-Harvesting System of a Semi-Submersible Platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kun Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A novel tuned heave plate energy-harvesting system (THPEH is presented for the motion suppressing and energy harvesting of a semi-submersible platform. This THPEH system is designed based on the principle of a tuned mass damper (TMD and is composed of spring supports, a power take-off system (PTO and four movable heave plates. The permanent magnet linear generators (PMLG are used as the PTO system in this design. A semi-submersible platform operating in the South China Sea is selected as the research subject for investigating the effects of the THPEH system on motion reduction and harvesting energy through numerical simulations. The numerical model of the platform and the THPEH system, which was established based on hydrodynamic analysis, is modified and validated by the results of the flume test of a 1:70 scale model. The effects of the parameters, including the size, the frequency ratio and the damping ratio of the THPEH system, are systematically investigated. The results show that this THPEH system, with proper parameters, could significantly reduce the motions of the semi-submersible platform and generate considerable power under different wave conditions.

Nasal lavage cellularity, grain dust, and airflow obstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Blaski, C A; Watt, J L; Quinn, T J; Thorne, P S; Schwartz, D A

1996-04-01

To evaluate the clinical utility of nasal lavage (NL), we performed post-work shift NL on 172 grain workers and 78 postal worker control subjects. The grain worker group included a higher percentage of current smokers (25.7% vs 16.7%) and a lower percentage of former smokers (21.15% vs 35.9%) compared with the postal workers. The control subjects included more female workers and were slightly older than the grain workers. Compared with the postal workers, the grain workers were exposed to significantly greater concentrations of total dust (0.1 +/- 0.0 vs 6.8 +/- 1.4 mg/m3; mean +/- SEM) and total endotoxin (4.3 +/- 0.8 vs 2,372.4 +/- 653.8 endotoxin units/m3). NL from gain workers showed a higher concentration of total cells (55,000 +/- 14,000 vs 25,000 +/- 5,000 cells per milliliter; p=0.03), a higher concentration of squamous epithelial cells (17,029.0 +/- 4,177 .0 vs 7,103.7 +/- 1,479.8 cells per milliliter; p=0.03), and a higher concentration of neutrophils (40,058.0 +/- 12,803.2 vs 17,891.0 +/- 3,822.3 cells per milliliter; p=0.10) compared with postal workers. Importantly, these differences in NL cellularity between grain workers and postal workers were observed within the three strata of smokers. To further assess the importance of total cells, squamous epithelial cells, and neutrophils in the NL fluid of grain workers, we investigated the relationship between these cell concentrations and (1) measures of dust and endotoxin exposure during the work shift. (2) spirometric measures of airflow obtained immediately before the NL, and (3) work-related respiratory symptoms. The concentration of total cells, the concentration of squamous epithelial cells, or the concentration of neutrophils in the NL was not associated with ambient levels of dust or endotoxin, with baseline or cross-shift changes in lung function, or with work-related respiratory symptoms. These findings suggest that increased NL cellularity may be seen in workers exposed to high dust levels

General purpose - expert system for the analysis and design of base plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Shawaf, T.D.; Hahn, W.F.; Ho, A.D.

1987-01-01

As an expert system, the IMPLATE program uses plant specific information to make decisions in modeling and analysis of baseplates. The user supplies a minimum of information which is checked for validity and reasonableness. Once this data is supplied, the program automatically generates a compatible mesh and finite element model from its data base accounting for the attachments, stiffeners, anchor bolts and plate/concrete interface. Based on the loading direction, the program deletes certain degrees of freedom and performs a linear or a nonlinear solution, whichever is appropriate. Load step sizes and equilibrium iteration are automatically selected by the program to ensure a convergent solution. Once the analysis is completed, a code check is then performed and a summary of results is produced. Plots of the plate deformation pattern and stress contours are also generated. (orig.)

Sterilization efficacy of ultraviolet irradiation on microbial aerosols under dynamic airflow by experimental air conditioning systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Hiroshi

1987-01-01

In order to know the sterilization efficacy of ultraviolet irradiation on microbial aerosols, the size and the weight of the aerosol particles were evaluated, and these were irradiated under dynamic air flow created by an experimental air conditioning system. The experimental apparatus consisted of a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, an aerosol generator, spiral UV lamps placed around a quart glass tube, an Andersen air sampler and a vacuum pump. They were connected serially by stainless steel ducts (85 mm in diameter, 8 m in length). Six types of microbial aerosols generated from an ultrasonic nebulizer were irradiated by UV rays (wavelength 254 nm, mean density 9400 μW/cm 2 ). Their irradiation time ranged from 1.0 to 0.0625 seconds. The microbial aerosols were collected onto the trypticase soy agar (TSA) medium in the Andersen air sampler. After incubation, the number of colony forming units (CFU) were counted, and converted to particle counts. The diameter of microbial aerosol particles calculated by their log normal distribution were found to match the diameter of a single bacteria cell measured by a microscope. The sterilization efficacy of UV in standard airflow conditions (0.5 sec. irradiation) were found to be over 99.5 % in Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Serratia marcescens, Bacillus subtilis (vegetative cell) and Bacillus subtilis (spore) and 67 % in Aspergillus niger (conidium). In A. niger, which was the most resistant microbe to UV irradiation, the efficacy rose up to 79 % when irradiated for 1.0 sec., and it was observed that the growth speed of the colonies was slower than that of the controls. It was thought that UV rays caused some damage to the proliferation of A. niger cells. (author)

The parameterization of microchannel-plate-based detection systems

Science.gov (United States)

Gershman, Daniel J.; Gliese, Ulrik; Dorelli, John C.; Avanov, Levon A.; Barrie, Alexander C.; Chornay, Dennis J.; MacDonald, Elizabeth A.; Holland, Matthew P.; Giles, Barbara L.; Pollock, Craig J.

2016-10-01

The most common instrument for low-energy plasmas consists of a top-hat electrostatic analyzer (ESA) geometry coupled with a microchannel-plate-based (MCP-based) detection system. While the electrostatic optics for such sensors are readily simulated and parameterized during the laboratory calibration process, the detection system is often less well characterized. Here we develop a comprehensive mathematical description of particle detection systems. As a function of instrument azimuthal angle, we parameterize (1) particle scattering within the ESA and at the surface of the MCP, (2) the probability distribution of MCP gain for an incident particle, (3) electron charge cloud spreading between the MCP and anode board, and (4) capacitive coupling between adjacent discrete anodes. Using the Dual Electron Spectrometers on the Fast Plasma Investigation on NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission as an example, we demonstrate a method for extracting these fundamental detection system parameters from laboratory calibration. We further show that parameters that will evolve in flight, namely, MCP gain, can be determined through application of this model to specifically tailored in-flight calibration activities. This methodology provides a robust characterization of sensor suite performance throughout mission lifetime. The model developed in this work is not only applicable to existing sensors but also can be used as an analytical design tool for future particle instrumentation.

Airflow obstruction: is it asthma or is it COPD?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rogliani P

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Paola Rogliani, Josuel Ora, Ermanno Puxeddu, Mario Cazzola Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy Abstract: Despite the availability of guideline recommendations, diagnostic confusion between COPD and asthma appears common, and often it is very difficult to decide whether the obstruction is caused by asthma or COPD in a patient with airway obstruction. However, there are well-defined features that help in differentiating asthma from COPD in the presence of fixed airflow obstruction. Nonetheless, the presentations of asthma and COPD can converge and mimic each other, making it difficult to give these patients a diagnosis of either condition. The association of asthma and COPD in the same patient has been designated mixed asthma–COPD phenotype or overlap syndrome. However, since the absence of a clear definition and the inclusion of patients with different characteristics under this umbrella term, it may not facilitate treatment decisions, especially in the absence of clinical trials addressing this heterogeneous population. We are realizing that neither asthma nor COPD are single diseases, but rather syndromes consisting of several endotypes and phenotypes, consequently comprising a spectrum of diseases that must be recognized and adequately treated with targeted therapy. Therefore, we must treat patients by personalizing therapy on the basis of those treatable traits present in each subject. Keywords: airway obstruction, asthma, ACOS, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Pulmonary function impairment in patients with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema with and without airflow obstruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kitaguchi Y

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Yoshiaki Kitaguchi,1,2 Keisaku Fujimoto,3 Masayuki Hanaoka,1 Takayuki Honda,4 Junichi Hotta,2 Jiro Hirayama2 1First Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, 2Department of Internal Medicine, Okaya City Hospital, Okaya, 3Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, 4Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan Background: The syndrome of combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE is a recently described entity associating upper-lobe emphysema and lower-lobe fibrosis. We sought to evaluate differences in pulmonary function between CPFE patients with and without airflow obstruction. Subjects and methods: Thirty-one CPFE patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of irreversible airflow obstruction based on spirometry (forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity <70% following inhalation of a β2-agonist as follows: CPFE patients with airflow obstruction (CPFE OB+ group, n=11, and CPFE patients without airflow obstruction (CPFE OB– group, n=20. Pulmonary function, including respiratory impedance evaluated using impulse oscillometry and dynamic hyperinflation following metronome-paced incremental hyperventilation, was retrospectively analyzed in comparison with that observed in 49 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD patients (n=49. Results: In imaging findings, low-attenuation-area scores on chest high-resolution computed tomography, representing the degree of emphysema, were significantly lower in the CPFE OB– group than in the CPFE OB+ and COPD groups. In contrast, the severity of pulmonary fibrosis was greater in the CPFE OB– group than in the CPFE OB+ group. In pulmonary function, lung hyperinflation was not apparent in the CPFE OB– group. Impairment of diffusion capacity was severe in both the CPFE OB– and CPFE OB+ groups. Impulse oscillometry showed that respiratory resistance was not

Mechanics of airflow in the human nasal airways.

Science.gov (United States)

Doorly, D J; Taylor, D J; Schroter, R C

2008-11-30

The mechanics of airflow in the human nasal airways is reviewed, drawing on the findings of experimental and computational model studies. Modelling inevitably requires simplifications and assumptions, particularly given the complexity of the nasal airways. The processes entailed in modelling the nasal airways (from defining the model, to its production and, finally, validating the results) is critically examined, both for physical models and for computational simulations. Uncertainty still surrounds the appropriateness of the various assumptions made in modelling, particularly with regard to the nature of flow. New results are presented in which high-speed particle image velocimetry (PIV) and direct numerical simulation are applied to investigate the development of flow instability in the nasal cavity. These illustrate some of the improved capabilities afforded by technological developments for future model studies. The need for further improvements in characterising airway geometry and flow together with promising new methods are briefly discussed.

Experimental study of airflow characteristics of stratum ventilation in a multi-occupant room with comparison to mixing ventilation and displacement ventilation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Y; Lin, Z

2015-12-01

The motivation of this study is stimulated by a lack of knowledge about the difference of airflow characteristics between a novel air distribution method [i.e., stratum ventilation (SV)] and conventional air distribution methods [i.e., mixing ventilation (MV) and displacement ventilation (DV)]. Detailed air velocity and temperature measurements were conducted in the occupied zone of a classroom with dimensions of 8.8 m (L) × 6.1 m (W) × 2.4 m (H). Turbulence intensity and power spectrum of velocity fluctuation were calculated using the measured data. Thermal comfort and cooling efficiency were also compared. The results show that in the occupied zone, the airflow characteristics among MV, DV, and SV are different. The turbulent airflow fluctuation is enhanced in this classroom with multiple thermal manikins due to thermal buoyancy and airflow mixing effect. Thermal comfort evaluations indicate that in comparison with MV and DV, a higher supply air temperature should be adopted for SV to achieve general thermal comfort with low draft risk. Comparison of the mean air temperatures in the occupied zone reveals that SV is of highest cooling efficiency, followed by DV and then MV. This study reports the unique profiles of flow, temperature, turbulence intensity, and power spectrum of stratum ventilation, which can have a number of implications for both knowledge and understanding of the flow characteristics in a stratum-ventilated room. With respect to the former, it expounds the fundamental characteristics of this air distribution method; and with respect to the latter, it reveals the mechanism of thermal comfort and energy saving under stratum ventilation. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of enzymatic pretreatment on the physical quality of plantain (Musa ssp., group AAB) employing airflow reversal drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Miranda, J; Martínez-Sánchez, C E; Hernández-Santos, B; Juárez-Barrientos, J M; Ventura-Báez, E G; Herman-Lara, E

2018-01-01

This work aimed to evaluate the effect of enzymatic pretreatment on the color and texture of plantain ( Musa ssp., group AAB) dried by airflow reversal drying. Plantain slices 1.0 cm thick were used. Pretreatment with two commercial enzymes, Pectinex Ultra SPL ( Aspergillus aculeatus ) and Pectinex 3XL ( Aspergillus niger ), was performed. Drying kinetics were determined with and without pretreatment at temperatures of 50, 65 and 80 °C using a fixed bed convective dryer. An air speed of 6 m/s, a bed height of 5 cm and either unidirectional flow or airflow reversal (every 15 min) were used for drying. Color and texture were analyzed, and consumer acceptance of the results of the best treatments was determined. Pretreatment with the enzyme A. niger and airflow reversal gave the best drying kinetics and showed the greatest reduction in drying time (59.0%) at 80 °C. The best hardness results were found at 80 °C with A. niger enzymatic pretreatment with both types of air flow. Brightness and hue angle showed that samples pretreated with enzymes and dried at 65 °C had a lighter yellow color compared to non-pretreated samples. Plantain samples enzymatically pretreated and dried at 65 and 80 °C were the most accepted by consumers. This kind of enzymatic pretreatment on plantain could allow the conservation of some physical properties and reduction of drying times relative to the current methodology.

CITRIC-ACID COUGH THRESHOLD AND AIRWAY RESPONSIVENESS IN ASTHMATIC-PATIENTS AND SMOKERS WITH CHRONIC AIR-FLOW OBSTRUCTION

NARCIS (Netherlands)

AUFFARTH, B; DEMONCHY, JGR; VANDERMARK, TW; POSTMA, DS; KOETER, GH

The relation between citric acid cough threshold and airway hyperresponsiveness was investigated in 11 non-smoking patients with allergic asthma (mean FEV1 94% predicted) and 25 non-atopic smokers with chronic airflow obstruction (mean FEV1 65% predicted). Cough threshold was determined on two

A study and development of a system for the determination of porus plates permeability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leitao Junior, C.B.; Zorzetto, L.F.

1989-07-01

A device employed for the study of flux in porous media and another one employed for the determination of permeability of porous plate are presented in this work. Experimental data and calculation obtained from the above cited systems are also presented. (author) [pt

Advanced Extended Plate and Beam Wall System in a Cold-Climate House

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mallay, Dave [Home Innovation Research Labs, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Wiehagen, Joseph [Home Innovation Research Labs, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Kochkin, Vladimir [Home Innovation Research Labs, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States)

2016-01-29

This report presents the design and evaluation of an innovative wall system. This highly insulated (high-R) light-frame wall system for use above grade in residential buildings is referred to as Extended Plate & Beam (EP&B). The EP&B design is the first of its kind to be featured in a new construction test house (NCTH) for the DOE Building America program. The EP&B wall design integrates standard building methods and common building products to construct a high-R wall that minimizes transition risks and costs to builders. The EP&B design combines optimized framing with integrated rigid foam sheathing to increase the wall system's R-value and reduce thermal bridging. The foam sheathing is installed between the wall studs and structural wood sheathing. The exterior wood sheathing is attached directly to a framing extension formed by extended top and bottom plates. The exterior wood sheathing can dry to the exterior and provides bracing, a clear drainage plane and flashing surface for window and door openings, and a nailing surface for siding attachment. With support of the DOE Building America program, Home Innovation Research Labs partnered with Lancaster County Career and Technology Center (LCCTC) to build a NCTH in Lancaster, PA to demonstrate the EP&B wall design in a cold climate (IECC climate zone 5A). The results of the study confirmed the benefits of the systems and the viability of its integration into the house construction process.

Effects of Damping Plate and Taut Line System on Mooring Stability of Small Wave Energy Converter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhen Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Ocean wave energy can be used for electricity supply to ocean data acquisition buoys. A heaving buoy wave energy converter is designed and the damping plate and taut line system are used to provide the mooring stability for better operating conditions. The potential flow assumption is employed for wave generation and fluid structure interactions, which are processed by the commercial software AQWA. Effects of damping plate diameter and taut line linking style with clump and seabed weights on reduction of displacements in 6 degrees of freedom are numerically studied under different operating wave conditions. Tensile forces on taut lines of optimized mooring system are tested to satisfy the national code for wire rope utilization.

Cold plate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marroquin, Christopher M.; O' Connell, Kevin M.; Schultz, Mark D.; Tian, Shurong

2018-02-13

A cold plate, an electronic assembly including a cold plate, and a method for forming a cold plate are provided. The cold plate includes an interface plate and an opposing plate that form a plenum. The cold plate includes a plurality of active areas arranged for alignment over respective heat generating portions of an electronic assembly, and non-active areas between the active areas. A cooling fluid flows through the plenum. The plenum, at the non-active areas, has a reduced width and/or reduced height relative to the plenum at the active areas. The reduced width and/or height of the plenum, and exterior dimensions of cold plate, at the non-active areas allow the non-active areas to flex to accommodate surface variations of the electronics assembly. The reduced width and/or height non-active areas can be specifically shaped to fit between physical features of the electronics assembly.

