WorldWideScience

Sample records for reliable analytical techniques

  1. A Novel Analytic Technique for the Service Station Reliability in a Discrete-Time Repairable Queue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renbin Liu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a decomposition technique for the service station reliability in a discrete-time repairable GeomX/G/1 queueing system, in which the server takes exhaustive service and multiple adaptive delayed vacation discipline. Using such a novel analytic technique, some important reliability indices and reliability relation equations of the service station are derived. Furthermore, the structures of the service station indices are also found. Finally, special cases and numerical examples validate the derived results and show that our analytic technique is applicable to reliability analysis of some complex discrete-time repairable bulk arrival queueing systems.

  2. Glycoprotein Enrichment Analytical Techniques: Advantages and Disadvantages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, R; Zacharias, L; Wooding, K M; Peng, W; Mechref, Y

    2017-01-01

    Protein glycosylation is one of the most important posttranslational modifications. Numerous biological functions are related to protein glycosylation. However, analytical challenges remain in the glycoprotein analysis. To overcome the challenges associated with glycoprotein analysis, many analytical techniques were developed in recent years. Enrichment methods were used to improve the sensitivity of detection, while HPLC and mass spectrometry methods were developed to facilitate the separation of glycopeptides/proteins and enhance detection, respectively. Fragmentation techniques applied in modern mass spectrometers allow the structural interpretation of glycopeptides/proteins, while automated software tools started replacing manual processing to improve the reliability and throughput of the analysis. In this chapter, the current methodologies of glycoprotein analysis were discussed. Multiple analytical techniques are compared, and advantages and disadvantages of each technique are highlighted. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. An analytical framework for reliability growth of one-shot systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hall, J. Brian; Mosleh, Ali

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, we introduce a new reliability growth methodology for one-shot systems that is applicable to the case where all corrective actions are implemented at the end of the current test phase. The methodology consists of four model equations for assessing: expected reliability, the expected number of failure modes observed in testing, the expected probability of discovering new failure modes, and the expected portion of system unreliability associated with repeat failure modes. These model equations provide an analytical framework for which reliability practitioners can estimate reliability improvement, address goodness-of-fit concerns, quantify programmatic risk, and assess reliability maturity of one-shot systems. A numerical example is given to illustrate the value and utility of the presented approach. This methodology is useful to program managers and reliability practitioners interested in applying the techniques above in their reliability growth program

  4. Hyphenated analytical techniques for materials characterisation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Armstrong, Gordon; Kailas, Lekshmi

    2017-01-01

    This topical review will provide a survey of the current state of the art in ‘hyphenated’ techniques for characterisation of bulk materials, surface, and interfaces, whereby two or more analytical methods investigating different properties are applied simultaneously to the same sample to better characterise the sample than can be achieved by conducting separate analyses in series using different instruments. It is intended for final year undergraduates and recent graduates, who may have some background knowledge of standard analytical techniques, but are not familiar with ‘hyphenated’ techniques or hybrid instrumentation. The review will begin by defining ‘complementary’, ‘hybrid’ and ‘hyphenated’ techniques, as there is not a broad consensus among analytical scientists as to what each term means. The motivating factors driving increased development of hyphenated analytical methods will also be discussed. This introduction will conclude with a brief discussion of gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy and energy dispersive x-ray analysis in electron microscopy as two examples, in the context that combining complementary techniques for chemical analysis were among the earliest examples of hyphenated characterisation methods. The emphasis of the main review will be on techniques which are sufficiently well-established that the instrumentation is commercially available, to examine physical properties including physical, mechanical, electrical and thermal, in addition to variations in composition, rather than methods solely to identify and quantify chemical species. Therefore, the proposed topical review will address three broad categories of techniques that the reader may expect to encounter in a well-equipped materials characterisation laboratory: microscopy based techniques, scanning probe-based techniques, and thermal analysis based techniques. Examples drawn from recent literature, and a concluding case study, will be used to explain the

  5. Hyphenated analytical techniques for materials characterisation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong, Gordon; Kailas, Lekshmi

    2017-09-01

    This topical review will provide a survey of the current state of the art in ‘hyphenated’ techniques for characterisation of bulk materials, surface, and interfaces, whereby two or more analytical methods investigating different properties are applied simultaneously to the same sample to better characterise the sample than can be achieved by conducting separate analyses in series using different instruments. It is intended for final year undergraduates and recent graduates, who may have some background knowledge of standard analytical techniques, but are not familiar with ‘hyphenated’ techniques or hybrid instrumentation. The review will begin by defining ‘complementary’, ‘hybrid’ and ‘hyphenated’ techniques, as there is not a broad consensus among analytical scientists as to what each term means. The motivating factors driving increased development of hyphenated analytical methods will also be discussed. This introduction will conclude with a brief discussion of gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy and energy dispersive x-ray analysis in electron microscopy as two examples, in the context that combining complementary techniques for chemical analysis were among the earliest examples of hyphenated characterisation methods. The emphasis of the main review will be on techniques which are sufficiently well-established that the instrumentation is commercially available, to examine physical properties including physical, mechanical, electrical and thermal, in addition to variations in composition, rather than methods solely to identify and quantify chemical species. Therefore, the proposed topical review will address three broad categories of techniques that the reader may expect to encounter in a well-equipped materials characterisation laboratory: microscopy based techniques, scanning probe-based techniques, and thermal analysis based techniques. Examples drawn from recent literature, and a concluding case study, will be used to explain the

  6. International conference on isotopic and nuclear analytical techniques for health and environment. Book of abstracts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2003-07-01

    Decision makers and stakeholders are becoming increasingly dependent on reliable chemical measurements that serve as a basis for decisions related to health, consumer safety, commerce, environment protection and compliance to regulations. Several millions of analytical results are produced annually, thus consuming appreciable amounts of resources. Reliability of these data is of major concern if cost-benefit figures are applied. Nuclear and isotopic analytical techniques (NATs) have been supported by the IAEA as part of their mandate to foster the peaceful use of nuclear energy for many years. Nuclear analytical laboratories have been installed and upgraded through Technical Co-operation assistance in many Member State laboratories. These techniques, including INAA, XRF, PIXE, stable and radioisotopes, spectrometroscopy, etc. have been applied to a wide range of subjects with varying success. Nuclear analytical techniques, featuring some intrinsic quality control aspects, such as multi-nuclide analysis, frequently serve as 'reference methods' to cross-check critical results. As nuclear properties of elements are targeted, matrix problems seem to be negligible to a great extent. The International Conference on Isotopic and Nuclear Analytical Techniques for Health and Environment was held 10-13 June 2003 in Vienna, Austria. The main purpose of this Conference was to bring together scientists, technologists, representatives of industry and regulatory authorities to exchange information and review the status of current developments and applications of isotopic and nuclear analytical techniques, and to discuss future trends and developments. A further objective is to identify potential opportunities for developing countries for applying isotopic and nuclear analytical techniques in health and environmental studies, and to consider the promotion and transfer of such technology. International developments and trends in health care, nutrition, and environmental monitoring

  7. Nuclear techniques in analytical chemistry

    CERN Document Server

    Moses, Alfred J; Gordon, L

    1964-01-01

    Nuclear Techniques in Analytical Chemistry discusses highly sensitive nuclear techniques that determine the micro- and macro-amounts or trace elements of materials. With the increasingly frequent demand for the chemical determination of trace amounts of elements in materials, the analytical chemist had to search for more sensitive methods of analysis. This book accustoms analytical chemists with nuclear techniques that possess the desired sensitivity and applicability at trace levels. The topics covered include safe handling of radioactivity; measurement of natural radioactivity; and neutron a

  8. Analysis and analytical techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Batuecas Rodriguez, T [Department of Chemistry and Isotopes, Junta de Energia Nuclear, Madrid (Spain)

    1967-01-01

    The technology associated with the use of organic coolants in nuclear reactors depends to a large extent on the determination and control of their physical and chemical properties, and particularly on the viability, speed, sensitivity, precision and accuracy (depending on the intended usage) of the methods employed in detection and analytical determination. This has led to the study and development of numerous techniques, some specially designed for the extreme conditions involved in working with the types of product in question and others adapted from existing techniques. In the specific case of polyphenyl and hydropolyphenyl mixtures, which have been the principal subjects of study to date and offer greatest promise, the analytical problems are broadly as follows: Composition of initial product or virgin coolant composition of macro components and amounts of organic and inorganic impurities; Coolant during and after operation. Determination of gases and organic compounds produced by pyrolysis and radiolysis (degradation and polymerization products); Control of systems for purifying and regenerating the coolant after use. Dissolved pressurization gases; Detection of intermediate products during decomposition; these are generally very unstable (free radicals); Degree of fouling and film formation. Tests to determine potential formation of films; Corrosion of structural elements and canning materials; Health and safety. Toxicity, inflammability and impurities that can be activated. Although some of the above problems are closely interrelated and entail similar techniques, they vary as to degree of difficulty. Another question is the difficulty of distinguishing clearly between techniques for determining physical and physico-chemical properties, on one hand, and analytical techniques on the other. Any classification is therefore somewhat arbitrary (for example, in the case of dosimetry and techniques for determining mean molecular weights or electrical conductivity

  9. Nuclear analytical techniques and their application to environmental samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lieser, K.H.

    1986-01-01

    A survey is given on nuclear analytical techniques and their application to environmental samples. Measurement of the inherent radioactivity of elements or radionuclides allows determination of natural radioelements (e.g. Ra), man-made radioelements (e.g. Pu) and radionuclides in the environment. Activation analysis, in particular instrumental neutron activation analysis, is a very reliable and sensitive method for determination of a great number of trace elements in environmental samples, because the most abundant main constituents are not activated. Tracer techniques are very useful for studies of the behaviour and of chemical reactions of trace elements and compounds in the environment. Radioactive sources are mainly applied for excitation of characteristic X-rays (X-ray fluorescence analysis). (author)

  10. Analytical system availability techniques

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brouwers, J.J.H.; Verbeek, P.H.J.; Thomson, W.R.

    1987-01-01

    Analytical techniques are presented to assess the probability distributions and related statistical parameters of loss of production from equipment networks subject to random failures and repairs. The techniques are based on a theoretical model for system availability, which was further developed

  11. Application of system reliability analytical method, GO-FLOW

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuoka, Takeshi; Fukuto, Junji; Mitomo, Nobuo; Miyazaki, Keiko; Matsukura, Hiroshi; Kobayashi, Michiyuki

    1999-01-01

    The Ship Research Institute proceed a developmental study on GO-FLOW method with various advancing functionalities for the system reliability analysis method occupying main parts of PSA (Probabilistic Safety Assessment). Here was attempted to intend to upgrade functionality of the GO-FLOW method, to develop an analytical function integrated with dynamic behavior analytical function, physical behavior and probable subject transfer, and to prepare a main accident sequence picking-out function. In 1997 fiscal year, in dynamic event-tree analytical system, an analytical function was developed by adding dependency between headings. In simulation analytical function of the accident sequence, main accident sequence of MRX for improved ship propulsion reactor became possible to be covered perfectly. And, input data for analysis was prepared with a function capable easily to set by an analysis operator. (G.K.)

  12. Application of analytical procedure on system reliability, GO-FLOW

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuoka, Takeshi; Fukuto, Junji; Mitomo, Nobuo; Miyazaki, Keiko; Matsukura, Hiroshi; Kobayashi, Michiyuki

    2000-01-01

    In the Ship Research Institute, research and development of GO-FLOW procedure with various advanced functions as a system reliability analysis method occupying main part of the probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) were promoted. In this study, as an important evaluation technique on executing PSA with lower than level 3, by intending fundamental upgrading of the GO-FLOW procedure, a safety assessment system using the GO-FLOW as well as an analytical function coupling of dynamic behavior analytical function and physical behavior of the system with stochastic phenomenon change were developed. In 1998 fiscal year, preparation and verification of various functions such as dependence addition between the headings, rearrangement in order of time, positioning of same heading to plural positions, calculation of forming frequency with elapsing time were carried out. And, on a simulation analysis function of accident sequence, confirmation on analysis covering all of main accident sequence in the reactor for improved marine reactor, MRX was carried out. In addition, a function near automatically producible on input data for analysis was also prepared. As a result, the conventional analysis not always easy understanding on analytical results except an expert of PSA was solved, and understanding of the accident phenomenon, verification of validity on analysis, feedback to analysis, and feedback to design could be easily carried out. (G.K.)

  13. Reliability analysis techniques in power plant design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, N.E.

    1981-01-01

    An overview of reliability analysis techniques is presented as applied to power plant design. The key terms, power plant performance, reliability, availability and maintainability are defined. Reliability modeling, methods of analysis and component reliability data are briefly reviewed. Application of reliability analysis techniques from a design engineering approach to improving power plant productivity is discussed. (author)

  14. Advanced analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mrochek, J.E.; Shumate, S.E.; Genung, R.K.; Bahner, C.T.; Lee, N.E.; Dinsmore, S.R.

    1976-01-01

    The development of several new analytical techniques for use in clinical diagnosis and biomedical research is reported. These include: high-resolution liquid chromatographic systems for the early detection of pathological molecular constituents in physiologic body fluids; gradient elution chromatography for the analysis of protein-bound carbohydrates in blood serum samples, with emphasis on changes in sera from breast cancer patients; electrophoretic separation techniques coupled with staining of specific proteins in cellular isoenzymes for the monitoring of genetic mutations and abnormal molecular constituents in blood samples; and the development of a centrifugal elution chromatographic technique for the assay of specific proteins and immunoglobulins in human blood serum samples

  15. Analytical detection techniques for droplet microfluidics—A review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu, Ying; Fang, Qun

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •This is the first review paper focused on the analytical techniques for droplet-based microfluidics. •We summarized the analytical methods used in droplet-based microfluidic systems. •We discussed the advantage and disadvantage of each method through its application. •We also discuss the future development direction of analytical methods for droplet-based microfluidic systems. -- Abstract: In the last decade, droplet-based microfluidics has undergone rapid progress in the fields of single-cell analysis, digital PCR, protein crystallization and high throughput screening. It has been proved to be a promising platform for performing chemical and biological experiments with ultra-small volumes (picoliter to nanoliter) and ultra-high throughput. The ability to analyze the content in droplet qualitatively and quantitatively is playing an increasing role in the development and application of droplet-based microfluidic systems. In this review, we summarized the analytical detection techniques used in droplet systems and discussed the advantage and disadvantage of each technique through its application. The analytical techniques mentioned in this paper include bright-field microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, laser induced fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy, electrochemistry, capillary electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, absorption detection, chemiluminescence, and sample pretreatment techniques. The importance of analytical detection techniques in enabling new applications is highlighted. We also discuss the future development direction of analytical detection techniques for droplet-based microfluidic systems

  16. Semi-analytic techniques for calculating bubble wall profiles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akula, Sujeet; Balazs, Csaba; White, Graham A.

    2016-01-01

    We present semi-analytic techniques for finding bubble wall profiles during first order phase transitions with multiple scalar fields. Our method involves reducing the problem to an equation with a single field, finding an approximate analytic solution and perturbing around it. The perturbations can be written in a semi-analytic form. We assert that our technique lacks convergence problems and demonstrate the speed of convergence on an example potential. (orig.)

  17. Human reliability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Embrey, D.E.

    1987-01-01

    Concepts and techniques of human reliability have been developed and are used mostly in probabilistic risk assessment. For this, the major application of human reliability assessment has been to identify the human errors which have a significant effect on the overall safety of the system and to quantify the probability of their occurrence. Some of the major issues within human reliability studies are reviewed and it is shown how these are applied to the assessment of human failures in systems. This is done under the following headings; models of human performance used in human reliability assessment, the nature of human error, classification of errors in man-machine systems, practical aspects, human reliability modelling in complex situations, quantification and examination of human reliability, judgement based approaches, holistic techniques and decision analytic approaches. (UK)

  18. Highly reliable TOFD UT Technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Acharya, G.D.; Trivedi, S.A.R.; Pai, K.B.

    2003-01-01

    The high performance of the time of flight diffraction technique (TOFD) with regard to the detection capabilities of weld defects such as crack, slag, lack of fusion has led to a rapidly increasing acceptance of the technique as a pre?service inspection tool. Since the early 1990s TOFD has been applied to several projects, where it replaced the commonly used radiographic testing. The use of TOM lead to major time savings during new build and replacement projects. At the same time the TOFD technique was used as base line inspection, which enables monitoring in the future for critical welds, but also provides documented evidence for life?time. The TOFD technique as the ability to detect and simultaneously size flows of nearly any orientation within the weld and heat affected zone. TOM is recognized as a reliable, proven technique for detection and sizing of defects and proven to be a time saver, resulting in shorter shutdown periods and construction project times. Thus even in cases where inspection price of TOFD per welds is higher, in the end it will result in significantly lower overall costs and improve quality. This paper deals with reliability, economy, acceptance criteria and field experience. It also covers comparative study between radiography technique Vs. TOFD. (Author)

  19. Reference materials for micro-analytical nuclear techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valkovic, V.; Zeisler, R.; Bernasconi, G.; Danesi, P.R.

    1994-01-01

    Direct application of many existing reference materials in micro-analytical procedures such as energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), particle induced x-ray emission spectroscopy (PIXE) and ion probe techniques for the determination of trace elements is often impossible or difficult because: 1) other constituents present in large amounts interfere with the determination; 2) trace components are not sufficiently homogeneously distributed in the sample. Therefore specific natural-matrix reference materials containing very low levels of trace elements and having high degree of homogeneity are required for many micro-analytical procedures. In this report, selection of the types of environmental and biological materials which are suitable for micro-analytical techniques will be discussed. (author)

  20. Analytical research using synchrotron radiation based techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jha, Shambhu Nath

    2015-01-01

    There are many Synchrotron Radiation (SR) based techniques such as X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray Fluorescence Analysis (XRF), SR-Fourier-transform Infrared (SRFTIR), Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (HAXPS) etc. which are increasingly being employed worldwide in analytical research. With advent of modern synchrotron sources these analytical techniques have been further revitalized and paved ways for new techniques such as microprobe XRF and XAS, FTIR microscopy, Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (HAXPS) etc. The talk will cover mainly two techniques illustrating its capability in analytical research namely XRF and XAS. XRF spectroscopy: XRF spectroscopy is an analytical technique which involves the detection of emitted characteristic X-rays following excitation of the elements within the sample. While electron, particle (protons or alpha particles), or X-ray beams can be employed as the exciting source for this analysis, the use of X-ray beams from a synchrotron source has been instrumental in the advancement of the technique in the area of microprobe XRF imaging and trace level compositional characterisation of any sample. Synchrotron radiation induced X-ray emission spectroscopy, has become competitive with the earlier microprobe and nanoprobe techniques following the advancements in manipulating and detecting these X-rays. There are two important features that contribute to the superb elemental sensitivities of microprobe SR induced XRF: (i) the absence of the continuum (Bremsstrahlung) background radiation that is a feature of spectra obtained from charged particle beams, and (ii) the increased X-ray flux on the sample associated with the use of tunable third generation synchrotron facilities. Detection sensitivities have been reported in the ppb range, with values of 10 -17 g - 10 -14 g (depending on the particular element and matrix). Keeping in mind its demand, a microprobe XRF beamline has been setup by RRCAT at Indus-2 synchrotron

  1. Reliability and maintainability assessment factors for reliable fault-tolerant systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bavuso, S. J.

    1984-01-01

    A long term goal of the NASA Langley Research Center is the development of a reliability assessment methodology of sufficient power to enable the credible comparison of the stochastic attributes of one ultrareliable system design against others. This methodology, developed over a 10 year period, is a combined analytic and simulative technique. An analytic component is the Computer Aided Reliability Estimation capability, third generation, or simply CARE III. A simulative component is the Gate Logic Software Simulator capability, or GLOSS. The numerous factors that potentially have a degrading effect on system reliability and the ways in which these factors that are peculiar to highly reliable fault tolerant systems are accounted for in credible reliability assessments. Also presented are the modeling difficulties that result from their inclusion and the ways in which CARE III and GLOSS mitigate the intractability of the heretofore unworkable mathematics.

  2. Reliability assessment of restructured power systems using reliability network equivalent and pseudo-sequential simulation techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding, Yi; Wang, Peng; Goel, Lalit; Billinton, Roy; Karki, Rajesh

    2007-01-01

    This paper presents a technique to evaluate reliability of a restructured power system with a bilateral market. The proposed technique is based on the combination of the reliability network equivalent and pseudo-sequential simulation approaches. The reliability network equivalent techniques have been implemented in the Monte Carlo simulation procedure to reduce the computational burden of the analysis. Pseudo-sequential simulation has been used to increase the computational efficiency of the non-sequential simulation method and to model the chronological aspects of market trading and system operation. Multi-state Markov models for generation and transmission systems are proposed and implemented in the simulation. A new load shedding scheme is proposed during generation inadequacy and network congestion to minimize the load curtailment. The IEEE reliability test system (RTS) is used to illustrate the technique. (author)

  3. Pre-analytical and analytical aspects affecting clinical reliability of plasma glucose results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasqualetti, Sara; Braga, Federica; Panteghini, Mauro

    2017-07-01

    The measurement of plasma glucose (PG) plays a central role in recognizing disturbances in carbohydrate metabolism, with established decision limits that are globally accepted. This requires that PG results are reliable and unequivocally valid no matter where they are obtained. To control the pre-analytical variability of PG and prevent in vitro glycolysis, the use of citrate as rapidly effective glycolysis inhibitor has been proposed. However, the commercial availability of several tubes with studies showing different performance has created confusion among users. Moreover, and more importantly, studies have shown that tubes promptly inhibiting glycolysis give PG results that are significantly higher than tubes containing sodium fluoride only, used in the majority of studies generating the current PG cut-points, with a different clinical classification of subjects. From the analytical point of view, to be equivalent among different measuring systems, PG results should be traceable to a recognized higher-order reference via the implementation of an unbroken metrological hierarchy. In doing this, it is important that manufacturers of measuring systems consider the uncertainty accumulated through the different steps of the selected traceability chain. In particular, PG results should fulfil analytical performance specifications defined to fit the intended clinical application. Since PG has tight homeostatic control, its biological variability may be used to define these limits. Alternatively, given the central diagnostic role of the analyte, an outcome model showing the impact of analytical performance of test on clinical classifications of subjects can be used. Using these specifications, performance assessment studies employing commutable control materials with values assigned by reference procedure have shown that the quality of PG measurements is often far from desirable and that problems are exacerbated using point-of-care devices. Copyright © 2017 The Canadian

  4. Reliability analysis of large scaled structures by optimization technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishikawa, N.; Mihara, T.; Iizuka, M.

    1987-01-01

    This paper presents a reliability analysis based on the optimization technique using PNET (Probabilistic Network Evaluation Technique) method for the highly redundant structures having a large number of collapse modes. This approach makes the best use of the merit of the optimization technique in which the idea of PNET method is used. The analytical process involves the minimization of safety index of the representative mode, subjected to satisfaction of the mechanism condition and of the positive external work. The procedure entails the sequential performance of a series of the NLP (Nonlinear Programming) problems, where the correlation condition as the idea of PNET method pertaining to the representative mode is taken as an additional constraint to the next analysis. Upon succeeding iterations, the final analysis is achieved when a collapse probability at the subsequent mode is extremely less than the value at the 1st mode. The approximate collapse probability of the structure is defined as the sum of the collapse probabilities of the representative modes classified by the extent of correlation. Then, in order to confirm the validity of the proposed method, the conventional Monte Carlo simulation is also revised by using the collapse load analysis. Finally, two fairly large structures were analyzed to illustrate the scope and application of the approach. (orig./HP)

  5. Analytical approach for confirming the achievement of LMFBR reliability goals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ingram, G.E.; Elerath, J.G.; Wood, A.P.

    1981-01-01

    The approach, recommended by GE-ARSD, for confirming the achievement of LMFBR reliability goals relies upon a comprehensive understanding of the physical and operational characteristics of the system and the environments to which the system will be subjected during its operational life. This kind of understanding is required for an approach based on system hardware testing or analyses, as recommended in this report. However, for a system as complex and expensive as the LMFBR, an approach which relies primarily on system hardware testing would be prohibitive both in cost and time to obtain the required system reliability test information. By using an analytical approach, results of tests (reliability and functional) at a low level within the specific system of interest, as well as results from other similar systems can be used to form the data base for confirming the achievement of the system reliability goals. This data, along with information relating to the design characteristics and operating environments of the specific system, will be used in the assessment of the system's reliability

  6. Evidential analytic hierarchy process dependence assessment methodology in human reliability analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Lu Yuan; Zhou, Xinyi; Xiao, Fuyuan; Deng, Yong; Mahadevan, Sankaran

    2017-01-01

    In human reliability analysis, dependence assessment is an important issue in risky large complex systems, such as operation of a nuclear power plant. Many existing methods depend on an expert's judgment, which contributes to the subjectivity and restrictions of results. Recently, a computational method, based on the Dempster-Shafer evidence theory and analytic hierarchy process, has been proposed to handle the dependence in human reliability analysis. The model can deal with uncertainty in an analyst's judgment and reduce the subjectivity in the evaluation process. However, the computation is heavy and complicated to some degree. The most important issue is that the existing method is in a positive aspect, which may cause an underestimation of the risk. In this study, a new evidential analytic hierarchy process dependence assessment methodology, based on the improvement of existing methods, has been proposed, which is expected to be easier and more effective

  7. Evidential Analytic Hierarchy Process Dependence Assessment Methodology in Human Reliability Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luyuan Chen

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available In human reliability analysis, dependence assessment is an important issue in risky large complex systems, such as operation of a nuclear power plant. Many existing methods depend on an expert's judgment, which contributes to the subjectivity and restrictions of results. Recently, a computational method, based on the Dempster–Shafer evidence theory and analytic hierarchy process, has been proposed to handle the dependence in human reliability analysis. The model can deal with uncertainty in an analyst's judgment and reduce the subjectivity in the evaluation process. However, the computation is heavy and complicated to some degree. The most important issue is that the existing method is in a positive aspect, which may cause an underestimation of the risk. In this study, a new evidential analytic hierarchy process dependence assessment methodology, based on the improvement of existing methods, has been proposed, which is expected to be easier and more effective.

  8. Evidential analytic hierarchy process dependence assessment methodology in human reliability analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Lu Yuan; Zhou, Xinyi; Xiao, Fuyuan; Deng, Yong [School of Computer and Information Science, Southwest University, Chongqing (China); Mahadevan, Sankaran [School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville (United States)

    2017-02-15

    In human reliability analysis, dependence assessment is an important issue in risky large complex systems, such as operation of a nuclear power plant. Many existing methods depend on an expert's judgment, which contributes to the subjectivity and restrictions of results. Recently, a computational method, based on the Dempster-Shafer evidence theory and analytic hierarchy process, has been proposed to handle the dependence in human reliability analysis. The model can deal with uncertainty in an analyst's judgment and reduce the subjectivity in the evaluation process. However, the computation is heavy and complicated to some degree. The most important issue is that the existing method is in a positive aspect, which may cause an underestimation of the risk. In this study, a new evidential analytic hierarchy process dependence assessment methodology, based on the improvement of existing methods, has been proposed, which is expected to be easier and more effective.

  9. Analytical techniques for thin films treatise on materials science and technology

    CERN Document Server

    Tu, K N

    1988-01-01

    Treatise on Materials Science and Technology, Volume 27: Analytical Techniques for Thin Films covers a set of analytical techniques developed for thin films and interfaces, all based on scattering and excitation phenomena and theories. The book discusses photon beam and X-ray techniques; electron beam techniques; and ion beam techniques. Materials scientists, materials engineers, chemical engineers, and physicists will find the book invaluable.

  10. Applied predictive analytics principles and techniques for the professional data analyst

    CERN Document Server

    Abbott, Dean

    2014-01-01

    Learn the art and science of predictive analytics - techniques that get results Predictive analytics is what translates big data into meaningful, usable business information. Written by a leading expert in the field, this guide examines the science of the underlying algorithms as well as the principles and best practices that govern the art of predictive analytics. It clearly explains the theory behind predictive analytics, teaches the methods, principles, and techniques for conducting predictive analytics projects, and offers tips and tricks that are essential for successful predictive mode

  11. Advanced analytical techniques for boiling water reactor chemistry control

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alder, H P; Schenker, E [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

    1997-02-01

    The analytical techniques applied can be divided into 5 classes: OFF-LINE (discontinuous, central lab), AT-LINE (discontinuous, analysis near loop), ON-LINE (continuous, analysis in bypass). In all cases pressure and temperature of the water sample are reduced. In a strict sense only IN-LINE (continuous, flow disturbance) and NON-INVASIVE (continuous, no flow disturbance) techniques are suitable for direct process control; - the ultimate goal. An overview of the analytical techniques tested in the pilot loop is given. Apart from process and overall water quality control, standard for BWR operation, the main emphasis is on water impurity characterization (crud particles, hot filtration, organic carbon); on stress corrosion crackling control for materials (corrosion potential, oxygen concentration) and on the characterization of the oxide layer on austenites (impedance spectroscopy, IR-reflection). The above mentioned examples of advanced analytical techniques have the potential of in-line or non-invasive application. They are different stages of development and are described in more detail. 28 refs, 1 fig., 5 tabs.

  12. Application of on-line analytical processing technique in accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xie Dong; Li Weimin; He Duohui; Liu Gongfa; Xuan Ke

    2005-01-01

    A method of application of the on-line analytical processing technique in accelerator is described, which includes data pre-processing, the process of constructing of data warehouse and on-line analytical processing. (authors)

  13. Nuclear forensics: strategies and analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marin, Rafael C.; Sarkis, Jorge E.S.; Pestana, Rafael C.B.

    2013-01-01

    The development of nuclear forensics as a field of science arose in response to international demand for methods to investigate the illicit trafficking of nuclear materials. After being seized, unknown nuclear material is collected and analyzed by a set of analytical methods. The fingerprints of these materials can be identified and further used during the investigations. Data interpretation is an extensive process aiming to validate the hypotheses made by the experts, and can help confirm the origin of seized nuclear materials at the end of the process or investigation. This work presents the set of measures and analytical methods that have been inherited by nuclear forensics from several fields of science. The main characteristics of these methods are evaluated and the analytical techniques employed to determine the fingerprint of nuclear materials are described. (author)

  14. Quality assurance and quality control of nuclear analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cincu, Emanuelathor

    2001-01-01

    Test and analytical laboratories in East and Central European countries need to prove the reliability and credibility of their economic, environmental, medical and legal decisions and their capacity of issuing reliable, verifiable reports. These demands imposed by the European Union aimed at avoiding a possible barrier to trade for the developing countries. In June 1999, in order to help Member States to develop according to EU objectives and the overall situation of the European market, IAEA launched a new co-operation programme designed to help the nuclear analytical laboratories in nuclear institutions and universities of Member States by training in the use of some Nuclear Analytical Techniques (NAT) that include: alpha, beta and gamma-ray spectrometry, radiochemical and neutron activation analysis, total reflection X-ray fluorescence. The Regional IAEA Project, named 'Quality Assurance/Quality Control of Nuclear Analytical Techniques' (NAT) aims at implementing the QA principles via a system of defined consecutive steps leading to a level on which the QA system is self-sustainable for formal accreditation or certification and satisfies the EU technical performance criteria; the requirements are in accordance with the new ISO/IEC 17025 Standard/Dec.1999 'General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories' - First edition. The Horia Hulubei National Institute for Nuclear Physics and Engineering, IFIN-HH, was admitted for participation in the IAEA Project in June 1999 account taken of its experience in the QA and metrology fields and its performance in the fields of beta and gamma-ray spectrometry, and radiochemical and neutron activation analysis, employed in both basic research and applications for external clients. Two working groups of specialists with the QA and Standardization and Metrology Departments and six analytical groups with the departments of Nuclear Applied Physics, Life Physics and Ionising Radiation Metrology are

  15. Big data analytics for the Future Circular Collider reliability and availability studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Begy, Volodimir; Apollonio, Andrea; Gutleber, Johannes; Martin-Marquez, Manuel; Niemi, Arto; Penttinen, Jussi-Pekka; Rogova, Elena; Romero-Marin, Antonio; Sollander, Peter

    2017-10-01

    Responding to the European Strategy for Particle Physics update 2013, the Future Circular Collider study explores scenarios of circular frontier colliders for the post-LHC era. One branch of the study assesses industrial approaches to model and simulate the reliability and availability of the entire particle collider complex based on the continuous monitoring of CERN’s accelerator complex operation. The modelling is based on an in-depth study of the CERN injector chain and LHC, and is carried out as a cooperative effort with the HL-LHC project. The work so far has revealed that a major challenge is obtaining accelerator monitoring and operational data with sufficient quality, to automate the data quality annotation and calculation of reliability distribution functions for systems, subsystems and components where needed. A flexible data management and analytics environment that permits integrating the heterogeneous data sources, the domain-specific data quality management algorithms and the reliability modelling and simulation suite is a key enabler to complete this accelerator operation study. This paper describes the Big Data infrastructure and analytics ecosystem that has been put in operation at CERN, serving as the foundation on which reliability and availability analysis and simulations can be built. This contribution focuses on data infrastructure and data management aspects and presents case studies chosen for its validation.

  16. Analytical chemistry: Principles and techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hargis, L.G.

    1988-01-01

    Although this text seems to have been intended for use in a one-semester course in undergraduate analytical chemistry, it includes the range of topics usually encountered in a two-semester introductory course in chemical analysis. The material is arranged logically for use in a two-semester course: the first 12 chapters contain the subjects most often covered in the first term, and the next 10 chapters pertain to the second (instrumental) term. Overall breadth and level of treatment are standards for an undergraduate text of this sort, and the only major omission is that of kinetic methods (which is a common omission in analytical texts). In the first 12 chapters coverage of the basic material is quite good. The emphasis on the underlying principles of the techniques rather than on specifics and design of instrumentation is welcomed. This text may be more useful for the instrumental portion of an analytical chemistry course than for the solution chemistry segment. The instrumental analysis portion is appropriate for an introductory textbook

  17. Prediction of Software Reliability using Bio Inspired Soft Computing Techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diwaker, Chander; Tomar, Pradeep; Poonia, Ramesh C; Singh, Vijander

    2018-04-10

    A lot of models have been made for predicting software reliability. The reliability models are restricted to using particular types of methodologies and restricted number of parameters. There are a number of techniques and methodologies that may be used for reliability prediction. There is need to focus on parameters consideration while estimating reliability. The reliability of a system may increase or decreases depending on the selection of different parameters used. Thus there is need to identify factors that heavily affecting the reliability of the system. In present days, reusability is mostly used in the various area of research. Reusability is the basis of Component-Based System (CBS). The cost, time and human skill can be saved using Component-Based Software Engineering (CBSE) concepts. CBSE metrics may be used to assess those techniques which are more suitable for estimating system reliability. Soft computing is used for small as well as large-scale problems where it is difficult to find accurate results due to uncertainty or randomness. Several possibilities are available to apply soft computing techniques in medicine related problems. Clinical science of medicine using fuzzy-logic, neural network methodology significantly while basic science of medicine using neural-networks-genetic algorithm most frequently and preferably. There is unavoidable interest shown by medical scientists to use the various soft computing methodologies in genetics, physiology, radiology, cardiology and neurology discipline. CBSE boost users to reuse the past and existing software for making new products to provide quality with a saving of time, memory space, and money. This paper focused on assessment of commonly used soft computing technique like Genetic Algorithm (GA), Neural-Network (NN), Fuzzy Logic, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Artificial Bee Colony (ABC). This paper presents working of soft computing

  18. Effects of Analytical and Holistic Scoring Patterns on Scorer Reliability in Biology Essay Tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebuoh, Casmir N.

    2018-01-01

    Literature revealed that the patterns/methods of scoring essay tests had been criticized for not being reliable and this unreliability is more likely to be more in internal examinations than in the external examinations. The purpose of this study is to find out the effects of analytical and holistic scoring patterns on scorer reliability in…

  19. Reliability and comparison of acromion assessment techniques on x-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (reliability of acromion assessment techniques)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Viskontas, D.G.; MacDermid, J.C.; Drosdowech, D.S.; Garvin, G.J.; Romano, W.M.; Faber, K.J.

    2005-01-01

    To determine the reliability and correlation of plain radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the assessment of acromion morphology. Materials and Methods: Acromion morphology was assessed using the lateral acromion angle (LAA) and the acromion-humeral interval (AHI). Thirty patients who had x-rays and MRI for impingement syndrome were included. Six blinded observers assessed the acromion morphology subjectively and objectively. Results: Neither acromion assessment technique demonstrated a positive correlation (kappa and intraclass coefficient 0.55) when measured objectively by experienced observers. Conclusion: The LAA and the AHI are both reliable acromion assessment techniques on X-ray and MRI when measured objectively and by experienced observers. (author)

  20. A critique of reliability prediction techniques for avionics applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guru Prasad PANDIAN

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Avionics (aeronautics and aerospace industries must rely on components and systems of demonstrated high reliability. For this, handbook-based methods have been traditionally used to design for reliability, develop test plans, and define maintenance requirements and sustainment logistics. However, these methods have been criticized as flawed and leading to inaccurate and misleading results. In its recent report on enhancing defense system reliability, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences has recently discredited these methods, judging the Military Handbook (MIL-HDBK-217 and its progeny as invalid and inaccurate. This paper discusses the issues that arise with the use of handbook-based methods in commercial and military avionics applications. Alternative approaches to reliability design (and its demonstration are also discussed, including similarity analysis, testing, physics-of-failure, and data analytics for prognostics and systems health management.

  1. Development of analytical techniques for safeguards environmental samples at JAEA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakurai, Satoshi; Magara, Masaaki; Usuda, Shigekazu; Watanabe, Kazuo; Esaka, Fumitaka; Hirayama, Fumio; Lee, Chi-Gyu; Yasuda, Kenichiro; Inagawa, Jun; Suzuki, Daisuke; Iguchi, Kazunari; Kokubu, Yoko S.; Miyamoto, Yutaka; Ohzu, Akira

    2007-01-01

    JAEA has been developing, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, analytical techniques for ultra-trace amounts of nuclear materials in environmental samples in order to contribute to the strengthened safeguards system. Development of essential techniques for bulk and particle analysis, as well as screening, of the environmental swipe samples has been established as ultra-trace analytical methods of uranium and plutonium. In January 2003, JAEA was qualified, including its quality control system, as a member of the JAEA network analytical laboratories for environmental samples. Since 2004, JAEA has conducted the analysis of domestic and the IAEA samples, through which JAEA's analytical capability has been verified and improved. In parallel, advanced techniques have been developed in order to expand the applicability to the samples of various elemental composition and impurities and to improve analytical accuracy and efficiency. This paper summarizes the trace of the technical development in environmental sample analysis at JAEA, and refers to recent trends of research and development in this field. (author)

  2. Reliable screening of various foodstuffs with respect to their irradiation status: A comparative study of different analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahn, Jae-Jun; Akram, Kashif; Kwak, Ji-Young; Jeong, Mi-Seon; Kwon, Joong-Ho

    2013-01-01

    Cost-effective and time-efficient analytical techniques are required to screen large food lots in accordance to their irradiation status. Gamma-irradiated (0–10 kGy) cinnamon, red pepper, black pepper, and fresh paprika were investigated using photostimulated luminescence (PSL), direct epifluorescent filter technique/the aerobic plate count (DEFT/APC), and electronic-nose (e-nose) analyses. The screening results were also confirmed with thermoluminescence analysis. PSL analysis discriminated between irradiated (positive, >5000 PCs) and non-irradiated (negative, <700 PCs) cinnamon and red peppers. Black pepper had intermediate results (700–5000 PCs), while paprika had low sensitivity (negative results) upon irradiation. The DEFT/APC technique also showed clear screening results through the changes in microbial profiles, where the best results were found in paprika, followed by red pepper and cinnamon. E-nose analysis showed a dose-dependent discrimination in volatile profiles upon irradiation through principal component analysis. These methods can be used considering their potential applications for the screening analysis of irradiated foods. - Highlights: • Detection of irradiated food is important to enforce the applied regulations. • Gamma-irradiated spices were investigated to confirm their irradiation status. • Screening techniques such as PSL, DEFT/APC, and E-nose were tested. • Specificity and potential applications of screening techniques were evaluated. • The screening results were confirmed by promising thermoluminescence technique

  3. Activities at Forschungszentrum Juelich in Safeguards Analytical Techniques and Measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duerr, M.; Knott, A.; Middendorp, R.; Niemeyer, I.; Kueppers, S.; Zoriy, M.; Froning, M.; Bosbach, D.

    2015-01-01

    The application of safeguards by the IAEA involves analytical measurements of samples taken during inspections. The development and advancement of analytical techniques with support from the Member States contributes to strengthened and more efficient verification of compliance with non-proliferation obligations. Since recently, a cooperation agreement has been established between Forschungszentrum Juelich and the IAEA in the field of analytical services. The current working areas of Forschungszentrum Juelich are: (i) Production of synthetic micro-particles as calibration standard and reference material for particle analysis, (ii) qualification of the Forschungszentrum Juelich as a member of the IAEA network of analytical laboratories for safeguards (NWAL), and (iii) analysis of impurities in nuclear material samples. With respect to the synthesis of particles, a dedicated setup for the production of uranium particles is being developed, which addresses the urgent need for material tailored for its use in quality assurance and quality control measures for particle analysis of environmental swipe samples. Furthermore, Forschungszentrum Juelich has been nominated as a candidate laboratory for membership in the NWAL network. To this end, analytical capabilities at Forschungszentrum Juelich have been joined to form an analytical service within a dedicated quality management system. Another activity is the establishment of analytical techniques for impurity analysis of uranium-oxide, mainly focusing on inductively coupled mass spectrometry. This contribution will present the activities at Forschungszentrum Juelich in the area of analytical measurements and techniques for nuclear verification. (author)

  4. NASA reliability preferred practices for design and test

    Science.gov (United States)

    1991-01-01

    Given here is a manual that was produced to communicate within the aerospace community design practices that have contributed to NASA mission success. The information represents the best technical advice that NASA has to offer on reliability design and test practices. Topics covered include reliability practices, including design criteria, test procedures, and analytical techniques that have been applied to previous space flight programs; and reliability guidelines, including techniques currently applied to space flight projects, where sufficient information exists to certify that the technique will contribute to mission success.

  5. Analytical Techniques and Pharmacokinetics of Gastrodia elata Blume and Its Constituents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jinyi; Wu, Bingchu; Tang, Chunlan; Zhao, Jinshun

    2017-07-08

    Gastrodia elata Blume ( G. elata ), commonly called Tianma in Chinese, is an important and notable traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which has been used in China as an anticonvulsant, analgesic, sedative, anti-asthma, anti-immune drug since ancient times. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the abundant efforts of scientists in developing analytical techniques and performing pharmacokinetic studies of G. elata and its constituents, including sample pretreatment methods, analytical techniques, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (ADME) and influence factors to its pharmacokinetics. Based on the reported pharmacokinetic property data of G. elata and its constituents, it is hoped that more studies will focus on the development of rapid and sensitive analytical techniques, discovering new therapeutic uses and understanding the specific in vivo mechanisms of action of G. elata and its constituents from the pharmacokinetic viewpoint in the near future. The present review discusses analytical techniques and pharmacokinetics of G. elata and its constituents reported from 1985 onwards.

  6. Role of thermo-analytical techniques in compositional characterization of nuclear materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raje, Naina

    2015-01-01

    The study of heat effects on different materials has a long history. Extraction of metals from the ores, pottery production, glasses making etc. are the examples, where the performance of products obtained from raw materials depends on the processing temperatures. Concrete, pottery, bricks etc., are severely damaged due to uncontrolled high temperatures. Therefore, the heating of raw materials in controlled manner is of pivotal importance to get products of the desired quality. Thermo-analytical techniques provide the information on the effect of heat under controlled heating conditions. In thermo-analytical techniques, physical properties of materials are measured as a function of temperature. Simultaneous thermo-analytical techniques are beneficial in comparison to any single thermo-analytical technique. Simultaneous techniques refer to the measurement of two or more signals on the same sample at the same time in the same instrument. Nowadays, simultaneous thermo-analytical technique are extensively in use for the analysis of materials. Ammonium diuranate (ADU) and magnesium diuranate (MDU), also known as yellowcake, are intermediate precursors in fuel fabrication process, with stringent specifications along with the need to understand its thermal behavior. In the processing of lowgrade ores, higher levels of impurities are being encountered in the leach solution that affects the properties of ADU/MDU. In order to meet the fuel specifications, quality assurance of these nuclear materials is essential. Current studies describe the application of simultaneous Thermogravimetry (TG) - differential thermal analysis (DTA) - evolved gas analysis (EGA) techniques for the compositional characterization of ADU/MDU with respect to the impurities present in the matrices

  7. A Closed-Form Technique for the Reliability and Risk Assessment of Wind Turbine Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonardo Dueñas-Osorio

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a closed-form method to evaluate wind turbine system reliability and associated failure consequences. Monte Carlo simulation, a widely used approach for system reliability assessment, usually requires large numbers of computational experiments, while existing analytical methods are limited to simple system event configurations with a focus on average values of reliability metrics. By analyzing a wind turbine system and its components in a combinatorial yet computationally efficient form, the proposed approach provides an entire probability distribution of system failure that contains all possible configurations of component failure and survival events. The approach is also capable of handling unique component attributes such as downtime and repair cost needed for risk estimations, and enables sensitivity analysis for quantifying the criticality of individual components to wind turbine system reliability. Applications of the technique are illustrated by assessing the reliability of a 12-subassembly turbine system. In addition, component downtimes and repair costs of components are embedded in the formulation to compute expected annual wind turbine unavailability and repair cost probabilities, and component importance metrics useful for maintenance planning and research prioritization. Furthermore, this paper introduces a recursive solution to closed-form method and applies this to a 45-component turbine system. The proposed approach proves to be computationally efficient and yields vital reliability information that could be readily used by wind farm stakeholders for decision making and risk management.

  8. Reliability analysis techniques for the design engineer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corran, E.R.; Witt, H.H.

    1982-01-01

    This paper describes a fault tree analysis package that eliminates most of the housekeeping tasks involved in proceeding from the initial construction of a fault tree to the final stage of presenting a reliability analysis in a safety report. It is suitable for designers with relatively little training in reliability analysis and computer operation. Users can rapidly investigate the reliability implications of various options at the design stage and evolve a system which meets specified reliability objectives. Later independent review is thus unlikely to reveal major shortcomings necessitating modification and project delays. The package operates interactively, allowing the user to concentrate on the creative task of developing the system fault tree, which may be modified and displayed graphically. For preliminary analysis, system data can be derived automatically from a generic data bank. As the analysis proceeds, improved estimates of critical failure rates and test and maintenance schedules can be inserted. The technique is applied to the reliability analysis of the recently upgraded HIFAR Containment Isolation System. (author)

  9. Analytical vs. Simulation Solution Techniques for Pulse Problems in Non-linear Stochastic Dynamics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Iwankiewicz, R.; Nielsen, Søren R. K.

    Advantages and disadvantages of available analytical and simulation techniques for pulse problems in non-linear stochastic dynamics are discussed. First, random pulse problems, both those which do and do not lead to Markov theory, are presented. Next, the analytical and analytically-numerical tec......Advantages and disadvantages of available analytical and simulation techniques for pulse problems in non-linear stochastic dynamics are discussed. First, random pulse problems, both those which do and do not lead to Markov theory, are presented. Next, the analytical and analytically...

  10. Statistical evaluation of recorded knowledge in nuclear and other instrumental analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braun, T.

    1987-01-01

    The main points addressed in this study are the following: Statistical distribution patterns of published literature on instrumental analytical techniques 1981-1984; structure of scientific literature and heuristics for identifying active specialities and emerging hot spot research areas in instrumental analytical techniques; growth and growth rates of the literature in some of the identified hot research areas; quality and quantity in instrumental analytical research output. (orig.)

  11. An analytical simulation technique for cone-beam CT and pinhole SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Xuezhu; Qi Yujin

    2011-01-01

    This study was aimed at developing an efficient simulation technique with an ordinary PC. The work involved derivation of mathematical operators, analytic phantom generations, and effective analytical projectors developing for cone-beam CT and pinhole SPECT imaging. The computer simulations based on the analytical projectors were developed by ray-tracing method for cone-beam CT and voxel-driven method for pinhole SPECT of degrading blurring. The 3D Shepp-Logan, Jaszczak and Defrise phantoms were used for simulation evaluations and image reconstructions. The reconstructed phantom images were of good accuracy with the phantoms. The results showed that the analytical simulation technique is an efficient tool for studying cone-beam CT and pinhole SPECT imaging. (authors)

  12. Appendix 1: Analytical Techniques (Online supplementary material ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    HP

    Further details of analytical techniques are given in http://www.actlabs.com. Zircon U–Pb dating and trace element analysis. The zircons were separated using standard procedures including crushing (in iron mortar and pestle), sieving (375 to 75 micron), tabling, heavy liquid separation (bromoform and methylene iodide) ...

  13. Reliability Analysis Techniques for Communication Networks in Nuclear Power Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lim, T. J.; Jang, S. C.; Kang, H. G.; Kim, M. C.; Eom, H. S.; Lee, H. J.

    2006-09-01

    The objectives of this project is to investigate and study existing reliability analysis techniques for communication networks in order to develop reliability analysis models for nuclear power plant's safety-critical networks. It is necessary to make a comprehensive survey of current methodologies for communication network reliability. Major outputs of this study are design characteristics of safety-critical communication networks, efficient algorithms for quantifying reliability of communication networks, and preliminary models for assessing reliability of safety-critical communication networks

  14. Analytic continuation by duality estimation of the S parameter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ignjatovic, S. R.; Wijewardhana, L. C. R.; Takeuchi, T.

    2000-01-01

    We investigate the reliability of the analytic continuation by duality (ACD) technique in estimating the electroweak S parameter for technicolor theories. The ACD technique, which is an application of finite energy sum rules, relates the S parameter for theories with unknown particle spectra to known OPE coefficients. We identify the sources of error inherent in the technique and evaluate them for several toy models to see if they can be controlled. The evaluation of errors is done analytically and all relevant formulas are provided in appendixes including analytical formulas for approximating the function 1/s with a polynomial in s. The use of analytical formulas protects us from introducing additional errors due to numerical integration. We find that it is very difficult to control the errors even when the momentum dependence of the OPE coefficients is known exactly. In realistic cases in which the momentum dependence of the OPE coefficients is only known perturbatively, it is impossible to obtain a reliable estimate. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

  15. Determination of uranium in ground water using different analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sahu, S.K.; Maity, Sukanta; Bhangare, R.C.; Pandit, G.G.; Sharma, D.N.

    2014-10-01

    The concern over presence of natural radionuclides like uranium in drinking water is growing recently. The contamination of aquifers with radionuclides depends on number of factors. The geology of an area is the most important factor along with anthropogenic activities like mining, coal ash disposal from thermal power plants, use of phosphate fertilizers etc. Whatever may be the source, the presence of uranium in drinking waters is a matter of great concern for public health. Studies show that uranium is a chemo-toxic and nephrotoxic heavy metal. This chemotoxicity affects the kidneys and bones in particular. Seeing the potential health hazards from natural radionuclides in drinking water, many countries worldwide have adopted the guideline activity concentration for drinking water quality recommended by the WHO (2011). For uranium, WHO has set a limit of 30μgL-1 in drinking water. The geological distribution of uranium and its migration in environment is of interest because the element is having environmental and exposure concerns. It is of great interest to use an analytical technique for uranium analysis in water which is highly sensitive especially at trace levels, specific and precise in presence of other naturally occurring major and trace metals and needs small amount of sample. Various analytical methods based on the use of different techniques have been developed in the past for the determination of uranium in the geological samples. The determination of uranium requires high selectivity due to its strong association with other elements. Several trace level wet chemistry analytical techniques have been reported for uranium determination, but most of these involve tedious and pain staking procedures, high detection limits, interferences etc. Each analytical technique has its own merits and demerits. Comparative assessment by different techniques can provide better quality control and assurance. In present study, uranium was analysed in ground water samples

  16. Industrial and environmental applications of nuclear analytical techniques. Report of a workshop

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-11-01

    The IAEA has programme the utilisation of nuclear analytical techniques (NATs), in particular for industrial and environmental applications. A major purpose is to help the developing Member States apply their analytical capabilities optimally for socio-economic progress and development. A large number of institutions in Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia have established X ray fluorescence (XRF) and gamma ray measurement techniques and facilities for neutron activation analysis (NAA) have been initiated in institutions in these regions. Moreover, there is a growing interest among many institutes in applying more advanced analytical techniques, such as particle induced X ray emission (PIXE) and microanalytical techniques based on X ray emission induced by conventional sources or synchrotron radiation to the analysis of environmental and biological materials and industrial products. In order to define new areas of application of NATs and to extend the range of these techniques, a number of initiatives have recently been taken. It includes a workshop on industrial and environmental applications of nuclear analytical techniques, organized by the IAEA in Vienna, 7-11 September 1998. The main objectives of the workshop were as follows: (1) to review recent applications of NATs in industrial and environmental studies; (2) to identify emerging trends in methodologies and applications of NATs; (3) to demonstrate analytical capabilities of selected NATs. The following topics were reviewed during the workshop: (1) XRF and accelerator based analytical techniques; (2) portable XRF systems and their applications in industry, mineral prospecting and processing, (3) portable gamma ray spectrometers; and (4) NAA and its applications in industry and environmental studies. Micro-XRF and micro-PIXE methods and their applications in the above fields were also discussed, including aspects of synchrotron radiation induced X ray emission.

  17. Industrial and environmental applications of nuclear analytical techniques. Report of a workshop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-11-01

    The IAEA has programme the utilisation of nuclear analytical techniques (NATs), in particular for industrial and environmental applications. A major purpose is to help the developing Member States apply their analytical capabilities optimally for socio-economic progress and development. A large number of institutions in Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia have established X ray fluorescence (XRF) and gamma ray measurement techniques and facilities for neutron activation analysis (NAA) have been initiated in institutions in these regions. Moreover, there is a growing interest among many institutes in applying more advanced analytical techniques, such as particle induced X ray emission (PIXE) and microanalytical techniques based on X ray emission induced by conventional sources or synchrotron radiation to the analysis of environmental and biological materials and industrial products. In order to define new areas of application of NATs and to extend the range of these techniques, a number of initiatives have recently been taken. It includes a workshop on industrial and environmental applications of nuclear analytical techniques, organized by the IAEA in Vienna, 7-11 September 1998. The main objectives of the workshop were as follows: (1) to review recent applications of NATs in industrial and environmental studies; (2) to identify emerging trends in methodologies and applications of NATs; (3) to demonstrate analytical capabilities of selected NATs. The following topics were reviewed during the workshop: (1) XRF and accelerator based analytical techniques; (2) portable XRF systems and their applications in industry, mineral prospecting and processing, (3) portable gamma ray spectrometers; and (4) NAA and its applications in industry and environmental studies. Micro-XRF and micro-PIXE methods and their applications in the above fields were also discussed, including aspects of synchrotron radiation induced X ray emission

  18. Real-time analytics techniques to analyze and visualize streaming data

    CERN Document Server

    Ellis, Byron

    2014-01-01

    Construct a robust end-to-end solution for analyzing and visualizing streaming data Real-time analytics is the hottest topic in data analytics today. In Real-Time Analytics: Techniques to Analyze and Visualize Streaming Data, expert Byron Ellis teaches data analysts technologies to build an effective real-time analytics platform. This platform can then be used to make sense of the constantly changing data that is beginning to outpace traditional batch-based analysis platforms. The author is among a very few leading experts in the field. He has a prestigious background in research, development,

  19. Parametric statistical techniques for the comparative analysis of censored reliability data: a review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bohoris, George A.

    1995-01-01

    This paper summarizes part of the work carried out to date on seeking analytical solutions to the two-sample problem with censored data in the context of reliability and maintenance optimization applications. For this purpose, parametric two-sample tests for failure and censored reliability data are introduced and their applicability/effectiveness in common engineering problems is reviewed

  20. Nuclear analytical techniques in medicine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cesareo, R.

    1988-01-01

    This book acquaints one with the fundamental principles and the instrumentation relevant to analytical technique based on atomic and nuclear physics, as well as present and future biomedical applications. Besides providing a theoretical description of the physical phenomena, a large part of the book is devoted to applications in the medical and biological field, particularly in hematology, forensic medicine and environmental science. This volume reviews methods such as the possibility of carrying out rapid multi-element analysis of trace elements on biomedical samples, in vitro and in vivo, by XRF-analysis; the ability of the PIXE-microprobe to analyze in detail and to map trace elements in fragments of biomedical samples or inside the cells; the potentiality of in vivo nuclear activation analysis for diagnostic purposes. Finally, techniques are described such as radiation scattering (elastic and inelastic scattering) and attenuation measurements which will undoubtedly see great development in the immediate future

  1. Nuclear analytical techniques in medicine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cesareo, R.

    1988-01-01

    This book acquaints one with the fundamental principles and the instrumentation relevant to analytical technique based on atomic and nuclear physics, as well as present and future biomedical applications. Besides providing a theoretical description of the physical phenomena, a large part of the book is devoted to applications in the medical and biological field, particularly in hematology, forensic medicine and environmental science. This volume reviews methods such as the possibility of carrying out rapid multi-element analysis of trace elements on biomedical samples, in vitro and in vivo, by XRF-analysis; the ability of the PIXE-microprobe to analyze in detail and to map trace elements in fragments of biomedical samples or inside the cells; the potentiality of in vivo nuclear activation analysis for diagnostic purposes. Finally, techniques are described such as radiation scattering (elastic and inelastic scattering) and attenuation measurements which will undoubtedly see great development in the immediate future.

  2. Probabilistic risk assessment course documentation. Volume 3. System reliability and analysis techniques, Session A - reliability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lofgren, E.V.

    1985-08-01

    This course in System Reliability and Analysis Techniques focuses on the quantitative estimation of reliability at the systems level. Various methods are reviewed, but the structure provided by the fault tree method is used as the basis for system reliability estimates. The principles of fault tree analysis are briefly reviewed. Contributors to system unreliability and unavailability are reviewed, models are given for quantitative evaluation, and the requirements for both generic and plant-specific data are discussed. Also covered are issues of quantifying component faults that relate to the systems context in which the components are embedded. All reliability terms are carefully defined. 44 figs., 22 tabs

  3. ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES FOR THE DETERMINATION OF MELOXICAM IN PHARMACEUTICAL FORMULATIONS AND BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aisha Noreen

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Meloxicam (MX belongs to the family of oxicams which is the most important group of non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs and is widely used for their analgesics and antipyretic activities. It inhibits both COX-I and COX-II enzymes with less gastric and local tissues irritation. A number of analytical techniques have been used for the determination of MX in pharmaceutical as well as in biological fluids. These techniques include titrimetry, spectrometry, chromatography, flow injection spectrometry, fluorescence spectrometry, capillary zone electrophoresis and electrochemical techniques. Many of these techniques have also been used for the simultaneous determination of MX with other compounds. A comprehensive review of these analytical techniques has been done which could be useful for the analytical chemists and quality control pharmacists.

  4. Recent Developments in the Speciation and Determination of Mercury Using Various Analytical Techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lakshmi Narayana Suvarapu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper reviews the speciation and determination of mercury by various analytical techniques such as atomic absorption spectrometry, voltammetry, inductively coupled plasma techniques, spectrophotometry, spectrofluorometry, high performance liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography. Approximately 126 research papers on the speciation and determination of mercury by various analytical techniques published in international journals since 2013 are reviewed.

  5. Conference on Nuclear and Conventional Analytical Techniques and their Applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2010-01-01

    Full text : A panoply analytic techniques methods has emerged in recent decades due to the challenges of society in quality of products and the increasing demand of chemical analysis services. The industrial progress which came along with an instrumental perfection of devices with analytical use, led to the development of new techniques more and more advanced in this field. These come as well, to answer the disturbing effects of this industrialization and the wishes of a public increasingly conscious and requiring globally. The leaders in this field of analysis and material characterization are more than ever confronted with problems of identification and quantification of different chemical forms of a multitude of products in varied circles; Industrial pollutants, soil, water, air, food, medicines, ceramics, concrete, plants etc. It was from that perspective that the unifying theme ''geomaterials: characterization to applications '' of the conference on nuclear and conventional analytical techniques and their applications (TANCA 2010) was chosen. It contributes to the debate of these subjects and builds relationships between stakeholders in this field, both technically and practically [fr

  6. Techniques, processes, and measures for software safety and reliability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sparkman, D.

    1992-01-01

    The purpose of this report is to provide a detailed survey of current recommended practices and measurement techniques for the development of reliable and safe software-based systems. This report is intended to assist the United States Nuclear Reaction Regulation (NRR) in determining the importance and maturity of the available techniques and in assessing the relevance of individual standards for application to instrumentation and control systems in nuclear power generating stations. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) provides technical support for the Instrumentation and Control System Branch (ICSB) of NRRin advanced instrumentation and control systems, distributed digital systems, software reliability, and the application of verificafion and validafion for the development of software

  7. Reliability Assessment of Wind Farm Electrical System Based on a Probability Transfer Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hejun Yang

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The electrical system of a wind farm has a significant influence on the wind farm reliability and electrical energy yield. The disconnect switch installed in an electrical system cannot only improve the operating flexibility, but also enhance the reliability for a wind farm. Therefore, this paper develops a probabilistic transfer technique for integrating the electrical topology structure, the isolation operation of disconnect switch, and stochastic failure of electrical equipment into the reliability assessment of wind farm electrical system. Firstly, as the traditional two-state reliability model of electrical equipment cannot consider the isolation operation, so the paper develops a three-state reliability model to replace the two-state model for incorporating the isolation operation. In addition, a proportion apportion technique is presented to evaluate the state probability. Secondly, this paper develops a probabilistic transfer technique based on the thoughts that through transfer the unreliability of electrical system to the energy transmission interruption of wind turbine generators (WTGs. Finally, some novel indices for describing the reliability of wind farm electrical system are designed, and the variance coefficient of the designed indices is used as a convergence criterion to determine the termination of the assessment process. The proposed technique is applied to the reliability assessment of a wind farm with the different topologies. The simulation results show that the proposed techniques are effective in practical applications.

  8. Analytical Techniques and the Air Force Logistics Readiness Officer

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Main, Bryan D

    2008-01-01

    .... Over 500 LROs and supervisors provided inputs. Analysis of survey responses found that Forecasting, Graphical Statistics, and Descriptive Statistics are the analytical techniques valued most by both LROs and their supervisors...

  9. Nuclear analytical techniques with neutron beams at the Univ. of Texas at Austin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uenlue, K.; Wehring, B.W.