Modeling the hydrodynamics of phloem sieve plates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaare Hartvig Jensen

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Sieve plates have an enormous impact on the efficiency of the phloem vascular system of plants, responsible for the distribution of photosynthetic products. These thin plates, which separate neighboring phloem cells, are perforated by a large number of tiny sieve pores and are believed to play a crucial role in protecting the phloem sap from intruding animals by blocking flow when the phloem cell is damaged. The resistance to the flow of viscous sap in the phloem vascular system is strongly affected by the presence of the sieve plates, but the hydrodynamics of the flow through them remains poorly understood. We propose a theoretical model for quantifying the effect of sieve plates on the phloem in the plant, thus unifying and improving previous work in the field. Numerical simulations of the flow in real and idealized phloem channels verify our model, and anatomical data from 19 plant species are investigated. We find that the sieve plate resistance is correlated to the cell lumen resistance, and that the sieve plate and the lumen contribute almost equally to the total hydraulic resistance of the phloem translocation pathway.

Image simulation for automatic license plate recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Bala, Raja; Zhao, Yonghui; Burry, Aaron; Kozitsky, Vladimir; Fillion, Claude; Saunders, Craig; Rodríguez-Serrano, José

2012-01-01

Automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) is an important capability for traffic surveillance applications, including toll monitoring and detection of different types of traffic violations. ALPR is a multi-stage process comprising plate localization, character segmentation, optical character recognition (OCR), and identification of originating jurisdiction (i.e. state or province). Training of an ALPR system for a new jurisdiction typically involves gathering vast amounts of license plate images and associated ground truth data, followed by iterative tuning and optimization of the ALPR algorithms. The substantial time and effort required to train and optimize the ALPR system can result in excessive operational cost and overhead. In this paper we propose a framework to create an artificial set of license plate images for accelerated training and optimization of ALPR algorithms. The framework comprises two steps: the synthesis of license plate images according to the design and layout for a jurisdiction of interest; and the modeling of imaging transformations and distortions typically encountered in the image capture process. Distortion parameters are estimated by measurements of real plate images. The simulation methodology is successfully demonstrated for training of OCR.

Advanced Extended Plate and Beam Wall System in a Cold-Climate House

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mallay, Dave [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Wiehagen, Joseph [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Kochkin, Vladimir [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States)

2016-01-01

This report presents the design and evaluation of an innovative wall system. This highly insulated (high-R) light-frame wall system for use above grade in residential buildings is referred to as Extended Plate & Beam (EP&B). The EP&B design is the first of its kind to be featured in a new construction test house (NCTH) for the DOE Building America program. The EP&B wall design integrates standard building methods and common building products to construct a high-R wall that minimizes transition risks and costs to builders.

Performance Analysis of a Modular Small-Diamter Air Distribution System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poerschke, Andrew [IBACOS, Inc., Pitsburgh, PA (United States); Rudd, Armin [ABT Systems, LLC, Annville, PA (United States)

2016-03-01

This report investigates the feasibility of using a home-run manifold small-diameter duct system to provide space conditioning air to individual thermal zones in a low-load home. This compact layout allows duct systems to be brought easily within conditioned space via interior partition walls. Centrally locating the air handler unit in the house significantly reduces duct lengths. The plenum box is designed so that each connected duct receives an equal amount of airflow, regardless of the duct position on the box. Furthermore, within a reasonable set of length restrictions, each duct continues to receive similar airflow. The design method uses an additive approach to reach the total needed zonal airflow. Once the cubic feet per minute needed to satisfy the thermal load of a zone has been determined, the total number of duct runs to a zone can be calculated by dividing the required airflow by the standard airflow from each duct. The additive approach greatly simplifies the design effort and reduces the potential for duct design mistakes to be made. Measured results indicate that this plenum design can satisfy the heating load. However, the total airflow falls short of satisfying the cooling load in a hypothetical building. Static pressure inside the plenum box of 51.5 Pa limited the total airflow of the attached mini-split heat pump blower, thus limiting the total thermal capacity. Fan energy consumption is kept to 0.16 to 0.22 watt/CFM by using short duct runs and smooth duct material.

Building America Case Study: High-Velocity Small-Diameter Duct System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2017-04-01

This study tests the performance of a variable airflow small-diameter duct heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in a new construction unoccupied low-load test house in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The duct system was installed entirely in conditioned space and was operated from the winter through summer seasons. Measurements were collected on the in-room temperatures and energy consumed by the air handler and heat pump unit. Operation modes with three different volumes of airflow were compared to determine the ideal airflow scenario that maximizes room-to-room thermal uniformity while minimizing fan energy consumption. Black felt infrared imagery was used as a measure of diffuser throw and in-room air mixing. Measured results indicate the small-diameter, high velocity airflow system can provide comfort under some conditions. Solar heat gains resulted in southern rooms drifting beyond acceptable temperature limits. Insufficient airflow to some bedrooms also resulted in periods of potential discomfort. Homebuilders or HVAC contractors can use these results to assess whether this space conditioning strategy is an attractive alternative to a traditional duct system. The team performed a cost analysis of two duct system configurations: (1) a conventional diameter and velocity duct system, and (2) the small-diameter duct system. This work applies to both new and retrofit homes that have achieved a low heating and cooling density either by energy conservation or by operation in a mild climate with few heating or cooling degree days. Guidance is provided on cost trade-offs between the conventional duct system and the small-diameter duct system.

The classical Starling resistor model often does not predict inspiratory airflow patterns in the human upper airway.

Science.gov (United States)

Owens, Robert L; Edwards, Bradley A; Sands, Scott A; Butler, James P; Eckert, Danny J; White, David P; Malhotra, Atul; Wellman, Andrew

2014-04-15

The upper airway is often modeled as a classical Starling resistor, featuring a constant inspiratory airflow, or plateau, over a range of downstream pressures. However, airflow tracings from clinical sleep studies often show an initial peak before the plateau. To conform to the Starling model, the initial peak must be of small magnitude or dismissed as a transient. We developed a method to simulate fast or slow inspirations through the human upper airway, to test the hypothesis that this initial peak is a transient. Eight subjects [4 obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), 4 controls] slept in an "iron lung" and wore a nasal mask connected to a continuous/bilevel positive airway pressure machine. Downstream pressure was measured using an epiglottic catheter. During non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, subjects were hyperventilated to produce a central apnea, then extrathoracic pressure was decreased slowly (∼2-4 s) or abruptly (resistor model, the upper airway exhibits marked NED in some subjects.

Paired maximum inspiratory and expiratory plain chest radiographs for assessment of airflow limitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kinoshita, Takashi, E-mail: tkino@med.kurume-u.ac.jp [Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Kawayama, Tomotaka, E-mail: kawayama_tomotaka@med.kurume-u.ac.jp [Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Imamura, Youhei, E-mail: mamura_youhei@med.kurume-u.ac.jp [Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Sakazaki, Yuki, E-mail: sakazaki@med.kurume-u.ac.jp [Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Hirai, Ryo, E-mail: hirai_ryou@kurume-u.ac.jp [Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Ishii, Hidenobu, E-mail: shii_hidenobu@med.kurume-u.ac.jp [Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Suetomo, Masashi, E-mail: jin_t_f_c@yahoo.co.jp [Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Matsunaga, Kazuko, E-mail: kmatsunaga@kouhoukai.or.jp [Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Azuma, Koichi, E-mail: azuma@med.kurume-u.ac.jp [Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Fujimoto, Kiminori, E-mail: kimichan@med.kurume-u.ac.jp [Department of Radiology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan); Hoshino, Tomoaki, E-mail: hoshino@med.kurume-u.ac.jp [Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume (Japan)

2015-04-15

Highlights: •It is often to use computed tomography (CT) scan for diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. •CT scan is more expensive and higher. •A plane chest radiography more simple and cheap. Moreover, it is useful as detection of pulmonary emphysema, but not airflow limitation. •Our study demonstrated that the maximum inspiratory and expiratory plane chest radiography technique could detect severe airflow limitations. •We believe that the technique is helpful to diagnose the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. -- Abstract: Background: The usefulness of paired maximum inspiratory and expiratory (I/E) plain chest radiography (pCR) for diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is still unclear. Objectives: We examined whether measurement of the I/E ratio using paired I/E pCR could be used for detection of airflow limitation in patients with COPD. Methods: Eighty patients with COPD (GOLD stage I = 23, stage II = 32, stage III = 15, stage IV = 10) and 34 control subjects were enrolled. The I/E ratios of frontal and lateral lung areas, and lung distance between the apex and base on pCR views were analyzed quantitatively. Pulmonary function parameters were measured at the same time. Results: The I/E ratios for the frontal lung area (1.25 ± 0.01), the lateral lung area (1.29 ± 0.01), and the lung distance (1.18 ± 0.01) were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in COPD patients compared with controls (1.31 ± 0.02 and 1.38 ± 0.02, and 1.22 ± 0.01, respectively). The I/E ratios in frontal and lateral areas, and lung distance were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in severe (GOLD stage III) and very severe (GOLD stage IV) COPD as compared to control subjects, although the I/E ratios did not differ significantly between severe and very severe COPD. Moreover, the I/E ratios were significantly correlated with pulmonary function parameters. Conclusions: Measurement of I/E ratios on paired I/E pCR is simple and

Paired maximum inspiratory and expiratory plain chest radiographs for assessment of airflow limitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinoshita, Takashi; Kawayama, Tomotaka; Imamura, Youhei; Sakazaki, Yuki; Hirai, Ryo; Ishii, Hidenobu; Suetomo, Masashi; Matsunaga, Kazuko; Azuma, Koichi; Fujimoto, Kiminori; Hoshino, Tomoaki

2015-01-01

Highlights: •It is often to use computed tomography (CT) scan for diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. •CT scan is more expensive and higher. •A plane chest radiography more simple and cheap. Moreover, it is useful as detection of pulmonary emphysema, but not airflow limitation. •Our study demonstrated that the maximum inspiratory and expiratory plane chest radiography technique could detect severe airflow limitations. •We believe that the technique is helpful to diagnose the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. -- Abstract: Background: The usefulness of paired maximum inspiratory and expiratory (I/E) plain chest radiography (pCR) for diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is still unclear. Objectives: We examined whether measurement of the I/E ratio using paired I/E pCR could be used for detection of airflow limitation in patients with COPD. Methods: Eighty patients with COPD (GOLD stage I = 23, stage II = 32, stage III = 15, stage IV = 10) and 34 control subjects were enrolled. The I/E ratios of frontal and lateral lung areas, and lung distance between the apex and base on pCR views were analyzed quantitatively. Pulmonary function parameters were measured at the same time. Results: The I/E ratios for the frontal lung area (1.25 ± 0.01), the lateral lung area (1.29 ± 0.01), and the lung distance (1.18 ± 0.01) were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in COPD patients compared with controls (1.31 ± 0.02 and 1.38 ± 0.02, and 1.22 ± 0.01, respectively). The I/E ratios in frontal and lateral areas, and lung distance were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in severe (GOLD stage III) and very severe (GOLD stage IV) COPD as compared to control subjects, although the I/E ratios did not differ significantly between severe and very severe COPD. Moreover, the I/E ratios were significantly correlated with pulmonary function parameters. Conclusions: Measurement of I/E ratios on paired I/E pCR is simple and

Overweight and obesity may lead to under-diagnosis of airflow limitation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Çolak, Yunus; Marott, Jacob Louis; Vestbo, Jørgen

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity has increased during the last decades and varies from 10-20% in most European countries to approximately 32% in the United States. However, data on how obesity affects the presence of airflow limitation (AFL) defined as a reduced ratio between forced expiratory...... volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) are scarce. METHODS: Data was derived from the third examination of the Copenhagen City Heart Study from 1991 until 1994 (n = 10,135). We examine the impact of different adiposity markers (weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist......-diagnosis and under-treatment of COPD among individuals with overweight and obesity....

Proceedings of the flat-plate solar array project research forum on photovoltaic metallization systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1983-11-15

A Photovoltaic Metallization Research Forum, under the sponsorship of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Flat-Plate Solar Array Project and the US Department of Energy, was held March 16-18, 1983 at Pine Mountain, Georgia. The Forum consisted of five sessions, covering (1) the current status of metallization systems, (2) system design, (3) thick-film metallization, (4) advanced techniques and (5) future metallization challenges. Twenty-three papers were presented.

Development of an automation system for a tablet coater

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruotsalainen, Mirja; Heinämäki, Jyrki; Rantanen, Jukka

2002-01-01

An instrumentation and automation system for a side-vented pan coater with a novel air-flow rate measurement system for monitoring the film-coating process of tablets was designed and tested. The instrumented coating system was tested and validated by film-coating over 20 pilot-scale batches...... and automated pan-coating system described, including historical data storage capability and a novel air-flow measurement system, is a useful tool for controlling and characterizing the tablet film-coating process. Monitoring of critical process parameters increases the overall coating process efficiency...

A critical appraisal of the phene-plate biochemical fingerprinting system for epidemiological subtyping of Salmonella typhimurium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

On, S.L.W.; Baggesen, Dorte Lau

1996-01-01

The efficacy and reproducibility of the Phene-Plate (PhP) system (Biosys Inova, Stockholm, Sweden) for biochemical fingerprinting of Salmonella typhimurium was investigated. Duplicate and replicate assays on 40 epidemiologically related and unrelated strains were performed in two batches of PhP-48......P-types which are epidemiologically unjustified, (ii) tests currently recommended for PhP-typing S. typhimurium may be somewhat unstable and not satisfactory for fingerprinting purposes, (iii) caution must be exercised when comparing data from different batches of PhP-48 plates, and (iv) best results...

Characterization of an in vivo thyroid 131I monitoring system using an imaging plate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirota, Masahiro; Saze, Takuya; Nishizawa, Kunihide

2004-01-01

The effects of neck diameter, thyroid volume, and prethyroid tissue thickness on a count-activity conversion coefficient and the detection limit of a thyroid 131 I monitoring system with an imaging plate (IP) were estimated by using an anthropomorphic thyroid-neck phantom. The conversion coefficient and detection limit of the IP system was approximately constant for normal Japanese adults regardless of their neck diameters, thyroid volumes, and prethyroid tissue thicknesses. The IP system is a new option for thyroid 131 I monitoring

Resorbable versus titanium plates for orthognathic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Agnihotry, Anirudha; Fedorowicz, Zbys; Nasser, Mona; Gill, Karanjot S

2017-10-04

Recognition of some of the limitations of titanium plates and screws used for the fixation of bones has led to the development of plates manufactured from bioresorbable materials. Whilst resorbable plates appear to offer clinical advantages over metal plates in orthognathic surgery, concerns remain about the stability of fixation and the length of time required for their degradation and the possibility of foreign body reactions. This review compares the use of titanium versus bioresorbable plates in orthognathic surgery and is an update of the Cochrane Review first published in 2007. To compare the effects of bioresorbable fixation systems with titanium systems used during orthognathic surgery. Cochrane Oral Health's Information Specialist searched the following databases: Cochrane Oral Health's Trials Register (to 20 January 2017); the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2016, Issue 11) in the Cochrane Library (searched 20 January 2017); MEDLINE Ovid (1946 to 20 January 2017); and Embase Ovid (1980 to 20 January 2017). We searched the US National Institutes of Health Ongoing Trials Register ClinicalTrials.gov (clinicaltrials.gov; searched 20 January 2017), and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (searched 20 January 2017) for ongoing trials. No restrictions were placed on the language or date of publication when searching the electronic databases. Randomised controlled trials comparing bioresorbable versus titanium fixation systems used for orthognathic surgery in adults. Two review authors independently screened the results of the electronic searches, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. We resolved disagreement by discussion. Clinical heterogeneity between the included trials precluded pooling of data, and only a descriptive summary is presented. This review included two trials, involving 103 participants, one comparing titanium with resorbable plates and screws and

Preparation of ultra-fine calcium carbonate by a solvent-free reaction using supersonic airflow and low temperatures

OpenAIRE

Cai, Yan-Hua; Ma, Dong-Mei; Peng, Ru-Fang; Chu, Shi-Jin

2008-01-01

The treatment of calcium chloride with sodium carbonate under solvent-free conditions with a supersonic airflow and at a low heating temperature leads to the synthesis of ultra-fine calcium carbonate. The reaction not only involves mild conditions, a simple operation, and high yields but also gives a high conversion rate.

Resuspension of carbon dust collected in Tore Supra and exposed to turbulent airflow: Controlled experiments and comparison with model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peillon, S., E-mail: samuel.peillon@irsn.fr [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSN-RES/SCA/LPMA, Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette 91192 (France); Roynette, A. [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSN-RES/SCA/LPMA, Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette 91192 (France); Grisolia, C. [CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Gensdarmes, F. [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSN-RES/SCA/LPMA, Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette 91192 (France)

2014-11-15

Highlights: • Mobilization of dust is a key issue for the safety assessment of fusion reactors. • Carbon dust has been collected on the plasma facing components of Tore Supra. • Samples exhibit bimodal particle size distributions. • Samples have been exposed to turbulent airflows for dust resuspension studies. • A comparison with the so-called Rock’n roll resuspension model is proposed. - Abstract: This work presents the results of experiments conducted with carbon microparticles collected in the tokamak Tore Supra in order to characterize their resuspension behaviour from a stainless-steel substrate when exposed to turbulent airflow. Experiments were conducted in a wind tunnel with controlled velocity profiles and monitored environmental conditions. A consequent amount of dust has been collected in the vessel of the tokamak and a bimodal particle size distribution of samples is first demonstrated. Comparison with resuspension of alumina powders with equivalent particle size distributions under turbulent airflow is also discussed. Results for both carbon and alumina microparticles are then compared to a theoretical resuspension model. Data reveal that exposing multilayer deposits with bimodal particle size distributions to low-speed flows (i.e. 3–10 m/s) induces a significant reduction of the mobilized fractions compared to what was predicted by the model. In addition, results helped to highlight some limitations in the model to physically describe changes in the adhesive strength that can occur with a polydisperse deposit.