    1996-01-01

    Neutron beams produced by nuclear research reactors can be used for analytical chemical analysis by measuring nuclear radiation produced by neutron capture. Prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) and neutron depth profiling (NDP) are two such analytical techniques. For the last three decades, these techniques have been applied at a number of research reactors around the world. Within the last 4 yr, we have developed NDP and PGAA facilities at The University of Texas at Austin research reactor, a 1-MW TRIGA Mark II reactor. Brief descriptions of the facilities and summaries of activities for these analytical techniques at the University of Texas at Austin are provided in this paper

  10. Quality system implementation for nuclear analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    techniques. The methodology provided is appropriate for: (a) Analysis of radionuclides as in alpha, beta, and gamma spectrometry for environmental and human-made radioactivity investigations; (b) Analysis of trace, minor and major elements using nuclear and related analytical techniques such as neutron activation analysis, X ray fluorescence, PIXE, etc. This training guidebook can be used by staff of analytical laboratories as a starting kit to better understand the quality assurance and quality control principles as prescribed in the ISO 17025 standard. It follows a logical order related to practical laboratory work rather than the formal clauses as given by the standard. It can be used as a stand alone textbook. However, in some cases, cross-reference is given to the ISO 17025 clauses hence it is recommended to consult the ISO standard for exact wording of specific requirements

  11. Precision of lumbar intervertebral measurements: does a computer-assisted technique improve reliability?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pearson, Adam M; Spratt, Kevin F; Genuario, James; McGough, William; Kosman, Katherine; Lurie, Jon; Sengupta, Dilip K

    2011-04-01

    Comparison of intra- and interobserver reliability of digitized manual and computer-assisted intervertebral motion measurements and classification of "instability." To determine if computer-assisted measurement of lumbar intervertebral motion on flexion-extension radiographs improves reliability compared with digitized manual measurements. Many studies have questioned the reliability of manual intervertebral measurements, although few have compared the reliability of computer-assisted and manual measurements on lumbar flexion-extension radiographs. Intervertebral rotation, anterior-posterior (AP) translation, and change in anterior and posterior disc height were measured with a digitized manual technique by three physicians and by three other observers using computer-assisted quantitative motion analysis (QMA) software. Each observer measured 30 sets of digital flexion-extension radiographs (L1-S1) twice. Shrout-Fleiss intraclass correlation coefficients for intra- and interobserver reliabilities were computed. The stability of each level was also classified (instability defined as >4 mm AP translation or 10° rotation), and the intra- and interobserver reliabilities of the two methods were compared using adjusted percent agreement (APA). Intraobserver reliability intraclass correlation coefficients were substantially higher for the QMA technique THAN the digitized manual technique across all measurements: rotation 0.997 versus 0.870, AP translation 0.959 versus 0.557, change in anterior disc height 0.962 versus 0.770, and change in posterior disc height 0.951 versus 0.283. The same pattern was observed for interobserver reliability (rotation 0.962 vs. 0.693, AP translation 0.862 vs. 0.151, change in anterior disc height 0.862 vs. 0.373, and change in posterior disc height 0.730 vs. 0.300). The QMA technique was also more reliable for the classification of "instability." Intraobserver APAs ranged from 87 to 97% for QMA versus 60% to 73% for digitized manual

  12. Contactless conductivity detection for analytical techniques — Developments from 2014 to 2016

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kubáň, Pavel; Hauser, P.C.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 38, č. 1 (2017), s. 95-114 ISSN 0173-0835 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA16-09135S Institutional support: RVO:68081715 Keywords : capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection * capillary electrophoresis * contactless conductivity detection * analytical techniques * review Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation OBOR OECD: Analytical chemistry Impact factor: 2.744, year: 2016

  13. Precision profiles and analytic reliability of radioimmunologic methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yaneva, Z.; Popova, Yu.

    1991-01-01

    The aim of the present study is to investigate and compare some methods for creation of 'precision profiles' (PP) and to clarify their possibilities for determining the analytical reliability of RIA. Only methods without complicated mathematical calculations has been used. The reproducibility in serums with a concentration of the determinable hormone in the whole range of the calibration curve has been studied. The radioimmunoassay has been performed with TSH-RIA set (ex East Germany), and comparative evaluations - with commercial sets of HOECHST (Germany) and AMERSHAM (GB). Three methods for obtaining the relationship concentration (IU/l) -reproducibility (C.V.,%) are used and a comparison is made of their corresponding profiles: preliminary rough profile, Rodbard-PP and Ekins-PP. It is concluded that the creation of a precision profile is obligatory and the method of its construction does not influence the relationship's course. PP allows to determine concentration range giving stable results which improves the efficiency of the analitical work. 16 refs., 4 figs

  14. A Visual Analytics Technique for Identifying Heat Spots in Transportation Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marian Sorin Nistor

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The decision takers of the public transportation system, as part of urban critical infrastructures, need to increase the system resilience. For doing so, we identified analysis tools for biological networks as an adequate basis for visual analytics in that domain. In the paper at hand we therefore translate such methods for transportation systems and show the benefits by applying them on the Munich subway network. Here, visual analytics is used to identify vulnerable stations from different perspectives. The applied technique is presented step by step. Furthermore, the key challenges in applying this technique on transportation systems are identified. Finally, we propose the implementation of the presented features in a management cockpit to integrate the visual analytics mantra for an adequate decision support on transportation systems.

  15. Pre-concentration technique for reduction in "Analytical instrument requirement and analysis"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pal, Sangita; Singha, Mousumi; Meena, Sher Singh

    2018-04-01

    Availability of analytical instruments for a methodical detection of known and unknown effluents imposes a serious hindrance in qualification and quantification. Several analytical instruments such as Elemental analyzer, ICP-MS, ICP-AES, EDXRF, ion chromatography, Electro-analytical instruments which are not only expensive but also time consuming, required maintenance, damaged essential parts replacement which are of serious concern. Move over for field study and instant detection installation of these instruments are not convenient to each and every place. Therefore, technique such as pre-concentration of metal ions especially for lean stream elaborated and justified. Chelation/sequestration is the key of immobilization technique which is simple, user friendly, most effective, least expensive, time efficient; easy to carry (10g - 20g vial) to experimental field/site has been demonstrated.

  16. A survey on reliability and safety analysis techniques of robot systems in nuclear power plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eom, H S; Kim, J H; Lee, J C; Choi, Y R; Moon, S S

    2000-12-01

    The reliability and safety analysis techniques was surveyed for the purpose of overall quality improvement of reactor inspection system which is under development in our current project. The contents of this report are : 1. Reliability and safety analysis techniques suvey - Reviewed reliability and safety analysis techniques are generally accepted techniques in many industries including nuclear industry. And we selected a few techniques which are suitable for our robot system. They are falut tree analysis, failure mode and effect analysis, reliability block diagram, markov model, combinational method, and simulation method. 2. Survey on the characteristics of robot systems which are distinguished from other systems and which are important to the analysis. 3. Survey on the nuclear environmental factors which affect the reliability and safety analysis of robot system 4. Collection of the case studies of robot reliability and safety analysis which are performed in foreign countries. The analysis results of this survey will be applied to the improvement of reliability and safety of our robot system and also will be used for the formal qualification and certification of our reactor inspection system.

  17. A survey on reliability and safety analysis techniques of robot systems in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eom, H.S.; Kim, J.H.; Lee, J.C.; Choi, Y.R.; Moon, S.S.

    2000-12-01

    The reliability and safety analysis techniques was surveyed for the purpose of overall quality improvement of reactor inspection system which is under development in our current project. The contents of this report are : 1. Reliability and safety analysis techniques suvey - Reviewed reliability and safety analysis techniques are generally accepted techniques in many industries including nuclear industry. And we selected a few techniques which are suitable for our robot system. They are falut tree analysis, failure mode and effect analysis, reliability block diagram, markov model, combinational method, and simulation method. 2. Survey on the characteristics of robot systems which are distinguished from other systems and which are important to the analysis. 3. Survey on the nuclear environmental factors which affect the reliability and safety analysis of robot system 4. Collection of the case studies of robot reliability and safety analysis which are performed in foreign countries. The analysis results of this survey will be applied to the improvement of reliability and safety of our robot system and also will be used for the formal qualification and certification of our reactor inspection system

  18. Improvement of AC motor reliability from technique standardization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muniz, P.R.; Faria, M.D.R.; Mendes, M.P.; Silva, J.N.; Dos Santos, J.D.

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to explain the increase of reliability of motors serviced in the Electrical Maintenance Shop of Companhia Siderurgica de Tubarao by standardization of the technique based on Brazilian and International Standards, manufacturer's recommendations and the experience of the maintenance staff. (author)

  19. Structural reliability analysis based on the cokriging technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Wei; Wang Wei; Dai Hongzhe; Xue Guofeng

    2010-01-01

    Approximation methods are widely used in structural reliability analysis because they are simple to create and provide explicit functional relationships between the responses and variables in stead of the implicit limit state function. Recently, the kriging method which is a semi-parameter interpolation technique that can be used for deterministic optimization and structural reliability has gained popularity. However, to fully exploit the kriging method, especially in high-dimensional problems, a large number of sample points should be generated to fill the design space and this can be very expensive and even impractical in practical engineering analysis. Therefore, in this paper, a new method-the cokriging method, which is an extension of kriging, is proposed to calculate the structural reliability. cokriging approximation incorporates secondary information such as the values of the gradients of the function being approximated. This paper explores the use of the cokriging method for structural reliability problems by comparing it with the Kriging method based on some numerical examples. The results indicate that the cokriging procedure described in this work can generate approximation models to improve on the accuracy and efficiency for structural reliability problems and is a viable alternative to the kriging.

  20. Air particulate pollution studies in Asian countries using nuclear analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hien, P.D.

    1998-01-01

    Air particulate pollution is regarded as critical in Asian cities. The levels of suspended particulate matter in major Asian cities far exceed the WHO's guideline. Nuclear analytical techniques have been widely used in the studies of air particulate pollution to provide aerosol elemental compositions for the purpose of deriving the structure of emission sources. This paper presents some preliminary observations and findings based on publications in scientific literatures. Data on PM-10 levels and socio-economic indicators are used for searching a relationship between air quality and the level of development across Asia. An inverse linear relationship between PM-10 levels and logarithm of per capita GDP appears to exist, although there are large fluctuations of data caused by the very different climatic and geographical conditions of cities studied. Soil dust is generally a major, or even predominant aerosol source in Asian cities. Other common sources include vehicular emissions, coal and oil combustion, burning of refuse (in open) and biomass (including forest fires). The relevance and the trends of these sources in Asian context are discussed. Multivariate receptor modelling techniques applied in source characterization are illustrated through the cases of Lahore and Hochiminh City. Although having limitations in dealing with mixing and overlapping sources, receptor modelling based on principal component factor analysis has been proven to be uncomplicated and sufficiently reliable for characterising aerosol sources in urban areas. (author)

  1. Optimally Fortifying Logic Reliability through Criticality Ranking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Bai

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available With CMOS technology aggressively scaling towards the 22-nm node, modern FPGA devices face tremendous aging-induced reliability challenges due to bias temperature instability (BTI and hot carrier injection (HCI. This paper presents a novel anti-aging technique at the logic level that is both scalable and applicable for VLSI digital circuits implemented with FPGA devices. The key idea is to prolong the lifetime of FPGA-mapped designs by strategically elevating the VDD values of some LUTs based on their modular criticality values. Although the idea of scaling VDD in order to improve either energy efficiency or circuit reliability has been explored extensively, our study distinguishes itself by approaching this challenge through an analytical procedure, therefore being able to maximize the overall reliability of the target FPGA design by rigorously modeling the BTI-induced device reliability and optimally solving the VDD assignment problem. Specifically, we first develop a systematic framework to analytically model the reliability of an FPGA LUT (look-up table, which consists of both RAM memory bits and associated switching circuit. We also, for the first time, establish the relationship between signal transition density and a LUT’s reliability in an analytical way. This key observation further motivates us to define the modular criticality as the product of signal transition density and the logic observability of each LUT. Finally, we analytically prove, for the first time, that the optimal way to improve the overall reliability of a whole FPGA device is to fortify individual LUTs according to their modular criticality. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first to draw such a conclusion.

  2. Application of metabonomic analytical techniques in the modernization and toxicology research of traditional Chinese medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lao, Yong-Min; Jiang, Jian-Guo; Yan, Lu

    2009-08-01

    In the recent years, a wide range of metabonomic analytical techniques are widely used in the modern research of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). At the same time, the international community has attached increasing importance to TCM toxicity problems. Thus, many studies have been implemented to investigate the toxicity mechanisms of TCM. Among these studies, many metabonomic-based methods have been implemented to facilitate TCM toxicity investigation. At present, the most prevailing methods for TCM toxicity research are mainly single analysis techniques using only one analytical means. These techniques include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), etc.; with these techniques, some favourable outcomes have been gained in the toxic reaction studies of TCM, such as the action target organs assay, the establishment of action pattern, the elucidation of action mechanism and the exploration of action material foundation. However, every analytical technique has its advantages and drawbacks, no existing analytical technique can be versatile. Multi-analysed techniques can partially overcome the shortcomings of single-analysed techniques. Combination of GC-MS and LC-MS metabolic profiling approaches has unravelled the pathological outcomes of aristolochic acid-induced nephrotoxicity, which can not be achieved by single-analysed techniques. It is believed that with the further development of metabonomic analytical techniques, especially multi-analysed techniques, metabonomics will greatly promote TCM toxicity research and be beneficial to the modernization of TCM in terms of extending the application of modern means in the TCM safety assessment, assisting the formulation of TCM safety norms and establishing the international standards indicators.

  3. Application of advanced nuclear and instrumental analytical techniques for characterisation of environmental materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sudersanan, M.; Pawaskar, P.B.; Kayasth, S.R.; Kumar, S.C.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Increasing realisation about the toxic effects of metal ions in environmental materials has given an impetus to research on analytical techniques for their characterization. The large number of analytes present at very low levels has necessitated the use of sensitive, selective and element specific techniques for their characterization. The concern about precision and accuracy on such analysis, which have socio-economic bearing, has emphasized the use of Certified Reference Materials and the use of multi-technique approach for the unambiguous characterization of analytes. The recent work carried out at Analytical Chemistry Division, BARC on these aspects is presented in this paper. Increasing use of fossil fuels has led to the generation of large quantities of fly ash which pose problems of safe disposal. The utilization of these materials for land filling is an attractive option but the presence of trace amounts of toxic metals like mercury, arsenic, lead etc may cause environmental problems. In view of the inhomogeneous nature of the material, efficient sample processing is an important factor, in addition to the validation of the results by the use of proper standards. Analysis was carried out on flyash samples received as reference materials and also as samples from commercial sources using a combination of both nuclear techniques like INAA and RNAA as well as other techniques like AAS, ICPAES, cold vapour AAS for mercury and hydride generation technique for arsenic. Similar analysis using nuclear techniques was employed for the characterization of air particulates. Biological materials often serve as sensitive indicator materials for pollution measurements. They are also employed for studies on the uptake of toxic metals like U, Th, Cd, Pb, Hg etc. The presence of large amounts of organic materials in them necessitate an appropriate sample dissolution procedure. In view of the possibility of loss of certain analytes like Cd, Hg, As, by high

  4. Evaluating empirical/analytical techniques to predict structural integrity of pipe containing surface flaws

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reuter, W.G.; Server, W.L.

    1982-01-01

    Data from flat-plate specimens containing either triangular-, ellipsoidal- or rectangular-shaped surface flaws were evaluated by several potential analytical techniques. These techniques were modified as needed to predict conditions for initiation of subcritical crack growth, for the defect to penetrate the 6.4 mm (0.25 in.) wall thickness, and for instability (plastic or unstable). The modified analytical techniques developed from the plate specimens were then used to make predictions which are compared with test results obtained from pipe specimens containing triangular-shaped surface flaws

  5. Structural level characterization of base oils using advanced analytical techniques

    KAUST Repository

    Hourani, Nadim; Muller, Hendrik; Adam, Frederick M.; Panda, Saroj K.; Witt, Matthias; Al-Hajji, Adnan A.; Sarathy, Mani

    2015-01-01

    cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) equipped with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) sources. First, the capabilities and limitations of each analytical technique were evaluated

  6. Recent developments and future trends in solid phase microextraction techniques towards green analytical chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spietelun, Agata; Marcinkowski, Łukasz; de la Guardia, Miguel; Namieśnik, Jacek

    2013-12-20

    Solid phase microextraction find increasing applications in the sample preparation step before chromatographic determination of analytes in samples with a complex composition. These techniques allow for integrating several operations, such as sample collection, extraction, analyte enrichment above the detection limit of a given measuring instrument and the isolation of analytes from sample matrix. In this work the information about novel methodological and instrumental solutions in relation to different variants of solid phase extraction techniques, solid-phase microextraction (SPME), stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) and magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) is presented, including practical applications of these techniques and a critical discussion about their advantages and disadvantages. The proposed solutions fulfill the requirements resulting from the concept of sustainable development, and specifically from the implementation of green chemistry principles in analytical laboratories. Therefore, particular attention was paid to the description of possible uses of novel, selective stationary phases in extraction techniques, inter alia, polymeric ionic liquids, carbon nanotubes, and silica- and carbon-based sorbents. The methodological solutions, together with properly matched sampling devices for collecting analytes from samples with varying matrix composition, enable us to reduce the number of errors during the sample preparation prior to chromatographic analysis as well as to limit the negative impact of this analytical step on the natural environment and the health of laboratory employees. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Analysis of Cultural Heritage by Accelerator Techniques and Analytical Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ide-Ektessabi, Ari; Toque, Jay Arre; Murayama, Yusuke

    2011-12-01

    In this paper we present the result of experimental investigation using two very important accelerator techniques: (1) synchrotron radiation XRF and XAFS; and (2) accelerator mass spectrometry and multispectral analytical imaging for the investigation of cultural heritage. We also want to introduce a complementary approach to the investigation of artworks which is noninvasive and nondestructive that can be applied in situ. Four major projects will be discussed to illustrate the potential applications of these accelerator and analytical imaging techniques: (1) investigation of Mongolian Textile (Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan Period) using XRF, AMS and electron microscopy; (2) XRF studies of pigments collected from Korean Buddhist paintings; (3) creating a database of elemental composition and spectral reflectance of more than 1000 Japanese pigments which have been used for traditional Japanese paintings; and (4) visible light-near infrared spectroscopy and multispectral imaging of degraded malachite and azurite. The XRF measurements of the Japanese and Korean pigments could be used to complement the results of pigment identification by analytical imaging through spectral reflectance reconstruction. On the other hand, analysis of the Mongolian textiles revealed that they were produced between 12th and 13th century. Elemental analysis of the samples showed that they contained traces of gold, copper, iron and titanium. Based on the age and trace elements in the samples, it was concluded that the textiles were produced during the height of power of the Mongol empire, which makes them a valuable cultural heritage. Finally, the analysis of the degraded and discolored malachite and azurite demonstrates how multispectral analytical imaging could be used to complement the results of high energy-based techniques.

  8. Analytical techniques for wine analysis: An African perspective; a review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villiers, André de; Alberts, Phillipus; Tredoux, Andreas G.J.; Nieuwoudt, Hélène H.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Analytical techniques developed for grape and wine analysis in Africa are reviewed. ► The utility of infrared spectroscopic methods is demonstrated. ► An overview of separation of wine constituents by GC, HPLC, CE is presented. ► Novel LC and GC sample preparation methods for LC and GC are presented. ► Emerging methods for grape and wine analysis in Africa are discussed. - Abstract: Analytical chemistry is playing an ever-increasingly important role in the global wine industry. Chemical analysis of wine is essential in ensuring product safety and conformity to regulatory laws governing the international market, as well as understanding the fundamental aspects of grape and wine production to improve manufacturing processes. Within this field, advanced instrumental analysis methods have been exploited more extensively in recent years. Important advances in instrumental analytical techniques have also found application in the wine industry. This review aims to highlight the most important developments in the field of instrumental wine and grape analysis in the African context. The focus of this overview is specifically on the application of advanced instrumental techniques, including spectroscopic and chromatographic methods. Recent developments in wine and grape analysis and their application in the African context are highlighted, and future trends are discussed in terms of their potential contribution to the industry.

  9. Analytical techniques for wine analysis: An African perspective; a review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Villiers, Andre de, E-mail: ajdevill@sun.ac.za [Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, Stellenbosch (South Africa); Alberts, Phillipus [Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, Stellenbosch (South Africa); Tredoux, Andreas G.J.; Nieuwoudt, Helene H. [Institute for Wine Biotechnology, Department of Viticulture and Oenology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, Stellenbosch (South Africa)

    2012-06-12

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Analytical techniques developed for grape and wine analysis in Africa are reviewed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The utility of infrared spectroscopic methods is demonstrated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer An overview of separation of wine constituents by GC, HPLC, CE is presented. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Novel LC and GC sample preparation methods for LC and GC are presented. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Emerging methods for grape and wine analysis in Africa are discussed. - Abstract: Analytical chemistry is playing an ever-increasingly important role in the global wine industry. Chemical analysis of wine is essential in ensuring product safety and conformity to regulatory laws governing the international market, as well as understanding the fundamental aspects of grape and wine production to improve manufacturing processes. Within this field, advanced instrumental analysis methods have been exploited more extensively in recent years. Important advances in instrumental analytical techniques have also found application in the wine industry. This review aims to highlight the most important developments in the field of instrumental wine and grape analysis in the African context. The focus of this overview is specifically on the application of advanced instrumental techniques, including spectroscopic and chromatographic methods. Recent developments in wine and grape analysis and their application in the African context are highlighted, and future trends are discussed in terms of their potential contribution to the industry.

  10. Investigation of different types of filters for atmospheric trace elements analysis by three analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ali, A.E.; Bacso, J.

    1996-01-01

    Different atmospheric aerosol samples were collected on three types of filters. Disks of both loaded and clean areas of each kind of filter were investigated by XRF, PIXE and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) methods. The blank concentration values of the elements Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Br and Pb in the three types of filters are discussed. It is found that for trace elemental analysis, the Nuclepore membrane filters are the most suitable for sampling. These have much lower blank element concentration values than the glass fibres and ash free filters. It was found also that the PIXE method is a more reliable analytical technique for atmospheric aerosol particles than the other methods. (author). 20 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs

  11. A Simplified Analytical Technique for High Frequency Characterization of Resonant Tunneling Diode

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    DESSOUKI, A. A. S.

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available his paper proposes a simplified analytical technique for high frequency characterization of the resonant tunneling diode (RTD. An equivalent circuit of the RTD that consists of a parallel combination of conductance, G (V, f, and capacitance, C (V, f is formulated. The proposed approach uses the measured DC current versus voltage characteristic of the RTD to extract the equivalent circuit elements parameters in the entire bias range. Using the proposed analytical technique, the frequency response - including the high frequency range - of many characteristic aspects of the RTD is investigated. Also, the maximum oscillation frequency of the RTD is calculated. The results obtained have been compared with those concluded and reported in the literature. The reported results in literature were obtained through simulation of the RTD at high frequency using either a computationally complicated quantum simulator or through difficult RF measurements. A similar pattern of results and highly concordant conclusion are obtained. The proposed analytical technique is simple, correct, and appropriate to investigate the behavior of the RTD at high frequency. In addition, the proposed technique can be easily incorporated into SPICE program to simulate circuits containing RTD.

  12. Instrumental analytical techniques in geochemistry: Requirements and applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Willis, J.P.

    1986-01-01

    Geochemists must analyse an extremely wide range of terrestrial and planetary materials. The instrumental techniques necessary to cope with this difficult task are considered. The most important analytical techniques in use by the geochemist today are AAS, ICP-OES, INAA, MSID and XRFS, and the electron microscope for in situ mineral analysis. Some applications of these techniques to solving major problems in geochemistry are discussed. The importance of certified reference materials and of high quality geochemical data are emphasized. It is concluded that the general quality of trace element data has improved over the past 25 years, as a direct result of the application of modern instrumental techniques. Surprisingly, the quality of data reported for certain major elements has deteriorated over that time, when compared with data obtainable by classical chemical methods. Predictions are made concerning the instrumentation needs of the next generation of geochemists. (orig.) [de

  13. Improvement of Analytical Technique for Determination of Gold in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This article elucidates the improvement of analytical technique for determination of gold in geological matrix. Samples suspected to have gold in them were subjected to neutron flux from the Nigeria Research Reactor (NRR-1), a Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR). Two geological samples – one sample was ...

  14. In-depth characterization of prebiotic galactooligosaccharides by a combination of analytical techniques

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Coulier, L.; Timmermans, J.; Richard, B.; Dool, R. van den; Haaksman, I.; Klarenbeek, B.; Slaghek, T.; Dongen, W. van

    2009-01-01

    A commercial prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharide mixture (Vivinal GOS) was extensively characterized using a combination of analytical techniques. The different techniques were integrated to give complementary information on specific characteristics of the oligosaccharide mixture, ranging from global

  15. Reliability of System Identification Techniques to Assess Standing Balance in Healthy Elderly.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jantsje H Pasma

    Full Text Available System identification techniques have the potential to assess the contribution of the underlying systems involved in standing balance by applying well-known disturbances. We investigated the reliability of standing balance parameters obtained with multivariate closed loop system identification techniques.In twelve healthy elderly balance tests were performed twice a day during three days. Body sway was measured during two minutes of standing with eyes closed and the Balance test Room (BalRoom was used to apply four disturbances simultaneously: two sensory disturbances, to the proprioceptive and the visual system, and two mechanical disturbances applied at the leg and trunk segment. Using system identification techniques, sensitivity functions of the sensory disturbances and the neuromuscular controller were estimated. Based on the generalizability theory (G theory, systematic errors and sources of variability were assessed using linear mixed models and reliability was assessed by computing indexes of dependability (ID, standard error of measurement (SEM and minimal detectable change (MDC.A systematic error was found between the first and second trial in the sensitivity functions. No systematic error was found in the neuromuscular controller and body sway. The reliability of 15 of 25 parameters and body sway were moderate to excellent when the results of two trials on three days were averaged. To reach an excellent reliability on one day in 7 out of 25 parameters, it was predicted that at least seven trials must be averaged.This study shows that system identification techniques are a promising method to assess the underlying systems involved in standing balance in elderly. However, most of the parameters do not appear to be reliable unless a large number of trials are collected across multiple days. To reach an excellent reliability in one third of the parameters, a training session for participants is needed and at least seven trials of two

  16. Improving Wind Turbine Drivetrain Reliability Using a Combined Experimental, Computational, and Analytical Approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guo, Y.; van Dam, J.; Bergua, R.; Jove, J.; Campbell, J.

    2015-03-01

    Nontorque loads induced by the wind turbine rotor overhang weight and aerodynamic forces can greatly affect drivetrain loads and responses. If not addressed properly, these loads can result in a decrease in gearbox component life. This work uses analytical modeling, computational modeling, and experimental data to evaluate a unique drivetrain design that minimizes the effects of nontorque loads on gearbox reliability: the Pure Torque(R) drivetrain developed by Alstom. The drivetrain has a hub-support configuration that transmits nontorque loads directly into the tower rather than through the gearbox as in other design approaches. An analytical model of Alstom's Pure Torque drivetrain provides insight into the relationships among turbine component weights, aerodynamic forces, and the resulting drivetrain loads. Main shaft bending loads are orders of magnitude lower than the rated torque and are hardly affected by wind conditions and turbine operations.

  17. Development of analytical techniques in support of waste and effluent characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reed, W.J.

    1991-01-01

    The Analytical Services Group within Sellafield Technical Department has been established for >40 yr and employs >150 analysts. The group operates >400 analytical methods across a wide range of techniques and has a yearly workload of ∼250,000 determinations. The group operates under a quality system based on statistical process control that has achieved national recognition through the accreditation of its mass spectrometry and radiochemical services to the standard of national testing laboratories. The group offers services ranging from the characterization of highly active wastes to trace elemental and radiochemical measurements in environmental, biological, and effluent streams. The group has vast experience in the management of analytical services to tight time scales and has pioneered developments not only in analytical instrumentation, but also in the adaptation of equipment to radioactive environments and the design of dedicated analytical facilities

  18. Trends in analytical techniques applied to particulate matter characterization: A critical review of fundaments and applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galvão, Elson Silva; Santos, Jane Meri; Lima, Ana Teresa; Reis, Neyval Costa; Orlando, Marcos Tadeu D'Azeredo; Stuetz, Richard Michael

    2018-05-01

    Epidemiological studies have shown the association of airborne particulate matter (PM) size and chemical composition with health problems affecting the cardiorespiratory and central nervous systems. PM also act as cloud condensation nuclei (CNN) or ice nuclei (IN), taking part in the clouds formation process, and therefore can impact the climate. There are several works using different analytical techniques in PM chemical and physical characterization to supply information to source apportionment models that help environmental agencies to assess damages accountability. Despite the numerous analytical techniques described in the literature available for PM characterization, laboratories are normally limited to the in-house available techniques, which raises the question if a given technique is suitable for the purpose of a specific experimental work. The aim of this work consists of summarizing the main available technologies for PM characterization, serving as a guide for readers to find the most appropriate technique(s) for their investigation. Elemental analysis techniques like atomic spectrometry based and X-ray based techniques, organic and carbonaceous techniques and surface analysis techniques are discussed, illustrating their main features as well as their advantages and drawbacks. We also discuss the trends in analytical techniques used over the last two decades. The choice among all techniques is a function of a number of parameters such as: the relevant particles physical properties, sampling and measuring time, access to available facilities and the costs associated to equipment acquisition, among other considerations. An analytical guide map is presented as a guideline for choosing the most appropriated technique for a given analytical information required. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Spectral interference of zirconium on 24 analyte elements using CCD based ICP-AES technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adya, V.C.; Sengupta, Arijit; Godbole, S.V.

    2014-01-01

    In the present studies, the spectral interference of zirconium on different analytical lines of 24 critical analytes using CCD based ICP-AES technique is described. Suitable analytical lines for zirconium were identified along with their detection limits. The sensitivity and the detection limits of analytical channels for different elements in presence of Zr matrix were calculated. Subsequently analytical lines with least interference from Zr and better detection limits were selected for their determinations. (author)

  20. An Example of a Hakomi Technique Adapted for Functional Analytic Psychotherapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collis, Peter

    2012-01-01

    Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) is a model of therapy that lends itself to integration with other therapy models. This paper aims to provide an example to assist others in assimilating techniques from other forms of therapy into FAP. A technique from the Hakomi Method is outlined and modified for FAP. As, on the whole, psychotherapy…

  1. Further HTGR core support structure reliability studies. Interim report No. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Platus, D.L.

    1976-01-01

    Results of a continuing effort to investigate high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR) core support structure reliability are described. Graphite material and core support structure component physical, mechanical and strength properties required for the reliability analysis are identified. Also described are experimental and associated analytical techniques for determining the required properties, a procedure for determining number of tests required, properties that might be monitored by special surveillance of the core support structure to improve reliability predictions, and recommendations for further studies. Emphasis in the study is directed towards developing a basic understanding of graphite failure and strength degradation mechanisms; and validating analytical methods for predicting strength and strength degradation from basic material properties

  2. Reliability of capturing foot parameters using digital scanning and the neutral suspension casting technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background A clinical study was conducted to determine the intra and inter-rater reliability of digital scanning and the neutral suspension casting technique to measure six foot parameters. The neutral suspension casting technique is a commonly utilised method for obtaining a negative impression of the foot prior to orthotic fabrication. Digital scanning offers an alternative to the traditional plaster of Paris techniques. Methods Twenty one healthy participants volunteered to take part in the study. Six casts and six digital scans were obtained from each participant by two raters of differing clinical experience. The foot parameters chosen for investigation were cast length (mm), forefoot width (mm), rearfoot width (mm), medial arch height (mm), lateral arch height (mm) and forefoot to rearfoot alignment (degrees). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to determine the intra and inter-rater reliability. Measurement error was assessed through the calculation of the standard error of the measurement (SEM) and smallest real difference (SRD). Results ICC values for all foot parameters using digital scanning ranged between 0.81-0.99 for both intra and inter-rater reliability. For neutral suspension casting technique inter-rater reliability values ranged from 0.57-0.99 and intra-rater reliability values ranging from 0.36-0.99 for rater 1 and 0.49-0.99 for rater 2. Conclusions The findings of this study indicate that digital scanning is a reliable technique, irrespective of clinical experience, with reduced measurement variability in all foot parameters investigated when compared to neutral suspension casting. PMID:21375757

  3. International conference on isotopic and nuclear analytical techniques for health and environment. Unedited papers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    The IAEA has been supporting nuclear and isotopic analytical techniques as part of its mandate to foster the peaceful uses of nuclear energy for many years. Nuclear analytical laboratories have been installed and upgraded through technical co-operation assistance in many laboratories of Member States. These techniques, including INAA, CRF, PIXE, stable isotopes and radioisotopes, α, β, γ spectrometry, Moessbauer spectrometry, etc., have been applied to a wide range of subjects with varying success. Nuclear analytical techniques, featuring some intrinsic quality control aspects, such as multi-nuclide analysis, frequently serve as 'reference methods' to crosscheck critical results. As nuclear properties of elements are targeted, matrix problems seem to be negligible. In light of its continued commitment and support, the IAEA organized the International Conference on Isotopic and Nuclear Analytical Techniques for Health and Environment. Out of 220 from 61 countries who applied for participation, 155 official participants and five observers from 47 countries were in attendance, with 67 from 32 developing countries and 21 from international organizations, including the World Health Organization. Eleven plenary sessions were held. Also conducted was a panel discussion on Human Capacity Development Needs in the Areas of Analytical Quality Control Services (AQCS), Radiochemistry and Nutrition. The scientific sessions were divided into several topics, which reflect some of the important activities of the IAEA's Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications (NA): - Isotopic and nuclear techniques (general); - Metrology and quality assurance in nuclear measurements; - Nuclear analytical techniques for environmental monitoring; - Radioecology; - Environmental monitoring; - Radiological safety of food and water; - Methodological aspects of stable isotope techniques in health and environment; - Applications of isotopic techniques in health and environment; - New

  4. RELIABILITY OF CERTAIN TESTS FOR EVALUATION OF JUDO TECHNIQUES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Slavko Obadov

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available The sample included 106 judokas. Assessment of the level of mastership of judo techniques was carried out by evaluation of fi ve competent studies. Each subject performed a technique three times and each performance was evaluated by the judges. In order to evaluate measurement of each technique, Cronbach’s coeffi cient of reliability  was calculated. During the procedure the subjects's results were also transformed to factor scores i.e. the results of each performer at the main component of evaluation in the fi ve studies. These factor scores could be used in the subsequent procedure of multivariant statistical analysis.

  5. Comparison of analytical techniques for dynamic trace metal speciation in natural freshwaters.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sigg, Laura; Black, Frank; Buffle, Jacques; Cao, Jun; Cleven, Rob; Davison, William; Galceran, Josep; Gunkel, Peggy; Kalis, Erwin; Kistler, David; Martin, Michel; Noël, Stéphane; Nur, Yusuf; Odzak, Niksa; Puy, Jaume; Riemsdijk, Willem van; Temminghoff, Erwin; Tercier-Waeber, Mary-Lou; Toepperwien, Stefanie; Town, Raewyn M; Unsworth, Emily R; Warnken, Kent W; Weng, Liping; Xue, Hanbin; Zhang, Hao

    2006-01-01

    Several techniques for speciation analysis of Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Ni are used in freshwater systems and compared with respect to their performance and to the metal species detected. The analytical techniques comprise the following: (i) diffusion gradients in thin-film gels (DGT); (ii) gel integrated

  6. Reliability of horizontal and vertical tube shift techniques in the localisation of supernumerary teeth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallineni, S K; Anthonappa, R P; King, N M

    2016-12-01

    To assess the reliability of the vertical tube shift technique (VTST) and horizontal tube shift technique (HTST) for the localisation of unerupted supernumerary teeth (ST) in the anterior region of the maxilla. A convenience sample of 83 patients who attended a major teaching hospital because of unerupted ST was selected. Only non-syndromic patients with ST and who had complete clinical and radiographic and surgical records were included in the study. Ten examiners independently rated the paired set of radiographs for each technique. Chi-square test, paired t test and kappa statistics were employed to assess the intra- and inter-examiner reliability. Paired sets of 1660 radiographs (830 pairs for each technique) were available for the analysis. The overall sensitivity for VTST and HTST was 80.6 and 72.1% respectively, with slight inter-examiner and good intra-examiner reliability. Statistically significant differences were evident between the two localisation techniques (p HTST in the anterior region of the maxilla.

  7. Nuclear analytical techniques for on-line elemental analysis in industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-06-01

    This report is the result of an advisory group meeting held in Espoo, Finland, 1-5 June, 1987. The purpose of the meeting was to assess the present status and development of nuclear analytical techniques used for industrial process control. The report gives an overview of the different nuclear techniques used for process control and the most important applications. A separate abstract was prepared for each of the 7 papers presented at the meeting. Refs, figs and tabs

  8. Reliability modeling of digital component in plant protection system with various fault-tolerant techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Bo Gyung; Kang, Hyun Gook; Kim, Hee Eun; Lee, Seung Jun; Seong, Poong Hyun

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Integrated fault coverage is introduced for reflecting characteristics of fault-tolerant techniques in the reliability model of digital protection system in NPPs. • The integrated fault coverage considers the process of fault-tolerant techniques from detection to fail-safe generation process. • With integrated fault coverage, the unavailability of repairable component of DPS can be estimated. • The new developed reliability model can reveal the effects of fault-tolerant techniques explicitly for risk analysis. • The reliability model makes it possible to confirm changes of unavailability according to variation of diverse factors. - Abstract: With the improvement of digital technologies, digital protection system (DPS) has more multiple sophisticated fault-tolerant techniques (FTTs), in order to increase fault detection and to help the system safely perform the required functions in spite of the possible presence of faults. Fault detection coverage is vital factor of FTT in reliability. However, the fault detection coverage is insufficient to reflect the effects of various FTTs in reliability model. To reflect characteristics of FTTs in the reliability model, integrated fault coverage is introduced. The integrated fault coverage considers the process of FTT from detection to fail-safe generation process. A model has been developed to estimate the unavailability of repairable component of DPS using the integrated fault coverage. The new developed model can quantify unavailability according to a diversity of conditions. Sensitivity studies are performed to ascertain important variables which affect the integrated fault coverage and unavailability

  9. Infusing Reliability Techniques into Software Safety Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Ying

    2015-01-01

    Software safety analysis for a large software intensive system is always a challenge. Software safety practitioners need to ensure that software related hazards are completely identified, controlled, and tracked. This paper discusses in detail how to incorporate the traditional reliability techniques into the entire software safety analysis process. In addition, this paper addresses how information can be effectively shared between the various practitioners involved in the software safety analyses. The author has successfully applied the approach to several aerospace applications. Examples are provided to illustrate the key steps of the proposed approach.

  10. Linear circuit transfer functions an introduction to fast analytical techniques

    CERN Document Server

    Basso, Christophe P

    2016-01-01

    Linear Circuit Transfer Functions: An introduction to Fast Analytical Techniques teaches readers how to determine transfer functions of linear passive and active circuits by applying Fast Analytical Circuits Techniques. Building on their existing knowledge of classical loop/nodal analysis, the book improves and expands their skills to unveil transfer functions in a swift and efficient manner. Starting with simple examples, the author explains step-by-step how expressing circuits time constants in different configurations leads to writing transfer functions in a compact and insightful way. By learning how to organize numerators and denominators in the fastest possible way, readers will speed-up analysis and predict the frequency resp nse of simple to complex circuits. In some cases, they will be able to derive the final expression by inspection, without writing a line of algebra. Key features: * Emphasizes analysis through employing time constant-based methods discussed in other text books but not widely us...

  11. A comparative evaluation of five human reliability assessment techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirwan, B.

    1988-01-01

    A field experiment was undertaken to evaluate the accuracy, usefulness, and resources requirements of five human reliability quantification techniques (Techniques for Human Error Rate Prediction (THERP); Paired Comparisons, Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique (HEART), Success Liklihood Index Method (SLIM)-Multi Attribute Utility Decomposition (MAUD), and Absolute Probability Judgement). This was achieved by assessing technique predictions against a set of known human error probabilities, and by comparing their predictions on a set of five realistic Probabilisitc Risk Assessment (PRA) human error. On a combined measure of accuracy THERP and Absolute Probability Judgement performed best, whilst HEART showed indications of accuracy and was lower in resources usage than other techniques. HEART and THERP both appear to benefit from using trained assessors in order to obtain the best results. SLIM and Paired Comparisons require further research on achieving a robust calibration relationship between their scale values and absolute probabilities. (author)

  12. Reliability and criterion validity of an observation protocol for working technique assessments in cash register work.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palm, Peter; Josephson, Malin; Mathiassen, Svend Erik; Kjellberg, Katarina

    2016-06-01

    We evaluated the intra- and inter-observer reliability and criterion validity of an observation protocol, developed in an iterative process involving practicing ergonomists, for assessment of working technique during cash register work for the purpose of preventing upper extremity symptoms. Two ergonomists independently assessed 17 15-min videos of cash register work on two occasions each, as a basis for examining reliability. Criterion validity was assessed by comparing these assessments with meticulous video-based analyses by researchers. Intra-observer reliability was acceptable (i.e. proportional agreement >0.7 and kappa >0.4) for 10/10 questions. Inter-observer reliability was acceptable for only 3/10 questions. An acceptable inter-observer reliability combined with an acceptable criterion validity was obtained only for one working technique aspect, 'Quality of movements'. Thus, major elements of the cashiers' working technique could not be assessed with an acceptable accuracy from short periods of observations by one observer, such as often desired by practitioners. Practitioner Summary: We examined an observation protocol for assessing working technique in cash register work. It was feasible in use, but inter-observer reliability and criterion validity were generally not acceptable when working technique aspects were assessed from short periods of work. We recommend the protocol to be used for educational purposes only.

  13. Reliability Worth Analysis of Distribution Systems Using Cascade Correlation Neural Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heidari, Alireza; Agelidis, Vassilios; Pou, Josep

    2018-01-01

    Reliability worth analysis is of great importance in the area of distribution network planning and operation. The reliability worth's precision can be affected greatly by the customer interruption cost model used. The choice of the cost models can change system and load point reliability indices....... In this study, a cascade correlation neural network is adopted to further develop two cost models comprising a probabilistic distribution model and an average or aggregate model. A contingency-based analytical technique is adopted to conduct the reliability worth analysis. Furthermore, the possible effects...

  14. Evaluation of analytical techniques to determine matals in Sodium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biancifiori, M.A.; Zappa, G.; Amico, A.

    1985-01-01

    The influence of some instrumental parameters on the analysis of CA, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, and Ni in Sodium solutions, by means of Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS), is evaluated. The best operating parameters are established and the possibility of application of this analytical technique to the detection of the metallic impurities in Sodium is evaluated, considering the concentration values of nuclear interest

  15. Nuclear analytical techniques in Cuban Sugar Industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diaz Riso, O.; Griffith Martinez, J.

    1996-01-01

    This paper is a review concerning the applications of Nuclear Analytical Techniques in the Cuban sugar industry. The most complete elemental composition of final molasses (34 elements ) and natural zeolites (38) this last one employed as an auxiliary agent in sugar technological processes has been performed by means of Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis (XRFA). The trace elements sugar cane soil plant relationship and elemental composition of different types of Cuban sugar (rawr, blanco directo and refine) were also studied. As a result, valuable information referred to the possibilities of using these products in animal and human foodstuff so as in other applications are given

  16. Reliability of the Superimposed-Burst Technique in Patients With Patellofemoral Pain: A Technical Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norte, Grant E; Frye, Jamie L; Hart, Joseph M

    2015-11-01

    The superimposed-burst (SIB) technique is commonly used to quantify central activation failure after knee-joint injury, but its reliability has not been established in pathologic cohorts. To assess within-session and between-sessions reliability of the SIB technique in patients with patellofemoral pain. Descriptive laboratory study. University laboratory. A total of 10 patients with self-reported patellofemoral pain (1 man, 9 women; age = 24.1 ± 3.8 years, height = 167.8 ± 15.2 cm, mass = 71.6 ± 17.5 kg) and 10 healthy control participants (3 men, 7 women; age = 27.4 ± 5.0 years, height = 173.5 ± 9.9 cm, mass = 78.2 ± 16.5 kg) volunteered. Participants were assessed at 6 intervals spanning 21 days. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs [3,3]) were used to assess reliability. Quadriceps central activation ratio, knee-extension maximal voluntary isometric contraction force, and SIB force. The quadriceps central activation ratio was highly reliable within session (ICC [3,3] = 0.97) and between sessions through day 21 (ICC [3,3] = 0.90-0.95). Acceptable reliability of knee extension (ICC [3,3] = 0.75-0.91) and SIB force (ICC [3,3] = 0.77-0.89) was observed through day 21. The SIB technique was reliable for clinical research up to 21 days in patients with patellofemoral pain.

  17. Techniques to maximize software reliability in radiation fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eichhorn, G.; Piercey, R.B.

    1986-01-01

    Microprocessor system failures due to memory corruption by single event upsets (SEUs) and/or latch-up in RAM or ROM memory are common in environments where there is high radiation flux. Traditional methods to harden microcomputer systems against SEUs and memory latch-up have usually involved expensive large scale hardware redundancy. Such systems offer higher reliability, but they tend to be more complex and non-standard. At the Space Astronomy Laboratory the authors have developed general programming techniques for producing software which is resistant to such memory failures. These techniques, which may be applied to standard off-the-shelf hardware, as well as custom designs, include an implementation of Maximally Redundant Software (MRS) model, error detection algorithms and memory verification and management

  18. Analytical techniques and method validation for the measurement of selected semivolatile and nonvolatile organofluorochemicals in air.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reagen, William K; Lindstrom, Kent R; Thompson, Kathy L; Flaherty, John M

    2004-09-01

    The widespread use of semi- and nonvolatile organofluorochemicals in industrial facilities, concern about their persistence, and relatively recent advancements in liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) technology have led to the development of new analytical methods to assess potential worker exposure to airborne organofluorochemicals. Techniques were evaluated for the determination of 19 organofluorochemicals and for total fluorine in ambient air samples. Due to the potential biphasic nature of most of these fluorochemicals when airborne, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) versatile sampler (OVS) tubes were used to simultaneously trap fluorochemical particulates and vapors from workplace air. Analytical methods were developed for OVS air samples to quantitatively analyze for total fluorine using oxygen bomb combustion/ion selective electrode and for 17 organofluorochemicals using LC/MS and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The experimental design for this validation was based on the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Guidelines for Air Sampling and Analytical Method Development and Evaluation, with some revisions of the experimental design. The study design incorporated experiments to determine analytical recovery and stability, sampler capacity, the effect of some environmental parameters on recoveries, storage stability, limits of detection, precision, and accuracy. Fluorochemical mixtures were spiked onto each OVS tube over a range of 0.06-6 microg for each of 12 compounds analyzed by LC/MS and 0.3-30 microg for 5 compounds analyzed by GC/MS. These ranges allowed reliable quantitation at 0.001-0.1 mg/m3 in general for LC/MS analytes and 0.005-0.5 mg/m3 for GC/MS analytes when 60 L of air are sampled. The organofluorochemical exposure guideline (EG) is currently 0.1 mg/m3 for many analytes, with one exception being ammonium perfluorooctanoate (EG is 0.01 mg/m3). Total fluorine results may be used

  19. Reliability studies in a developing technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitchell, L.A.; Osgood, C.; Radcliffe, S.J.

    1975-01-01

    The standard methods of reliability analysis can only be applied if valid failure statistics are available. In a developing technology the statistics which have been accumulated, over many years of conventional experience, are often rendered useless by environmental effects. Thus new data, which take account of the new environment, are required. This paper discusses the problem of optimizing the acquisition of these data when time-scales and resources are limited. It is concluded that the most fruitful strategy in assessing the reliability of mechanisms is to study the failures of individual joints whilst developing, where necessary, analytical tools to facilitate the use of these data. The approach is illustrated by examples from the field of tribology. Failures of rolling element bearings in moist, high-pressure carbon dioxide illustrate the important effects of apparently minor changes in the environment. New analytical techniques are developed from a study of friction failures in sliding joints. (author)

  20. The effect on reliability and sensitivity to level of training of combining analytic and holistic rating scales for assessing communication skills in an internal medicine resident OSCE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniels, Vijay John; Harley, Dwight

    2017-07-01

    Although previous research has compared checklists to rating scales for assessing communication, the purpose of this study was to compare the effect on reliability and sensitivity to level of training of an analytic, a holistic, and a combined analytic-holistic rating scale in assessing communication skills. The University of Alberta Internal Medicine Residency runs OSCEs for postgraduate year (PGY) 1 and 2 residents and another for PGY-4 residents. Communication stations were scored with an analytic scale (empathy, non-verbal skills, verbal skills, and coherence subscales) and a holistic scale. Authors analyzed reliability of individual and combined scales using generalizability theory and evaluated each scale's sensitivity to level of training. For analytic, holistic, and combined scales, 12, 12, and 11 stations respectively yielded a Phi of 0.8 for the PGY-1,2 cohort, and 16, 16, and 14 stations yielded a Phi of 0.8 for the PGY-4 cohort. PGY-4 residents scored higher on the combined scale, the analytic rating scale, and the non-verbal and coherence subscales. A combined analytic-holistic rating scale increased score reliability and was sensitive to level of training. Given increased validity evidence, OSCE developers should consider combining analytic and holistic scales when assessing communication skills. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. The use of analytical procedures in the internal audit of the restaurant business expenses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T.Yu. Kopotienko

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The important task of carrying out the internal audit of expenses is to get the sufficient and reliable audit evidence. This can be achieved by using the analytical procedures in the audit process. The identification of the analytical procedures with the financial analysis of the business activities prevents from the efficient usage of them in the internal audit of the restaurant business expenses. The knowledge of internal auditors about the instructional techniques of analytical procedures and their tasks, depending on the verification steps are insufficient. The purpose of the article is the developing the methods of the internal audit of the restaurant business expenses based on an integrated application of analytical procedures. The nature and purpose of analytical procedures have been investigated in the article. It have been identified the factors influencing on auditor’s decision about the choice of analytical procedures complex. It was recommended to identify among them the purpose of analytical procedures, the type and structure of the enterprise, the source of the available information, the existence of financial and non-financial information, reliability and comparability of the available information. It have been identified the tasks of analytical procedures, depending on the verification steps. It was offered the analytical procedures complex as a part of internal audit of the restaurant business expenses. This complex contains a list of the analytical procedures, instructional techniques of analysis that are used in the appropriate procedure and the brief overview of the content of procedure.

  2. Technical meeting on commercial applications of nuclear analytical techniques. Meeting report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    This report summarizes the findings of the Technical Meeting on the Commercial Applications of Nuclear Analytical Techniques held in Vienna on 23-26 November 2004, where an assessment was initiated of the world capacity and market potentials for neutron activation analysis and nuclear spectroscopy, including an estimation of economic revenues. Industry and governmental agencies were identified as stakeholders for these laboratories. Examples are given of potential benefits of these techniques to the stakeholders. The potentials for commercial applications of neutron activation analysis and nuclear spectroscopy (measurement of alpha, beta and gamma ray emitting radionuclides) are addressed. First estimates are given of the worldwide capacity of these laboratories, suggestions and examples are given for potential markets and the typical organizational and technical constraints are discussed. Two case studies of commercial neutron activation analysis laboratories at a small and a medium-size reactor are given in the 'individual contributions' section of this document. An assessment of other nuclear analytical techniques such as X ray Fluorescence Spectrometry, Particle Induced X ray Emission Spectrometry or Ion Beam Analysis Spectrometry has been completed after a comprehensive collection of background information

  3. Technical meeting on commercial applications of nuclear analytical techniques. Meeting report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2004-07-01

    This report summarizes the findings of the Technical Meeting on the Commercial Applications of Nuclear Analytical Techniques held in Vienna on 23-26 November 2004, where an assessment was initiated of the world capacity and market potentials for neutron activation analysis and nuclear spectroscopy, including an estimation of economic revenues. Industry and governmental agencies were identified as stakeholders for these laboratories. Examples are given of potential benefits of these techniques to the stakeholders. The potentials for commercial applications of neutron activation analysis and nuclear spectroscopy (measurement of alpha, beta and gamma ray emitting radionuclides) are addressed. First estimates are given of the worldwide capacity of these laboratories, suggestions and examples are given for potential markets and the typical organizational and technical constraints are discussed. Two case studies of commercial neutron activation analysis laboratories at a small and a medium-size reactor are given in the 'individual contributions' section of this document. An assessment of other nuclear analytical techniques such as X ray Fluorescence Spectrometry, Particle Induced X ray Emission Spectrometry or Ion Beam Analysis Spectrometry has been completed after a comprehensive collection of background information.

  4. Toward greener analytical techniques for the absolute quantification of peptides in pharmaceutical and biological samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Eeckhaut, Ann; Mangelings, Debby

    2015-09-10

    Peptide-based biopharmaceuticals represent one of the fastest growing classes of new drug molecules. New reaction types included in the synthesis strategies to reduce the rapid metabolism of peptides, along with the availability of new formulation and delivery technologies, resulted in an increased marketing of peptide drug products. In this regard, the development of analytical methods for quantification of peptides in pharmaceutical and biological samples is of utmost importance. From the sample preparation step to their analysis by means of chromatographic or electrophoretic methods, many difficulties should be tackled to analyze them. Recent developments in analytical techniques emphasize more and more on the use of green analytical techniques. This review will discuss the progresses in and challenges observed during green analytical method development for the quantification of peptides in pharmaceutical and biological samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. OSS reliability measurement and assessment

    CERN Document Server

    Yamada, Shigeru

    2016-01-01

    This book analyses quantitative open source software (OSS) reliability assessment and its applications, focusing on three major topic areas: the Fundamentals of OSS Quality/Reliability Measurement and Assessment; the Practical Applications of OSS Reliability Modelling; and Recent Developments in OSS Reliability Modelling. Offering an ideal reference guide for graduate students and researchers in reliability for open source software (OSS) and modelling, the book introduces several methods of reliability assessment for OSS including component-oriented reliability analysis based on analytic hierarchy process (AHP), analytic network process (ANP), and non-homogeneous Poisson process (NHPP) models, the stochastic differential equation models and hazard rate models. These measurement and management technologies are essential to producing and maintaining quality/reliable systems using OSS.

  6. Optimization of analytical techniques to characterize antibiotics in aquatic systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al Mokh, S.

    2013-01-01

    Antibiotics are considered as pollutants when they are present in aquatic ecosystems, ultimate receptacles of anthropogenic substances. These compounds are studied as their persistence in the environment or their effects on natural organisms. Numerous efforts have been made worldwide to assess the environmental quality of different water resources for the survival of aquatic species, but also for human consumption and health risk related. Towards goal, the optimization of analytical techniques for these compounds in aquatic systems remains a necessity. Our objective is to develop extraction and detection methods for 12 molecules of aminoglycosides and colistin in sewage treatment plants and hospitals waters. The lack of analytical methods for analysis of these compounds and the deficiency of studies for their detection in water is the reason for their study. Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) in classic mode (offline) or online followed by Liquid Chromatography analysis coupled with Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) is the most method commonly used for this type of analysis. The parameters are optimized and validated to ensure the best conditions for the environmental analysis. This technique was applied to real samples of wastewater treatment plants in Bordeaux and Lebanon. (author)

  7. Addressing the reliability issues of intelligent well systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drakeley, Brian; Douglas, Neil

    2000-01-01

    New Technology receives its fair share of 'risk aversion' both in good and not so good economic times from oil and gas operators evaluating application opportunities. This paper presents details of a strategy developed and implemented to bring to market an Intelligent Well system designed from day one to maximize system reliability, while offering the customer a high degree of choice in system functionality. A team of engineers and scientists skilled in all aspects of Reliability Analysis and Assessment analyzed the Intelligent Well system under development, gathered reliability performance data from other sources and using various analytical techniques developed matrices of system survival probability estimates for various scenarios. Interaction with the system and design engineers has been an on-going process as designs are modified to maximize reliability predictions and extensive qualification test programs developed from the component to the overall system level. The techniques used in the development project will be presented. A comparative model now exists that facilitates the evaluation of future design alternative considerations and also contains databases that can be readily updated with actual field data etc. (author)

  8. Nuclear analytical techniques in Cuban sugar industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diaz R, O.; Griffith M, J.

    1997-01-01

    This paper is a review concerning the application of Nuclear Analytical Techniques in the Cuban sugar industry. The most complete elemental composition of final molasses (34 elements) and natural zeolites (38) this last one employed as an auxiliary agent in sugar technological processe4s has been performed by means of instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis (XRFA). The trace elemental sugar cane soill-plant relationship and elemental composition of different types of Cuban sugar (raw, blanco-directo and refine) were also studied. As a result, valuable information referred to the possibilities of using these products in animal and human foodstuff so as in the other applications are given. (author). 34 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab

  9. Applied research on air pollution using nuclear-related analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    A co-ordinated research programme (CRP) on applied research on air pollution using nuclear-related techniques is a global CRP which will run from 1992-1996, and will build upon the experience gained by the Agency from the laboratory support that it has been providing for several years to BAPMoN - the Background Air Pollution Monitoring Network programme organized under the auspices of the World Meterological Organization. The purpose of this CRP is to promote the use of nuclear analytical techniques in air pollution studies, e.g. NAA, XFR, and PIXE for the analysis of toxic and other trace elements in suspended particulate matter (including air filter samples), rainwater and fog-water samples, and in biological indicators of air pollution (e.g. lichens and mosses). The main purposes of the core programme are i) to support the use of nuclear and nuclear-related analytical techniques for practically-oriented research and monitoring studies on air pollution ii) to identify major sources of air pollution affecting each of the participating countries with particular reference to toxic heavy metals, and iii) to obtain comparative data on pollution levels in areas of high pollution (e.g. a city centre or a populated area downwind of a large pollution source) and low pollution (e.g. rural areas). This document reports the discussions held during the first Research Co-ordination Meeting (RCM) for the CRP which took place at the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna. Refs, figs and tabs

  10. System safety and reliability using object-oriented programming techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patterson-Hine, F.A.; Koen, B.V.

    1987-01-01

    Direct evaluation fault tree codes have been written in recursive, list-processing computer languages such as PL/1 (PATREC-I) and LISP (PATREC-L). The pattern-matching strategy implemented in these codes has been used extensively in France to evaluate system reliability. Recent reviews of the risk management process suggest that a data base containing plant-specific information be integrated with a package of codes used for probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) to alleviate some of the difficulties that make a PRA so costly and time-intensive. A new programming paradigm, object-oriented programming, is uniquely suited for the development of such a software system. A knowledge base and fault tree evaluation algorithm, based on previous experience with PATREC-L, have been implemented using object-oriented techniques, resulting in a reliability assessment environment that is easy to develop, modify, and extend

  11. Techniques and applications of the human reliability analysis in nuclear facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pinto, Fausto C.

    1995-01-01

    The analysis and prediction of the man-machine interaction are the objectives of human reliability analysis. In this work is presented in a manner that could be used by experts in the field of Probabilistic Safety Assessment, considering primarily the aspects of human errors. The Technique of Human Error Rate Prediction (THERP) is used in large scale to obtain data on human error. Applications of this technique are presented, as well as aspects of the state-of-art and of research and development of this particular field of work, where the construction of a reliable data bank is considered essential. In this work is also developed an application of the THERP for the TRIGA Mark 1 IPR R-1 Reactor of the Centro de Desenvolvimento de Tecnologia Nuclear, Brazilian research institute of nuclear technology. The results indicate that some changes must be made in the emergency procedures of the reactor, in order to achieve a higher level of safety

  12. Nuclear Analytical Techniques for Commercial Applications in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chai, Z.; Zhang, Z.; Feng, S.; Yang, J.; Ouyang, H.; Feng, X.; Mao, X.

    2013-01-01

    Since the establishment of the first Chinese nuclear reactor and accelerator in 1958, the nuclear analytical techniques (NATs) in China have dramatically developed in past half century. Nowadays 10 research nuclear reactors and over 100 small accelerators are available in China. Roughly, about 50 % of the machine time is applied for commercial purpose at the moment. The versatile nuclear analytical methods, mainly NAA, PIXE, XRF, etc., in China have been and are being applied widely and extensively in the following three fields: scientific, training, and commercial. This paper will briefly describe the past experience and present status about NATs for commercial applications. Some practical examples to demonstrate the role of NATs in this aspect will be given as well. Basically, the NATs used for the commercial applications in China can be divided into two types, i.e. off-line and on-line. The former mainly includes instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) for compositional determination, particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) also for compositional analysis, accelerator-based mass-spectrometry (AMS) for analysis of C-14, Be-7, Cl-36 and other long-lived radioactive nuclides, solid state nuclear track detector

  13. Assessing the Value of Structured Analytic Techniques in the U.S. Intelligence Community

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Analytic Techniques, and Why Do Analysts Use Them? SATs are methods of organizing and stimulating thinking about intelligence problems. These methods... thinking ; and imaginative thinking techniques encourage new perspectives, insights, and alternative scenarios. Among the many SATs in use today, the...more transparent, so that other analysts and customers can bet - ter understand how the judgments were reached. SATs also facilitate group involvement

  14. Assessment of levels and 'health-effects' of airborne particulate matter in mining, metal refining and metal working industries using nuclear and related analytical techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2008-01-15

    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been supporting, over the years, several coordinated research programmes (CRPs) on various research topics related to environmental issues impacting human health. A variety of industrial environments such as: galvanisation, iron and steel production, steel construction, coal fired thermal power plants, mining and mineral beneficiation of monazite, zinc smelters, and phosphate fertilizer production plants were included in this CRP. Toxic elements specific for particular industries as potential pollutants were monitored within individual projects. The CRP focussed on the use of nuclear and related analytical techniques for studies of exposure to inorganic constituents and radionuclides from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs), in the workplaces and their impacts on the health of the workers. The objectives were to: develop strategies and techniques for sampling of workplace airborne particulate matter (APM) and of bio-markers (e.g. hair, blood, nails, teeth, urine, breath) of exposed and non-exposed individuals; develop reliable analytical procedures for the analysis of such samples, using nuclear and related analytical techniques; carry out workplace and personal monitoring surveys, and assess workers' exposure to toxic elements on the basis of measurements results. This document provides an overview of the activities performed under the CRP by the participants. The overall achievements are summarized and those aspects that require a further deeper look are also pointed out. The individual country reports include details on the progress made by the respective participants during the CRP period.