Modeling the hydrodynamics of Phloem sieve plates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kaare Hartvig; Mullendore, Daniel Leroy; Holbrook, Noel Michele

2012-01-01

Sieve plates have an enormous impact on the efficiency of the phloem vascular system of plants, responsible for the distribution of photosynthetic products. These thin plates, which separate neighboring phloem cells, are perforated by a large number of tiny sieve pores and are believed to play...... understood. We propose a theoretical model for quantifying the effect of sieve plates on the phloem in the plant, thus unifying and improving previous work in the field. Numerical simulations of the flow in real and idealized phloem channels verify our model, and anatomical data from 19 plant species...... a crucial role in protecting the phloem sap from intruding animals by blocking flow when the phloem cell is damaged. The resistance to the flow of viscous sap in the phloem vascular system is strongly affected by the presence of the sieve plates, but the hydrodynamics of the flow through them remains poorly...

Thermo-mechanical analysis of the pressure plate of clutch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P.V.N. Venkata Mallikarjuna

2017-09-01

Full Text Available High Temperature appears in the contact surfaces of a clutch system (friction surface and pressure plate due to the relative motion between these parts during the sliding period. These high temperatures are responsible for several failures such as pressure plate crack, pressure plate warpage etc. With the help of Finite element analysis, the sliding friction process of the pressure plate and friction during clutch engagement is simulated to get temperature field characteristics and contact pressure of pressure plate.

Analysis of hydraulic instability of ANS involute fuel plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sartory, W.K.

1991-11-01

Curved shell equations for the involute Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) fuel plates are coupled to two-dimensional hydraulic channel flow equations that include fluid friction. A complete set of fluid and plate boundary conditions is applied at the entrance and exit and along the sides of the plate and the channel. The coupled system is linearized and solved to assess the hydraulic instability of the plates

Astrometric properties of the Tautenburg Plate Scanner

Science.gov (United States)

Brunzendorf, Jens; Meusinger, Helmut

The Tautenburg Plate Scanner (TPS) is an advanced plate-measuring machine run by the Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg (Karl Schwarzschild Observatory), where the machine is housed. It is capable of digitising photographic plates up to 30 cm × 30 cm in size. In our poster, we reported on tests and preliminary results of its astrometric properties. The essential components of the TPS consist of an x-y table movable between an illumination system and a direct imaging system. A telecentric lens images the light transmitted through the photographic emulsion onto a CCD line of 6000 pixels of 10 µm square size each. All components are mounted on a massive air-bearing table. Scanning is performed in lanes of up to 55 mm width by moving the x-y table in a continuous drift-scan mode perpendicular to the CCD line. The analogue output from the CCD is digitised to 12 bit with a total signal/noise ratio of 1000 : 1, corresponding to a photographic density range of three. The pixel map is produced as a series of optionally overlapping lane scans. The pixel data are stored onto CD-ROM or DAT. A Tautenburg Schmidt plate 24 cm × 24 cm in size is digitised within 2.5 hours resulting in 1.3 GB of data. Subsequent high-level data processing is performed off-line on other computers. During the scanning process, the geometry of the optical components is kept fixed. The optimal focussing of the optics is performed prior to the scan. Due to the telecentric lens refocussing is not required. Therefore, the main source of astrometric errors (beside the emulsion itself) are mechanical imperfections in the drive system, which have to be divided into random and systematic ones. The r.m.s. repeatability over the whole plate as measured by repeated scans of the same plate is about 0.5 µm for each axis. The mean plate-to-plate accuracy of the object positions on two plates with the same epoch and the same plate centre has been determined to be about 1 µm. This accuracy is comparable to

Comparison of sensor systems designed using multizone, zonal, and CFD data for protection of indoor environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Y. Lisa; Wen, Jin [Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States)

2010-04-15

Sensors that detect chemical and biological warfare agents can offer early warning of dangerous contaminants. However, current sensor system design is mostly by intuition and experience rather than by systematic design. To develop a sensor system design methodology, the proper selection of an indoor airflow model is needed. Various indoor airflow models exist in the literature, from complex computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simpler approaches such as multizone and zonal models. Airflow models provide the contaminant concentration data, to which an optimization method can be applied to design sensor systems. The authors utilized a subzonal modeling approach when using a multizone model and were the first to utilize a zonal model for systematic sensor system design. The objective of the study was to examine whether or not data from a simpler airflow model could be used to design sensor systems capable of performing just as well as those designed using data from more complex CFD models. Three test environments, a small office, a large hall, and an office suite were examined. Results showed that when a unique sensor system design was not needed, sensor systems designed using data from simpler airflow models could perform just as well as those designed using CFD data. Further, only for the small office did the common engineering sensor system design practice of placing a sensor at the exhaust result in sensor system performance that was equivalent to one designed using CFD data. (author)

A unidirectional subwavelength focusing near-field plate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Imani, Mohammadreza F.; Grbic, Anthony [Radiation Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)

2014-01-28

Near-field plates consist of non-periodically patterned surfaces that can overcome the diffraction limit and confine electromagnetic fields to subwavelength dimensions. Previous near-field plates experimentally demonstrated extreme field tailoring capabilities. However, their performance suffered from radiation/reflection in undesired directions, those other than the subwavelength focus. This issue can limit the practical use of near-field plates. In this paper, we address this issue by designing a unidirectional near-field plate that can form a subwavelength focal pattern, while suppressing the field radiated/reflected in other directions. The design and operation of the proposed unidirectional near-field plate are verified through full-wave simulation. The unidirectional near-field plate may find application in high resolution imaging and probing, high density data storage, and wireless power transfer systems. As an example, its utility as a high resolution probe is demonstrated through full-wave electromagnetic simulation.

Analytical model development of an eddy-current-based non-contacting steel plate conveyance system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, C.-T.; Lin, S.-Y.; Yang, Y.-Y.; Hwang, C.-C.

2008-01-01

A concise model for analyzing and predicting the quasi-static electromagnetic characteristics of an eddy-current-based non-contacting steel plate conveyance system has been developed. Confirmed by three-dimensional (3-D) finite element analysis (FEA), adequacy of the analytical model can be demonstrated. Such an effective approach, which can be conveniently used by the potential industries for preliminary system operational performance evaluations, will be essential for designers and on-site engineers

Unified approach to the study of solid fuel combustion characteristics at high airflow speeds

Science.gov (United States)

Vnuchkov, D. A.; Lukashevich, S. V.; Nalivaychenko, D. G.; Zvegintsev, V. I.

2017-10-01

The main objective of the research is the development of guidelines for a unified approach to testing the combustion of different solid fuels in gaseous oxidant high-speed flow, so that research outcomes could be presented in a standardized and cohesive form. All the experiments were performed on a special experimental installation designed for quantification of the burning characteristics of different fuels in a wide range of the airflow parameters at the same geometry of the combustion chamber.

Robust multi-model predictive control of multi-zone thermal plate system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poom Jatunitanon

2018-02-01

Full Text Available A modern controller was designed by using the mathematical model of a multi–zone thermal plate system. An important requirement for this type of controller is that it must be able to keep the temperature set-point of each thermal zone. The mathematical model used in the design was determined through a system identification process. The results showed that when the operating condition is changed, the performance of the controller may be reduced as a result of the system parameter uncertainties. This paper proposes a weighting technique of combining the robust model predictive controller for each operating condition into a single robust multi-model predictive control. Simulation and experimental results showed that the proposed method performed better than the conventional multi-model predictive control in rise time of transient response, when used in a system designed to work over a wide range of operating conditions.

Relative range error evaluation of terrestrial laser scanners using a plate, a sphere, and a novel dual-sphere-plate target.

Science.gov (United States)

Muralikrishnan, Bala; Rachakonda, Prem; Lee, Vincent; Shilling, Meghan; Sawyer, Daniel; Cheok, Geraldine; Cournoyer, Luc

2017-12-01

Terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) are a class of 3D imaging systems that produce a 3D point cloud by measuring the range and two angles to a point. The fundamental measurement of a TLS is range. Relative range error is one component of the overall range error of TLS and its estimation is therefore an important aspect in establishing metrological traceability of measurements performed using these systems. Target geometry is an important aspect to consider when realizing the relative range tests. The recently published ASTM E2938-15 mandates the use of a plate target for the relative range tests. While a plate target may reasonably be expected to produce distortion free data even at far distances, the target itself needs careful alignment at each of the relative range test positions. In this paper, we discuss relative range experiments performed using a plate target and then address the advantages and limitations of using a sphere target. We then present a novel dual-sphere-plate target that draws from the advantages of the sphere and the plate without the associated limitations. The spheres in the dual-sphere-plate target are used simply as fiducials to identify a point on the surface of the plate that is common to both the scanner and the reference instrument, thus overcoming the need to carefully align the target.

Ponderomotive phase plate for transmission electron microscopes

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Bryan W [Livermore, CA

2012-07-10

A ponderomotive phase plate system and method for controllably producing highly tunable phase contrast transfer functions in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) for high resolution and biological phase contrast imaging. The system and method includes a laser source and a beam transport system to produce a focused laser crossover as a phase plate, so that a ponderomotive potential of the focused laser crossover produces a scattering-angle-dependent phase shift in the electrons of the post-sample electron beam corresponding to a desired phase contrast transfer function.

Radiation shielding plate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Torakichi; Sugawara, Takeo.

1983-01-01

Purpose: To reduce the weight and stabilize the configuration of a radiation shielding plate which is used in close contact with an object to be irradiated with radiation rays. Constitution: The radiation shielding plate comprises a substrate made of lead glass and a metallic lead coating on the surface of the substrate by means of plating, vapor deposition or the like. Apertures for permeating radiation rays are formed to the radiation shielding plate. Since the shielding plate is based on a lead glass plate, a sufficient mechanical strength can be obtained with a thinner structure as compared with the conventional plate made of metallic lead. Accordingly, if the shielding plate is disposed on a soft object to be irradiated with radiation rays, the object and the plate itself less deform to obtain a radiation irradiation pattern with distinct edges. (Moriyama, K.)

Aging effects on airflow dynamics and lung function in human bronchioles.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, JongWon; Heise, Rebecca L; Reynolds, Angela M; Pidaparti, Ramana M

2017-01-01

The mortality rate for patients requiring mechanical ventilation is about 35% and this rate increases to about 53% for the elderly. In general, with increasing age, the dynamic lung function and respiratory mechanics are compromised, and several experiments are being conducted to estimate these changes and understand the underlying mechanisms to better treat elderly patients. Human tracheobronchial (G1 ~ G9), bronchioles (G10 ~ G22) and alveolar sacs (G23) geometric models were developed based on reported anatomical dimensions for a 50 and an 80-year-old subject. The aged model was developed by altering the geometry and material properties of the model developed for the 50-year-old. Computational simulations using coupled fluid-solid analysis were performed for geometric models of bronchioles and alveolar sacs under mechanical ventilation to estimate the airflow and lung function characteristics. The airway mechanical characteristics decreased with aging, specifically a 38% pressure drop was observed for the 80-year-old as compared to the 50-year-old. The shear stress on airway walls increased with aging and the highest shear stress was observed in the 80-year-old during inhalation. A 50% increase in peak strain was observed for the 80-year-old as compared to the 50-year-old during exhalation. The simulation results indicate that there is a 41% increase in lung compliance and a 35%-50% change in airway mechanical characteristics for the 80-year-old in comparison to the 50-year-old. Overall, the airway mechanical characteristics as well as lung function are compromised due to aging. Our study demonstrates and quantifies the effects of aging on the airflow dynamics and lung capacity. These changes in the aging lung are important considerations for mechanical ventilation parameters in elderly patients. Realistic geometry and material properties need to be included in the computational models in future studies.

Plating on difficult-to-plate metals: what's new

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiesner, H.J.

1980-01-01

Some of the changes since 1970 in procedures for plating on such materials as titanium, molybdenum, silicon, aluminum, and gallium arsenide are summarized. While basic procedures for plating some of these materials were developed as many as 30 to 40 years ago, changes in the end uses of the plated products have necessitated new plating processes. In some cases, vacuum techniques - such as ion bombardment, ion implantation, and vacuum metallization - have been introduced to improve the adhesion of electrodeposits. In other cases, these techniques have been used to deposit materials upon which electrodeposits are required

Influence of input data on airflow network accuracy in residential buildings with natural wind- and stack-driven ventilation

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Krzysztof Arendt; Marek Krzaczek; Jacek Tejchman

2017-01-01

The airflow network (AFN) modeling approach provides an attractive balance between the accuracy and computational demand for naturally ventilated buildings. Its accuracy depends on input parameters such as wind pressure and opening discharge coefficients. In most cases, these parameters are obtained from secondary sources which are solely representative for very simplified buildings, i.e. for buildings without facade details. Although studies comparing wind pressure coefficients or discharge coefficients from different sources exist, the knowledge regarding the effect of input data on AFN is still poor. In this paper, the influence of wind pressure data on the accuracy of a coupled AFN-BES model for a real building with natural wind- and stack-driven ventilation was analyzed. The results of 8 computation cases with different wind pressure data from secondary sources were compared with the measured data. Both the indoor temperatures and the airflow were taken into account. The outcomes indicated that the source of wind pressure data had a significant influence on the model performance.

Pyramidal approach to license plate segmentation

Science.gov (United States)

Postolache, Alexandru; Trecat, Jacques C.

1996-07-01

Car identification is a goal in traffic control, transport planning, travel time measurement, managing parking lot traffic and so on. Most car identification algorithms contain a standalone plate segmentation process followed by a plate contents reading. A pyramidal algorithm for license plate segmentation, looking for textured regions, has been developed on a PC based system running Unix. It can be used directly in applications not requiring real time. When input images are relatively small, real-time performance is in fact accomplished by the algorithm. When using large images, porting the algorithm to special digital signal processors can easily lead to preserving real-time performance. Experimental results, for stationary and moving cars in outdoor scenes, showed high accuracy and high scores in detecting the plate. The algorithm also deals with cases where many character strings are present in the image, and not only the one corresponding to the plate. This is done by the means of a constrained texture regions classification.

New technique for number-plate recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jie; Shi, Peng-Fei

2001-09-01

This paper presents an alternative algorithm for number plate recognition. The algorithm consists of three modules. Respectively, they are number plate location module, character segmentation module and character recognition module. Number plate location module extracts the number plate from the detected car image by analyzing the color and the texture properties. Different from most license plate location methods, the algorithm has fewer limits to the car size, the car position in the image and the image background. Character segmentation module applies connected region algorithm both to eliminate noise points and to segment characters. Touching characters and broken characters can be processed correctly. Character recognition module recognizes characters with HHIC (Hierarchical Hybrid Integrated Classifier). The system has been tested with 100 images obtained from crossroad and parking lot, etc, where the cars have different size, position, background and illumination. Successful recognition rate is about 92%. The average processing time is 1.2 second.

Chest wall stabilization and reconstruction: short and long-term results 5 years after the introduction of a new titanium plates system.

Science.gov (United States)

De Palma, Angela; Sollitto, Francesco; Loizzi, Domenico; Di Gennaro, Francesco; Scarascia, Daniele; Carlucci, Annalisa; Giudice, Giuseppe; Armenio, Andrea; Ludovico, Rossana; Loizzi, Michele

2016-03-01

We report short and long-term results with the dedicated Synthes(®) titanium plates system, introduced 5 years ago, for chest wall stabilization and reconstruction. We retrospectively analyzed (January 2010 to December 2014) 27 consecutive patients (22 males, 5 females; range 16-83 years, median age 60 years), treated with this system: primary [3] and secondary [8] chest wall tumor; flail chest [5]; multiple ribs fractures [5]; sternal dehiscence-diastasis [3]; sternal fracture [1]; sternoclavicular joint dislocation [1]; Poland syndrome [1]. Short-term results were evaluated as: operating time, post-operative morbidity, mortality, hospital stay; long-term results as: survival, plates-related morbidity, spirometric values, chest pain [measured with Verbal Rating Scale (VRS) and SF12 standard V1 questionnaire]. Each patient received from 1 to 10 (median 2) titanium plates/splints; median operating time was 150 min (range: 115-430 min). Post-operative course: 15 patients (55.6%) uneventful, 10 (37%) minor complications, 2 (7.4%) major complications; no post-operative mortality. Median post-operative hospital stay was 13 days (range: 5-129 days). At a median follow-up of 20 months (range: 1-59 months), 21 patients (78%) were alive, 6 (22%) died. Three patients presented long-term plates-related morbidity: plates rupture [2], pin plate dislodgment [1]; two required a second surgical look. One-year from surgery median spirometric values were: FVC 3.31 L (90%), FEV1 2.46 L (78%), DLCO 20.9 mL/mmHg/min (76%). On 21 alive patients, 7 (33.3%) reported no pain (VRS score 0), 10 (47.6%) mild (score 2), 4 (19.1%) moderate (score 4), no-one severe (score >4); 15 (71.5%) reported none or mild, 6 (28.5%) moderate pain influencing quality of life. An optimal chest wall stabilization and reconstruction was achieved with the Synthes(®) titanium plates system, with minimal morbidity, no post-operative mortality, acceptable operating time and post-operative hospital stay. Long

Effect of plate shapes in orifice plate type flowmeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moeller, S.V.