  15. Application of X-ray fluorescence analytical techniques in phytoremediation and plant biology studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Necemer, Marijan; Kump, Peter; Scancar, Janez; Jacimovic, Radojko; Simcic, Jurij; Pelicon, Primoz; Budnar, Milos; Jeran, Zvonka; Pongrac, Paula; Regvar, Marjana; Vogel-Mikus, Katarina

    2008-01-01

    Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that employs the use of higher plants for the clean-up of contaminated environments. Progress in the field is however handicapped by limited knowledge of the biological processes involved in plant metal uptake, translocation, tolerance and plant-microbe-soil interactions; therefore a better understanding of the basic biological mechanisms involved in plant/microbe/soil/contaminant interactions would allow further optimization of phytoremediation technologies. In view of the needs of global environmental protection, it is important that in phytoremediation and plant biology studies the analytical procedures for elemental determination in plant tissues and soil should be fast and cheap, with simple sample preparation, and of adequate accuracy and reproducibility. The aim of this study was therefore to present the main characteristics, sample preparation protocols and applications of X-ray fluorescence-based analytical techniques (energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry-EDXRF, total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry-TXRF and micro-proton induced X-ray emission-micro-PIXE). Element concentrations in plant leaves from metal polluted and non-polluted sites, as well as standard reference materials, were analyzed by the mentioned techniques, and additionally by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The results were compared and critically evaluated in order to assess the performance and capability of X-ray fluorescence-based techniques in phytoremediation and plant biology studies. It is the EDXRF, which is recommended as suitable to be used in the analyses of a large number of samples, because it is multi-elemental, requires only simple preparation of sample material, and it is analytically comparable to the most frequently used instrumental chemical techniques. The TXRF is compatible to FAAS in sample preparation, but relative to AAS it is fast, sensitive and

  16. Application of modern reliability database techniques to military system data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bunea, Cornel; Mazzuchi, Thomas A.; Sarkani, Shahram; Chang, H.-C.

    2008-01-01

    This paper focuses on analysis techniques of modern reliability databases, with an application to military system data. The analysis of military system data base consists of the following steps: clean the data and perform operation on it in order to obtain good estimators; present simple plots of data; analyze the data with statistical and probabilistic methods. Each step is dealt with separately and the main results are presented. Competing risks theory is advocated as the mathematical support for the analysis. The general framework of competing risks theory is presented together with simple independent and dependent competing risks models available in literature. These models are used to identify the reliability and maintenance indicators required by the operating personnel. Model selection is based on graphical interpretation of plotted data

  17. Assessment of analytical techniques for characterization of crystalline clopidogrel forms in patent applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz Marcelo Lira

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate two important aspects of patent applications of crystalline forms of drugs: (i the physicochemical characterization of the crystalline forms; and (ii the procedure for preparing crystals of the blockbuster drug clopidogrel. To this end, searches were conducted using online patent databases. The results showed that: (i the majority of patent applications for clopidogrel crystalline forms failed to comply with proposed Brazilian Patent Office guidelines. This was primarily due to insufficient number of analytical techniques evaluating the crystalline phase. In addition, some patent applications lacked assessment of chemical/crystallography purity; (ii use of more than two analytical techniques is important; and (iii the crystallization procedure for clopidogrel bisulfate form II were irreproducible based on the procedure given in the patent application.

  18. Reliability Evaluation Methodologies of Fault Tolerant Techniques of Digital I and C Systems in Nuclear Power Plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Bo Gyung; Kang, Hyun Gook; Seong, Poong Hyun; Lee, Seung Jun

    2011-01-01

    Since the reactor protection system was replaced from analog to digital, digital reactor protection system has 4 redundant channels and each channel has several modules. It is necessary for various fault tolerant techniques to improve availability and reliability due to using complex components in DPPS. To use the digital system, it is necessary to improve the reliability and availability of a system through fault-tolerant techniques. Several researches make an effort to effects of fault tolerant techniques. However, the effects of fault tolerant techniques have not been properly considered yet in most fault tree models. Various fault-tolerant techniques, which used in digital system in NPPs, should reflect in fault tree analysis for getting lower system unavailability and more reliable PSA. When fault-tolerant techniques are modeled in fault tree, categorizing the module to detect by each fault tolerant techniques, fault coverage, detection period and the fault recovery should be considered. Further work will concentrate on various aspects for fault tree modeling. We will find other important factors, and found a new theory to construct the fault tree model

  19. Reliability analysis of a phaser measurement unit using a generalized fuzzy lambda-tau(GFLT) technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Komal

    2018-05-01

    Nowadays power consumption is increasing day-by-day. To fulfill failure free power requirement, planning and implementation of an effective and reliable power management system is essential. Phasor measurement unit(PMU) is one of the key device in wide area measurement and control systems. The reliable performance of PMU assures failure free power supply for any power system. So, the purpose of the present study is to analyse the reliability of a PMU used for controllability and observability of power systems utilizing available uncertain data. In this paper, a generalized fuzzy lambda-tau (GFLT) technique has been proposed for this purpose. In GFLT, system components' uncertain failure and repair rates are fuzzified using fuzzy numbers having different shapes such as triangular, normal, cauchy, sharp gamma and trapezoidal. To select a suitable fuzzy number for quantifying data uncertainty, system experts' opinion have been considered. The GFLT technique applies fault tree, lambda-tau method, fuzzified data using different membership functions, alpha-cut based fuzzy arithmetic operations to compute some important reliability indices. Furthermore, in this study ranking of critical components of the system using RAM-Index and sensitivity analysis have also been performed. The developed technique may be helpful to improve system performance significantly and can be applied to analyse fuzzy reliability of other engineering systems. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Reliability of system identification techniques to assess standing balance in healthy elderly

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pasma, Jantsje H.; Engelhart, Denise; Maier, Andrea B.; Aarts, Ronald G.K.M.; Van Gerven, Joop M.A.; Arendzen, J. Hans; Schouten, Alfred C.; Meskers, Carel G.M.; Van Kooij, Herman Der

    2016-01-01

    Objectives System identification techniques have the potential to assess the contribution of the underlying systems involved in standing balance by applying well-known disturbances. We investigated the reliability of standing balance parameters obtained with multivariate closed loop system

  1. Reliability of System Identification Techniques to Assess Standing Balance in Healthy Elderly

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pasma, J.H.; Engelhart, D.; Maier, A.B.; Aarts, R.G.K.M.; Van Gerven, J.M.A.; Arendzen, J.H.; Schouten, A.C.; Meskers, C.G.M.; Van der Kooij, H.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives System identification techniques have the potential to assess the contribution of the underlying systems involved in standing balance by applying well-known disturbances. We investigated the reliability of standing balance parameters obtained with multivariate closed loop system

  2. A Hybrid Approach for Reliability Analysis Based on Analytic Hierarchy Process and Bayesian Network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zubair, Muhammad

    2014-01-01

    By using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and Bayesian Network (BN) the present research signifies the technical and non-technical issues of nuclear accidents. The study exposed that the technical faults was one major reason of these accidents. Keep an eye on other point of view it becomes clearer that human behavior like dishonesty, insufficient training, and selfishness are also play a key role to cause these accidents. In this study, a hybrid approach for reliability analysis based on AHP and BN to increase nuclear power plant (NPP) safety has been developed. By using AHP, best alternative to improve safety, design, operation, and to allocate budget for all technical and non-technical factors related with nuclear safety has been investigated. We use a special structure of BN based on the method AHP. The graphs of the BN and the probabilities associated with nodes are designed to translate the knowledge of experts on the selection of best alternative. The results show that the improvement in regulatory authorities will decrease failure probabilities and increase safety and reliability in industrial area.

  3. Regional technical cooperation model project, IAEA - RER/2/2004 ''quality control and quality assurance for nuclear analytical techniques'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arikan, P.

    2002-01-01

    An analytical laboratory should produce high quality analytical data through the use of analytical measurements that is accurate, reliable and adequate for the intended purpose. This objective can be accomplished in a cost-effective manner under a planned and documented quality system of activities. It is well-known that serious deficiencies can occur in laboratory operations when insufficient attention is given to the quality of the work. It requires not only a thorough knowledge of the laboratory's purpose and operation, but also the dedication of the management and operating staff to standards of excellence. Laboratories employing nuclear and nuclear-related analytical techniques are sometimes confronted with performance problems which prevent them from becoming accepted and respected by clients, such as industry, government and regulatory bodies, and from being eligible for contracts. The International Standard ISO 17025 has been produced as the result of extensive experience in the implementation of ISO/IEC Guide 25:1990 and EN 45001:1989, which replaces both of them now. It contains all of the requirements that testing and calibration laboratories must meet if they wish to demonstrate that they operate a quality system that is technically competent, and are able to generate technically valid results. The use of ISO 17025 should facilitate cooperation between laboratories and other bodies to assist in the exchange of information and experience, and in the harmonization of standards and procedures. IAEA model project RER/2/004 entitled 'Quality Assurance/Quality Control in Nuclear Analytical Techniques' was initiated in 1999 as a Regional TC project in East European countries to assist Member State laboratories in the region to install a complete quality system according to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard. 12 laboratories from 11 countries plus the Agency's Laboratories in Seibersdorf have been selected as participants to undergo exercises and training with the

  4. New analytical techniques for cuticle chemical analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schulten, H.R.

    1994-01-01

    1) The analytical methodology of pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) and direct pyrolysis-mass spectrometry (Py-MS) using soft ionization techniques by high electric fields (FL) are briefly described. Recent advances of Py-GC/MS and Py-FIMS for the analyses of complex organic matter such as plant materials, humic substances, dissolved organic matter in water (DOM) and soil organic matter (SOM) in agricultural and forest soils are given to illustrate the potential and limitations of the applied methods. 2) Novel applications of Py-GC/MS and Py-MS in combination with conventional analytical data in an integrated, chemometric approach to investigate the dynamics of plant lipids are reported. This includes multivariate statistical investigations on maturation, senescence, humus genesis, and environmental damages in spruce ecosystems. 3) The focal point is the author's integrated investigations on emission-induced changes of selected conifer plant constituents. Pattern recognition of Py-MS data of desiccated spruce needles provides a method for distinguishing needles damaged in different ways and determining the cause. Spruce needles were collected from both controls and trees treated with sulphur dioxide (acid rain), nitrogen dioxide, and ozone under controlled conditions. Py-MS and chemometric data evaluation are employed to characterize and classify leaves and their epicuticular waxes. Preliminary mass spectrometric evaluations of isolated cuticles of different plants such as spruce, ivy, holly, and philodendron, as well as ivy cuticles treated in vivo with air pollutants such as surfactants and pesticides are given. (orig.)

  5. Techniques for developing reliable and functional materials control and accounting software

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barlich, G.

    1988-01-01

    The media has increasingly focused on failures of computer systems resulting in financial, material, and other losses and on systems failing to function as advertised. Unfortunately, such failures with equally disturbing losses are possible in computer systems providing materials control and accounting (MCandA) functions. Major improvements in the reliability and correctness of systems are possible with disciplined design and development techniques applied during software development. This paper describes some of the techniques used in the Safeguard Systems Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory for various MCandA systems

  6. Nuclear analytical methods for platinum group elements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-04-01

    nuclear techniques like neutron activation analysis (NAA) might not be available or might not be sufficiently sensitive, other non-nuclear techniques, such as atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS), voltammetry or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are also included in the discussion. The complexity of the problem requires full exploitation of the analytical armoury to obtain reliable and accurate results

  7. An In vitro evaluation of the reliability of QR code denture labeling technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poovannan, Sindhu; Jain, Ashish R; Krishnan, Cakku Jalliah Venkata; Chandran, Chitraa R

    2016-01-01

    Positive identification of the dead after accidents and disasters through labeled dentures plays a key role in forensic scenario. A number of denture labeling methods are available, and studies evaluating their reliability under drastic conditions are vital. This study was conducted to evaluate the reliability of QR (Quick Response) Code labeled at various depths in heat-cured acrylic blocks after acid treatment, heat treatment (burns), and fracture in forensics. It was an in vitro study. This study included 160 specimens of heat-cured acrylic blocks (1.8 cm × 1.8 cm) and these were divided into 4 groups (40 samples per group). QR Codes were incorporated in the samples using clear acrylic sheet and they were assessed for reliability under various depths, acid, heat, and fracture. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test, test of proportion. The QR Code inclusion technique was reliable under various depths of acrylic sheet, acid (sulfuric acid 99%, hydrochloric acid 40%) and heat (up to 370°C). Results were variable with fracture of QR Code labeled acrylic blocks. Within the limitations of the study, by analyzing the results, it was clearly indicated that the QR Code technique was reliable under various depths of acrylic sheet, acid, and heat (370°C). Effectiveness varied in fracture and depended on the level of distortion. This study thus suggests that QR Code is an effective and simpler denture labeling method.

  8. An integrated approach to human reliability analysis -- decision analytic dynamic reliability model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holmberg, J.; Hukki, K.; Norros, L.; Pulkkinen, U.; Pyy, P.

    1999-01-01

    The reliability of human operators in process control is sensitive to the context. In many contemporary human reliability analysis (HRA) methods, this is not sufficiently taken into account. The aim of this article is that integration between probabilistic and psychological approaches in human reliability should be attempted. This is achieved first, by adopting such methods that adequately reflect the essential features of the process control activity, and secondly, by carrying out an interactive HRA process. Description of the activity context, probabilistic modeling, and psychological analysis form an iterative interdisciplinary sequence of analysis in which the results of one sub-task maybe input to another. The analysis of the context is carried out first with the help of a common set of conceptual tools. The resulting descriptions of the context promote the probabilistic modeling, through which new results regarding the probabilistic dynamics can be achieved. These can be incorporated in the context descriptions used as reference in the psychological analysis of actual performance. The results also provide new knowledge of the constraints of activity, by providing information of the premises of the operator's actions. Finally, the stochastic marked point process model gives a tool, by which psychological methodology may be interpreted and utilized for reliability analysis

  9. The use of decision analytic techniques in energy policy decisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haemaelaeinen, R.P.; Seppaelaeinen, T.O.

    1986-08-01

    The report reviews decision analytic techniques and their applications to energy policy decision making. Decision analysis consists in techniques for structuring the essential elements of a decision problem and mathematical methods for ranking the alternatives from a set of simple judgments. Because modeling subjective judgments is characteristic of decision analysis, the models can incorporate qualitative factors and values, which escape traditional energy modeling. Decision analysis has been applied to choices among energy supply alternatives, siting energy facilities, selecting nuclear waste repositories, selecting research and development projects, risk analysis and prioritizing alternative energy futures. Many applications are done in universities and research institutions, but during the 70's the use of decision analysis has spread both to the public and the private sector. The settings where decision analysis has been applied range from aiding a single decision maker to clarifying opposing points of view. Decision analytic methods have also been linked with energy models. The most valuable result of decision analysis is the clarification of the problem at hand. Political decisions cannot be made solely on the basis of models, but models can be used to gain insight of the decision situation. Models inevitably simplify reality, so they must be regarded only as aids to judgment. So far there has been only one decision analysis of energy policy issues in Finland with actual political decision makers as participants. The experiences of this project and numerous foreign applications do however suggest that the decision analytic approach is useful in energy policy questions. The report presents a number of Finnish energy policy decisions where decision analysis might prove useful. However, the applicability of the methods depends crucially on the actual circumstances at hand

  10. Reliability-based performance simulation for optimized pavement maintenance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chou, Jui-Sheng; Le, Thanh-Son

    2011-01-01

    Roadway pavement maintenance is essential for driver safety and highway infrastructure efficiency. However, regular preventive maintenance and rehabilitation (M and R) activities are extremely costly. Unfortunately, the funds available for the M and R of highway pavement are often given lower priority compared to other national development policies, therefore, available funds must be allocated wisely. Maintenance strategies are typically implemented by optimizing only the cost whilst the reliability of facility performance is neglected. This study proposes a novel algorithm using multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) technique to evaluate the cost-reliability tradeoff in a flexible maintenance strategy based on non-dominant solutions. Moreover, a probabilistic model for regression parameters is employed to assess reliability-based performance. A numerical example of a highway pavement project is illustrated to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed MOPSO algorithms. The analytical results show that the proposed approach can help decision makers to optimize roadway maintenance plans. - Highlights: →A novel algorithm using multi-objective particle swarm optimization technique. → Evaluation of the cost-reliability tradeoff in a flexible maintenance strategy. → A probabilistic model for regression parameters is employed to assess reliability-based performance. → The proposed approach can help decision makers to optimize roadway maintenance plans.

  11. Reliability-based performance simulation for optimized pavement maintenance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chou, Jui-Sheng, E-mail: jschou@mail.ntust.edu.tw [Department of Construction Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan Tech), 43 Sec. 4, Keelung Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Le, Thanh-Son [Department of Construction Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan Tech), 43 Sec. 4, Keelung Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan (China)

    2011-10-15

    Roadway pavement maintenance is essential for driver safety and highway infrastructure efficiency. However, regular preventive maintenance and rehabilitation (M and R) activities are extremely costly. Unfortunately, the funds available for the M and R of highway pavement are often given lower priority compared to other national development policies, therefore, available funds must be allocated wisely. Maintenance strategies are typically implemented by optimizing only the cost whilst the reliability of facility performance is neglected. This study proposes a novel algorithm using multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) technique to evaluate the cost-reliability tradeoff in a flexible maintenance strategy based on non-dominant solutions. Moreover, a probabilistic model for regression parameters is employed to assess reliability-based performance. A numerical example of a highway pavement project is illustrated to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed MOPSO algorithms. The analytical results show that the proposed approach can help decision makers to optimize roadway maintenance plans. - Highlights: > A novel algorithm using multi-objective particle swarm optimization technique. > Evaluation of the cost-reliability tradeoff in a flexible maintenance strategy. > A probabilistic model for regression parameters is employed to assess reliability-based performance. > The proposed approach can help decision makers to optimize roadway maintenance plans.

  12. A graph algebra for scalable visual analytics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaverdian, Anna A; Zhou, Hao; Michailidis, George; Jagadish, Hosagrahar V

    2012-01-01

    Visual analytics (VA), which combines analytical techniques with advanced visualization features, is fast becoming a standard tool for extracting information from graph data. Researchers have developed many tools for this purpose, suggesting a need for formal methods to guide these tools' creation. Increased data demands on computing requires redesigning VA tools to consider performance and reliability in the context of analysis of exascale datasets. Furthermore, visual analysts need a way to document their analyses for reuse and results justification. A VA graph framework encapsulated in a graph algebra helps address these needs. Its atomic operators include selection and aggregation. The framework employs a visual operator and supports dynamic attributes of data to enable scalable visual exploration of data.

  13. Recent Trends in Microextraction Techniques Employed in Analytical and Bioanalytical Sample Preparation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abuzar Kabir

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Sample preparation has been recognized as a major step in the chemical analysis workflow. As such, substantial efforts have been made in recent years to simplify the overall sample preparation process. Major focusses of these efforts have included miniaturization of the extraction device; minimizing/eliminating toxic and hazardous organic solvent consumption; eliminating sample pre-treatment and post-treatment steps; reducing the sample volume requirement; reducing extraction equilibrium time, maximizing extraction efficiency etc. All these improved attributes are congruent with the Green Analytical Chemistry (GAC principles. Classical sample preparation techniques such as solid phase extraction (SPE and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE are being rapidly replaced with emerging miniaturized and environmentally friendly techniques such as Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME, Stir bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE, Micro Extraction by Packed Sorbent (MEPS, Fabric Phase Sorptive Extraction (FPSE, and Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Micro Extraction (DLLME. In addition to the development of many new generic extraction sorbents in recent years, a large number of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs created using different template molecules have also enriched the large cache of microextraction sorbents. Application of nanoparticles as high-performance extraction sorbents has undoubtedly elevated the extraction efficiency and method sensitivity of modern chromatographic analyses to a new level. Combining magnetic nanoparticles with many microextraction sorbents has opened up new possibilities to extract target analytes from sample matrices containing high volumes of matrix interferents. The aim of the current review is to critically audit the progress of microextraction techniques in recent years, which has indisputably transformed the analytical chemistry practices, from biological and therapeutic drug monitoring to the environmental field; from foods to phyto

  14. Interactive reliability assessment using an integrated reliability data bank

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allan, R.N.; Whitehead, A.M.

    1986-01-01

    The logical structure, techniques and practical application of a computer-aided technique based on a microcomputer using floppy disc Random Access Files is described. This interactive computational technique is efficient if the reliability prediction program is coupled directly to a relevant source of data to create an integrated reliability assessment/reliability data bank system. (DG)

  15. Analytical Redundancy Design for Aeroengine Sensor Fault Diagnostics Based on SROS-ELM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Zhou

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Analytical redundancy technique is of great importance to guarantee the reliability and safety of aircraft engine system. In this paper, a machine learning based aeroengine sensor analytical redundancy technique is developed and verified through hardware-in-the-loop (HIL simulation. The modified online sequential extreme learning machine, selective updating regularized online sequential extreme learning machine (SROS-ELM, is employed to train the model online and estimate sensor measurements. It selectively updates the output weights of neural networks according to the prediction accuracy and the norm of output weight vector, tackles the problems of singularity and ill-posedness by regularization, and adopts a dual activation function in the hidden nodes combing neural and wavelet theory to enhance prediction capability. The experimental results verify the good generalization performance of SROS-ELM and show that the developed analytical redundancy technique for aeroengine sensor fault diagnosis based on SROS-ELM is effective and feasible.

  16. An Accurate Approximate-Analytical Technique for Solving Time-Fractional Partial Differential Equations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Bishehniasar

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The demand of many scientific areas for the usage of fractional partial differential equations (FPDEs to explain their real-world systems has been broadly identified. The solutions may portray dynamical behaviors of various particles such as chemicals and cells. The desire of obtaining approximate solutions to treat these equations aims to overcome the mathematical complexity of modeling the relevant phenomena in nature. This research proposes a promising approximate-analytical scheme that is an accurate technique for solving a variety of noninteger partial differential equations (PDEs. The proposed strategy is based on approximating the derivative of fractional-order and reducing the problem to the corresponding partial differential equation (PDE. Afterwards, the approximating PDE is solved by using a separation-variables technique. The method can be simply applied to nonhomogeneous problems and is proficient to diminish the span of computational cost as well as achieving an approximate-analytical solution that is in excellent concurrence with the exact solution of the original problem. In addition and to demonstrate the efficiency of the method, it compares with two finite difference methods including a nonstandard finite difference (NSFD method and standard finite difference (SFD technique, which are popular in the literature for solving engineering problems.

  17. Applying of Reliability Techniques and Expert Systems in Management of Radioactive Accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aldaihan, S.; Alhbaib, A.; Alrushudi, S.; Karazaitri, C.

    1998-01-01

    Accidents including radioactive exposure have variety of nature and size. This makes such accidents complex situations to be handled by radiation protection agencies or any responsible authority. The situations becomes worse with introducing advanced technology with high complexity that provide operator huge information about system working on. This paper discusses the application of reliability techniques in radioactive risk management. Event tree technique from nuclear field is described as well as two other techniques from nonnuclear fields, Hazard and Operability and Quality Function Deployment. The objective is to show the importance and the applicability of these techniques in radiation risk management. Finally, Expert Systems in the field of accidents management are explored and classified upon their applications

  18. Measurement of HDO Products Using GC-TCD: Towards Obtaining Reliable Analytical Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zuas Oman

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper reported the method development and validation of a gas chromatography with thermal conductivity detector (GC-TCD method for the measurement of the gaseous products of hydrodeoxygenation (HDO. The method validation parameters include selectivity, precision (repeatability and reproducibility, accuracy, linearity, limit of detection (LoD, limit of quantitation (LoQ, and robustness. The results showed that the developed method was able to separate the target components (H2, CO2, CH4 and CO from their mixtures without any special sample treatment. The validated method was selective, precise, accurate, and robust. Application of the developed and validated GC-TCD method to the measurement of by-product components of HDO of bio-oil revealed a good performance with relative standard deviation (RSD less than 1.0% for all target components, implying that the process of method development and validation provides a trustworthy way of obtaining reliable analytical data.

  19. Critical review of analytical techniques for safeguarding the thorium-uranium fuel cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hakkila, E.A.

    1978-10-01

    Conventional analytical methods applicable to the determination of thorium, uranium, and plutonium in feed, product, and waste streams from reprocessing thorium-based nuclear reactor fuels are reviewed. Separations methods of interest for these analyses are discussed. Recommendations concerning the applicability of various techniques to reprocessing samples are included. 15 tables, 218 references

  20. Differential reliability : probabilistic engineering applied to wood members in bending-tension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanley K. Suddarth; Frank E. Woeste; William L. Galligan

    1978-01-01

    Reliability analysis is a mathematical technique for appraising the design and materials of engineered structures to provide a quantitative estimate of probability of failure. Two or more cases which are similar in all respects but one may be analyzed by this method; the contrast between the probabilities of failure for these cases allows strong analytical focus on the...

  1. Nuclear analytical techniques applied to forensic chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nicolau, Veronica; Montoro, Silvia; Pratta, Nora; Giandomenico, Angel Di

    1999-01-01

    Gun shot residues produced by firing guns are mainly composed by visible particles. The individual characterization of these particles allows distinguishing those ones containing heavy metals, from gun shot residues, from those having a different origin or history. In this work, the results obtained from the study of gun shot residues particles collected from hands are presented. The aim of the analysis is to establish whether a person has shot a firing gun has been in contact with one after the shot has been produced. As reference samples, particles collected hands of persons affected to different activities were studied to make comparisons. The complete study was based on the application of nuclear analytical techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X Ray Electron Probe Microanalysis and Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. The essays allow to be completed within time compatible with the forensic requirements. (author)

  2. Analytical Technique of Selection of Constructive Parameters Pneumatichydraulic Springs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. A. Tsipilev

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The article "Technique for Analytical Selection of Design Parameters of Pneumatichydraulic Springs concerns the ride smoothness of high-speed vehicles. Author of article Tsipilev A.A. is an assistant at chair "Multi-purpose Tracked Vehicles and Mobile Robots" of BMSTU. The article represents a synthesis of known information on the springing systems and an analysis of relation between spring design data and running gear. It describes standard units of running gear of vehicle in the context of springing systems. Classification of springing systems is considered. Modernization general policy for existing suspensions and prospects for creation of new ones are given. The article considers a design of various pneumatic-hydraulic springs to be set on domestic tracked vehicles. A developed technique allows us to have elastic characteristics of pneumatic-hydraulic springs of various types using these design data and kinematics of the running gear. The article provides recommendations to calculate characteristics of springing systems. The adequacy analysis of the given technique based on the comparison of real and rated characteristics of the existing suspension is conducted. This article can be useful to the experts dealing with springing systems of wheel and tracked vehicles.

  3. Reliability techniques and Coupled BEM/FEM for interaction pile-soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed SAHLI

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper deals with the development of a computational code for the modelling and verification of safety in relation to limit states of piles found in foundations of current structures. To this end, it makes use of reliability techniques for the probabilistic analysis of piles modelled with the finite element method (FEM coupled to the boundary element method (BEM. The soil is modelled with the BEM employing Mindlin's fundamental solutions, suitable for the consideration of a three-dimensional infinite half-space. The piles are modelled as bar elements with the MEF, each of which is represented in the BEM as a loading line. The finite element of the employed bar has four nodes and fourteen nodal parameters, three of which are displacements for each node plus two rotations for the top node. The slipping of the piles in relation to the mass is carried out using adhesion models to define the evolution of the shaft tensions during the transfer of load to the soil. The reliability analysis is based on three methods: first order second moment (FOSM, first order reliability method and Monte Carlo method.

  4. Analytical modeling of nuclear power station operator reliability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sabri, Z.A.; Husseiny, A.A.

    1979-01-01

    The operator-plant interface is a critical component of power stations which requires the formulation of mathematical models to be applied in plant reliability analysis. The human model introduced here is based on cybernetic interactions and allows for use of available data from psychological experiments, hot and cold training and normal operation. The operator model is identified and integrated in the control and protection systems. The availability and reliability are given for different segments of the operator task and for specific periods of the operator life: namely, training, operation and vigilance or near retirement periods. The results can be easily and directly incorporated in system reliability analysis. (author)

  5. ARPEFS as an analytic technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schach von Wittenau, A.E.

    1991-04-01

    Two modifications to the ARPEFS technique are introduced. These are studied using p(2 x 2)S/Cu(001) as a model system. The first modification is the obtaining of ARPEFS χ(k) curves at temperatures as low as our equipment will permit. While adding to the difficulty of the experiment, this modification is shown to almost double the signal-to-noise ratio of normal emission p(2 x 2)S/Cu(001) χ(k) curves. This is shown by visual comparison of the raw data and by the improved precision of the extracted structural parameters. The second change is the replacement of manual fitting of the Fourier filtered χ(k) curves by the use of the simplex algorithm for parameter determination. Again using p(2 x 2)S/Cu(001) data, this is shown to result in better agreement between experimental χ(k) curves and curves calculated based on model structures. The improved ARPEFS is then applied to p(2 x 2)S/Ni(111) and (√3 x √3) R30 degree S/Ni(111). For p(2 x 2)S/Cu(001) we find a S-Cu bond length of 2.26 Angstrom, with the S adatom 1.31 Angstrom above the fourfold hollow site. The second Cu layer appears to be corrugated. Analysis of the p(2 x 2)S/Ni(111) data indicates that the S adatom adatom adsorbs onto the FCC threefold hollow site 1.53 Angstrom above the Ni surface. The S-Ni bond length is determined to be 2.13 Angstrom, indicating an outwards shift of the first layer Ni atoms. We are unable to assign a unique structure to (√3 x √3)R30 degree S/Ni(111). An analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of ARPEFS as an experimental and analytic technique is presented, along with a summary of problems still to be addressed

  6. Application of nuclear analytical techniques to investigate trace element content in foodstuffs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gharib, A.

    1985-01-01

    The study performed as a joint project with the IAEA includes those foodstuffs which are being used widely in Iran. It was investigated their nutritional requirements, interrelations and the role of their trace elements in metabolism. Various analytical techniques was assessed and compared. The methods involved in the study were ASS, PIXE and NAA (instrumental and radiochemical)

  7. Study of the analytic quality in the determinations of Cr, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb and Hg through conventional and nuclear analytical techniques in mosses of the MATV

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caballero S, B.

    2013-01-01

    To evaluate the environmental risks of air pollution and to facilitate the decision-making for control, is necessary to have the capacity to generate data with analytical quality. A comparison between nuclear (Neutron activation analysis and total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry) and no nuclear analytical techniques (atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry) for simultaneous determination of metal content (Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Pb and Zn) in mosses from Metropolitan Area of the Toluca Valley (MATV) was performed. Epiphytic mosses (Fabriona ciliaris and Leskea angustata) were sampled in two campaigns, 16 sites (urban, transition and natural) and were prepared for each technique. The biological certified reference materials were used for the quality control and to evaluate accuracy, precision, linearity, detection and quantification limits. Results show that nuclear analytical techniques and no nuclear applied in chemical analysis of Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Pb and Zn in moss from MATV are comparable and therefore all of these can potentially be used for this purpose. However, if its considered both, the performance parameters and economic/operational characteristics is widely recommended inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, conventional analytical technique, which showed the highest analytical grade quality. Also were observed spatial and temporal variations in the concentrations of Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Pb and Zn in mosses from MATV and was discussed its potential origin. The urban sites had the highest concentration of anthropogenic elements as Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Pb and Zn because are strongly impacted by roads with high vehicle traffic. (Author)

  8. A Novel Analytical Technique for Optimal Allocation of Capacitors in Radial Distribution Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarfaraz Nawaz

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a novel analytical technique is proposed to determine the optimal size and location of shunt capacitor units in radial distribution systems. An objective function is formulated to reduce real power loss, to improve the voltage profile and to increase annual cost savings. A new constant, the Loss Sensitivity Constant (LSC, is proposed here. The value of LSC decides the location and size of candidate buses. The technique is demonstrated on an IEEE-33 bus system at different load levels and the 130-bus distribution system of Jamawa Ramgarh village, Jaipur city. The obtained results are compared with the latest optimization techniques to show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed technique.

  9. Analytical techniques for the determination of radiochemical purity of radiopharmaceuticals prepared from kits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McLean, J.R.; Rockwell, L.J.; Welsh, W.J.

    1977-01-01

    The evaluation of efficacy of commercially available kits used for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals is one aspect of the Radiation Protection Bureau's radiopharmaceutical quality control program. This report describes some of the analytical methodology employed in the program. The techniques may be of interest to hospital radiopharmacy personnel as many of the tests can be performed rapidly and with a minimum of special equipment, thus enabling the confirmation of radiopharmaceutical purity prior to patient administration. Manufacturers of kits may also be interested in learning of the analytical methods used in the assessment of their products. (auth)

  10. Nuclear analytical techniques for nanotoxicology studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Z.Y.; Zhao, Y.L.; Chai, Z.F.

    2011-01-01

    With the rapid development of nanotechnology and its applications, a wide variety of nanomaterials are now used in commodities, pharmaceutics, cosmetics, biomedical products, and industries. The potential interactions of nanomaterials with living systems and the environment have attracted increasing attention from the public, as well as from manufacturers of nanomaterial-based products, academic researchers and policymakers. It is important to consider the environmental, health and safety aspects at an early stage of nanomaterial development and application in order to more effectively identify and manage potential human and environmental health impacts from nanomaterial exposure. This will require research in a range of areas, including detection and characterization, environmental fate and transport, ecotoxicology and toxicology. Nuclear analytical techniques (NATs) can play an important role in such studies due to their intrinsic merits such as high sensitivity, good accuracy, high space resolution, ability to distinguish the endogenous or exogenous sources of materials, and ability of in situ and in vivo analysis. In this paper, the applications of NATs in nanotoxicological and nano-ecotoxicological studies are outlined, and some recent results obtained in our laboratory are reported. (orig.)

  11. Korean round-robin result for new international program to assess the reliability of emerging nondestructive techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Kyung Cho; Kim, Jin Gyum; Kang, Sung Sik; Jhung, Myung Jo [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-04-15

    The Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, as a representative organization of Korea, in February 2012 participated in an international Program to Assess the Reliability of Emerging Nondestructive Techniques initiated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The goal of the Program to Assess the Reliability of Emerging Nondestructive Techniques is to investigate the performance of emerging and prospective novel nondestructive techniques to find flaws in nickel-alloy welds and base materials. In this article, Korean round-robin test results were evaluated with respect to the test blocks and various nondestructive examination techniques. The test blocks were prepared to simulate large-bore dissimilar metal welds, small-bore dissimilar metal welds, and bottom-mounted instrumentation penetration welds in nuclear power plants. Also, lessons learned from the Korean round-robin test were summarized and discussed.

  12. Statistically qualified neuro-analytic failure detection method and system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vilim, Richard B.; Garcia, Humberto E.; Chen, Frederick W.

    2002-03-02

    An apparatus and method for monitoring a process involve development and application of a statistically qualified neuro-analytic (SQNA) model to accurately and reliably identify process change. The development of the SQNA model is accomplished in two stages: deterministic model adaption and stochastic model modification of the deterministic model adaptation. Deterministic model adaption involves formulating an analytic model of the process representing known process characteristics, augmenting the analytic model with a neural network that captures unknown process characteristics, and training the resulting neuro-analytic model by adjusting the neural network weights according to a unique scaled equation error minimization technique. Stochastic model modification involves qualifying any remaining uncertainty in the trained neuro-analytic model by formulating a likelihood function, given an error propagation equation, for computing the probability that the neuro-analytic model generates measured process output. Preferably, the developed SQNA model is validated using known sequential probability ratio tests and applied to the process as an on-line monitoring system. Illustrative of the method and apparatus, the method is applied to a peristaltic pump system.

  13. Approximate multi-state reliability expressions using a new machine learning technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rocco S, Claudio M.; Muselli, Marco

    2005-01-01

    The machine-learning-based methodology, previously proposed by the authors for approximating binary reliability expressions, is now extended to develop a new algorithm, based on the procedure of Hamming Clustering, which is capable to deal with multi-state systems and any success criterion. The proposed technique is presented in details and verified on literature cases: experiment results show that the new algorithm yields excellent predictions

  14. Optimizing the design and operation of reactor emergency systems using reliability analysis techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Snaith, E.R.

    1975-01-01

    Following a reactor trip various reactor emergency systems, e.g. essential power supplies, emergency core cooling and boiler feed water arrangements are required to operate with a high degree of reliability. These systems must therefore be critically assessed to confirm their capability of operation and determine their reliability of performance. The use of probability analysis techniques enables the potential operating reliability of the systems to be calculated and this can then be compared with the overall reliability requirements. However, a system reliability analysis does much more than calculate an overall reliability value for the system. It establishes the reliability of all parts of the system and thus identifies the most sensitive areas of unreliability. This indicates the areas where any required improvements should be made and enables the overall systems' designs and modes of operation to be optimized, to meet the system and hence the overall reactor safety criteria. This paper gives specific examples of sensitive areas of unreliability that were identified as a result of a reliability analysis that was carried out on a reactor emergency core cooling system. Details are given of modifications to design and operation that were implemented with a resulting improvement in reliability of various reactor sub-systems. The report concludes that an initial calculation of system reliability should represent only the beginning of continuing process of system assessment. Data on equipment and system performance, particularly in those areas shown to be sensitive in their effect on the overall nuclear power plant reliability, should be collected and processed to give reliability data. These data should then be applied in further probabilistic analyses and the results correlated with the original analysis. This will demonstrate whether the required and the originally predicted system reliability is likely to be achieved, in the light of the actual history to date of

  15. Cognitive environment simulation: An artificial intelligence system for human performance assessment: Cognitive reliability analysis technique: [Technical report, May 1986-June 1987

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woods, D.D.; Roth, E.M.

    1987-11-01

    This report documents the results of Phase II of a three phase research program to develop and validate improved methods to model the cognitive behavior of nuclear power plant (NPP) personnel. In Phase II a dynamic simulation capability for modeling how people form intentions to act in NPP emergency situations was developed based on techniques from artificial intelligence. This modeling tool, Cognitive Environment Simulation or CES, simulates the cognitive processes that determine situation assessment and intention formation. It can be used to investigate analytically what situations and factors lead to intention failures, what actions follow from intention failures (e.g., errors of omission, errors of commission, common mode errors), the ability to recover from errors or additional machine failures, and the effects of changes in the NPP person-machine system. The Cognitive Reliability Assessment Technique (or CREATE) was also developed in Phase II to specify how CES can be used to enhance the measurement of the human contribution to risk in probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) studies. 34 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab

  16. Reliability of stellar inclination estimated from asteroseismology: analytical criteria, mock simulations and Kepler data analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamiaka, Shoya; Benomar, Othman; Suto, Yasushi

    2018-05-01

    Advances in asteroseismology of solar-like stars, now provide a unique method to estimate the stellar inclination i⋆. This enables to evaluate the spin-orbit angle of transiting planetary systems, in a complementary fashion to the Rossiter-McLaughlineffect, a well-established method to estimate the projected spin-orbit angle λ. Although the asteroseismic method has been broadly applied to the Kepler data, its reliability has yet to be assessed intensively. In this work, we evaluate the accuracy of i⋆ from asteroseismology of solar-like stars using 3000 simulated power spectra. We find that the low signal-to-noise ratio of the power spectra induces a systematic under-estimate (over-estimate) bias for stars with high (low) inclinations. We derive analytical criteria for the reliable asteroseismic estimate, which indicates that reliable measurements are possible in the range of 20° ≲ i⋆ ≲ 80° only for stars with high signal-to-noise ratio. We also analyse and measure the stellar inclination of 94 Kepler main-sequence solar-like stars, among which 33 are planetary hosts. According to our reliability criteria, a third of them (9 with planets, 22 without) have accurate stellar inclination. Comparison of our asteroseismic estimate of vsin i⋆ against spectroscopic measurements indicates that the latter suffers from a large uncertainty possibly due to the modeling of macro-turbulence, especially for stars with projected rotation speed vsin i⋆ ≲ 5km/s. This reinforces earlier claims, and the stellar inclination estimated from the combination of measurements from spectroscopy and photometric variation for slowly rotating stars needs to be interpreted with caution.

  17. Procedures for treating common cause failures in safety and reliability studies: Analytical background and techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mosleh, A.; Fleming, K.N.; Parry, G.W.; Paula, H.M.; Worledge, D.H.; Rasmuson, D.M.

    1989-01-01

    Volume I of this report presents a framework for the inclusion of the impact of common cause failures in risk and reliability evaluations. Common cause failures are defined as that subset of dependent failures for which causes are not explicitly included in the logic model as basic events. The emphasis here is on providing procedures for a practical, systematic approach that can be used to perform and clearly document the analysis. The framework and the methods discussed for performing the different stages of the analysis integrate insights obtained from engineering assessments of the system and the historical evidence from multiple failure events into a systematic, reproducible, and defensible analysis. This document, Volume 2, contains a series of appendices that provide additional background and methodological detail on several important topics discussed in Volume I

  18. An Overview of Analytical Determination of Diltiazem, Cimetidine, Ranitidine, and Famotidine by UV Spectrophotometry and HPLC Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nighat Shafi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This review article recapitulates the analytical methods for the quantitative determinations of diltiazem and three H2 receptor antagonists (cimetidine, ranitidine, and famotidine by one of the spectroscopic technique (UV spectrophotometery and separation technique such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC. The clinical and pharmaceutical analysis of these drugs requires effective analytical procedures for quality control, pharmaceutical dosage formulations, and biological fluids. An extensive survey of the literature published in various analytical and pharmaceutical chemistry-related journals has been compiled in its review. A synopsis of reported spectrophotometric and high-performance liquid chromatographic methods for individual drug is integrated. This appraisal illustrates that majority of the HPLC methods reviewed are based on the quantitative analysis of drugs in biological fluids, and they are appropriate for therapeutic drug monitoring purpose.

  19. A review of analytical techniques for the determination of carbon-14 in environmental samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Milton, G.M.; Brown, R.M.

    1993-11-01

    This report contains a brief summary of analytical techniques commonly used for the determination of radiocarbon in a variety of environmental samples. Details of the applicable procedures developed and tested in the Environmental Research Branch at Chalk River Laboratories are appended

  20. MS-Based Analytical Techniques: Advances in Spray-Based Methods and EI-LC-MS Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medina, Isabel; Cappiello, Achille; Careri, Maria

    2018-01-01

    Mass spectrometry is the most powerful technique for the detection and identification of organic compounds. It can provide molecular weight information and a wealth of structural details that give a unique fingerprint for each analyte. Due to these characteristics, mass spectrometry-based analytical methods are showing an increasing interest in the scientific community, especially in food safety, environmental, and forensic investigation areas where the simultaneous detection of targeted and nontargeted compounds represents a key factor. In addition, safety risks can be identified at the early stage through online and real-time analytical methodologies. In this context, several efforts have been made to achieve analytical instrumentation able to perform real-time analysis in the native environment of samples and to generate highly informative spectra. This review article provides a survey of some instrumental innovations and their applications with particular attention to spray-based MS methods and food analysis issues. The survey will attempt to cover the state of the art from 2012 up to 2017.

  1. Studies on Pt–Mo phases using analytical techniques with high resolution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Topic, M., E-mail: mtopic@tlabs.ac.za [iThemba LABS, National Research Foundation, P.O. Box 722, Somerset West 7129 (South Africa); Khumalo, Z. [iThemba LABS, National Research Foundation, P.O. Box 722, Somerset West 7129 (South Africa); University of Cape Town, Physics Department, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701 (South Africa); Pineda-Vargas, C.A. [iThemba LABS, National Research Foundation, P.O. Box 722, Somerset West 7129 (South Africa); Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, CPUT, Belville (South Africa)

    2014-01-01

    Pt–Mo coated system annealed at 1050 °C for 24 h was investigated using several analytical techniques with high resolution (SEM/EDX, μ-PIXE, RBS and XRD). These techniques provide structural and compositional data throughout the material depth and probing area. The results depend on the applied beam, its energy and size. They contribute to a better understanding of thermal annealing effects on the solid-state phase transformation and morphological changes in Pt–Mo coatings. The results indicate the presence of Pt- and Mo-solid solutions and two Pt–Mo phases (PtMo and Pt{sub 2}Mo{sub 3}), changes in the coating morphology, such as increased surface roughness and formation of “lace morphology”, as well as an increase in coating thickness.

  2. A study on maintenance reliability allocation of urban transit brake system using hybrid neuro-genetic technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bae, Chul Ho; Kim, Hyun Jun; Lee, Jung Hwan; Suh, Myung Won; Chu, Yul

    2007-01-01

    For reasonable establishing of maintenance strategies, safety security and cost limitation must be considered at the same time. In this paper, the concept of system reliability introduces and optimizes as the key of reasonable maintenance strategies. This study aims at optimizing component's reliability that satisfies the target reliability of brake system in the urban transit. First of all, constructed reliability evaluation system is used to predict and analyze reliability. This data is used for the optimization. To identify component reliability in a system, a method is presented in this paper which uses hybrid neuro-genetic technique. Feed-forward multi-layer neural networks trained by back propagation are used to find out the relationship between component reliability (input) and system reliability (output) of a structural system. The inverse problem can be formulated by using neural network. Genetic algorithm is used to find the minimum square error. Finally, this paper presents reasonable maintenance cycle of urban transit brake system by using optimal system reliability

  3. Cyclical Annealing Technique To Enhance Reliability of Amorphous Metal Oxide Thin Film Transistors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hong-Chih; Chang, Ting-Chang; Lai, Wei-Chih; Chen, Guan-Fu; Chen, Bo-Wei; Hung, Yu-Ju; Chang, Kuo-Jui; Cheng, Kai-Chung; Huang, Chen-Shuo; Chen, Kuo-Kuang; Lu, Hsueh-Hsing; Lin, Yu-Hsin

    2018-02-26

    This study introduces a cyclical annealing technique that enhances the reliability of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) via-type structure thin film transistors (TFTs). By utilizing this treatment, negative gate-bias illumination stress (NBIS)-induced instabilities can be effectively alleviated. The cyclical annealing provides several cooling steps, which are exothermic processes that can form stronger ionic bonds. An additional advantage is that the total annealing time is much shorter than when using conventional long-term annealing. With the use of cyclical annealing, the reliability of the a-IGZO can be effectively optimized, and the shorter process time can increase fabrication efficiency.

  4. Comparison of sample preparation methods for reliable plutonium and neptunium urinalysis using automatic extraction chromatography

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Qiao, Jixin; Xu, Yihong; Hou, Xiaolin

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes improvement and comparison of analytical methods for simultaneous determination of trace-level plutonium and neptunium in urine samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Four sample pre-concentration techniques, including calcium phosphate, iron......), it endows urinalysis methods with better reliability and repeatability compared with co-precipitation techniques. In view of the applicability of different pre-concentration techniques proposed previously in the literature, the main challenge behind relevant method development is pointed to be the release...

  5. Waste minimization in analytical chemistry through innovative sample preparation techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, L. L.

    1998-01-01

    water samples. In this SPME technique, a fused-silica fiber coated with a polymeric film is exposed to the sample, extraction is allowed to take place, and then the analytes are thermally desorbed for GC analysis. Unlike liquid-liquid extraction or solid-phase extraction, SPME consumes all of the extracted sample in the analysis, significantly reducing the required sample volume

  6. Critical evaluation of sample pretreatment techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hyötyläinen, Tuulia

    2009-06-01

    Sample preparation before chromatographic separation is the most time-consuming and error-prone part of the analytical procedure. Therefore, selecting and optimizing an appropriate sample preparation scheme is a key factor in the final success of the analysis, and the judicious choice of an appropriate procedure greatly influences the reliability and accuracy of a given analysis. The main objective of this review is to critically evaluate the applicability, disadvantages, and advantages of various sample preparation techniques. Particular emphasis is placed on extraction techniques suitable for both liquid and solid samples.

  7. Study of trace elements in milk by nuclear analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gharib, A.; Rahimi, H.; Pyrovan, H.; Raoffi, N.J.; Taherpoor, H.

    1985-01-01

    This work is part of project with the IAEA in a coordinated program on 'Trace Elements in Human and Bio-environmental Systems' to evaluate their nutritional requierements, interrelations and the role of trace elements in health, metabolism, etc. Cow's milk is regarded to be one of the most important and most nutritious foodstuffs of mankind. Hence, as a first step, an elemental analysis for milk was carried out: a few samples of pasteurized milk and local samples were investigated for essential and toxic trace elements. The secondary aim of the project was the assessment of various analytical techniques involved. AAS, PIXE and NAA are presented here. The latter was applied both instrumentally and radiochemically. Although the results pertaining to the various methods employed are not in good agreement, there is, however, some justification to clarify this internal inconsistency. PIXE analysis is very fast and rather routine, but the technique for trace element analysis needs certain adaptations and improvement. (author)

  8. Circuit design for reliability

    CERN Document Server

    Cao, Yu; Wirth, Gilson

    2015-01-01

    This book presents physical understanding, modeling and simulation, on-chip characterization, layout solutions, and design techniques that are effective to enhance the reliability of various circuit units.  The authors provide readers with techniques for state of the art and future technologies, ranging from technology modeling, fault detection and analysis, circuit hardening, and reliability management. Provides comprehensive review on various reliability mechanisms at sub-45nm nodes; Describes practical modeling and characterization techniques for reliability; Includes thorough presentation of robust design techniques for major VLSI design units; Promotes physical understanding with first-principle simulations.

  9. Designing high availability systems DFSS and classical reliability techniques with practical real life examples

    CERN Document Server

    Taylor, Zachary

    2014-01-01

    A practical, step-by-step guide to designing world-class, high availability systems using both classical and DFSS reliability techniques Whether designing telecom, aerospace, automotive, medical, financial, or public safety systems, every engineer aims for the utmost reliability and availability in the systems he, or she, designs. But between the dream of world-class performance and reality falls the shadow of complexities that can bedevil even the most rigorous design process. While there are an array of robust predictive engineering tools, there has been no single-source guide to understan

  10. Influence Of Inspection Intervals On Mechanical System Reliability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zilberman, B.

    1998-01-01

    In this paper a methodology of reliability analysis of mechanical systems with latent failures is described. Reliability analysis of such systems must include appropriate usage of check intervals for latent failure detection. The methodology suggests, that based on system logic the analyst decides at the beginning if a system can fail actively or latently and propagates this approach through all system levels. All inspections are assumed to be perfect (all failures are detected and repaired and no new failures are introduced as a result of the maintenance). Additional assumptions are that mission time is much smaller, than check intervals and all components have constant failure rates. Analytical expressions for reliability calculates are provided, based on fault tree and Markov modeling techniques (for two and three redundant systems with inspection intervals). The proposed methodology yields more accurate results than are obtained by not using check intervals or using half check interval times. The conventional analysis assuming that at the beginning of each mission system is as new, give an optimistic prediction of system reliability. Some examples of reliability calculations of mechanical systems with latent failures and establishing optimum check intervals are provided

  11. Prepared for the thirtieth annual conference on bioassay analytical and environmental chemistry. Reliable analysis of high resolution gamma spectra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spitz, H.B.; Buschbom, R.; Rieksts, G.A.; Palmer, H.E.

    1985-01-01

    A new method has been developed to reliably analyze pulse height-energy spectra obtained from measurements employing high resolution germanium detectors. The method employs a simple data transformation and smoothing function to calculate background and identify photopeaks and isotopic analysis. This technique is elegant in its simplicity because it avoids dependence upon complex spectrum deconvolution, stripping, or other least-square-fitting techniques which complicate the assessment of measurement reliability. A moving median was chosen for data smoothing because, unlike moving averages, medians are not dominated by extreme data points. Finally, peaks are identified whenever the difference between the background spectrum and the transformed spectrum exceeds a pre-determined number of standard deviations

  12. Analytical techniques for the determination of radiochemical purity of radiopharmaceuticals prepared from kits. Pt. III

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McLean, J.R.; Rockwell, L.J.; Welsh, W.J.

    1982-01-01

    The evaluation of efficacy of commercially available kits used for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals is one aspect of the Radiation Protection Bureau's radiopharmaceutical quality control program. This report describes some of the analytical methodology employed in the program. The techniques may be of interest to hospital radiopharmacy personnel since many of the tests can be performed rapidly and with a minimum of special equipment, thus enabling the confirmation of radiopharmaceutical purity prior to patient administration. Manufacturers of kits may also be interested in learning of the analytical methods used in the assessment of their products

  13. Analytical method comparisons for the accurate determination of PCBs in sediments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Numata, M.; Yarita, T.; Aoyagi, Y.; Yamazaki, M.; Takatsu, A. [National Metrology Institute of Japan, Tsukuba (Japan)

    2004-09-15

    National Metrology Institute of Japan in National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (NMIJ/AIST) has been developing several matrix reference materials, for example, sediments, water and biological tissues, for the determinations of heavy metals and organometallic compounds. The matrix compositions of those certified reference materials (CRMs) are similar to compositions of actual samples, and those are useful for validating analytical procedures. ''Primary methods of measurements'' are essential to obtain accurate and SI-traceable certified values in the reference materials, because the methods have the highest quality of measurement. However, inappropriate analytical operations, such as incomplete extraction of analytes or crosscontamination during analytical procedures, will cause error of analytical results, even if one of the primary methods, isotope-dilution, is utilized. To avoid possible procedural bias for the certification of reference materials, we employ more than two analytical methods which have been optimized beforehand. Because the accurate determination of trace POPs in the environment is important to evaluate their risk, reliable CRMs are required by environmental chemists. Therefore, we have also been preparing matrix CRMs for the determination of POPs. To establish accurate analytical procedures for the certification of POPs, extraction is one of the critical steps as described above. In general, conventional extraction techniques for the determination of POPs, such as Soxhlet extraction (SOX) and saponification (SAP), have been characterized well, and introduced as official methods for environmental analysis. On the other hand, emerging techniques, such as microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), pressurized fluid extraction (PFE) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), give higher recovery yields of analytes with relatively short extraction time and small amount of solvent, by reasons of the high

  14. Applications of nuclear analytical techniques to environmental studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freitas, M.C.; Marques, A.P.; Reis, M.A.; Pacheco, A.M.G.; Barros, L.I.C.

    2001-01-01

    A few examples of application of nuclear-analytical techniques to biological monitors - natives and transplants - are given herein. Parmelia sulcata Taylor transplants were set up in a heavily industrialized area of Portugal - the Setubal peninsula, about 50 km south of Lisbon - where indigenous lichens are rare. The whole area was 10x15 km around an oil-fired power station, and a 2.5x2.5 km grid was used. In north-western Portugal, native thalli of the same epiphytes (Parmelia spp., mostly Parmelia sulcata Taylor) and bark from olive trees (Olea europaea) were sampled across an area of 50x50 km, using a 10x10 km grid. This area is densely populated and features a blend of rural, urban-industrial and coastal environments, together with the country's second-largest metro area (Porto). All biomonitors have been analyzed by INAA and PIXE. Results were put through nonparametric tests and factor analysis for trend significance and emission sources, respectively

  15. Research on application of technique for analyzing system reliability, GO-FLOW

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuoka, Takeshi; Fukuto, Junji; Sugasawa, Shinobu; Mitomo, Nobuo; Miyazaki, Keiko; Hirao, Yoshihiro; Kobayashi, Michiyuki

    1997-01-01

    As the method of evaluation, probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) has been introduced in nuclear power field, and began to play important role in plant design and safety examination. In the Ship Research Institute, as the technique for analyzing system reliability which takes the main part of PSA, the research on developing the GO-FLOW technique which has various advanced functions has been carried out. In this research, the functions of the GO-FLOW technique are improved, and the function of the dynamic behavior analysis for systems and the analysis function for the combination of the physical behavior of systems and the change of probabilistic events are developed, further, the function of extracting main accident sequence by utilizing the GO-FLOW technique is prepared. As for the analysis of dynamic behavior, the sample problem on hold-up tank was investigated. As to the extraction of main accident sequence, the fundamental part of the function of event tree analysis was consolidated, and the function of setting branching probability was given. As to the indication of plant behavior, the simulator for improved marine reactor MRX was developed. (K.I.)

  16. Analytical Methods INAA and PIXE Applied to Characterization of Airborne Particulate Matter in Bandung, Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D.D. Lestiani

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Urbanization and industrial growth have deteriorated air quality and are major cause to air pollution. Air pollution through fine and ultra-fine particles is a serious threat to human health. The source of air pollution must be known quantitatively by elemental characterization, in order to design the appropriate air quality management. The suitable methods for analysis the airborne particulate matter such as nuclear analytical techniques are hardly needed to solve the air pollution problem. The objectives of this study are to apply the nuclear analytical techniques to airborne particulate samples collected in Bandung, to assess the accuracy and to ensure the reliable of analytical results through the comparison of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA and particles induced X-ray emission (PIXE. Particle samples in the PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 ranges have been collected in Bandung twice a week for 24 hours using a Gent stacked filter unit. The result showed that generally there was a systematic difference between INAA and PIXE results, which the values obtained by PIXE were lower than values determined by INAA. INAA is generally more sensitive and reliable than PIXE for Na, Al, Cl, V, Mn, Fe, Br and I, therefore INAA data are preffered, while PIXE usually gives better precision than INAA for Mg, K, Ca, Ti and Zn. Nevertheless, both techniques provide reliable results and complement to each other. INAA is still a prospective method, while PIXE with the special capabilities is a promising tool that could contribute and complement the lack of NAA in determination of lead, sulphur and silicon. The combination of INAA and PIXE can advantageously be used in air pollution studies to extend the number of important elements measured as key elements in source apportionment.

  17. Analytical Methods INAA and PIXE Applied to Characterization of Airborne Particulate Matter in Bandung, Indonesia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lestiani, D.D.; Santoso, M.

    2011-01-01

    Urbanization and industrial growth have deteriorated air quality and are major cause to air pollution. Air pollution through fine and ultra-fine particles is a serious threat to human health. The source of air pollution must be known quantitatively by elemental characterization, in order to design the appropriate air quality management. The suitable methods for analysis the airborne particulate matter such as nuclear analytical techniques are hardly needed to solve the air pollution problem. The objectives of this study are to apply the nuclear analytical techniques to airborne particulate samples collected in Bandung, to assess the accuracy and to ensure the reliable of analytical results through the comparison of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and particles induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Particle samples in the PM 2.5 and PM 2.5-10 ranges have been collected in Bandung twice a week for 24 hours using a Gent stacked filter unit. The result showed that generally there was a systematic difference between INAA and PIXE results, which the values obtained by PIXE were lower than values determined by INAA. INAA is generally more sensitive and reliable than PIXE for Na, Al, Cl, V, Mn, Fe, Br and I, therefore INAA data are preferred, while PIXE usually gives better precision than INAA for Mg, K, Ca, Ti and Zn. Nevertheless, both techniques provide reliable results and complement to each other. INAA is still a prospective method, while PIXE with the special capabilities is a promising tool that could contribute and complement the lack of NAA in determination of lead, sulphur and silicon. The combination of INAA and PIXE can advantageously be used in air pollution studies to extend the number of important elements measured as key elements in source apportionment. (author)

  18. Probabilistic risk assessment course documentation. Volume 5. System reliability and analysis techniques Session D - quantification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lofgren, E.V.

    1985-08-01

    This course in System Reliability and Analysis Techniques focuses on the probabilistic quantification of accident sequences and the link between accident sequences and consequences. Other sessions in this series focus on the quantification of system reliability and the development of event trees and fault trees. This course takes the viewpoint that event tree sequences or combinations of system failures and success are available and that Boolean equations for system fault trees have been developed and are available. 93 figs., 11 tabs

  19. Development of analytical techniques for water and environmental samples (2)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eum, Chul Hun; Jeon, Chi Wan; Jung, Kang Sup; Song, Kyung Sun; Kim, Sang Yeon [Korea Institute of Geology Mining and Materials, Taejon (Korea)

    1998-12-01

    The purpose of this study is to develop new analytical methods with good detection limit for toxic inorganic and organic compounds. The analyses of CN, organic acids, particulate materials in environmental samples have been done using several methods such as Ion Chromatography, SPE, SPME, GC/MS, GC/FID, SPLITT (split-flow thin cell fractionation) during the second year of this project. Advantage and disadvantage of several distillation method (by KS, JIS, EPA) for CN analysis in wastewater were investigated. As the results, we proposed new distillation apparatus for CN analysis, which was proved to be simpler, faster and to get better recovery than conventional apparatus. And ion chromatograph/pulsed amperometric detector (IC/PAD) system instead of colorimetry for CN detection was setup to solve matrix interference. And SPE(solid phase extraction) and SPME (solid phase micro extraction) as liquid-solid extraction technique were applied to the analysis of phenols in wastewater. Optimum experimental conditions and factors influencing analytical results were determined. From these results, It could be concluded that C{sub 18} cartridge and polystyrene-divinylbenzene disk in SPE method, polyacrylate fiber in SPME were proper solid phase adsorbent for phenol. Optimum conditions to analyze phenol derivatives simultaneously were established. Also, Continuous SPLITT (Split-flow thin cell) Fractionation (CSF) is a new preparative separation technique that is useful for fractionation of particulate and macromolecular materials. CSF is carried out in a thin ribbon-like channel equipped with two splitters at both inlet and outlet of the channel. In this work, we set up a new CSF system, and tested using polystyrene latex standard particles. And then we fractionated particles contained in air and underground water based on their sedimentation coefficients using CSF. (author). 27 refs., 13 tabs., 31 figs.

  20. Risk and reliability analyses (LURI) and expert judgement techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pyy, P.; Pulkkinen, U.

    1998-01-01

    Probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) is currently used as a regulatory licensing tool in risk informed and plant performance based regulation. More often also utility safety improvements are based on PSA calculations as one criterion. PSA attempts to comprehensively identify all important risk contributors, compare them with each other, assess the safety level and suggest improvements based on its findings. The strength of PSA is that it is capable to provide decision makers with numerical estimates of risks. This makes decision making easier than the comparison of purely qualitative results. PSA is the only comprehensive tool that compactly attempts to include all the important risk contributors in its scope. Despite the demonstrated strengths of PSA, there are some features that have reduced its uses. For example, the PSA scope has been limited to the power operation and process internal events (transients and LOCAs). Only lately, areas such as shutdown, external events and severe accidents have been included in PSA models in many countries. Problems related to modelling are, e.g., that rather static fault and event tree models are commonly used in PSA to model dynamic event sequences. Even if a valid model may be generated, there may not be any other data sources to be used than expert judgement. Furthermore, there are a variety of different techniques for human reliability assessment (HRA) giving varying results. In the project Reliability and Risk Analyses (LURI) these limitations and shortcomings have been studied. In the decision making area, case studies on the application of decision analysis and a doctoral thesis have been published. Further, practical aid has been given to utilities and regulatory decision making. Model uncertainty effect on PSA results has been demonstrated by two case studies. Human reliability has been studied both in the integrated safety analysis study and in the study of maintenance originated NPP component faults based on the

  1. Analytical and numerical techniques for predicting the interfacial stresses of wavy carbon nanotube/polymer composites

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yazdchi, K.; Salehi, M.; Shokrieh, M.M.