1984-01-01

The study of unusual plate shapes in orifice plate type flowmeters is presented, with a view to providing data for the substitution of the plate with one centered circular orifice in those applications where its use is not possible. For this purpose, six pairs of plates with different forms, with and without chamfered edges, were made and tested in a closed water loop. Results show that, generally, the use of chamfers improves the results and, in the case of perforated and slotlike orificed plates, the narrow-ness of the fluid passage tends to make unnecessary its use. (Author) [pt

Indonesian Landforms and Plate Tectonics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Herman Th. Verstappen

2014-06-01

Full Text Available DOI: 10.17014/ijog.v5i3.103The horizontal configuration and vertical dimension of the landforms occurring in the tectonically unstable parts of Indonesia were resulted in the first place from plate tectonics. Most of them date from the Quaternary and endogenous forces are ongoing. Three major plates – the northward moving Indo-Australian Plate, the south-eastward moving SE-Asian Plate and the westward moving Pacific Plate - meet at a plate triple-junction situated in the south of New Guinea’s Bird’s Head. The narrow North-Moluccan plate is interposed between the Asia and Pacific. It tapers out northward in the Philippine Mobile Belt and is gradually disappearing. The greatest relief amplitudes occur near the plate boundaries: deep ocean trenches are associated with subduction zones and mountain ranges with collision belts. The landforms of the more stable areas of the plates date back to a more remote past and, where emerged, have a more subdued relief that is in the first place related to the resistance of the rocks to humid tropical weathering Rising mountain ranges and emerging island arcs are subjected to rapid humid-tropical river erosions and mass movements. The erosion products accumulate in adjacent sedimentary basins where their increasing weight causes subsidence by gravity and isostatic compensations. Living and raised coral reefs, volcanoes, and fault scarps are important geomorphic indicators of active plate tectonics. Compartmental faults may strongly affect island arcs stretching perpendicular to the plate movement. This is the case on Java. Transcurrent faults and related pull-apart basins are a leading factor where plates meet at an angle, such as on Sumatra. The most complicated situation exists near the triple-junction and in the Moluccas. Modern research methods, such as GPS measurements of plate movements and absolute dating of volcanic outbursts and raised coral reefs are important tools. The mega-landforms resulting

Plating laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seamster, A.G.; Weitkamp, W.G.

1984-01-01

The lead plating of the prototype resonator has been conducted entirely in the plating laboratory at SUNY Stony Brook. Because of the considerable cost and inconvenience in transporting personnel and materials to and from Stony Brook, it is clearly impractical to plate all the resonators there. Furthermore, the high-beta resonator cannot be accommodated at Stony Brook without modifying the set up there. Consequently the authors are constructing a plating lab in-house

Optics for People Stuck in Traffic: License Plates.

Science.gov (United States)

Chagnon, Paul

1995-01-01

Explains the theory behind the working of Scotchlite, a retrodirective material used for coating automotive license plates, and the Ensure Imaging System that allows law enforcement officers to verify the authenticity of the plate. (JRH)

A modeling study of the effect of gravity on airflow distribution and particle deposition in the lung.

Science.gov (United States)

Asgharian, Bahman; Price, Owen; Oberdörster, Gunter

2006-06-01

Inhalation of particles generated as a result of thermal degradation from fire or smoke, as may occur on spacecraft, is of major health concern to space-faring countries. Knowledge of lung airflow and particle transport under different gravity environments is required to addresses this concern by providing information on particle deposition. Gravity affects deposition of particles in the lung in two ways. First, the airflow distribution among airways is changed in different gravity environments. Second, particle losses by sedimentation are enhanced with increasing gravity. In this study, a model of airflow distribution in the lung that accounts for the influence of gravity was used for a mathematical description of particle deposition in the human lung to calculate lobar, regional, and local deposition of particles in different gravity environments. The lung geometry used in the mathematical model contained five lobes that allowed the assessment of lobar ventilation distribution and variation of particle deposition. At zero gravity, it was predicted that all lobes of the lung expanded and contracted uniformly, independent of body position. Increased gravity in the upright position increased the expansion of the upper lobes and decreased expansion of the lower lobes. Despite a slight increase in predicted deposition of ultrafine particles in the upper lobes with decreasing gravity, deposition of ultrafine particles was generally predicted to be unaffected by gravity. Increased gravity increased predicted deposition of fine and coarse particles in the tracheobronchial region, but that led to a reduction or even elimination of deposition in the alveolar region for coarse particles. The results from this study show that existing mathematical models of particle deposition at 1 G can be extended to different gravity environments by simply correcting for a gravity constant. Controlled studies in astronauts on future space missions are needed to validate these predictions.

Two-component air heating system. Final report. Zweikomponenten-Luftheizungs-System. Abschlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radtke, W; Thiel, D

1986-01-01

The two-component heating system consists of a combination of air-based floor heating and direct air heating, with ventilation and extraction and heat recovery. The direct airflow consists exclusively of heated outside air, the amount corresponding to the building's external air intake requirement. The control system comprises a two-step sequential control of the air throughput of the direct air heating system and of the air distribution for the floor heating airflow. A special heating switch makes it possible to switch off the direct air heating system separately, and to select rapid warm-up. The way in which the new heating system works has been tested in a pilot set-up and proven by comprehensive measurements. In addition, a simulation model was produced which gave substantial confirmation of the measurements. (orig.) With 9 refs., 37 tabs., 63 figs.

Plate performance in liquid-liquid extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wadkins, R.P.

1984-01-01

The relative effectiveness of perforated, nozzle, and burred plates from a capacity and extraction standpoint were studied in a pulsed liquid-liquid extraction system. The experiments were conducted in a 3.8 x 10 -2 m diameter column using a mixture of aluminum nitrate, nitric acid, and uranyl nitrate as the aqueous phase, and tributyl phosphate dissolved in AMSCO 125-90 W as the organic phase. The uranium was extracted from the aqueous phase to the organic phase. A standard cartridge was made for each type of plate and consisted of an assembly of plates spaced 5.08 x 10 -2 m apart. Each plate had 3.2 x 10 -3 m holes spaced on 6.1 x 10 -3 -m centers, and contained 23% free area. 16 references, 4 figures, 1 table

Mobile ultra-clean unidirectional airflow screen reduces air contamination in a simulated setting for intra-vitreal injection.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapid-Gortzak, Ruth; Traversari, Roberto; van der Linden, Jan Willem; Lesnik Oberstein, Sarit Y; Lapid, Oren; Schlingemann, Reinier O

2017-02-01

The aim of this study is to determine whether the use of a mobile ultra-clean laminar airflow screen reduces the air-borne particle counts in the setting of a simulated procedure of an intra-vitreal injection. A mobile ultra-clean unidirectional airflow (UDF) screen was tested in a simulated procedure for intra-vitreal injections in a treatment room without mechanical ventilation. One UDF was passed over the instrument tray and the surgical area. The concentration of particles was measured in the background, over the instrument table, and next to the ocular area. The degree of protection was calculated at the instrument table and at the surgical site. Use of the UDF mobile screen reduced the mean particle concentration (particles > 0.3 microns) on the instrument table by a factor of at least 100.000 (p air contamination. Mobile UDF screen reduces the mean particle concentration substantially. The mobile UDF screen may therefore allow for a safer procedural environment for ambulatory care procedures such as intra-vitreal injections in treatment rooms.

Development of an economic solar heating system with cost efficient flat plate collectors

Science.gov (United States)

Eder-Milchgeisser, W.; Burkart, R.

1980-10-01

Mass produced flat plate solar collectors were worked into the design of a system for heating a swimming pool and/or providing domestic hot water. The collector characteristics, including physical and mechanical data as well as theoretical energy conversion efficiency, are presented. The collector was tested and service life efficiency was determined. The mounting of the collector, depending on roof type, is explained. Both in service and laboratory test results demonstrate the cost effectiveness of the system. Further improvement of efficiency is envisaged with automatic flow control in the solar collector and hot water circuits.

Morphological measurements in computed tomography correlate with airflow obstruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease : systematic review and meta-analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Xie, X.Q.; de Jong, P.A.; Oudkerk, M.; Wang, Y.; ten Hacken, N.H.T.; Miao, J.T.; Zhang, GuiXiang; de Bock, G.H.; Vliegenthart, R.

2012-01-01

To determine the correlation between CT measurements of emphysema or peripheral airways and airflow obstruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). PubMed, Embase and Web of Knowledge were searched from 1976 to 2011. Two reviewers independently screened 1,763 citations to identify

Effect of airflow on biodrying of gardening wastes in reactors.

Science.gov (United States)

Colomer-Mendoza, F J; Herrera-Prats, L; Robles-Martínez, F; Gallardo-Izquierdo, A; Piña-Guzmán, A B

2013-05-01

Biodrying consists of reducing moisture by using the heat from aerobic bio-degradation. The parameters that control the process are: aeration, temperature during the process, initial moisture of biowaste, and temperature and relative humidity of the input air. Lawn mowing and garden waste from the gardens of the University Jaume I, Castellón (Spain) were used as a substrate. Biodrying was performed in 10 reactors with known air volumes from 0.88 to 6.42 L/(min x kg dry weight). To promote aeration, 5 of the reactors had 15% of a bulking agent added. The experiment lasted 20 days. After the experiments it was found that the bulking agent led to greater weight loss. However, the increased airflow rate was not linearly proportional to the weight loss.

A process for treatment of mixed waste containing chemical plating wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anast, K.R.; Dziewinski, J.; Lussiez, G.

1995-01-01

The Waste Treatment and Minimization Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory has designed and will be constructing a transportable treatment system to treat low-level radioactive mixed waste generated during plating operations. The chemical and plating waste treatment system is composed of two modules with six submodules, which can be trucked to user sites to treat a wide variety of aqueous waste solutions. The process is designed to remove the hazardous components from the waste stream, generating chemically benign, disposable liquids and solids with low level radioactivity. The chemical and plating waste treatment system is designed as a multifunctional process capable of treating several different types of wastes. At this time, the unit has been the designated treatment process for these wastes: Destruction of free cyanide and metal-cyanide complexes from spent plating solutions; destruction of ammonia in solution from spent plating solutions; reduction of Cr VI to Cr III from spent plating solutions, precipitation, solids separation, and immobilization; heavy metal precipitation from spent plating solutions, solids separation, and immobilization, and acid or base neutralization from unspecified solutions

[Comparison of novel infrared heating plates and conventional warm water plates for piglets' creep areas in farrowing pens].

Science.gov (United States)

Strauch-Sürken, L; Wendt, M

2015-01-01

in winter. IR radiation of heating plates has a positive influence on wound healing after castration and tail docking as well as on umbilical regression. In addition, the lying behavior of sows at farrowing is influenced by the IR radiation. Despite the lower energy consumption of the IR heating plates, the most profitable system has to be determined individually for each farm.

An ion beam tracking system based on a parallel plate avalanche counter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, I. P.; Ramachandran, K.; Dasgupta, M.; Hinde, D. J.; Rafiei, R.; Luong, D. H.; Williams, E.; Cook, K. J.; McNeil, S.; Rafferty, D. C.; Harding, A. B.; Muirhead, A. G.; Tunningley, T.

2013-01-01

A pair of twin position-sensitive parallel plate avalanche counters have been developed at the Australian National University as a tracking system to aid in the further rejection of unwanted beam particles from a 6.5 T super conducting solenoid separator named SOLEROO. Their function is to track and identify each beam particle passing through the detectors on an event-by-event basis. In-beam studies have been completed and the detectors are in successful operation, demonstrating the tracking capability. A high efficiency 512-pixel wide-angle silicon detector array will then be integrated with the tracking system for nuclear reactions studies of radioactive ions. (authors)

Description and cost analysis of a deluge dry/wet cooling system.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiles, L.E.; Bamberger, J.A.; Braun, D.J.; Braun, D.J.; Faletti, D.W.; Willingham, C.E.

1978-06-01

The use of combined dry/wet cooling systems for large base-load power plants offers the potential for significant water savings as compared to evaporatively cooled power plants and significant cost savings in comparison to dry cooled power plants. The results of a detailed engineering and cost study of one type of dry/wet cooling system are described. In the ''deluge'' dry/wet cooling method, a finned-tube heat exchanger is designed to operate in the dry mode up to a given ambient temperature. To avoid the degradation of performance for higher ambient temperatures, water (the delugeate) is distributed over a portion of the heat exchanger surface to enhance the cooling process by evaporation. The deluge system used in this study is termed the HOETERV system. The HOETERV deluge system uses a horizontal-tube, vertical-plate-finned heat exchanger. The delugeate is distributed at the top of the heat exchanger and is allowed to fall by gravity in a thin film on the face of the plate fin. Ammonia is used as the indirect heat transfer medium between the turbine exhaust steam and the ambient air. Steam is condensed by boiling ammonia in a condenser/reboiler. The ammonia is condensed in the heat exchanger by inducing airflow over the plate fins. Various design parameters of the cooling system have been studied to evaluate their impact on the optimum cooling system design and the power-plant/utility-system interface. Annual water availability was the most significant design parameter. Others included site meteorology, heat exchanger configuration and air flow, number and size of towers, fan system design, and turbine operation. It was concluded from this study that the HOETERV deluge system of dry/wet cooling, using ammonia as an intermediate heat transfer medium, offers the potential for significant cost savings compared with all-dry cooling, while achieving substantially reduced water consumption as compared to an evaporatively cooled power plant. (LCL)

Create Your Plate

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Plate Share Create Your Plate ! Share: Seven Simple Steps to Create Your Plate It's simple and effective ... foods within each food category. Try these seven steps to get started: Using your dinner plate, put ...

Numerical simulations of island-scale airflow over Maui and the Maui vortex under summer trade wind conditions

Science.gov (United States)

DaNa L. Carlis; Yi-Leng Chen; Vernon R. Morris

2010-01-01

The fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5) coupled with the Noah land surface model (LSM) is employed to simulate island-scale airflow and circulations over Maui County, Hawaii, under summer trade wind conditions, during July–August 2005. The model forecasts are validated by surface observations with good agreement.

Transient airflow in building drainage systems

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Swaffield, J. A

2010-01-01

... All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. This publication presents material of a br...

Impact of airborne particle size, acoustic airflow and breathing pattern on delivery of nebulized antibiotic into the maxillary sinuses using a realistic human nasal replica.

Science.gov (United States)

Leclerc, Lara; Pourchez, Jérémie; Aubert, Gérald; Leguellec, Sandrine; Vecellio, Laurent; Cottier, Michèle; Durand, Marc

2014-09-01

Improvement of clinical outcome in patients with sinuses disorders involves targeting delivery of nebulized drug into the maxillary sinuses. We investigated the impact of nebulization conditions (with and without 100 Hz acoustic airflow), particle size (9.9 μm, 2.8 μm, 550 nm and 230 nm) and breathing pattern (nasal vs. no nasal breathing) on enhancement of aerosol delivery into the sinuses using a realistic nasal replica developed by our team. After segmentation of the airways by means of high-resolution computed tomography scans, a well-characterized nasal replica was created using a rapid prototyping technology. A total of 168 intrasinus aerosol depositions were performed with changes of aerosol particle size and breathing patterns under different nebulization conditions using gentamicin as a marker. The results demonstrate that the fraction of aerosol deposited in the maxillary sinuses is enhanced by use of submicrometric aerosols, e.g. 8.155 ± 1.476 mg/L of gentamicin in the left maxillary sinus for the 2.8 μm particles vs. 2.056 ± 0.0474 for the 550 nm particles. Utilization of 100-Hz acoustic airflow nebulization also produced a 2- to 3-fold increase in drug deposition in the maxillary sinuses (e.g. 8.155 ± 1.476 vs. 3.990 ± 1.690 for the 2.8 μm particles). Our study clearly shows that optimum deposition was achieved using submicrometric particles and 100-Hz acoustic airflow nebulization with no nasal breathing. It is hoped that our new respiratory nasal replica will greatly facilitate the development of more effective delivery systems in the future.

A wearable force plate system for the continuous measurement of triaxial ground reaction force in biomechanical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Tao; Inoue, Yoshio; Shibata, Kyoko

2010-01-01

The ambulatory measurement of ground reaction force (GRF) and human motion under free-living conditions is convenient, inexpensive and never restricted to gait analysis in a laboratory environment and is therefore much desired by researchers and clinical doctors in biomedical applications. A wearable force plate system was developed by integrating small triaxial force sensors and three-dimensional (3D) inertial sensors for estimating dynamic triaxial GRF in biomechanical applications. The system, in comparison to existent systems, is characterized by being lightweight, thin and easy-to-wear. A six-axial force sensor (Nitta Co., Japan) was used as a verification measurement device to validate the static accuracy of the developed force plate. To evaluate the precision during dynamic gait measurements, we compared the measurements of the triaxial GRF and the center of pressure (CoP) by using the developed system with the reference measurements made using a stationary force plate and an optical motion analysis system. The root mean square (RMS) differences of the two transverse components (x- and y-axes) and the vertical component (z-axis) of the GRF were 4.3 ± 0.9 N, 6.0 ± 1.3 N and 12.1 ± 1.1 N, respectively, corresponding to 5.1 ± 1.1% and 6.5 ± 1% of the maximum of each transverse component and 1.3 ± 0.2% of the maximum vertical component of GRF. The RMS distance between the two systems' CoP traces was 3.2 ± 0.8 mm, corresponding to 1.2 ± 0.3% of the length of the shoe. Moreover, based on the results of the assessment of the influence of the system on natural gait, we found that gait was almost never affected. Therefore, the wearable system as an alternative device can be a potential solution for measuring CoP and triaxial GRF in non-laboratory environments

Diurnal and seasonal variation in air exchange rates and interzonal airflows measured by active and passive tracer gas in homes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bekö, Gabriel; Gustavsen, Sine; Frederiksen, Marie

2016-01-01

Outdoor air delivery to buildings is an important parameter in the assessment of pollutant exposure indoors. Detailed and well controlled measurements of air exchange rates (AER) and interzonal airflows in residential environment are scarce. We measured the outdoor AERs in up to six rooms in five...... rooms. Window opening behavior had a strong influence on AERs, which were highest during occupied daytime periods, lowest in the night; highest in the summer, lowest in the winter. Significant differences were found between AERs measured by the different techniques. The median nighttime AER in all...... studied the pollutant distribution from one room (source room) and interzonal airflows across the dwellings. The air within a given floor was well mixed, with the average tracer gas concentration in the non-source rooms reaching approximately 70% of the source room concentration. There was less air...

analytical bending solution of all clamped isotropic rectangular plate

African Journals Online (AJOL)

HP

PLATE ON WINKLER'S FOUNDATION USING CHARACTERISTIC. ORTHOGONAL ... foundations, storage tanks, swimming pools, floor system of buildings, highways ..... “Energy Methods in Theory of Rectangular Plates. (use of Polynomial ...