    2009-01-01

    By introducing a new simplified 3D representative volume element for wavy carbon nanotubes, an analytical model is developed to study the stress transfer in single-walled carbon nanotube-reinforced polymer composites. Based on the pull-out modeling technique, the effects of waviness, aspect ratio,

  2. Impact of accelerator-based analytical techniques on the knowledge and conservation of cultural heritage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dran, Jean Claude

    2001-01-01

    A large set of modern analytical techniques is currently applied to get a better insight on art and archaeological objects as well as to contribute to their conservation and restoration. Because of the precious and sometimes unique character of the works, non-destructive techniques and even those requiring no (or only minute) sampling, are preferred. From this standpoint, ion beam analysis (IBA) constitutes one of the best choices, since it combines quite good analytical performance and non-destructiveness. For over 10 years, an IBA facility has been installed in the Research Laboratory of the Museums of France. Until now it is the only facility of this kind entirely devoted to the study of cultural heritage. A special set-up, namely an external beam line, has been developed which permits the in-air analysis of large or fragile works of art without sampling. This facility is used for both short investigations at the request of museum curators and extensive research works in art history and archaeology. Numerous examples will be given to highlight the impact of this tool on cultural heritage. (author)

  3. Reliability analysis techniques for the design engineer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corran, E.R.; Witt, H.H.

    1980-01-01

    A fault tree analysis package is described that eliminates most of the housekeeping tasks involved in proceeding from the initial construction of a fault tree to the final stage of presenting a reliability analysis in a safety report. It is suitable for designers with relatively little training in reliability analysis and computer operation. Users can rapidly investigate the reliability implications of various options at the design stage, and evolve a system which meets specified reliability objectives. Later independent review is thus unlikely to reveal major shortcomings necessitating modification and projects delays. The package operates interactively allowing the user to concentrate on the creative task of developing the system fault tree, which may be modified and displayed graphically. For preliminary analysis system data can be derived automatically from a generic data bank. As the analysis procedes improved estimates of critical failure rates and test and maintenance schedules can be inserted. The computations are standard, - identification of minimal cut-sets, estimation of reliability parameters, and ranking of the effect of the individual component failure modes and system failure modes on these parameters. The user can vary the fault trees and data on-line, and print selected data for preferred systems in a form suitable for inclusion in safety reports. A case history is given - that of HIFAR containment isolation system. (author)

  4. Macro elemental analysis of food samples by nuclear analytical technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Syahfitri, W. Y. N.; Kurniawati, S.; Adventini, N.; Damastuti, E.; Lestiani, D. D.

    2017-06-01

    Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry is a non-destructive, rapid, multi elemental, accurate, and environment friendly analysis compared with other detection methods. Thus, EDXRF spectrometry is applicable for food inspection. The macro elements calcium and potassium constitute important nutrients required by the human body for optimal physiological functions. Therefore, the determination of Ca and K content in various foods needs to be done. The aim of this work is to demonstrate the applicability of EDXRF for food analysis. The analytical performance of non-destructive EDXRF was compared with other analytical techniques; neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectrometry. Comparison of methods performed as cross checking results of the analysis and to overcome the limitations of the three methods. Analysis results showed that Ca found in food using EDXRF and AAS were not significantly different with p-value 0.9687, whereas p-value of K between EDXRF and NAA is 0.6575. The correlation between those results was also examined. The Pearson correlations for Ca and K were 0.9871 and 0.9558, respectively. Method validation using SRM NIST 1548a Typical Diet was also applied. The results showed good agreement between methods; therefore EDXRF method can be used as an alternative method for the determination of Ca and K in food samples.

  5. Analytical quality control in environmental analysis - Recent results and future trends of the IAEA's analytical quality control programme

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suschny, O; Heinonen, J

    1973-12-01

    The significance of analytical results depends critically on the degree of their reliability, an assessment of this reliability is indispensable if the results are to have any meaning at all. Environmental radionuclide analysis is a relatively new analytical field in which new methods are continuously being developed and into which many new laboratories have entered during the last ten to fifteen years. The scarcity of routine methods and the lack of experience of the new laboratories have made the need for the assessment of the reliability of results particularly urgent in this field. The IAEA, since 1962, has provided assistance to its member states by making available to their laboratories analytical quality control services in the form of standard samples, reference materials and the organization of analytical intercomparisons. The scope of this programme has increased over the years and now includes, in addition to environmental radionuclides, non-radioactive environmental contaminants which may be analysed by nuclear methods, materials for forensic neutron activation analysis, bioassay materials and nuclear fuel. The results obtained in recent intercomparisons demonstrate the continued need for these services. (author)

  6. A simple method of measuring tibial tubercle to trochlear groove distance on MRI: description of a novel and reliable technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camp, Christopher L; Heidenreich, Mark J; Dahm, Diane L; Bond, Jeffrey R; Collins, Mark S; Krych, Aaron J

    2016-03-01

    Tibial tubercle-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance is a variable that helps guide surgical decision-making in patients with patellar instability. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy and reliability of an MRI TT-TG measuring technique using a simple external alignment method to a previously validated gold standard technique that requires advanced software read by radiologists. TT-TG was calculated by MRI on 59 knees with a clinical diagnosis of patellar instability in a blinded and randomized fashion by two musculoskeletal radiologists using advanced software and by two orthopaedists using the study technique which utilizes measurements taken on a simple electronic imaging platform. Interrater reliability between the two radiologists and the two orthopaedists and intermethods reliability between the two techniques were calculated using interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and concordance correlation coefficients (CCC). ICC and CCC values greater than 0.75 were considered to represent excellent agreement. The mean TT-TG distance was 14.7 mm (Standard Deviation (SD) 4.87 mm) and 15.4 mm (SD 5.41) as measured by the radiologists and orthopaedists, respectively. Excellent interobserver agreement was noted between the radiologists (ICC 0.941; CCC 0.941), the orthopaedists (ICC 0.978; CCC 0.976), and the two techniques (ICC 0.941; CCC 0.933). The simple TT-TG distance measurement technique analysed in this study resulted in excellent agreement and reliability as compared to the gold standard technique. This method can predictably be performed by orthopaedic surgeons without advanced radiologic software. II.

  7. Design reliability engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buden, D.; Hunt, R.N.M.

    1989-01-01

    Improved design techniques are needed to achieve high reliability at minimum cost. This is especially true of space systems where lifetimes of many years without maintenance are needed and severe mass limitations exist. Reliability must be designed into these systems from the start. Techniques are now being explored to structure a formal design process that will be more complete and less expensive. The intent is to integrate the best features of design, reliability analysis, and expert systems to design highly reliable systems to meet stressing needs. Taken into account are the large uncertainties that exist in materials, design models, and fabrication techniques. Expert systems are a convenient method to integrate into the design process a complete definition of all elements that should be considered and an opportunity to integrate the design process with reliability, safety, test engineering, maintenance and operator training. 1 fig

  8. A REVIEW ON THE ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES USED FOR THE DETERMINATION OF PARACETAMOL IN PHARMACEUTICAL FORMULATIONS AND BIOLOGICAL FLUIDS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aisha Noreen

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Paracetamol (PM is an active metabolite of phenacetin and belongs to p-aminophenol derivatives. It is also termed as acetaminophen. PM is one of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs which is used as an analgesic and antipyretic agent. It is an OTC drug and is used as a common household analgesic. It is not used as a substitute of aspirin or any other NSAIDs. It is a weak cyclooxygenase (COX 1 and 2 inhibitor but may inhibit COX-3 in the central nervous system. Many analytical techniques have been used for the assay of PM in pharmaceutical preparations and biological fluids. These techniques include spectrometry, chromatography, spectrofluorimetry, chemiluminescence, electrochemical techniques, flow injection spectrometry and chronoamperometry. In many pharmaceutical preparations PM is also used in combination with other drugs and these techniques have also been used for their simultaneous determination. A detailed review of various analytical techniques used for the assay of PM has been carried out which would be of great help to the chemists and pharmacists involved in the analysis and quality control of drugs.

  9. Reliable cost effective technique for in situ ground stress measurements in deep gold mines.

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Stacey, TR

    1995-07-01

    Full Text Available on these requirements, an in situ stress measurement technique which will be practically applicable in the deep gold mines, has been developed conceptually. Referring to the figure on the following page, this method involves: • a borehole-based system, using... level mines have not been developed. 2 This is some of the background to the present SIMRAC research project, the title ofwhich is “Reliable cost effective technique for in-situ ground stress measurements in deep gold mines”. A copy of the research...

  10. Systems reliability/structural reliability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Green, A.E.

    1980-01-01

    The question of reliability technology using quantified techniques is considered for systems and structures. Systems reliability analysis has progressed to a viable and proven methodology whereas this has yet to be fully achieved for large scale structures. Structural loading variants over the half-time of the plant are considered to be more difficult to analyse than for systems, even though a relatively crude model may be a necessary starting point. Various reliability characteristics and environmental conditions are considered which enter this problem. The rare event situation is briefly mentioned together with aspects of proof testing and normal and upset loading conditions. (orig.)

  11. Application gives the technique the analytic tree in the evaluation the effectiveness programs to radiological protection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez Gonzalez, F.; Perez Velazquez, R.S.; Fornet Rodriguez, O.; Mustelier Hechevarria, A.; Miller Clemente, A.

    1998-01-01

    In the work we develop the IAEA recommendations in the application the analytic tree as instrument for the evaluation the effectiveness the occupational radiological protection programs. Is reflected like it has been assimilated and converted that technique in daily work istruments in the evaluation process the security conditions in the institutions that apply the nuclear techniques with a view to its autorization on the part of the regulatory organ

  12. Selecting analytical tools for characterization of polymersomes in aqueous solution

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Habel, Joachim Erich Otto; Ogbonna, Anayo; Larsen, Nanna

    2015-01-01

    Selecting the appropriate analytical methods for characterizing the assembly and morphology of polymer-based vesicles, or polymersomes are required to reach their full potential in biotechnology. This work presents and compares 17 different techniques for their ability to adequately report size....../purification. Of the analytical methods tested, Cryo-transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) turned out to be advantageous for polymersomes with smaller diameter than 200 nm, whereas confocal microscopy is ideal for diameters >400 nm. Polymersomes in the intermediate diameter range can be characterized...... using freeze fracture Cryo-scanning electron microscopy (FF-Cryo-SEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) provides reliable data on bilayer thickness and internal structure, Cryo-TEM on multilamellarity. Taken together, these tools are valuable...

  13. Analytical procedures for determining the impacts of reliability mitigation strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Reliability of transport, especially the ability to reach a destination within a certain amount of time, is a regular concern of travelers and shippers. The definition of reliability used in this research is how travel time varies over time. The vari...

  14. Theoretical, analytical, and statistical interpretation of environmental data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lombard, S.M.

    1974-01-01

    The reliability of data from radiochemical analyses of environmental samples cannot be determined from nuclear counting statistics alone. The rigorous application of the principles of propagation of errors, an understanding of the physics and chemistry of the species of interest in the environment, and the application of information from research on the analytical procedure are all necessary for a valid estimation of the errors associated with analytical results. The specific case of the determination of plutonium in soil is considered in terms of analytical problems and data reliability. (U.S.)

  15. A pirólise como técnica analítica Pyrolysis as an analytical technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flaviano Oliveira Silvério

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper historical aspects of analytical pyrolysis, the equipment used, the fundamentals and the mechanisms of pyrolysis of different polymeric materials are discussed. The latest work on analytical pyrolysis applied to various types of synthetic and natural samples is reviewed. Current applications of this technique that are discussed include identification of microorganisms, analysis of trace compounds by forensic laboratories, investigation of food and agricultural products, study of the chemical composition of wood, authentication and conservation of artworks, and the study of environmental and geochemical samples.

  16. The application of two recently developed human reliability techniques to cognitive error analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gall, W.

    1990-01-01

    Cognitive error can lead to catastrophic consequences for manned systems, including those whose design renders them immune to the effects of physical slips made by operators. Four such events, pressurized water and boiling water reactor accidents which occurred recently, were analysed. The analysis identifies the factors which contributed to the errors and suggests practical strategies for error recovery or prevention. Two types of analysis were conducted: an unstructured analysis based on the analyst's knowledge of psychological theory, and a structured analysis using two recently-developed human reliability analysis techniques. In general, the structured techniques required less effort to produce results and these were comparable to those of the unstructured analysis. (author)

  17. Comparison between energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence and other nuclear analytical techniques in mineral exploration and mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clayton, C.G.; Packer, T.W.; Wormald, M.R.

    1979-01-01

    At the present time there is an increasing awareness of the value and need for in-situ analytical methods throughout the general area of mineral exploration and mining. Of the alternative techniques, the measurement of natural gamma radiation is well established for uranium exploration and it is now being developed for sea-bed and lake-bed surveying. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence equipment is becoming more generally accepted, especially for mine control. Neutron techniques, for so long used routinely in oil well logging, are now being developed for a wide range of applications in all aspects of exploration and mining. It is believed that these techniques will result in major applications in the future. The present paper compares the principal characteristics of energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence and neutron techniques in particular, with special emphasis being given to those factors which affect the accuracy of analytical content; such as elemental resolution, matrix effects, material heterogeneity and neutron transport. A generalised comparison between the techniques is difficult to achieve because of the different nature of radiation interactions, but a range of applications is described and these show the complementary nature of the methods and point to the areas for more active development in the future. (author)

  18. How to simplify the analytics for input-output accountability measurements in a reprocessing plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ottmar, H.; Eberle, H.; Matussek, P.; Michel-Piper, I.

    1986-02-01

    An analytical approach to high-performance uranium and plutonium accountancy measurements in reprocessing input and output solutions is presented, which provides larger operational simplicity than the conventionally applied chemical methods. The proposed alternative is based on energy-dispersive absorption edge and fluorescence X-ray spectrometry, using the proven and reliable K-edge densitometry technique as reference method. Two X-ray densitometers developed for accurate and reliable uranium and plutonium analysis in both the feed and product solutions are described. Practical experiences and results from their performance evaluation on actual process solutions from a reprocessing plant are presented and discussed. (orig.) [de

  19. Nuclear analytical techniques applied to characterization of atmospheric aerosols in Amazon Region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerab, Fabio; Artaxo, Paulo

    1996-01-01

    This work presents the atmospheric aerosols characterization that exist in different regions of Amazon basin. The biogenic aerosol emission by forest, as well as the atmospheric emissions of particulate materials due to biomass burning, were analyzed. Samples of aerosol particles were collected during three years in two different locations of Amazon region using Stacked Unit Filters. In order to study these samples some analytical nuclear techniques were used. The high concentrations of aerosols as a result of biomass burning process were observed in the period of june-september

  20. Control Chart on Semi Analytical Weighting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miranda, G. S.; Oliveira, C. C.; Silva, T. B. S. C.; Stellato, T. B.; Monteiro, L. R.; Marques, J. R.; Faustino, M. G.; Soares, S. M. V.; Ulrich, J. C.; Pires, M. A. F.; Cotrim, M. E. B.

    2018-03-01

    Semi-analytical balance verification intends to assess the balance performance using graphs that illustrate measurement dispersion, trough time, and to demonstrate measurements were performed in a reliable manner. This study presents internal quality control of a semi-analytical balance (GEHAKA BG400) using control charts. From 2013 to 2016, 2 weight standards were monitored before any balance operation. This work intended to evaluate if any significant difference or bias were presented on weighting procedure over time, to check the generated data reliability. This work also exemplifies how control intervals are established.

  1. Analytical Techniques in the Pharmaceutical Sciences

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leurs, Ulrike; Mistarz, Ulrik Hvid; Rand, Kasper Dyrberg

    2016-01-01

    Mass spectrometry (MS) offers the capability to identify, characterize and quantify a target molecule in a complex sample matrix and has developed into a premier analytical tool in drug development science. Through specific MS-based workflows including customized sample preparation, coupling...

  2. Analytical and environmental aspects of the flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol-A and its derivatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Covaci, Adrian; Voorspoels, Stefan; Abdallah, Mohamed Abou-Elwafa; Geens, Tinne; Harrad, Stuart; Law, Robin J

    2009-01-16

    The present article reviews the available literature on the analytical and environmental aspects of tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBP-A), a currently intensively used brominated flame retardant (BFR). Analytical methods, including sample preparation, chromatographic separation, detection techniques, and quality control are discussed. An important recent development in the analysis of TBBP-A is the growing tendency for liquid chromatographic techniques. At the detection stage, mass-spectrometry is a well-established and reliable technology in the identification and quantification of TBBP-A. Although interlaboratory exercises for BFRs have grown in popularity in the last 10 years, only a few participating laboratories report concentrations for TBBP-A. Environmental levels of TBBP-A in abiotic and biotic matrices are low, probably due to the major use of TBBP-A as reactive FR. As a consequence, the expected human exposure is low. This is in agreement with the EU risk assessment that concluded that there is no risk for humans concerning TBBP-A exposure. Much less analytical and environmental information exists for the various groups of TBBP-A derivatives which are largely used as additive flame retardants.

  3. Study of trace elements in milk by nuclear analytical techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gharib, A.; Rahimi, H.; Peyrovan, H.; Raofei, H.N.J.; Taherpour, H. (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Teheran. Nuclear Research Centre)

    This work is part of a project with the IAEA, in a coordinated programme on ''trace elements in Human Nutrition and Bio-Environmental Systems'' to evaluate their nutritional requirements, interrelations and the role of trace elements in health, metabolism etc. Cow's milk is regarded as one of the most important and nutritious foodstuffs consumed by people. Hence, as a first step, an elemental analysis for milk was carried out for this purpose so a few samples of pasteurized milk and local samples were investigated for essential and toxic trace elements. The secondary aim of this project was the assessment of various analytical techniques involved. However, in the present work, the methods involved were AAS, PIXE and NAA. The latter method applied, both instrumentally and radiochemically. Although the results pertaining to the various methods employed are not in good agreement, there is however, some justification to clarify this internal inconsistency. The precision for NAA and AAS allows greater degree of acceptance respectively. Although PIXE is very fast and rather routine, the technique of trace element analysis needs certain adaptations and developments.

  4. System reliability analysis using dominant failure modes identified by selective searching technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Dong-Seok; Ok, Seung-Yong; Song, Junho; Koh, Hyun-Moo

    2013-01-01

    The failure of a redundant structural system is often described by innumerable system failure modes such as combinations or sequences of local failures. An efficient approach is proposed to identify dominant failure modes in the space of random variables, and then perform system reliability analysis to compute the system failure probability. To identify dominant failure modes in the decreasing order of their contributions to the system failure probability, a new simulation-based selective searching technique is developed using a genetic algorithm. The system failure probability is computed by a multi-scale matrix-based system reliability (MSR) method. Lower-scale MSR analyses evaluate the probabilities of the identified failure modes and their statistical dependence. A higher-scale MSR analysis evaluates the system failure probability based on the results of the lower-scale analyses. Three illustrative examples demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the approach through comparison with existing methods and Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that the proposed method skillfully identifies the dominant failure modes, including those neglected by existing approaches. The multi-scale MSR method accurately evaluates the system failure probability with statistical dependence fully considered. The decoupling between the failure mode identification and the system reliability evaluation allows for effective applications to larger structural systems

  5. Analytical approach to linear fractional partial differential equations arising in fluid mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Momani, Shaher; Odibat, Zaid

    2006-01-01

    In this Letter, we implement relatively new analytical techniques, the variational iteration method and the Adomian decomposition method, for solving linear fractional partial differential equations arising in fluid mechanics. The fractional derivatives are described in the Caputo sense. The two methods in applied mathematics can be used as alternative methods for obtaining analytic and approximate solutions for different types of fractional differential equations. In these methods, the solution takes the form of a convergent series with easily computable components. The corresponding solutions of the integer order equations are found to follow as special cases of those of fractional order equations. Some numerical examples are presented to illustrate the efficiency and reliability of the two methods

  6. SALP (Sensitivity Analysis by List Processing), a computer assisted technique for binary systems reliability analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Astolfi, M.; Mancini, G.; Volta, G.; Van Den Muyzenberg, C.L.; Contini, S.; Garribba, S.

    1978-01-01

    A computerized technique which allows the modelling by AND, OR, NOT binary trees, of various complex situations encountered in safety and reliability assessment, is described. By the use of list-processing, numerical and non-numerical types of information are used together. By proper marking of gates and primary events, stand-by systems, common cause failure and multiphase systems can be analyzed. The basic algorithms used in this technique are shown in detail. Application to a stand-by and multiphase system is then illustrated

  7. Reliability calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petersen, K.E.

    1986-03-01

    Risk and reliability analysis is increasingly being used in evaluations of plant safety and plant reliability. The analysis can be performed either during the design process or during the operation time, with the purpose to improve the safety or the reliability. Due to plant complexity and safety and availability requirements, sophisticated tools, which are flexible and efficient, are needed. Such tools have been developed in the last 20 years and they have to be continuously refined to meet the growing requirements. Two different areas of application were analysed. In structural reliability probabilistic approaches have been introduced in some cases for the calculation of the reliability of structures or components. A new computer program has been developed based upon numerical integration in several variables. In systems reliability Monte Carlo simulation programs are used especially in analysis of very complex systems. In order to increase the applicability of the programs variance reduction techniques can be applied to speed up the calculation process. Variance reduction techniques have been studied and procedures for implementation of importance sampling are suggested. (author)

  8. Use of nuclear and related analytical techniques in environmental research as exemplified by selected air pollution studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smodis, B.; Jacimovic, R.; Jeran, Z.; Stropnik, B.; Svetina, M.

    2000-01-01

    Among nuclear and nuclear related analytical techniques, neutron activation analysis and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry proved to be particularly useful for environmental studies owing to their nondestructive character and multi element capability. This paper emphasizes their importance among other multielement analytical methods by discussing their specific role due to specific physics basis, quite different to other destructive non-nuclear methods, and by summarizing results obtained in several studies related to air pollution research, including analyses of airborne particulate matter, water samples, lichens and mosses. (author)

  9. Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices for potential use in quantitative and direct detection of disease biomarkers in clinical analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Wei Yin; Goh, Boon Tong; Khor, Sook Mei

    2017-08-15

    Clinicians, working in the health-care diagnostic systems of developing countries, currently face the challenges of rising costs, increased number of patient visits, and limited resources. A significant trend is using low-cost substrates to develop microfluidic devices for diagnostic purposes. Various fabrication techniques, materials, and detection methods have been explored to develop these devices. Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) have gained attention for sensing multiplex analytes, confirming diagnostic test results, rapid sample analysis, and reducing the volume of samples and analytical reagents. μPADs, which can provide accurate and reliable direct measurement without sample pretreatment, can reduce patient medical burden and yield rapid test results, aiding physicians in choosing appropriate treatment. The objectives of this review are to provide an overview of the strategies used for developing paper-based sensors with enhanced analytical performances and to discuss the current challenges, limitations, advantages, disadvantages, and future prospects of paper-based microfluidic platforms in clinical diagnostics. μPADs, with validated and justified analytical performances, can potentially improve the quality of life by providing inexpensive, rapid, portable, biodegradable, and reliable diagnostics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Design Protocols and Analytical Strategies that Incorporate Structural Reliability Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duffy, Stephen F.

    1997-01-01

    Ceramic matrix composites (CMC) and intermetallic materials (e.g., single crystal nickel aluminide) are high performance materials that exhibit attractive mechanical, thermal and chemical properties. These materials are critically important in advancing certain performance aspects of gas turbine engines. From an aerospace engineer's perspective the new generation of ceramic composites and intermetallics offers a significant potential for raising the thrust/weight ratio and reducing NO(x) emissions of gas turbine engines. These aspects have increased interest in utilizing these materials in the hot sections of turbine engines. However, as these materials evolve and their performance characteristics improve a persistent need exists for state-of-the-art analytical methods that predict the response of components fabricated from CMC and intermetallic material systems. This need provided the motivation for the technology developed under this research effort. Continuous ceramic fiber composites exhibit an increase in work of fracture, which allows for "graceful" rather than catastrophic failure. When loaded in the fiber direction, these composites retain substantial strength capacity beyond the initiation of transverse matrix cracking despite the fact that neither of its constituents would exhibit such behavior if tested alone. As additional load is applied beyond first matrix cracking, the matrix tends to break in a series of cracks bridged by the ceramic fibers. Any additional load is born increasingly by the fibers until the ultimate strength of the composite is reached. Thus modeling efforts supported under this research effort have focused on predicting this sort of behavior. For single crystal intermetallics the issues that motivated the technology development involved questions relating to material behavior and component design. Thus the research effort supported by this grant had to determine the statistical nature and source of fracture in a high strength, Ni

  11. The study of trace elements in milk by nuclear analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gharib, A.; Rahimi, H.; Peyrovan, H.; Raofei, H.N.J.; Taherpour, H.

    1983-01-01

    This work is part of a project with the IAEA, in a coordinated programme on ''Trace Elements in Human Nutrition and Bio-Environmental Systems'' to evaluate their nutritional requirements, interrelations and the role of Trace Elements in health, metabolism etc. Cow's milk being regarded as one of the most important and nutritious foodstuffs consumed by people. Hence as a first step, an elemental analysis for milk was carried out for this purpose so a few samples of pasteurized milk and local samples were investigated for essential and toxic trace elements. The secondary aim of this project was the assessment of various analytical techniques involved. However, in the present work, the methods involved were AAS, PIXE and NAA. The latter method applied, both instrumentally and radiochemically. Although the results pertaining to the various methods employed are not in good agreement, there is however, some justification to clarify this internal inconsistency. The precision for NAA and AAS allows greater degree of acceptance respectively. Although PIXE is a very fast and rather a routine but the technique of trace element analysis needs certain adaptations and developments

  12. Co-ordinated research project on assessment of levels and health-effects of airborne particulate matter in mining, metal refining and metal working industries using nuclear and related analytical techniques. Report on the first research co-ordination meeting (RCM)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-12-31

    The objectives of the CRP are to: (1) improve competence for research on workplace monitoring in terms of proper sampling and analytical procedures, (2) obtain relevant and reliable data on sources and levels of workplace pollution in various countries, (3) promote a better understanding of methods for the interpretation of such data including occupational heath studies, and (4) encourage closer collaboration between analytical scientists and researchers in the field of occupational health in the countries concerned. The CRP focuses on the use of nuclear and related analytical techniques for the following kinds of studies: (1) strategies and techniques for sampling of workplace airborne particulate matter and of human tissues and body fluids (hair, blood, etc.) sampling of exposed and non-exposed persons; (2) development of suitable analytical procedures for analysis of such types of samples; (3) workplace and personal monitoring of airborne particulate matter in the mining, refining and metal working industries, and the health effects of such exposure; and (4) tissue analysis of the workers exposed for biological monitoring and the health effects studies. This report includes the core and supplementary programme of the CRP; technical aspects of sampling, analysis, data processing, and quality assurance; and organizational aspects. The report includes also 10 papers contributed by the participants. Each individual contribution was indexed and provided with an abstract. Refs, figs, tabs

  13. Co-ordinated research project on assessment of levels and health-effects of airborne particulate matter in mining, metal refining and metal working industries using nuclear and related analytical techniques. Report on the first research co-ordination meeting (RCM)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    The objectives of the CRP are to: (1) improve competence for research on workplace monitoring in terms of proper sampling and analytical procedures, (2) obtain relevant and reliable data on sources and levels of workplace pollution in various countries, (3) promote a better understanding of methods for the interpretation of such data including occupational heath studies, and (4) encourage closer collaboration between analytical scientists and researchers in the field of occupational health in the countries concerned. The CRP focuses on the use of nuclear and related analytical techniques for the following kinds of studies: (1) strategies and techniques for sampling of workplace airborne particulate matter and of human tissues and body fluids (hair, blood, etc.) sampling of exposed and non-exposed persons; (2) development of suitable analytical procedures for analysis of such types of samples; (3) workplace and personal monitoring of airborne particulate matter in the mining, refining and metal working industries, and the health effects of such exposure; and (4) tissue analysis of the workers exposed for biological monitoring and the health effects studies. This report includes the core and supplementary programme of the CRP; technical aspects of sampling, analysis, data processing, and quality assurance; and organizational aspects. The report includes also 10 papers contributed by the participants. Each individual contribution was indexed and provided with an abstract

  14. Hazardous Waste Landfill Siting using GIS Technique and Analytical Hierarchy Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ozeair Abessi

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Disposal of large amount of generated hazardous waste in power plants, has always received communities' and authori¬ties attentions. In this paper using site screening method and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP a sophisticated approach for siting hazardous waste landfill in large areas is presented. This approach demonstrates how the evaluation criteria such as physical, socio-economical, technical, environmental and their regulatory sub criteria can be introduced into an over layer technique to screen some limited appropriate zones in the area. Then, in order to find the optimal site amongst the primary screened site utilizing a Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM method for hierarchy computations of the process is recommended. Using the introduced method an accurate siting procedure for environmental planning of the landfills in an area would be enabled. In the study this approach was utilized for disposal of hazardous wastes of Shahid Rajaee thermal power plant located in Qazvin province west central part of Iran. As a result of this study 10 suitable zones were screened in the area at first, then using analytical hierarchy process a site near the power plant were chosen as the optimal site for landfilling of the hazardous wastes in Qazvin province.

  15. Twelfth ISAS national symposium on analytical techniques for safety and sufficiency of natural resources/products: technical papers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Padmanabhan, P.K.; Page, A.G.

    1997-02-01

    This volume contains the proceedings of the ISAS (Indian Society of Analytical Scientists) national symposium. The main thrust of the symposium was on new fuel cycle technologies relevant to thorium utilisation programmes. The technologies for different separation processes, techniques for measurements of various process parameters and highly sensitive analytical methods for the determination of the chemical constituents were among the other topics covered. Quality upgradation, standardisation of methods and validation of measurements which are integral parts of product evaluation were also discussed. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

  16. Does leaf chemistry differentially affect breakdown in tropical vs temperate streams? Importance of standardized analytical techniques to measure leaf chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcelo Ard& #243; n; Catherine M. Pringle; Susan L. Eggert

    2009-01-01

    Comparisons of the effects of leaf litter chemistry on leaf breakdown rates in tropical vs temperate streams are hindered by incompatibility among studies and across sites of analytical methods used to measure leaf chemistry. We used standardized analytical techniques to measure chemistry and breakdown rate of leaves from common riparian tree species at 2 sites, 1...

  17. Software reliability

    CERN Document Server

    Bendell, A

    1986-01-01

    Software Reliability reviews some fundamental issues of software reliability as well as the techniques, models, and metrics used to predict the reliability of software. Topics covered include fault avoidance, fault removal, and fault tolerance, along with statistical methods for the objective assessment of predictive accuracy. Development cost models and life-cycle cost models are also discussed. This book is divided into eight sections and begins with a chapter on adaptive modeling used to predict software reliability, followed by a discussion on failure rate in software reliability growth mo

  18. Pedestrian-vehicle crashes and analytical techniques for stratified contingency tables.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Ghamdi, Ali S

    2002-03-01

    In 1999 there were 450 fatalities due to road crashes in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, of which 130 were pedestrians. Hence, every fourth person killed on the roads is a pedestrian. The aim of this study is to investigate pedestrian-vehicle crashes in this fast-growing city with two objectives in mind: to analyze pedestrian collisions with regard to their causes, characteristics, location of injury on the victim's body, and most common patterns and to determine the potential for use of the odds ratio technique in the analysis of stratified contingency tables. Data from 638 pedestrian-vehicle crashes reported by police, during the period 1997-1999, were used. A systematic sampling technique was followed in which every third record was used. The analysis showed that the pedestrian fatality rate per 10(5) population is 2.8. The rates were relatively high within the childhood (1-9 years) and young adult (10-19 years) groups, and the old-age groups (60 - > 80 years), which indicate that young as well as the elderly people in this city are more likely to be involved in fatal accidents of this type than are those in other age groups. The analysis revealed that 77.1% of pedestrians were probably struck while crossing a roadway either not in a crosswalk or where no crosswalk existed. In addition, the distribution of injuries on the victims' bodies was determined from hospital records. More than one-third of the fatal injuries were located on the head and chest. An attempt was made to conduct an association analysis between crash severity (i.e. injury or fatal) and some of the study variables using chi-square and odds ratio techniques. The categorical nature of the data helped in using these analytical techniques.