A feedback control system for vibration of magnetostrictive plate subjected to follower force using sinusoidal shear

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ghorbanpour Arani

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In this research, the vibrational behavior of magnetostrictive plate (MsP as a smart component is studied. The plate is subjected to an external follower force and a magnetic field in which the vibration response of MsP has been investigated for both loading combinations. The velocity feedback gain parameter is evaluated to study the effect of magnetic field which is generated by the coil. Sinusoidal shear deformation theory is utilized due to its accuracy of polynomial function with respect to other plate theories. Equations of motion are derived using Hamilton’s principle and solved by differential quadrature method (DQM considering general boundary conditions. The effects of aspect ratio, thickness ratio, follower force and velocity feedback gain are investigated on the frequency response of MsP. Results indicate that magneto-mechanical coupling in MsM helps to control vibrational behaviors of systems such as electro-hydraulic actuator, wireless linear Motors and sensors.

Ultrasonic Testing of NIF Amplifier FAU Top Plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chinn, D.J.; Huber, R.D.; Haskins, J.J.; Rodriguez, J.A.; Souza, P.R.; Le, T.V.

2002-01-01

A key component in the National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser optic system is the amplifier frame assembly unit (FAU). The cast aluminum top plate that supports the FAU is required to withstand loads that would occur during an earthquake with a recurrence period of 1000 years. The stringent seismic requirements placed on the FAU top plate induced a study of the cast aluminum material used in the top plate. Ultrasonic testing was used to aid in characterizing the aluminum material used in the plates. This report documents the work performed using contact ultrasonic testing to characterize the FAU top plate material. The ultrasonic work reported here had 3 objectives: (1) inspect the plate material before cyclic testing conducted at the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER); (2) determine the overall quality of individual plates; and (3) detect large defects in critical areas of individual plates. Section III, ''Pre-cyclic test inspection'', describes work performed in support of Objective 1. Section IV, ''Ultrasonic field measurements'', describes work performed in support of Objectives 2 and 3

Circulating activated innate lymphoid cells and mucosal-associated invariant T cells are associated with airflow limitation in patients with asthma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayako Ishimori

2017-04-01

Conclusions: For the first time, our data showed that activated NK cells, ILC1s, ILC2s, ILC3s, and MAIT cells were positively correlated with each other and may be associated with airflow limitation in patients with asthma.

Structure of colloidal sphere-plate mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doshi, N; Cinacchi, G; Van Duijneveldt, J S; Cosgrove, T; Prescott, S W; Grillo, I; Phipps, J; Gittins, D I

2011-01-01

In addition to containing spherical pigment particles, coatings usually contain plate-like clay particles. It is thought that these improve the opacity of the paint film by providing an efficient spacing of the pigment particles. This observation is counterintuitive, as suspensions of particles of different shapes and sizes tend to phase separate on increase of concentration. In order to clarify this matter a model colloidal system is studied here, with a sphere-plate diameter ratio similar to that found in paints. For dilute suspensions, small angle neutron scattering revealed that the addition of plates leads to enhanced density fluctuations of the spheres, in agreement with new theoretical predictions. On increasing the total colloid concentration the plates and spheres phase separate due to the disparity in their shape. This is in agreement with previous theoretical and experimental work on colloidal sphere-plate mixtures, where one particle acts as a depleting agent. The fact that no large scale phase separation is observed in coatings is ascribed to dynamic arrest in intimately mixed, or possibly micro-phase separated structures, at elevated concentration.

Structure of colloidal sphere-plate mixtures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doshi, N; Cinacchi, G; Van Duijneveldt, J S; Cosgrove, T; Prescott, S W [School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS (United Kingdom); Grillo, I [Institut Laue-Langevin, 6 rue Jules Horowitz BP 156, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Phipps, J [Imerys Minerals Ltd, Par Moor Centre, Par Moor Road, Par, Cornwall PL24 2SQ (United Kingdom); Gittins, D I, E-mail: Giorgio.Cinacchi@bristol.ac.uk, E-mail: J.S.van-Duijneveldt@bristol.ac.uk [Imerys Performance and Filtration Minerals Ltd, 130 Castilian Drive, Goleta, CA 93117 (United States)

2011-05-18

In addition to containing spherical pigment particles, coatings usually contain plate-like clay particles. It is thought that these improve the opacity of the paint film by providing an efficient spacing of the pigment particles. This observation is counterintuitive, as suspensions of particles of different shapes and sizes tend to phase separate on increase of concentration. In order to clarify this matter a model colloidal system is studied here, with a sphere-plate diameter ratio similar to that found in paints. For dilute suspensions, small angle neutron scattering revealed that the addition of plates leads to enhanced density fluctuations of the spheres, in agreement with new theoretical predictions. On increasing the total colloid concentration the plates and spheres phase separate due to the disparity in their shape. This is in agreement with previous theoretical and experimental work on colloidal sphere-plate mixtures, where one particle acts as a depleting agent. The fact that no large scale phase separation is observed in coatings is ascribed to dynamic arrest in intimately mixed, or possibly micro-phase separated structures, at elevated concentration.

An Expert System to Analyze Homogeneity in Fuel Element Plates for Research Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tolosa, S.C.; Marajofsky, A.

2004-01-01

In the manufacturing control of Fuel Element Plates for Research Reactors, one of the problems to be addressed is how to determine the U-density homogeneity in a fuel plate and how to obtain qualitative and quantitative information in order to establish acceptance or rejection criteria for such, as well as carrying out the quality follow-up. This paper is aimed at developing computing software which implements an Unsupervised Competitive Learning Neural Network for the acknowledgment of regions belonging to a digitalized gray scale image. This program is applied to x-ray images. These images are generated when the x-ray beams go through a fuel plate of approximately 60 cm x 8 cm x 0.1 cm thick. A Nuclear Fuel Element for Research Reactors usually consists of 18 to 22 of these plates, positioned in parallel, in an arrangement of 8 x 7 cm. Carrying out the inspection of the digitalized x-ray image, the neural network detects regions with different luminous densities corresponding to U-densities in the fuel plate. This is used in quality control to detect failures and verify acceptance criteria depending on the homogeneity of the plate. This modality of inspection is important as it allows the performance of non-destructive measurements and the automatic generation of the map of U-relative densities of the fuel plate

An expert system to analyze homogeneity in fuel element plates for research reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cativa Tolosa, Sebastian; Marajofsky, Adolfo

2004-01-01

In the manufacturing control of Fuel Element Plates for Research Reactors, one of the problems to be addressed is how to determine the U-density homogeneity in a fuel plate and how to obtain qualitative and quantitative information in order to establish acceptance or rejection criteria for such, as well as carrying out the quality follow-up.This paper is aimed at developing computing software which implements an Unsupervised Competitive Learning Neural Network for the acknowledgment of regions belonging to a digitalized gray scale image. This program is applied to X-ray images. These images are generated when the X-ray beams go through a fuel plate of approximately 60 cm x 8 cm x 0.1 cm thick. A Nuclear Fuel Element for Research Reactors usually consists of 18 to 22 of these plates, positioned in parallel, in an arrangement of 8 x 7 cm. Carrying out the inspection of the digitalized X-ray image, the neural network detects regions with different luminous densities corresponding to U-densities in the fuel plate. This is used in quality control to detect failures and verify acceptance criteria depending on the homogeneity of the plate. This modality of inspection is important as it allows the performance of non-destructive measurements and the automatic generation of the map of U-relative densities of the fuel plate. (author)

Paper microzone plates.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrilho, Emanuel; Phillips, Scott T; Vella, Sarah J; Martinez, Andres W; Whitesides, George M

2009-08-01

This paper describes 96- and 384-microzone plates fabricated in paper as alternatives to conventional multiwell plates fabricated in molded polymers. Paper-based plates are functionally related to plastic well plates, but they offer new capabilities. For example, paper-microzone plates are thin (approximately 180 microm), require small volumes of sample (5 microL per zone), and can be manufactured from inexpensive materials ($0.05 per plate). The paper-based plates are fabricated by patterning sheets of paper, using photolithography, into hydrophilic zones surrounded by hydrophobic polymeric barriers. This photolithography used an inexpensive formulation photoresist that allows rapid (approximately 15 min) prototyping of paper-based plates. These plates are compatible with conventional microplate readers for quantitative absorbance and fluorescence measurements. The limit of detection per zone loaded for fluorescence was 125 fmol for fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled bovine serum albumin, and this level corresponds to 0.02 the quantity of analyte per well used to achieve comparable signal-to-noise in a 96-well plastic plate (using a solution of 25 nM labeled protein). The limits of detection for absorbance on paper was approximately 50 pmol per zone for both Coomassie Brilliant Blue and Amaranth dyes; these values were 0.4 that required for the plastic plate. Demonstration of quantitative colorimetric correlations using a scanner or camera to image the zones and to measure the intensity of color, makes it possible to conduct assays without a microplate reader.

Modeling airflow and particle transport/deposition in pulmonary airways.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinstreuer, Clement; Zhang, Zhe; Li, Zheng

2008-11-30

A review of research papers is presented, pertinent to computer modeling of airflow as well as nano- and micron-size particle deposition in pulmonary airway replicas. The key modeling steps are outlined, including construction of suitable airway geometries, mathematical description of the air-particle transport phenomena and computer simulation of micron and nanoparticle depositions. Specifically, diffusion-dominated nanomaterial deposits on airway surfaces much more uniformly than micron particles of the same material. This may imply different toxicity effects. Due to impaction and secondary flows, micron particles tend to accumulate around the carinal ridges and to form "hot spots", i.e., locally high concentrations which may lead to tumor developments. Inhaled particles in the size range of 20nm< or =dp< or =3microm may readily reach the deeper lung region. Concerning inhaled therapeutic particles, optimal parameters for mechanical drug-aerosol targeting of predetermined lung areas can be computed, given representative pulmonary airways.

Management of pediatric mandibular fractures using bioresorbable plating system - Efficacy, stability, and clinical outcomes: Our experiences and literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Mahinder; Singh, R K; Passi, Deepak; Aggarwal, Mohit; Kaur, Guneet

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and stability of the biodegradable fixation system for treatment of mandible fractures in pediatric patients by measuring the bite force. Sixty pediatric patients with mandibular fractures (36 males, 24 females) were included in this study. The 2.5-mm resorbable plates were adapted along Champy's line of ideal osteosynthesis and secured with four 2.5 mm diameter monocortical resorbable screws, 8 mm in length. All patients were followed for 10 months. Clinical parameters, such as soft tissue infection, nonunion, malunion, implant exposure, malocclusion, nerve injury, and bite force for stability, were prospectively assessed. Adequate fixation and primary bone healing was achieved in 100% of the cases. Six minor complications (10%) were observed: 2 soft tissue infections (3%), 1 plate dehiscence (2%), 1 malocclusion (2%), and 2 paresthesia (3%). 2.5-mm resorbable plating system along Champy's line of ideal osteosynthesis is a good treatment modality for mandible fractures in pediatric patients.

Method for regeneration of electroless nickel plating solution

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenmann, E.T.

1997-03-11

An electroless nickel(EN)/hypophosphite plating bath is provided employing acetic acid/acetate as a buffer and which is, as a result, capable of perpetual regeneration while avoiding the production of hazardous waste. A regeneration process is provided to process the spent EN plating bath solution. A concentrated starter and replenishment solution is provided for ease of operation of the plating bath. The regeneration process employs a chelating ion exchange system to remove nickel cations from spent EN plating solution. Phosphites are then removed from the solution by precipitation. The nickel cations are removed from the ion exchange system by elution with hypophosphorus acid and the nickel concentration of the eluate adjusted by addition of nickel salt. The treated solution and adjusted eluate are combined, stabilizer added, and the volume of resulting solution reduced by evaporation to form the bath starter and replenishing solution. 1 fig.

Method for regeneration of electroless nickel plating solution

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenmann, Erhard T.

1997-01-01

An electroless nickel(EN)/hypophosphite plating bath is provided employing acetic acid/acetate as a buffer and which is, as a result, capable of perpetual regeneration while avoiding the production of hazardous waste. A regeneration process is provided to process the spent EN plating bath solution. A concentrated starter and replenishment solution is provided for ease of operation of the plating bath. The regeneration process employs a chelating ion exchange system to remove nickel cations from spent EN plating solution. Phosphites are then removed from the solution by precipitation. The nickel cations are removed from the ion exchange system by elution with hypophosphorous acid and the nickel concentration of the eluate adjusted by addition of nickel salt. The treated solution and adjusted eluate are combined, stabilizer added, and the volume of resulting solution reduced by evaporation to form the bath starter and replenishing solution.

Flow-induced plastic collapse of stacked fuel plates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davis, D C; Scarton, H A

1985-03-01

Flow-induced plastic collapse of stacked fuel plate assemblies was first noted in experimental reactors such as the ORNL High Flux Reactor Assembly and the Engineering Test Reactor (ETR). The ETR assembly is a stack of 19 thin flat rectangular fuel plates separated by narrow channels through which a coolant flows to remove the heat generated by fission of the fuel within the plates. The uranium alloyed plates have been noted to buckle laterally and plastically collapse at the system design coolant flow rate of 10.7 m/s, thus restricting the coolant flow through adjacent channels. A methodology and criterion are developed for predicting the plastic collapse of ETR fuel plates. The criterion is compared to some experimental results and the Miller critical velocity theory.

Add-on unidirectional elastic metamaterial plate cloak

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Min Kyung; Kim, Yoon Young

2016-02-01

Metamaterial cloaks control the propagation of waves to make an object invisible or insensible. To manipulate elastic waves in space, a metamaterial cloak is typically embedded in a base system that includes or surrounds a target object. The embedding is undesirable because it structurally weakens or permanently alters the base system. In this study, we propose a new add-on metamaterial elastic cloak that can be placed over and mechanically coupled with a base structure without embedding. We designed an add-on type annular metamaterial plate cloak through conformal mapping, fabricated it and performed cloaking experiments in a thin-plate with a hole. Experiments were performed in a thin plate by using the lowest symmetric Lamb wave centered at 100 kHz. As a means to check the cloaking performance of the add-on elastic plate cloak, possibly as a temporary stress reliever or a so-called “stress bandage”, the degree of stress concentration mitigation and the recovery from the perturbed wave field due to a hole were investigated.

Association of incidental emphysema with annual lung function decline and future development of airflow limitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koo HK

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Hyeon-Kyoung Koo,1 Kwang Nam Jin,2 Deog Kyeom Kim,3 Hee Soon Chung,3 Chang-Hoon Lee3,4 1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, College of Medicine, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-Do, 2Department of Radiology, Seoul Metropolitan Government – Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, 3Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Seoul Metropolitan Government-Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, 4Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea Objectives: Emphysema is one of the prognostic factors for rapid lung function decline in patients with COPD, but the impact of incidentally detected emphysema on population without spirometric abnormalities has not been evaluated. This study aimed to determine whether emphysema detected upon computed tomography (CT screening would accelerate the rate of lung function decline and influence the possibility of future development of airflow limitation in a population without spirometric abnormalities.Materials and methods: Subjects who participated in a routine screening for health checkup and follow-up pulmonary function tests for at least 3 years between 2004 and 2010 were retrospectively enrolled. The percentage of low-attenuation area below −950 Hounsfield units (%LAA−950 was calculated automatically. A calculated value of %LAA−950 that exceeded 10% was defined as emphysema. Adjusted annual lung function decline was analyzed using random-slope, random-intercept mixed linear regression models.Results: A total of 628 healthy subjects within the normal range of spriometric values were included. Multivariable analysis showed that the emphysema group exhibited a faster decline in forced vital capacity (−33.9 versus −18.8�

Stochastic Prediction of Ventilation System Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haghighat, F.; Brohus, Henrik; Frier, Christian

The paper briefly reviews the existing techniques for predicting the airflow rate due to the random nature of forcing functions, e.g. wind speed. The effort is to establish the relationship between the statistics of the output of a system and the statistics of the random input variables and param......The paper briefly reviews the existing techniques for predicting the airflow rate due to the random nature of forcing functions, e.g. wind speed. The effort is to establish the relationship between the statistics of the output of a system and the statistics of the random input variables...

Solar heating system at Quitman County Bank, Marks, Mississippi. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1980-06-01

Information is provided on the solar heating system installed in a single story wood frame, cedar exterior, sloped roof building, the Quitman County Bank, a branch of the First National Bank of Clarksdale, Mississippi. It is the first solar system in the geographical area and has promoted much interest. The system has on-site temperature and power measurements readouts. The 468 square feet of Solaron air flat plate collectors provide for 2000 square feet of space heating, an estimated 60% of the heating load. Solar heated air is distributed to the 235 cubic foot rock storage box or to the load (space heating) by a 960 cubic feet per minute air handler unit. A 7.5 ton Carrier air-to-air heat pump with 15 kilowatts of electric booster strips serve as a back-up (auxiliary) to the solar system. Motorized dampers control the direction of airflow and back draft dampers prevent thermal siphoning of conditioned air. The system was turned on in September 1979, and acceptance testing completed in February 1980. This is a Pon Cycle 3 Project with the Government sharing $13,445.00 of the $24,921 Solar Energy System installation cost.

Investigation of induced recirculation during planned ventilation system maintenance

Science.gov (United States)

Pritchard, C.J.; Scott, D.F.; Noll, J.D.; Voss, B.; Leonis, D.

2015-01-01

The Office of Mine Safety and Health Research (OMSHR) investigated ways to increase mine airflow to underground metal/nonmetal (M/NM) mine working areas to improve miners’ health and safety. One of those areas is controlled recirculation. Because the quantity of mine air often cannot be increased, reusing part of the ventilating air can be an effective alternative, if implemented properly, until the capacity of the present system is improved. The additional airflow can be used to provide effective dilution of contaminants and higher flow velocities in the underground mine environment. Most applications of controlled recirculation involve taking a portion of the return air and passing it back into the intake to increase the air volume delivered to the desired work areas. OMSHR investigated a Nevada gold mine where shaft rehabilitation was in progress and one of the two main fans was shut down to allow reduced air velocity for safe shaft work. Underground booster fan operating pressures were kept constant to maintain airflow to work areas, inducing controlled recirculation in one work zone. Investigation into system behavior and the effects of recirculation on the working area during times of reduced primary ventilation system airflow would provide additional information on implementation of controlled recirculation into the system and how these events affect M/NM ventilation systems. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health monitored the ventilation district when both main fans were operating and another scenario with one of the units turned off for maintenance. Airflow and contaminants were measured to determine the exposure effects of induced recirculation on miner health. Surveys showed that 19% controlled recirculation created no change in the overall district airflow distribution and a small reduction in district fresh air intake. Total dust levels increased only modestly and respirable dust levels were also low. Diesel particulate matter

Concentration of solar radiation by white painted transparent plates.

Science.gov (United States)

Smestad, G; Hamill, P

1982-04-01

A simple flat-plate solar concentrator is described in this paper. The device is composed of a white painted transparent plate with a photovoltaic cell fixed to an unpainted area on the bottom of the plate. Light scattering off the white material is either lost or directed to the solar cell. Experimental concentrations of up to 1.9 times the incident solar flux have been achieved using white clays. These values are close to those predicted by theory for the experimental parameters investigated. A theory of the device operation is developed. Using this theory suggestions are made for optimizing the concentrator system. For reasonable choices of cell and plate size and reflectivities of 80% concentrations of over 2x are possible. The concentrator has the advantage over other systems in that the concentration is independent of incidence angle and the concentrator is easy to produce. The device needs no tracking system and will concentrate on a cloudy day.

Radiation-hard ceramic Resistive Plate Chambers for forward TOF and T0 systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akindinov, A., E-mail: Alexander.Akindinov@cern.ch [Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation); Dreyer, J.; Fan, X.; Kämpfer, B. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Kiselev, S. [Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation); Kotte, R.; Garcia, A. Laso [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Malkevich, D. [Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation); Naumann, L. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Nedosekin, A.; Plotnikov, V. [Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation); Stach, D. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Sultanov, R.; Voloshin, K. [Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2017-02-11

Resistive Plate Chambers with ceramic electrodes are the main candidates for a use in precise multi-channel timing systems operating in high-radiation conditions. We report the latest R&D results on these detectors aimed to meet the requirements of the forward T0 counter at the CBM experiment. RPC design, gas mixture, limits on the bulk resistivity of ceramic electrodes, efficiency, time resolution, counting rate capabilities and ageing test results are presented.

Cooled electronic system with liquid-cooled cold plate and thermal spreader coupled to electronic component

Science.gov (United States)

Chainer, Timothy J.; Graybill, David P.; Iyengar, Madhusudan K.; Kamath, Vinod; Kochuparambil, Bejoy J.; Schmidt, Roger R.; Steinke, Mark E.

2018-03-27

Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating cooling of an electronic component. The apparatus includes a liquid-cooled cold plate and a thermal spreader associated with the cold plate. The cold plate includes multiple coolant-carrying channel sections extending within the cold plate, and a thermal conduction surface with a larger surface area than a surface area of the component to be cooled. The thermal spreader includes one or more heat pipes including multiple heat pipe sections. One or more heat pipe sections are partially aligned to a first region of the cold plate, that is, where aligned to the surface to be cooled, and partially aligned to a second region of the cold plate, which is outside the first region. The one or more heat pipes facilitate distribution of heat from the electronic component to coolant-carrying channel sections of the cold plate located in the second region of the cold plate.

Chaotic synchronization of vibrations of a coupled mechanical system consisting of a plate and beams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Awrejcewicz

Full Text Available In this paper mathematical model of a mechanical system consisting of a plate and either one or two beams is derived. Obtained PDEs are reduced to ODEs, and then studied mainly using the fast Fourier and wavelet transforms. A few examples of the chaotic synchronizations are illustrated and discussed.

Plate tectonics and planetary habitability: current status and future challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Korenaga, Jun

2012-07-01

Plate tectonics is one of the major factors affecting the potential habitability of a terrestrial planet. The physics of plate tectonics is, however, still far from being complete, leading to considerable uncertainty when discussing planetary habitability. Here, I summarize recent developments on the evolution of plate tectonics on Earth, which suggest a radically new view on Earth dynamics: convection in the mantle has been speeding up despite its secular cooling, and the operation of plate tectonics has been facilitated throughout Earth's history by the gradual subduction of water into an initially dry mantle. The role of plate tectonics in planetary habitability through its influence on atmospheric evolution is still difficult to quantify, and, to this end, it will be vital to better understand a coupled core-mantle-atmosphere system in the context of solar system evolution. © 2012 New York Academy of Sciences.

Locking screw-plate interface stability in carbon-fibre reinforced polyetheretherketone proximal humerus plates.

Science.gov (United States)

Hak, David J; Fader, Ryan; Baldini, Todd; Chadayammuri, Vivek B S

2017-09-01

Carbon-fibre reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK) plates have recently been introduced for proximal humerus fracture treatment. The purpose of this study was to compare the locking screw-plate interface stability in CFR-PEEK versus stainless steel (SS) proximal humerus plates. Locking screw mechanical stability was evaluated independently in proximal and shaft plate holes. Stiffness and load to failure were tested for three conditions: (1) on-axis locking screw insertion in CFR-PEEK versus SS plates, (2) on-axis locking screw insertion, removal, and reinsertion in CFR-PEEK plates, and (3) 10-degree off-axis locking screw insertion in CFR-PEEK plates. Cantilever bending at a rate of 1 mm/minute was produced by an Instron machine and load-displacement data recorded. Shaft locking screw load to failure was significantly greater in CFR-PEEK plates compared to SS plates (746.4 ± 89.7 N versus 596.5 ± 32.6 N, p PEEK plates (p PEEK plates. The mechanical stability of locking screws in CFR-PEEK plates is comparable or superior to locking screws in SS plates.

Chronic air-flow limitation does not increase respiratory epithelial permeability assessed by aerosolized solute, but smoking does

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huchon, G.J.; Russell, J.A.; Barritault, L.G.; Lipavsky, A.; Murray, J.F.

1984-01-01

To determine the separate influences of smoking and severe air-flow limitation on aerosol deposition and respiratory epithelial permeability, we studied 26 normal nonsmokers, 12 smokers without airway obstruction, 12 nonsmokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and 11 smokers with COPD. We aerosolized 99mTc-labeled diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid to particles approximately 1 micron activity median aerodynamic diameter. Levels of radioactivity were plotted semilogarithmically against time to calculate clearance as percent per minute. The distribution of radioactivity was homogeneous in control subjects and in smokers, but patchy in both groups with COPD. No difference was found between clearances of the control group (1.18 +/- 0.31% min-1), and nonsmoker COPD group (1.37 +/- 0.82% min-1), whereas values in smokers without COPD (4.00 +/- 1.70% min-1) and smokers with COPD (3.62 +/- 2.88% min-1) were significantly greater than in both nonsmoking groups. We conclude that (1) small particles appear to deposit peripherally, even with severe COPD; (2) respiratory epithelial permeability is normal in nonsmokers with COPD; (3) smoking increases permeability by a mechanism unrelated to air-flow limitation

The association between chronic airflow obstruction and poverty in 12 sites of the multinational BOLD study.

Science.gov (United States)

Townend, John; Minelli, Cosetta; Mortimer, Kevin; Obaseki, Daniel O; Al Ghobain, Mohammed; Cherkaski, Hamid; Denguezli, Myriam; Gunesekera, Kirthi; Hafizi, Hasan; Koul, Parvaiz A; Loh, Li C; Nejjari, Chakib; Patel, Jaymini; Sooronbayev, Talant; Buist, Sonia A; Burney, Peter G J

2017-06-01

Poverty is strongly associated with mortality from COPD, but little is known of its relation to airflow obstruction.In a cross-sectional study of adults aged ≥40 years from 12 sites (N=9255), participating in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study, poverty was evaluated using a wealth score (0-10) based on household assets. Obstruction, measured as forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 )/forced vital capacity (FVC) (%) after administration of 200 μg salbutamol, and prevalence of FEV 1 /FVCwealth scores ranged from 4 in Blantyre (Malawi) and Kashmir (India) to 10 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), and the prevalence of obstruction, from 16% in Kashmir to 3% in Riyadh and Penang (Malaysia). Following adjustments for age and sex, FEV 1 /FVC increased by 0.36% (absolute change) (95%CI: 0.22, 0.49; pwealth score. Adjustments for other confounders reduced this effect to 0.23% (0.11, 0.34), but even this value remained highly significant (pwealth scores explained 38% of the variation in mean FEV 1 /FVC between sites (r 2 =0.385, p=0.031).Airflow obstruction is consistently associated with poverty at individual and community levels across several countries. Copyright ©ERS 2017.

Numerical analysis of airflow cyclic variation during intake and compression process in a 4-stroke engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fadzi, M.A.; Zakaria, S.; Yusoff, M.Z; Yusaf, T.

2004-01-01

A degree of turbulence is one of the main factors that used to optimize the combustion efficiency, the specific fuel consumption and emissions in automotive engines. A 3D numerical study was prepared to evaluate how the complex geometry of a dome-roof and a pent-roof engine influences the flow field. A 4-stroke, 100cc SI motorcycle engine was used as the model. Engines operating at 1000 rpm and fixed atmospheric conditions were simulated using a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver Star CD for cold flow simulations for both induction and compression stroke. Post processing stage was used to observe the cyclic airflows. The simulated results were utilized to compare aerodynamic characteristic in term of swirl and tumble motion. Variations of airflow in the cylinder were viewed through different specific geometry of both combustion chambers. Numerical results show that higher swirl was generated in the dome-roof shape. Results from Star CD simulations were translated into numerical data to compare the value of swirl ratio for both pent-roof and dome-roof engine. Remarkable insights are gained into how the chamber geometry can influence homogeneity of gas mixtures and indirectly affect the efficiency of an engine. (author)

PC-based car license plate reader

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Chung-Mu; Shu, Shyh-Yeong; Chen, Wen-Yu; Chen, Yie-Wern; Wen, Kuang-Pu

1992-11-01

A car license plate reader (CLPR) using fuzzy inference and neural network algorithm has been developed in Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and installed in highway toll stations to identify stolen cars. It takes an average of 0.7 seconds to recognize a car license plate by using a PC with 80486-50 CPU. The recognition rate of the system is about 97%. The techniques of CLPR include vehicle sensing, image grab control, optic pre- processing, lighting, and optic character recognition (OCR). The CLPR can be used in vehicle flow statistics, the checking of stolen vehicles, automatic charging systems in parking lots or garage management, and so on.

Robot Arm with Tendon Connector Plate and Linear Actuator

Science.gov (United States)

Ihrke, Chris A. (Inventor); Diftler, Myron A. (Inventor); Bridgwater, Lyndon (Inventor); Nguyen, Vienny (Inventor); Millerman, Alexander (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A robotic system includes a tendon-driven end effector, a linear actuator, a flexible tendon, and a plate assembly. The linear actuator assembly has a servo motor and a drive mechanism, the latter of which translates linearly with respect to a drive axis of the servo motor in response to output torque from the servo motor. The tendon connects to the end effector and drive mechanism. The plate assembly is disposed between the linear actuator assembly and the tendon-driven end effector and includes first and second plates. The first plate has a first side that defines a boss with a center opening. The second plate defines an accurate through-slot having tendon guide channels. The first plate defines a through passage for the tendon between the center opening and a second side of the first plate. A looped end of the flexible tendon is received within the tendon guide channels.

Extended Plate and Beam Wall System: Concept Investigation and Initial Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiehagen, J. [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Kochkin, V. [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States)

2015-08-01

A new and innovative High-R wall design, referred to as the Extended Plate & Beam (EP&B), is under development. The EP&B system uniquely integrates foam sheathing insulation with wall framing such that wood structural panels are installed exterior of the foam sheathing, enabling the use of standard practices for installation of drainage plane, windows and doors, claddings, cavity insulation, and the standard exterior foam sheathing installation approach prone to damage of the foam during transportation of prefabricated wall panels. As part of the ongoing work, the EP&B wall system concept has undergone structural verification testing and has been positively vetted by a group of industry stakeholders. Having passed these initial milestone markers, the advanced wall system design has been analyzed to assess cost implications relative to other advanced wall systems, undergone design assessment to develop construction details, and has been evaluated to develop representative prescriptive requirements for the building code. This report summarizes the assessment steps conducted to-date and provides details of the concept development.

Investigation of vertebral ''end plate sclerosis''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S.W.; Mathie, A.G.; Jackson, J.E.; Hughes, S.P.F.

2001-01-01

To evaluate the association between vertebral ''end plate sclerosis'' and neck pain. A retrospective study was carried out of lateral cervical spine radiographs with a Picture Archive and Communication System (PACS). Two hundred patients' files were randomly assessed, comprising four equal groups, A to D. The mean ages of the patients were 62±7.4 years, 61±7.5 years, 40±5.6 years and 23±5.6 years respectively. In group A, all patients had symptoms of neck pain and a radiographic diagnosis of ''end plate sclerosis'' of the cervical spine. In groups B to D, asymptomatic patients were recruited and their age groups were 50-69, 30-49 and 10-29 years respectively. Using the PACS, the radiographic density and the sagittal diameter, thickness and area of the end plates at the C5 level were measured. Results and conclusions: No significant differences were found in the radiographic density of the end plates either between the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups (groups A and B), or between different age groups (groups B, C and D). A significant increase in end plate area and thickness was found, however, in both group B (P<0.005) and group C (P<0.01) in comparison with group D. This indicates that the extent of end plate sclerosis increases with age. Our results suggest that the radiographic density of cervical vertebral end plates correlates neither with neck pain nor with increasing age. The radiological sign of ''end plate sclerosis'' may be over-reported, further limiting its value in the assessment of patients with cervical spondylosis. (orig.)

An aluminium evaporation source for ion plating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walley, P.A.; Cross, K.B.

1977-01-01

Ion plating with aluminium is becoming increasingly accepted as a method of anti-corrosion surface passivation, the usual requirements being for a layer between 12 and 50 microns in thickness, (0.0005 to 0.002). The evaporation system described here offers a number of advantages over high power electron beam sources when used for aluminium ion plating. The source consists of a resistively heated, specially shaped, boron nitride-titanium diboride boat and a metering feed system. Its main features are small physical size, soft vacuum compatibility, low power consumption and metered evaporation output. (author)

A nonlinear plate control without linearization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yildirim Kenan

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, an optimal vibration control problem for a nonlinear plate is considered. In order to obtain the optimal control function, wellposedness and controllability of the nonlinear system is investigated. The performance index functional of the system, to be minimized by minimum level of control, is chosen as the sum of the quadratic 10 functional of the displacement. The velocity of the plate and quadratic functional of the control function is added to the performance index functional as a penalty term. By using a maximum principle, the nonlinear control problem is transformed to solving a system of partial differential equations including state and adjoint variables linked by initial-boundary-terminal conditions. Hence, it is shown that optimal control of the nonlinear systems can be obtained without linearization of the nonlinear term and optimal control function can be obtained analytically for nonlinear systems without linearization.

Numerical simulations of island effects on airflow and weather during the summer over the island of Oahu

Science.gov (United States)

Hiep Van Nguyen; Yie-Leng Chen; Francis Fujioka

2010-01-01

The high-resolution (1.5 km) nonhydrostatic fifth-generation Pennsylvania StateUniversity–National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU–NCAR) Mesoscale Model (MM5) and an advanced land surface model (LSM) are used to study the island-induced airflow and weather for the island of Oahu, Hawaii, under summer trade wind conditions. Despite Oahu’s relatively small...

Chaos control for the plates subjected to subsonic flow

Science.gov (United States)

Norouzi, Hamed; Younesian, Davood

2016-07-01

The suppression of chaotic motion in viscoelastic plates driven by external subsonic air flow is studied. Nonlinear oscillation of the plate is modeled by the von-Kármán plate theory. The fluid-solid interaction is taken into account. Galerkin's approach is employed to transform the partial differential equations of the system into the time domain. The corresponding homoclinic orbits of the unperturbed Hamiltonian system are obtained. In order to study the chaotic behavior of the plate, Melnikov's integral is analytically applied and the threshold of the excitation amplitude and frequency for the occurrence of chaos is presented. It is found that adding a parametric perturbation to the system in terms of an excitation with the same frequency of the external force can lead to eliminate chaos. Variations of the Lyapunov exponent and bifurcation diagrams are provided to analyze the chaotic and periodic responses. Two perturbation-based control strategies are proposed. In the first scenario, the amplitude of control forces reads a constant value that should be precisely determined. In the second strategy, this amplitude can be proportional to the deflection of the plate. The performance of each controller is investigated and it is found that the second scenario would be more efficient.

Development of time-of-flight RBS system using multi microchannel plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, N.V.; Abo, S.; Lohner, T.; Sawaragi, H.; Wakaya, F.; Takai, M.

2007-01-01

A new time-of-flight Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (TOF-RBS) system with two circular microchannel plates (MCPs) installed at a distance of 140 mm from a sample holder and a scattering angle of 125 o and a 100 kV focused ion beam column having a liquid metal ion source (LMIS) of AuSiBe alloy has been assembled to obtain high counting rate and enhanced mass resolution. The possible influence of the two MCPs by logical summation of the output signals on the time resolution was investigated by measuring dedicated thin deposited metallic samples. And, the time resolution was found in the range of 1.5-2 ns

Fixation of zygomatic and mandibular fractures with biodegradable plates

OpenAIRE

Degala, Saikrishna; Shetty, Sujeeth; Ramya, S

2013-01-01

Context: In this prospective study, 13 randomly selected patients underwent treatment for zygomatic?complex fractures (2 site fractures) and mandibular fractures using 1.5 / 2 / 2.5-mm INION CPS biodegradable plates and screws. Aims: To assess the fixation of zygomatic-complex and mandibular fractures with biodegradable copolymer osteosynthesis system. Materials and Methods: In randomly selected 13 patients, zygomatic-complex and mandibular fractures were plated using resorbable plates and sc...

Flat plate collector. Solarflachkollektor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raab, N

1979-03-29

The invention refers to a flat solar collector with an absorber plate, which is arranged on a support and is covered by a transparent window, between which and the plate there is an air space. The previously known structures of this type had the disadvantage that the thermal expansion of the enclosed air caused considerable difficulties. The purpose of the invention is therefore to create a collector, which can be used on the modular system, retains its properties and is safe in spite of the great temperature variations. According to the invention this problem is solved by providing a compensating space in the collector, which is separated by a diaphragm from the airspace between the plate and the covering window. The airspace therefore remains sealed against the atmosphere, so that no dirt, corrosion of the inside and no condensation can reduce the efficiency of the collector. A rise in pressure due to an increase in temperature is immediately reduced by expansion of the diaphragm, which enters the compensation space. In order to increase the pressure in the airspace above the plate for increases in temperature, the compensation space is connected to the atmosphere. The diaphragm can be mirrored on the side towards the absorber, which makes the diaphragm into an insulating element, as it reflects radiated heat from the absorber.

Fixation of zygomatic and mandibular fractures with biodegradable plates.

Science.gov (United States)

Degala, Saikrishna; Shetty, Sujeeth; Ramya, S

2013-01-01

In this prospective study, 13 randomly selected patients underwent treatment for zygomatic-complex fractures (2 site fractures) and mandibular fractures using 1.5 / 2 / 2.5-mm INION CPS biodegradable plates and screws. To assess the fixation of zygomatic-complex and mandibular fractures with biodegradable copolymer osteosynthesis system. In randomly selected 13 patients, zygomatic-complex and mandibular fractures were plated using resorbable plates and screws using Champy's principle. All the cases were evaluated clinically and radiologically for the type of fracture, need for the intermaxillary fixation (IMF) and its duration, duration of surgery, fixation at operation, state of reduction at operation, state of bone union after operation, anatomic reduction, paresthesia, occlusal discrepancies, soft tissue infection, immediate and late inflammatory reactions related to biodegradation process, and any need for the removal of the plates. Descriptives, Frequencies, and Chi-square test were used. In our study, the age group range was 5 to 55 years. Road traffic accidents accounted for the majority of patients six, (46.2%). Postoperative occlusal discrepancies were found in seven patients as mild to moderate, which resolved with IMF for 1-8 weeks. There were minimal complications seen and only as soft tissue infection. Use of biodegradable osteosynthesis system is a reliable alternative method for the fixation of zygomatic-complex and mandibular fractures. The biodegradable system still needs to be refined in material quality and handling to match the stability achieved with metal system. Biodegradable plates and screws is an ideal system for pediatric fractures with favorable outcome.

Entrance C - New Automatic Number Plate Recognition System

CERN Multimedia

2013-01-01

Entrance C (Satigny) is now equipped with a latest-generation Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system and a fast-action road gate.   During the month of August, Entrance C will be continuously open from 7.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. (working days only). The security guards will open the gate as usual from 7.00 a.m. to 9.00 a.m. and from 5.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. For the rest of the working day (9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.) the gate will operate automatically. Please observe the following points:       Stop at the STOP sign on the ground     Position yourself next to the card reader for optimal recognition     Motorcyclists must use their CERN card     Cyclists may not activate the gate and should use the bicycle turnstile     Keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you   If access is denied, please check that your vehicle regist...

Base-plate effects on pipe-support stiffness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkel, B.V.; LaSalle, F.R.

1981-01-01

Present nuclear power plant design methods require that pipe support spring rates be considered in the seismic design of piping systems. Base plate flexibility can have a significant effect on the spring rates of these support structures. This paper describes the field inspection, test, and analytical techniques used to identify and correct excessively flexible base plates on the Fast Flux Test Facility pipe support structures

Evaluation of edge enhancement effect of phase contrast imaging using newly-developed photostimulable phosphor plate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuo, Satoru; Morishita, Junji; Katafuchi, Tetsuro; Fujita, Hiroshi

2012-01-01

We investigated whether the use of a newly developed columnar-crystal-type photostimulable-phosphor plate (CP1M200, referred to as system C) helps to provide improved edge-enhanced effect in phase contrast imaging. Physical characteristics of 2 conventional particulate-crystal-type photostimulable-phosphor plates (RP-5PM, referred to as system A and RP-6M, referred to as system B) and system C were measured. Then, an acrylic plate phantom and RMI152 phantom were imaged using 3 types of plates, and the edge-enhancement effects were evaluated based on the profile curve of the acrylic plate phantom. Visual evaluation of the RMI152 phantom images was conducted. The results showed that the modulation transfer function (MTF) of system C was superior to those of the other systems. The WS of system C was superior to those of the other systems in the low frequency band region, and inferior to those of the other systems in the high frequency band region. The presence of an edge-enhanced image was not detectable in the profile curve of the acrylic plate in system A, although that was shown in systems B and C due to their excellent sharpness. In the visual image evaluation of the RMI152 phantom, image quality of system C was superior to those of the other systems. Phase contrast imaging with a digital detector of a columnar-crystal-type photostimulable-phosphor plate is considered to provide improved edge-enhancement over that of conventional plates. (author)

A locking compression plate versus the gold-standard non-locking plate with lag screw for first metatarsophalangeal fusion: A biomechanical comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandell, Daniel; Karbassi, John; Zhou, Hanbing; Burroughs, Brian; Aurigemma, Philip; Patel, Abhay R

2018-03-01

The treatment of end-stage first metatarso-phalangeal joint (MTP) arthritis has been arthrodesis. A dorsal non-locking plate with a lag screw has been the standard traditional fixation method. This study compares the biomechanical strength of a locking compression plate (LCP) with and without internal compression versus this known gold standard. In group 1, six matched pairs of cadaver great toes were used to compare the standard non-locking dorsal plate and 3.5mm lag screw to an anatomic locking compression plate in which a lag screw was utilized rather than the internal compression features of the plate. In group 2, another six matched pairs of cadaver great toes were used to compare the gold standard to the locking compression plate, utilizing the plate's internal compression feature instead of a lag screw. A material testing system (MTS) machine applied loads to the MTP joints and measured displacement and stiffness of the constructs. The stiffness of the constructs (Young's modulus) was calculated from the force-displacement curves, and the displacement was measured. The locking compression plate group that used the compression features of the plate, without the lag screw, had less joint displacement and higher stiffness than control (p<0.05). The same plating construct in which a lag screw was used rather than internal compression of the plate was found to be stiffer than the control (p<0.05), but displacement was not statistically significant. The results suggest that a locking compression plate alone provides the stiffest construct for a first MTP joint fusion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Buckling Response of Thick Functionally Graded Plates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BOUAZZA MOKHTAR

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the buckling of a functionally graded plate is studied by using first order shear deformation theory (FSDT. The material properties of the plate are assumed to be graded continuously in the direction of thickness. The variation of the material properties follows a simple power-law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of constituents. The von Karman strains are used to construct the equilibrium equations of the plates subjected to two types of thermal loading, linear temperature rise and gradient through the thickness are considered. The governing equations are reduced to linear differential equation with boundary conditions yielding a simple solution procedure. In addition, the effects of temperature field, volume fraction distributions, and system geometric parameters are investigated. The results are compared with the results of the no shear deformation theory (classic plate theory, CPT.

A Possible Differentially Shortened Strike-slip Plate Boundary: the Okhotsk Plate Example.

Science.gov (United States)

Hindle, D.; Egorov, V.; Mackey, K. G.; Fujita, K.

2004-12-01

The Okhotsk plate has been postulated based on a combination of GPS geodetic inversions (REVEL1), seimsicity, geologic and lineament data. Lying between the North American and Eurasian plates, its northwestern corner would appear to be undergoing compression in a scissors motion between the two bounding plates. Extrusion tectonics along multiple, large strike-slip faults within the Okhotsk plate itself have been suggested to allow the escape of material away from the apex of Eurasia-North America. The plate boundary between Okhotsk and North America has been suggested to be diffuse, based on widely scattered minor seismicity. However, the large, left lateral, Ulakhan fault has also been suggested as a candidate plate boundary. We present field geological and geomorphological evidence of the partitioning of deformation between the Ulakhan fault, and several parallel and oblique, linked faults. The Ulakhan fault strand appears to have a maximum displacement of 24 km based on river valley offsets and closing large pull apart basins. Some of the displacement from the Ulakhan fault appears relayed into the plate margin along oblique trending, thrust/oblique slip faults. Estimated shortening over these faults is equivalent to the amount of shortening relayed into the plate margin from the plate boundary. There may be several thrust/oblique slip faults along the Ulakhan fault, which leads to the interesting situation of a segmented, strike-slip plate boundary being actively shortened in a margin parallel direction. This may be the result of postulated extrusion of the Okhotsk plate due to North America/Eurasia convergence. Such a situation would have important consequences for the interpretation of GPS data in a plate tectonic context.

Characterization of bio-inspired hair flow sensors for oscillatory airflows: techniques to measure the response for both flow and pressure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Droogendijk, H.; Dagamseh, A.M.K.; Sanders, Remco G.P.; Yntema, Doekle Reinder; Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.

2014-01-01

Hair sensors for oscillatory airflow, operating in the regime of bulk flow, particle velocity or both, can be characterized by several methods. In this work, we discuss harmonic measurements on MEMS hair flow sensors. To characterize this type of flow sensor the use of three different types of

High-Throughput Lipolysis in 96-Well Plates for Rapid Screening of Lipid-Based Drug Delivery Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mosgaard, Mette D; Sassene, Philip J; Mu, Huiling

2017-01-01

The high-throughput in vitro intestinal lipolysis model (HTP) applicable for rapid and low-scale screening of lipid-based drug delivery systems (LbDDSs) was optimized and adjusted as to be conducted in 96-well plates (HTP-96). Three different LbDDSs (I-III) loaded with danazol or cinnarizine were...

Numerical modeling of intraplate seismicity with a deformable loading plate

Science.gov (United States)

So, B. D.; Capitanio, F. A.

2017-12-01

We use finite element modeling to investigate on the stress loading-unloading cycles and earthquakes occurrence in the plate interiors, resulting from the interactions of tectonic plates along their boundary. We model a visco-elasto-plastic plate embedding a single or multiple faults, while the tectonic stress is applied along the plate boundary by an external loading visco-elastic plate, reproducing the tectonic setting of two interacting lithospheres. Because the two plates deform viscously, the timescale of stress accumulation and release on the faults is self-consistently determined, from the boundary to the interiors, and seismic recurrence is an emerging feature. This approach overcomes the constraints on recurrence period imposed by stress (stress-drop) and velocity boundary conditions, while here it is unconstrained. We illustrate emerging macroscopic characteristics of this system, showing that the seismic recurrence period τ becomes shorter as Γ and Θ decreases, where Γ = ηI/ηL the viscosity ratio of the viscosities of the internal fault-embedded to external loading plates, respectively, and Θ = σY/σL the stress ratio of the elastic limit of the fault to far-field loading stress. When the system embeds multiple, randomly distributed faults, stress transfer results in recurrence period deviations, however the time-averaged recurrence period of each fault show the same dependence on Γ and Θ, illustrating a characteristic collective behavior. The control of these parameters prevails even when initial pre-stress was randomly assigned in terms of the spatial arrangement and orientation on the internal plate, mimicking local fluctuations. Our study shows the relevance of macroscopic rheological properties of tectonic plates on the earthquake occurrence in plate interiors, as opposed to local factors, proposing a viable model for the seismic behavior of continent interiors in the context of large-scale, long-term deformation of interacting tectonic

The Use of the String of Pearls Locking Plate System in the Stabilisation of a Comminuted Calcaneal Fracture in a Giant Breed Dog

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. B. Scrimgeour

2011-01-01

Full Text Available An eight-year-old male Pyrenean mountain dog was presented with a comminuted fracture of the right calcaneus following motor vehicle trauma. The fracture was stabilised with a plate-rod construct, using the String of Pearls locking plate system and an intramedullary pin. Healing was uncomplicated.

Reverse Less Invasive Stabilization System (LISS) Plating for Proximal Femur Fractures in Poliomyelitis Survivors: A Report of Two Cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Chen; Jin, Dongxu; Zhang, Changqing

2017-11-15

BACKGROUND Poliomyelitis is a neuromuscular disease which causes muscle atrophy, skeletal deformities, and disabilities. Treatment of hip fractures on polio-affect limbs is unique and difficult, since routine fixation methods like nailing may not be suitable due to abnormal skeletal structures. CASE REPORT We report one femoral neck fracture and one subtrochanteric fracture in polio survivors successfully treated with reverse less invasive stabilization system (LISS) plating technique. Both fractures were on polio-affected limbs with significant skeletal deformities and low bone density. A contralateral femoral LISS plate was applied upside down to the proximal femur as an internal fixator after indirect or direct reduction. Both patients had uneventful bone union and good functional recovery. CONCLUSIONS Reverse LISS plating is a safe and effective technique to treat hip fractures with skeletal deformities caused by poliomyelitis.

A counterexample of the Euler condition: the Appell–Hamel dynamical system on a horizontally moving plate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shan-Shan, Xu; Shu-Min, Li; Jamal, Berakdar

2009-01-01

As a counterexample of the Euler condition for nonholonomic constraint problems [H. C. Shen, Acta Phys. Sin. 54, 2468 (2005)], we investigate the Apell–Hamel dynamical system on a horizontally moving plate. The inconsistency of the results with Newton mechanics suggests that the Euler condition is not a universal model for nonlinear nonholonomic systems. This is attributed to the fact that the virtual displacements so obtained are not normal to the constraint forces. (general)

Numerical Study on the Effect of Distribution Plates in the Manifolds on the Flow Distribution and Thermal Performance of a Flat Plate Solar Collector

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Juan Manuel García-Guendulain

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Flow maldistribution represents a problem of particular interest in the engineering field for several thermal systems. In flat plate solar collectors, the thermal efficiency strongly depends on the flow distribution through the riser tubes, where a uniform distribution causes a uniform temperature distribution and therefore a higher efficiency. In this work, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD numerical analysis has been carried out using the commercial software FLUENT®, in order to determine the flow distribution, pressure drop and hence the thermal efficiency of a solar collector with distribution flow plates inside the manifolds. The obtained numerical solution for this type of thermal systems has been validated with experimental results available in literature for laminar and turbulent flow. Four distribution plate configurations were analyzed. Results show that using two distribution plates in each of both manifolds improves the flow uniformity up to 40% under the same operating conditions when distribution plates are not used. Besides, it is shown that there exists an increase in the overall pressure drop which is practically negligible for the tilt angles commonly employed in the installation of flat plate solar collectors in Mexico. The use of closed end distribution plates on the dividing and combining manifolds allows the thermal efficiency to become close to the ideal thermal efficiency which is obtained with a uniform flow distribution.

Sound insulation performance of plates with interconnected distributed piezoelectric patches

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Yi Kaijun

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the sound insulation performance of a thin plate with interconnected distributed piezoelectric patches. Piezoelectric patches are periodically bonded on the surfaces of the plate in a collocated fashion, and are interconnected via an inductive circuit network. This piezoelectric system is termed as piezo-electromechanical (PEM plate in the paper. Homogenization methods are involved under a sub-wavelength assumption to analytically develop the dynamical equations for the PEM plate. The dispersion relationships and energy densities of the wave modes propagating in the PEM plate are studied; the sub-wavelength assumption is verified for the simulations in this paper. The coincidence frequency of the PEM plate is researched, and results show that the coincidence frequency of the PEM plate will disappear at certain circumstances; mathematical and physical explanations are made for this phenomenon. The disappearance of the coincidence frequency is used to optimize the value of inductance, for the purpose of improving the sound transmission loss of the PEM plate.

Development of Intermediate Cooling Technology and Its Control for Two-Stand Plate Rolling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fei Zhang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In a plate rolling production line, thermomechanically controlled processing is critical for plate quality. In this paper, a set of intermediate cooling equipment of a two-stand plate mill with super density nozzles, medium pressure, and small flow is developed. Based on a simplified dynamic model, a cooling control scheme with combined feedforward, feedback, and adaptive algorithms is put forward. The new controlled rolling process and the highly efficient control system improve the controlled rolling efficiency by an average of 17.66%. The proposed intermediate cooling system can also effectively inhibit the growth of austenite grain, improve the impact toughness and yield strength of Q345B steel plate, reduce the formation of secondary oxide scale on the plate surface and the chromatic aberration of the plate surface, and greatly improve the surface quality of the steel plate.

Effect of Plate Curvature on Blast Response of Structural Steel Plates

Science.gov (United States)

Veeredhi, Lakshmi Shireen Banu; Ramana Rao, N. V.; Veeredhi, Vasudeva Rao

2018-04-01

In the present work an attempt is made, through simulation studies, to determine the effect of plate curvature on the blast response of a door structure made of ASTM A515 grade 50 steel plates. A door structure with dimensions of 5.142 m × 2.56 m × 10 mm having six different radii of curvatures is analyzed which is subjected to blast load. The radii of curvature investigated are infinity (flat plate), 16.63, 10.81, 8.26, 6.61 and 5.56 m. In the present study, a stand-off distance of 11 m is considered for all the cases. Results showed that the door structure with smallest radius of curvature experienced least plastic deformation and yielding when compared to a door with larger radius of curvature with same projected area. From the present Investigation, it is observed that, as the radius of curvature of the plate increases, the deformation mode gradually shifts from indentation mode to flexural mode. The plates with infinity and 16.63 m radius of curvature have undergone flexural mode of deformation and plates with 6.61 and 5.56 m radius of curvature undergo indentation mode of deformation. Whereas, mixed mode of deformation that consists of both flexural and indentation mode of deformations are seen in the plates with radius of curvature 10.81 and 8.26 m. As the radius of curvature of the plate decreases the ability of the plate to mitigate the effect the blast loads increased. It is observed that the plate with smaller radius of curvature deflects most of the blast energy and results in least indentation mode of deformation. The most significant observation made in the present investigation is that the strain energy absorbed by the steel plate gets reduced to 1/3 rd when the radius of curvature is approximately equal to the stand-off distance which could be the critical radius of curvature.

The Okhotsk Plate and the Eurasia-North America plate boundary zone.

Science.gov (United States)

Hindle, David; Mackey, Kevin

2014-05-01

The Eurasia-North America plate boundary zone transitions from spreading at rates of ~ 25mm/yr in the North Atlantic, to compression at rates of ~ 5mm/yr in the region of the Okhotsk plate. Because the pole of rotation between Eurasia and North America lies more or less on their mutual boundary, there is a linear change in rate along the boundary, and regions near the euler pole are subject to extremely low deformation rates. The Okhotsk - Eurasia - North America triple junction lies slightly south of the rotation pole, placing the Okhotsk plate entirely in a weakly contractional setting. Regions near the triple junction absorb 1mm/yr contraction. Further south, towards the shoreline of the Okhotsk sea, up to 5 mm/yr contraction may be absorbed within the plate. How shortening is accommodated across the boundary remains an open question. One possibility is wholesale extrusion of the entire Okhotsk plate (or possibly its northwestern corner) along two plate boundary strike slip faults (Eurasia-Okhostk and North America Okhotsk). The problem with this model is that the seismic record does not presently clearly support it, with the largest events distributed both within the plate interior and on its boundaries. This may suggest that instead, the Okhotsk plate, and particularly its north-western end, consists of a series of smaller blocks which shuffle against each other, partially accommodating extrusion, but also permitting some internal deformation and change of shape of the Okhotsk plate itself. We present analyses of the very sparse seismic record from the region, as well as geometric-kinematic, tectonic models of the possible deformation of northwest Okhotsk to try to better understand the different probabilities of how this slowly deforming plate boundary zone is behaving.

DESI focal plate mechanical integration and cooling

Science.gov (United States)

Lambert, A. R.; Besuner, R. W.; Claybaugh, T. M.; Silber, J. H.

2016-08-01

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is under construction to measure the expansion history of the Universe using the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation technique[1]. The spectra of 40 million galaxies over 14000 sq. deg will be measured during the life of the experiment. A new prime focus corrector for the KPNO Mayall telescope will deliver light to 5000 fiber optic positioners. The fibers in turn feed ten broad-band spectrographs. This paper describes the mechanical integration of the DESI focal plate and the thermal system design. The DESI focal plate is comprised of ten identical petal assemblies. Each petal contains 500 robotic fiber positioners. Each petal is a complete, self-contained unit, independent from the others, with integrated power supply, controllers, fiber routing, and cooling services. The major advantages of this scheme are: (1) supports installation and removal of complete petal assemblies in-situ, without disturbing the others, (2) component production, assembly stations, and test procedures are repeated and parallelizable, (3) a complete, full-scale prototype can be built and tested at an early date, (4) each production petal can be surveyed and tested as a complete unit, prior to integration, from the fiber tip at the focal surface to the fiber slit at the spectrograph. The ten petal assemblies will be installed in a single integration ring, which is mounted to the DESI corrector. The aluminum integration ring attaches to the steel corrector barrel via a flexured steel adapter, isolating the focal plate from differential thermal expansions. The plate scale will be kept stable by conductive cooling of the petal assembly. The guider and wavefront sensors (one per petal) will be convectively cooled by forced flow of air. Heat will be removed from the system at ten liquid-cooled cold plates, one per petal, operating at ambient temperature. The entire focal plate structure is enclosed in an insulating shroud, which serves as a thermal barrier

Visualization of nasal airflow patterns in a patient affected with atrophic rhinitis using particle image velocimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia, G J M [Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, NC (United States); Mitchell, G [The Queens University of Belfast, Belfast (United Kingdom); Bailie, N [The Queens University of Belfast, Belfast (United Kingdom); Thornhill, D [The Queens University of Belfast, Belfast (United Kingdom); Watterson, J [The Queens University of Belfast, Belfast (United Kingdom); Kimbell, J S [Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, NC (United States)

2007-10-15

The relationship between airflow patterns in the nasal cavity and nasal function is poorly understood. This paper reports an experimental study of the interplay between symptoms and airflow patterns in a patient affected with atrophic rhinitis. This pathology is characterized by mucosal dryness, fetor, progressive atrophy of anatomical structures, a spacious nasal cavity, and a paradoxical sensation of nasal congestion. A physical replica of the patient's nasal geometry was made and particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to visualize and measure the flow field. The nasal replica was based on computed tomography (CT) scans of the patient and was built in three steps: three-dimensional reconstruction of the CT scans; rapid prototyping of a cast; and sacrificial use of the cast to form a model of the nasal passage in clear silicone. Flow patterns were measured by running a water-glycerol mixture through the replica and evaluating the displacement of particles dispersed in the liquid using PIV. The water-glycerol flow rate used corresponded to an air flow rate representative of a human breathing at rest. The trajectory of the flow observed in the left passage of the nose (more affected by atrophic rhinitis) differed markedly from what is considered normal, and was consistent with patterns of epithelial damage observed in cases of the condition. The data are also useful for validation of computational fluid dynamics predictions.

Crane Scheduling for a Plate Storage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Jesper; Clausen, Jens

2002-01-01

Odense Steel Shipyard produces the worlds largest container ships. The first process of producing the steel ships is handling arrival and storage of steel plates until they are needed in production. This paper considers the problem of scheduling two cranes that carry out the movements of plates...... into, around and out of the storage. The system is required to create a daily schedule for the cranes, but also handle possible disruptions during the execution of the plan. The problem is solved with a Simulated Annealing algorithm....

Fabrication procedures for HFIR control plates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bowden, G.A.; Hicks, G.R.; Knight, R.W.

1984-10-01

The HFIR control system uses Alclad cylindrically shaped components, which have regions containing 31 vol % Eu/sub 2/O/sub 3/ and 38 vol % Ta, respectively. Exacting control of the water passage between these components and adjacent reactor parts is mandatory, and precise dimensional control of the finished products is required. This report describes the procedures developed for manufacturing outer control plates and inner control cylinders. Results are cited which demonstrate that circular-shaped outer control plates can be produced with less than 0.025-in. variation from the specified 9.300-in. radius in any region of the plate. Other results show that, by the exercise of careful control, inner control, inner control plates can be welded into cylindrical geometry with diametrical variations held to less than +- 0.010 in. of the intended 17.846-in. average diam. The cylinders can then be explosively sized, while under compression, with diametric variations of less than 0.005 in. while controlling roundness variations to less than 0.030 in. from the specified 17.842-in. finished diam.

Fabrication procedures for HFIR control plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowden, G.A.; Hicks, G.R.; Knight, R.W.

1984-10-01

The HFIR control system uses Alclad cylindrically shaped components, which have regions containing 31 vol % Eu 2 O 3 and 38 vol % Ta, respectively. Exacting control of the water passage between these components and adjacent reactor parts is mandatory, and precise dimensional control of the finished products is required. This report describes the procedures developed for manufacturing outer control plates and inner control cylinders. Results are cited which demonstrate that circular-shaped outer control plates can be produced with less than 0.025-in. variation from the specified 9.300-in. radius in any region of the plate. Other results show that, by the exercise of careful control, inner control, inner control plates can be welded into cylindrical geometry with diametrical variations held to less than +- 0.010 in. of the intended 17.846-in. average diam. The cylinders can then be explosively sized, while under compression, with diametric variations of less than 0.005 in. while controlling roundness variations to less than 0.030 in. from the specified 17.842-in. finished diam

Enhanced Freshwater Production Using Finned-Plate Air Gap Membrane Distillation (AGMD

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Perves Bappy Mohammad Jabed

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Air Gap membrane distillation (AGMD, a special type of energy efficient membrane distillation process, is a technology for producing freshwater from waste water. Having some benefits over other traditional processes, this method has been able to draw attention of researchers working in the field of freshwater production technologies. In this study, a basic AGMD system with flat coolant plate has been modified using a specially designed channelled coolant plate of portable size to observe its effect over the production rate and performance of the system. Attempt has been made to increase the amount of distillate flux by using the “fin effect” of the channelled coolant plate. A finned plate have been used instead of a flat coolant plate and experiments were conducted to compare the effect. Coolant temperature and feed temperature of the system have been varied from 10°C to 25°C and 40°C to 70°C respectively. Comparing the data, around 50% to 58% distillate enhancement has been observed for channelled coolant plate. Also, it was seen that the enhancement was higher for higher feed temperatures and coolant temperatures. With these findings, a better performing AGMD module has been introduced to mitigate the scarcity of freshwater.

Cost/benefit analysis of electronic license plates

Science.gov (United States)

2008-06-01

The objective of this report is to determine whether electronic vehicle recognition systems (EVR) or automatic license plate recognition systems (ALPR) would be beneficial to the Arizona Department of Transportation (AZDOT). EVR uses radio frequency ...

Parity generator and parity checker in the modified trinary number system using savart plate and spatial light modulator

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Amal K.

2010-09-01

The parity generators and the checkers are the most important circuits in communication systems. With the development of multi-valued logic (MVL), the proposed system with parity generators and checkers is the most required using the recently developed optoelectronic technology in the modified trinary number (MTN) system. This system also meets up the tremendous needs of speeds by exploiting the savart plates and spatial light modulators (SLM) in the optical tree architecture (OTA).

Scale-up of Carbon/Carbon Bipolar Plates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David P. Haack

2009-04-08

This project was focused upon developing a unique material technology for use in PEM fuel cell bipolar plates. The carbon/carbon composite material developed in this program is uniquely suited for use in fuel cell systems, as it is lightweight, highly conductive and corrosion resistant. The project further focused upon developing the manufacturing methodology to cost-effectively produce this material for use in commercial fuel cell systems. United Technology Fuel Cells Corp., a leading fuel cell developer was a subcontractor to the project was interested in the performance and low-cost potential of the material. The accomplishments of the program included the development and testing of a low-cost, fully molded, net-shape carbon-carbon bipolar plate. The process to cost-effectively manufacture these carbon-carbon bipolar plates was focused on extensively in this program. Key areas for cost-reduction that received attention in this program was net-shape molding of the detailed flow structures according to end-user design. Correlations between feature detail and process parameters were formed so that mold tooling could be accurately designed to meet a variety of flow field dimensions. A cost model was developed that predicted the cost of manufacture for the product in near-term volumes and long-term volumes (10+ million units per year). Because the roduct uses lowcost raw materials in quantities that are less than competitive tech, it was found that the cost of the product in high volume can be less than with other plate echnologies, and can meet the DOE goal of $4/kW for transportation applications. The excellent performance of the all-carbon plate in net shape was verified in fuel cell testing. Performance equivalent to much higher cost, fully machined graphite plates was found.

Investigation of one-dimensional heat flow in a solarflat plate collector with sun tracing system

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H Samimi Akhijahani

2016-09-01

variation of total heat flow over the time at different surfaces of the collector is determined by using equation 3: 3 Two cases (solar panel with rotation and without rotation were considered for testing. Data measuring was carried out for 9 hours from 8 to 17. The fluid flow rate was 0.0185m3.s-1. The dryer was installed in an environment with air temperature of 31.6 oC and 31.8 oC, with the air velocity of 0.58 m.s-1 and 0.54 m.s-1 and with the relative air humidity of about 21%and 21.5% at the first and second days, respectively. The dryer had an automatic temperature controller to fix the air temperature with an accuracy of ±0.1 oC. An anemometer Yk-2005AM model was used to regulate the required air velocity. The output data of the thermocouples was recorded by a digital thermometer (DL-9601A, Lutron that was connected to a computer using RS232 cable and recorded the temperature at required point every an hour. The relative humidity of the ambient was measured every hour with a digital hygrometer (HT.3600, Taiwan, accuracy of 3%. By assembling controlling system with a DC motor, a precious photocell and a proper mechanism, the frame would rotate by the sun and followed solar radiation, therefore more solar energy produced in solar panel. Results and Discussion The results of the experiments showed that the heat transfer process increased in both cases from the early morning and reached to its maximum value around 12 to 14 o’clock. The trend was more homogeneous in the dryer by absorber plate without rotation due to the decline of the heat accumulation. The mean temperature rise in the solar dryer without rotation was 37oC and in the solar dryer with rotation was 54oC. Because of the rotation of solar plate, variations of solar radiation were low. Therefore, by rotation of the solar dryer panel the temperature rise was 27oC. The values of heat transfer coefficient in the solar dryer with rotation were decreased by the time. This reduction in the hours before noon is

Open Channel Natural Convection Heat Transfer on a Vertical Finned Plate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Joo Hyun; Heo, Jeong Hwan; Chung, Bum Jin

2013-01-01

The natural convection heat transfer of vertical plate fin was investigated experimentally. Heat transfer systems were replaced by mass-transfer systems, based on the analogy concept. The experimental results lie within the predictions of the existing heat transfer correlations of plate-fin for the natural convections. An overlapped thermal boundary layers caused increasing heat transfer, and an overlapped momentum boundary layers caused decreasing heat transfer. As the fin height increases, heat transfer was enhanced due to increased inflow from the open side of the fin spacing. When fin spacing and fin height are large, heat transfer was unaffected by the fin spacing and fin height. Passive cooling by natural convection becomes more and more important for the nuclear systems as the station black out really happened at the Fukushima NPPs. In the RCCS (Reactor Cavity Cooling System) of a VHTR (Very High Temperature Reactor), natural convection cooling through duct system is adopted. In response to the stack failure event, extra cooling capacity adopting the fin array has to be investigated. The finned plate increases the surface area and the heat transfer increases. However, the plate of fin arrays may increase the pressure drop and the heat transfer decreases. Therefore, in order to enhance the passive cooling with fin arrays, the parameters for the fin arrays should be optimized. According to Welling and Wooldridge, a natural convection on vertical plate fin is function of Gr, Pr, L, t, S, and H. The present work investigated the natural convection heat transfer of a vertical finned plate with varying the fin height and the fin spacing. In order achieve high Rayleigh numbers, an electroplating system was employed and the mass transfer rates were measured using a copper sulfate electroplating system based on the analogy concept

Finite element analysis of a solar collector plate using two plate geometries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego Manuel Medina Carril

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The thermal behavior of an absorber plate in a solar collector is investigated using finite element analysis. The thermal behavior and efficiency of two absorber plate geometries are studied, using a typical solar collector with a rectangular profile as reference, and a proposed absorber plate with curved geometry. An analysis of the most important parameters involved in the design of the absorber plate was carried out, indicating that the curved geometry of the absorber plate yields an average efficiency ~25% higher than the conventional rectangular geometry. The results suggest that a curved profile made of materials such as aluminum with thermal conductivity higher than 200W/m°C, plate thickness of the order of 2-3mm and with a large density of tubes per unit area of the collector´s plate greatly benefits the thermal efficiency of the solar collector.