  19. Magnetic particle separation technique: a reliable and simple tool for RIA/IRMA and quantitative PCR assay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen Rongsen; Shen Decun

    1998-01-01

    Five types of magnetic particles without or with aldehyde, amino and carboxyl functional groups, respectively were used to immobilize first or second antibody by three models, i. e. physical adsorption, chemical coupling and immuno-affinity, forming four types of magnetic particle antibodies. The second antibody immobilized on polyacrolein magnetic particles through aldehyde functional groups and the first antibodies immobilized on carboxylic polystyrene magnetic particles through carboxyl functional groups were recommended to apply to RIAs and/or IRMAs. Streptavidin immobilized on commercial magnetic particles through amino functional groups was successfully applied to separating specific PCR product for quantification of human cytomegalovirus. In the paper typical data on reliability of these magnetic particle ligands were reported and simplicity of the magnetic particle separation technique was discussed. The results showed that the technique was a reliable and simple tool for RIA/IRMA and quantitative PCR assay. (author)

  20. Non-invasive dendrochronology of late-medieval objects in Oslo: refinement of a technique and discoveries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daly, Aoife; Streeton, Noëlle L. W.

    2017-06-01

    A technique for non-invasive dendrochronological analysis of oak was developed for archaeological material, using an industrial CT scanner. Since 2013, this experience has been extended within the scope of the research project `After the Black Death: Painting and Polychrome Sculpture in Norway'. The source material for the project is a collection of late-medieval winged altarpieces, shrines, polychrome sculpture, and fragments from Norwegian churches, which are owned by the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo. The majority cannot be sampled, and many are too large to fit into the CT scanner. For these reasons, a combined approach was adopted, utilizing CT scanning where possible, but preceded by an `exposed-wood' imaging technique. Both non-invasive techniques have yielded reliable results, and CT scanning has confirmed the reliability of the imaging technique alone. This paper presents the analytical methods, along with results from two of the 13 objects under investigation. Results for reliable dates and provenances provide new foundations for historical interpretations.

  1. A general software reliability process simulation technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tausworthe, Robert C.

    1991-01-01

    The structure and rationale of the generalized software reliability process, together with the design and implementation of a computer program that simulates this process are described. Given assumed parameters of a particular project, the users of this program are able to generate simulated status timelines of work products, numbers of injected anomalies, and the progress of testing, fault isolation, repair, validation, and retest. Such timelines are useful in comparison with actual timeline data, for validating the project input parameters, and for providing data for researchers in reliability prediction modeling.

  2. Practical approach to a procedure for judging the results of analytical verification measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beyrich, W.; Spannagel, G.

    1979-01-01

    For practical safeguards a particularly transparent procedure is described to judge analytical differences between declared and verified values based on experimental data relevant to the actual status of the measurement technique concerned. Essentially it consists of two parts: Derivation of distribution curves for the occurrence of interlaboratory differences from the results of analytical intercomparison programmes; and judging of observed differences using criteria established on the basis of these probability curves. By courtesy of the Euratom Safeguards Directorate, Luxembourg, the applicability of this judging procedure has been checked in practical data verification for safeguarding; the experience gained was encouraging and implementation of the method is intended. Its reliability might be improved further by evaluation of additional experimental data. (author)

  3. Application of multivariate techniques to analytical data on Aegean ceramics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bieber, A.M.; Brooks, D.W.; Harbottle, G.; Sayre, E.V.

    1976-01-01

    The general problems of data collection and handling for multivariate elemental analyses of ancient pottery are considered including such specific questions as the level of analytical precision required, the number and type of elements to be determined and the need for comprehensive multivariate statistical analysis of the collected data in contrast to element by element statistical analysis. The multivariate statistical procedures of clustering in a multidimensional space and determination of the numerical probabilities of specimens belonging to a group through calculation of the Mahalanobis distances for these specimens in multicomponent space are described together with supporting univariate statistical procedures used at Brookhaven. The application of these techniques to the data on Late Bronze Age Aegean pottery (largely previously analysed at Oxford and Brookhaven with some new specimens considered) have resulted in meaningful subdivisions of previously established groups. (author)

  4. Reliability and normative values of the foot line test: a technique to assess foot posture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brushøj, C; Larsen, Klaus; Nielsen, MB

    2007-01-01

    STUDY DESIGN: Test-retest reliability. OBJECTIVE: To examine the reliability and report normative values of a novel test, the foot line test (FLT), to describe foot morphology. BACKGROUND: Numerous foot examinations are performed each day, but most existing examination techniques have considerable...... limitations regarding reliability and validity. METHODS: One hundred thirty subjects with mean foot size 44 (41-50 European size) participated. Two examiners, blinded to each other's measurements, measured the right foot of the subjects twice and the left foot once. The position of the most medial aspect...... of the navicular in the mediolateral direction was projected vertically onto a piece of paper placed under the subject's foot, and compared to the position of the forefoot and hindfoot to obtain the FLT value. RESULTS: FLT values ranged from -8 to 14 mm, with a mean (+/-SD) of 3.7 +/- 3.4 mm. The intratester...

  5. AN ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING RELIABLE NUCLEAR FUEL SERVICE APPROACHES: ECONOMIC AND NON-PROLIFERATION MERITS OF NUCLEAR FUEL LEASING

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kreyling, Sean J.; Brothers, Alan J.; Short, Steven M.; Phillips, Jon R.; Weimar, Mark R.

    2010-01-01

    The goal of international nuclear policy since the dawn of nuclear power has been the peaceful expansion of nuclear energy while controlling the spread of enrichment and reprocessing technology. Numerous initiatives undertaken in the intervening decades to develop international agreements on providing nuclear fuel supply assurances, or reliable nuclear fuel services (RNFS) attempted to control the spread of sensitive nuclear materials and technology. In order to inform the international debate and the development of government policy, PNNL has been developing an analytical framework to holistically evaluate the economics and non-proliferation merits of alternative approaches to managing the nuclear fuel cycle (i.e., cradle-to-grave). This paper provides an overview of the analytical framework and discusses preliminary results of an economic assessment of one RNFS approach: full-service nuclear fuel leasing. The specific focus of this paper is the metrics under development to systematically evaluate the non-proliferation merits of fuel-cycle management alternatives. Also discussed is the utility of an integrated assessment of the economics and non-proliferation merits of nuclear fuel leasing.

  6. Pilot testing of SHRP 2 reliability data and analytical products: Washington.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-07-30

    The second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) addresses the challenges of moving people and goods efficiently and safely on the nations highways. In its Reliability focus area, the research emphasizes improving the reliability of highway ...

  7. Multielement determination in Cuban red mangrove samples using nuclear and related analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Estevez Alvarez, J.R.; Aguiar Lambert, D.; Montero Alvarez, A.; Pupo Gonzalez, I.; Padilla Alvarez, R.; Gonzalez Garcia, H.; Ramirez Sasco, M.

    1998-01-01

    In the present work the contents of Al; K; Ca; Mn; Fe; Ni; Cu; Zn; Sr; Cd and Pb in red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) from different Cuban regions are determined, using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (Emission-Transmission (Et) and I/C methods), Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS), and Polarography (Anodic Stripping Voltametry method). Biological Certified Reference Materials (CRM) are employed for the tracing of the tracing of the curves of the relative I/C method and for the evaluation of the analytical results accuracy. The reliability of the results is also checked by statistical means. Standard deviations and the detection limits of each method are reported. Finally, the obtained values for the concentration of the different elements in each studied ecosystem are presented; a detailed discussion about their significance will be performed in a further paper

  8. Analytical characterization of polymer-drug conjugates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rizzo, V.; Gigli, M.; Pinciroli, V.

    1998-01-01

    A few polymeric conjugates of antitumor drugs have been recently developed in view of possible therapeutic advantages: solubilization of sparingly soluble drugs in water, improvement of therapeutic index, organ targeting through a second chemical species bound to the same polymeric chain. In this article it's described the analytical approach used in the characterization of the conjugates for chemical identity, purity and strength of the contained active ingredient. The techniques are: high field NMR and size exclusion chromatography with non-aqueous mobile phase for identity; selective hydrolysis and HPLC for strength and purity. A complete and reliable picture is thus obtained both for qualitative and for quantitative aspects. This is an important step forward in the direction of further development and marketing of polymer-drug conjugates [it

  9. An alternative technique for the implementation of an analytical approximation for transients with temperature feedback

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Palma, Daniel A.P. [Instituto Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Nilopolis, RJ (Brazil)], e-mail: dpalmaster@gmail.com; Silva, Adilson C. da; Goncalves, Alessandro C.; Martinez, Aquilino S. [Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-graduacao de Engenharia (COPPE/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Programa de Engenharia Nuclear], e-mail: asilva@con.ufrj.br, e-mail: agoncalves@con.ufrj.br, e-mail: aquilino@lmp.ufrj.br

    2009-07-01

    The analytical solution of point kinetics equations with a group of delayed neutrons is useful in predicting neutron density variation during the operation of a nuclear reactor. Although different approximate solutions for the system of point kinetics equations with temperature feedback may be found in literature, some of them do not present an explicit dependence in time, which makes the computing implementation difficult and, as a result, its applicability in practical cases. The present paper uses the polynomial adjustment technique to overcome this problem in the analytical approximation as proposed by Nahla. In a systematic comparison with other existing approximations it is concluded that the method is adequate, presenting small deviations in relation to the reference values obtained from the reference numerical method. (author)

  10. An alternative technique for the implementation of an analytical approximation for transients with temperature feedback

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palma, Daniel A.P.; Silva, Adilson C. da; Goncalves, Alessandro C.; Martinez, Aquilino S.

    2009-01-01

    The analytical solution of point kinetics equations with a group of delayed neutrons is useful in predicting neutron density variation during the operation of a nuclear reactor. Although different approximate solutions for the system of point kinetics equations with temperature feedback may be found in literature, some of them do not present an explicit dependence in time, which makes the computing implementation difficult and, as a result, its applicability in practical cases. The present paper uses the polynomial adjustment technique to overcome this problem in the analytical approximation as proposed by Nahla. In a systematic comparison with other existing approximations it is concluded that the method is adequate, presenting small deviations in relation to the reference values obtained from the reference numerical method. (author)

  11. The earrings of Pancas treasure: Analytical study by X-ray based techniques – A first approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tissot, I.; Tissot, M.; Manso, M.; Alves, L.C.; Barreiros, M.A.; Marcelo, T.; Carvalho, M.L.; Corregidor, V.; Guerra, M.F.

    2013-01-01

    The development of new metallurgical technologies in the Iberian Peninsula during the Iron Age is well represented by the 10 gold earrings from the treasure of Pancas. This work presents a first approach to the analytical study of these earrings and contributes to the construction of a typological evolution of the Iberian earrings. The manufacture techniques and the alloys composition were studied with three complementary X-ray spectroscopy techniques: portable EDXRF, μ-PIXE and SEM–EDS. The results were compared with earrings from the same and previous periods

  12. Proceedings of the national seminar on recent developments in electro analytical techniques: souvenir and abstracts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2012-01-01

    In view of deliberations on 'Recent Developments in Electro Analytical Techniques' with special emphasis on batteries, fuel cells, biosensors, chemical sensors modified electrodes, nano electrodes, electrode synthesis and co-ordination compounds, go a long way in creating the necessary awareness and enthusiasm amongst students, young scholars and industrialists to lay their attention on the subject. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

  13. Beta Autoradiography. An analytical technique to investigate radionuclides contamination on surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ficher, P.; Goutelard, F.; Siitari-Kauppi, M.

    2012-01-01

    In decommissioning of old buildings and after disposal of nuclear facilities (materials, glove boxes,...), the inventory of the radioactive contamination of various building materials needs to be obtained in order to fix the working condition for dismantling. The challenge of this study was to classify different building materials of a whole research laboratory that was dedicated to research on organic molecules labeled with H-3 and C-14. The problem of waste classification is essential for safety treatment of waste and also for its cost. The analytical technique of beta autoradiography particularly well known for biological researches has been tested to investigate radionuclides contamination on surface. This technique is mainly interesting for beta and alpha emitters but also sensitive to gamma radiation. The first step of this technique is the deposit of a film on the surface of material to be analyzed. Films can be deposited on the ground or also fixed on the walls or even on the ceiling. The film is a plastic sheet covered with an emulsion containing photostimulable crystals and Eu that is activated when the film is exposed on radioactive source. The exposed films are then scanned with the Cyclone Plus equipment to get a digitized image. This image represents the radioactivity of the surface studied. The possibility to re-use the films is very important to investigate a large area. This autoradiography technique has retained our attention for its sensitivity and moreover the possibility of 2-dimensional investigation has been found as a real advantage. However it remains now as a qualitative technique and new studies must be launched to prove its quantitative potentialities. The high spatial resolution was not as important as in biological observation, and the mm resolution is totally sufficient

  14. Flat-plate solar array project. Volume 6: Engineering sciences and reliability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, R. G., Jr.; Smokler, M. I.

    1986-01-01

    The Flat-Plate Solar Array (FSA) Project activities directed at developing the engineering technology base required to achieve modules that meet the functional, safety, and reliability requirements of large scale terrestrial photovoltaic systems applications are reported. These activities included: (1) development of functional, safety, and reliability requirements for such applications; (2) development of the engineering analytical approaches, test techniques, and design solutions required to meet the requirements; (3) synthesis and procurement of candidate designs for test and evaluation; and (4) performance of extensive testing, evaluation, and failure analysis of define design shortfalls and, thus, areas requiring additional research and development. A summary of the approach and technical outcome of these activities are provided along with a complete bibliography of the published documentation covering the detailed accomplishments and technologies developed.

  15. Applied research on air pollution using nuclear-related analytical techniques. Report on the second research co-ordination meeting

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-07-01

    A co-ordinated research programme (CRP) on applied research on air pollution using nuclear-related techniques is a global CRP which started in 1992, and is scheduled to run until early 1997. The purpose of this CRP is to promote the use of nuclear analytical techniques in air pollution studies, e.g. NAA, XRF, and PIXE for the analysis of toxic and other trace elements in air particulate matter. The main purposes of the core programme are i) to support the use of nuclear and nuclear-related analytical techniques for research and monitoring studies on air pollution, ii) to identify major sources of air pollution affecting each of the participating countries with particular reference to toxic heavy metals, and iii) to obtain comparative data on pollution levels in areas of high pollution (e.g. a city centre or a populated area downwind of a large pollution source) and low pollution (e.g. rural area). This document reports the discussions held during the second Research Co-ordination Meeting (RCM) for the CRP which took place at ANSTO in Menai, Australia. (author)

  16. Applied research on air pollution using nuclear-related analytical techniques. Report on the second research co-ordination meeting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    A co-ordinated research programme (CRP) on applied research on air pollution using nuclear-related techniques is a global CRP which started in 1992, and is scheduled to run until early 1997. The purpose of this CRP is to promote the use of nuclear analytical techniques in air pollution studies, e.g. NAA, XRF, and PIXE for the analysis of toxic and other trace elements in air particulate matter. The main purposes of the core programme are i) to support the use of nuclear and nuclear-related analytical techniques for research and monitoring studies on air pollution, ii) to identify major sources of air pollution affecting each of the participating countries with particular reference to toxic heavy metals, and iii) to obtain comparative data on pollution levels in areas of high pollution (e.g. a city centre or a populated area downwind of a large pollution source) and low pollution (e.g. rural area). This document reports the discussions held during the second Research Co-ordination Meeting (RCM) for the CRP which took place at ANSTO in Menai, Australia. (author)

  17. The DYLAM approach to systems safety and reliability assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amendola, A.

    1988-01-01

    A survey of the principal features and applications of DYLAM (Dynamic Logical Analytical Methodology) is presented, whose basic principles can be summarized as follows: after a particular modelling of the component states, computerized heuristical procedures generate stochastic configurations of the system, whereas the resulting physical processes are simultaneously simulated to give account of the possible interactions between physics and states and, on the other hand, to search for system dangerous configurations and related probabilities. The association of probabilistic techniques for describing the states with physical equations for describing the process results in a very powerful tool for safety and reliability assessment of systems potentially subjected to dangerous incidental transients. A comprehensive picture of DYLAM capability for manifold applications can be obtained by the review of the study cases analyzed (LMFBR core accident, systems reliability assessment, accident simulation, man-machine interaction analysis, chemical reactors safety, etc.)

  18. Biomonitoring of air pollution in Jamaica through trace-element analysis of epiphytic plants using nuclear and related analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vutchkov, Mitko

    2001-01-01

    The main goal of the Coordinated Research Project (No:9937/R0), entitled 'Biomonitoring of Air Pollution in Jamaica Through Trace-Element Analysis of Epiphytic Plants Using Nuclear and Related Analytical Techniques', is to identify and validate site specific epiphytic plants for biomonitoring the atmospheric pollution in Jamaica using nuclear analytical techniques at the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences (ICENS). The specific objectives for the second year of the project were: Development of HOP for sampling epiphytic plants in Jamaica; Sampling design and sample collection; Sample preparation and analysis; Development of an in-house SRM and participation in the NAT-5 inter-laboratory study; Data analysis and interpretation of the results; Development of a work plan of the third year of the project

  19. The IAEA's programme in analytical quality control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suschny, O.

    1980-10-01

    The purpose of the Analytical Quality Control Programme of the International Atomic Energy Agency is to help laboratories in the Agency's Member States to assess and, if necessary, to improve the reliability of their analytical work in areas related to nuclear technology and radioisotope utilisation. This is done by the organisation of analytical intercomparisons and by the provision of certified or uncertified reference materials. Recently intercomparisons have been organised of trace element analysis in a soil and a lake sediment sample which have led to the certification of two new reference materials, SOIL-5 and SL-1 (lake sediment). A technique has been developed to recognise and to remove outlying results. Criteria have been established to classify element-concentration values into the categories ''established with a high degree of confidence'', ''established with a reasonable degree of confidence'' and ''information value only''. Four radionuclide intercomparisons have recently been carried out: W-1/1 and W-2/1 of the determination of selected radionuclides in water and Air-1/1 and Air-2/1 of that of selected radionuclides on simulated air filters. Details of the preparation of materials for these intercomparisons, and of data treatment and some results are discussed in the paper

  20. Determination and identification of synthetic cannabinoids and their metabolites in different matrices by modern analytical techniques – a review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Znaleziona, Joanna; Ginterová, Pavlína; Petr, Jan; Ondra, Peter; Válka, Ivo; Ševčík, Juraj; Chrastina, Jan; Maier, Vítězslav

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Synthetic cannabinoids from analytical point of view. • Determination and identification methods of synthetic cannabinoids in different matrices. • Analytical techniques used from thin layer chromatography to high resolution mass spectrometry. • Detailed survey of gas and liquid chromatography methods for synthetic cannabinoids analysis. - Abstract: Synthetic cannabinoids have gained popularity due to their easy accessibility and psychoactive effects. Furthermore, they cannot be detected in urine by routine drug monitoring. The wide range of active ingredients in analyzed matrices hinders the development of a standard analytical method for their determination. Moreover, their possible side effects are not well known which increases the danger. This review is focused on the sample preparation and the determination of synthetic cannabinoids in different matrices (serum, urine, herbal blends, oral fluid, hair) published since 2004. The review includes separation and identification techniques, such as thin layer chromatography, gas and liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis, mostly coupled with mass spectrometry. The review also includes results by spectral methods like infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance or direct-injection mass spectrometry

  1. Determination and identification of synthetic cannabinoids and their metabolites in different matrices by modern analytical techniques – a review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Znaleziona, Joanna; Ginterová, Pavlína; Petr, Jan [Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, 17. Listopadu 12, Olomouc CZ-77146 (Czech Republic); Ondra, Peter; Válka, Ivo [Department of Forensic Medicine and Medical Law Faculty Hospital, Hněvotínská 3, Olomouc CZ-77146 (Czech Republic); Ševčík, Juraj [Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, 17. Listopadu 12, Olomouc CZ-77146 (Czech Republic); Chrastina, Jan [Institute of Special Education Studies, Faculty of Education, Palacký University, Žižkovo náměsti 5, Olomouc CZ-77146 (Czech Republic); Maier, Vítězslav, E-mail: vitezslav.maier@upol.cz [Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, 17. Listopadu 12, Olomouc CZ-77146 (Czech Republic)

    2015-05-18

    Highlights: • Synthetic cannabinoids from analytical point of view. • Determination and identification methods of synthetic cannabinoids in different matrices. • Analytical techniques used from thin layer chromatography to high resolution mass spectrometry. • Detailed survey of gas and liquid chromatography methods for synthetic cannabinoids analysis. - Abstract: Synthetic cannabinoids have gained popularity due to their easy accessibility and psychoactive effects. Furthermore, they cannot be detected in urine by routine drug monitoring. The wide range of active ingredients in analyzed matrices hinders the development of a standard analytical method for their determination. Moreover, their possible side effects are not well known which increases the danger. This review is focused on the sample preparation and the determination of synthetic cannabinoids in different matrices (serum, urine, herbal blends, oral fluid, hair) published since 2004. The review includes separation and identification techniques, such as thin layer chromatography, gas and liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis, mostly coupled with mass spectrometry. The review also includes results by spectral methods like infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance or direct-injection mass spectrometry.

  2. Evaluation of structural reliability using simulation methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baballëku Markel

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Eurocode describes the 'index of reliability' as a measure of structural reliability, related to the 'probability of failure'. This paper is focused on the assessment of this index for a reinforced concrete bridge pier. It is rare to explicitly use reliability concepts for design of structures, but the problems of structural engineering are better known through them. Some of the main methods for the estimation of the probability of failure are the exact analytical integration, numerical integration, approximate analytical methods and simulation methods. Monte Carlo Simulation is used in this paper, because it offers a very good tool for the estimation of probability in multivariate functions. Complicated probability and statistics problems are solved through computer aided simulations of a large number of tests. The procedures of structural reliability assessment for the bridge pier and the comparison with the partial factor method of the Eurocodes have been demonstrated in this paper.

  3. Application of a digital technique in evaluating the reliability of shade guides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cal, E; Sonugelen, M; Guneri, P; Kesercioglu, A; Kose, T

    2004-05-01

    There appears to be a need for a reliable method for quantification of tooth colour and analysis of shade. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to show the applicability of graphic software in colour analysis and secondly to investigate the reliability of commercial shade guides produced by the same manufacturer, using this digital technique. After confirming the reliability and reproducibility of the digital method by using self-assessed coloured images, three shade guides of the same manufacturer were photographed in daylight and in studio environments with a digital camera and saved in tagged image file format (TIFF) format. Colour analysis of each photograph was performed using the Adobe Photoshop 4.0 graphic program. Luminosity, and red, green, blue (L and RGB) values of each shade tab of each shade guide were measured and the data were subjected to statistical analysis using the repeated measure Anova test. The L and RGB values of the images taken in daylight differed significantly from those of the images taken in studio environment (P < 0.05). In both environments, the luminosity and red values of the shade tabs were significantly different from each other (P < 0.05). It was concluded that, when the environmental conditions were kept constant, the Adobe Photoshop 4.0 colour analysis program could be used to analyse the colour of images. On the other hand, the results revealed that the accuracy of shade tabs widely being used in colour matching should be readdressed.

  4. Voltammetric technique, a panacea for analytical examination of environmental samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zahir, E.; Mohiuddin, S.; Naqvi, I.I.

    2012-01-01

    Voltammetric methods for trace metal analysis in environmental samples of marine origin like mangrove, sediments and shrimps are generally recommended. Three different electro-analytical techniques i.e. polarography, anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) and adsorptive stripping voltammetry (ADSV) have been used. Cd/sub 2/+, Pb/sub 2/+, Cu/sub 2/+ and Mn/sub 2/+ were determined through ASV, Cr/sub 6/+ was analyzed by ADSV and Fe/sub 2/+, Zn/sub 2/+, Ni/sub 2/+ and Co/sub 2/+ were determined through polarography. Out of which pairs of Fe/sub 2/+Zn/sub 2/+ and Ni/sub 2/+Co/sub 2/+ were determined in two separate runs while Cd/sub 2/+, Pb/sub 2/+, Cu/sub 2/+ were analyzed in single run of ASV. Sensitivity and speciation capabilities of voltammetric methods have been employed. Analysis conditions were optimized that includes selection of supporting electrolyte, pH, working electrodes, sweep rate etc. Stripping voltammetry was adopted for analysis at ultra trace levels. Statistical parameters for analytical method development like selectivity factor, interference, repeatability (0.0065-0.130 macro g/g), reproducibility (0.08125-1.625 macro g/g), detection limits (0.032-5.06 macro g/g), limits of quantification (0.081-12.652 macro g/g), sensitivities (5.636-2.15 nA mL macro g-1) etc. were also determined. The percentage recoveries were found in between 95-105% using certified reference materials. Real samples of complex marine environment from Karachi coastline were also analyzed. The standard addition method was employed where any matrix effect was evidenced. (author)

  5. Neutron logging reliability techniques and apparatus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnstone, C.W.

    1978-01-01

    This invention relates in general to neutron logging of earth formations, and in particular, to novel apparatus and procedures for determining the validity, or reliability, of data derived at least in part by logging neutron characteristics of earth formations and, if desired, for affording verifiably accurate indications of such data

  6. Neutron logging reliability techniques and apparatus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnstone, C.W.

    1974-01-01

    This invention relates in general to neutron logging of earth formations, and in particular, to novel apparatus and procedures for determining the validity, or reliability, of data derived at least in part by logging neutron characteristics of earth formations and, if desired, for affording verifiably accurate indications of such data. (author)

  7. Introduction on microbiological and biological methods and their possible combination with other analytical techniques for the detection of irradiated food

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leonardi, M.

    1991-01-01

    Food irradiation is a physical method of processing and preserving food. One of the main purposes of the application of this technology to food is to obtain specific biological effects on the treated foodstuff. Typical examples of these treatment effects are listed in the article. A whole range of techniques is at disposal of the analyst to assure the Quality Control (QC) of various foodstuffs. They are based on microbiological, organoleptical, chemical, biochemical, immunological and/or physical methods. In the case of irradiation preserved food the opinion of the writer is that very often only a combination of analytical methods can solve the problem of detection of irradiated foodstuffs and in particular in most cases this combination could be formed by a biological or microbiological method + a chemical or physical one. The meaning of these combination of techniques is manifold. Combining the advantages of a rapid screening method with those of a more refined, reliable, even if more time consuming one; offering the possibility to carry out the analysis for the control of irradiated foodstuffs to different kinds of food control laboratories, often equipped in a different way, are some of the most evident advantages. These methods are briefly explained. At present, none method seems promising for the quantitative determination of the irradiation dose. Moreover, some of the proposed methods can only give a good presumption of the irradiation treatment applied to particular foodstuffs. (18 refs)

  8. Recent Studies on the Speciation and Determination of Mercury in Different Environmental Matrices Using Various Analytical Techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lakshmi Narayana Suvarapu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper reviews the current research on the speciation and determination of mercury by various analytical techniques, including the atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS, voltammetry, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES, ICP-mass spectrometry (MS, atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS, spectrophotometry, spectrofluorometry, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC. Approximately 96 research papers on the speciation and determination of mercury by various analytical instruments published in international journals since 2015 were reviewed. All analytical parameters, including the limits of detection, linearity range, quality assurance and control, applicability, and interfering ions, evaluated in the reviewed articles were tabulated. In this review, we found a lack of information in speciation studies of mercury in recent years. Another important conclusion from this review was that there were few studies regarding the concentration of mercury in the atmosphere.

  9. Dependent systems reliability estimation by structural reliability approach

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kostandyan, Erik; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

    2014-01-01

    Estimation of system reliability by classical system reliability methods generally assumes that the components are statistically independent, thus limiting its applicability in many practical situations. A method is proposed for estimation of the system reliability with dependent components, where...... the leading failure mechanism(s) is described by physics of failure model(s). The proposed method is based on structural reliability techniques and accounts for both statistical and failure effect correlations. It is assumed that failure of any component is due to increasing damage (fatigue phenomena...... identification. Application of the proposed method can be found in many real world systems....

  10. Proficiency Testing by Interlaboratory Comparison Performed in 2010-2015 for Neutron Activation Analysis and Other Analytical Techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2017-12-01

    The IAEA supports its Member States to increase the utilization of their research reactors. Small and medium sized reactors are mostly used for neutron activation analysis (NAA). Although the markets for NAA laboratories have been identified, demonstration of valid analytical results and organizational quality of the work process are preconditions for expanding the stakeholder community, particularly in commercial routine application of this powerful technique. The IAEA has implemented a new mechanism for supporting NAA laboratories in demonstrating their analytical performance by participation in proficiency testing schemes by interlaboratory comparison. This activity makes possible the identification of deviations and non-conformities, their causes and the process to implement effective approaches to eliminate them. Over 30 laboratories participated between 2010 and 2015 in consecutive proficiency tests organized by the IAEA in conjunction with the Wageningen Evaluating Programmes for Analytical Laboratories (WEPAL) to assess their analytical performances. This publication reports the findings and includes lessons learned of this activity. An attached CD-ROM contains many individual participating laboratory papers sharing their individual results and experience gained through this participation.

  11. Development and evaluation of analytical techniques for total chlorine in used oils and oil fuels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaskill, A. Jr.; Estes, E.D.; Hardison, D.L.; Friedman, P.H.

    1990-01-01

    A current EPA regulation prohibits the sale for burning in nonindustrial boilers of used oils and oil fuels. This paper discusses how analytical techniques for determining total chlorine were evaluated to provide regulatory agencies and the regulated community with appropriate chlorine test methods. The techniques evaluated included oxygen bomb combustion followed by chemical titration or ion chromatography, instrumental microcoulometry, field test kits, and instrumental furnace/specific ion electrode determinator, a device based on the Beilstein reaction, and x-ray fluorescence spectrometry. These techniques were subjected to interlaboratory testing to estimate their precision, accuracy, and sensitivity. Virgin and used crankcase oils, hydraulic and metalworking oils, oil fuels and oil fuel blends with used oils were tested. The bomb techniques, one of the test kits, microcoulometry and all but one x-ray analyzer were found to be suitable for this application. The chlorine furnace and the Beilstein device were found to be inapplicable at the levels of interest

  12. Evaluation of available analytical techniques for monitoring the quality of space station potable water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geer, Richard D.

    1989-01-01

    To assure the quality of potable water (PW) on the Space Station (SS) a number of chemical and physical tests must be conducted routinely. After reviewing the requirements for potable water, both direct and indirect analytical methods are evaluated that could make the required tests and improvements compatible with the Space Station operation. A variety of suggestions are made to improve the analytical techniques for SS operation. The most important recommendations are: (1) the silver/silver chloride electrode (SB) method of removing I sub 2/I (-) biocide from the water, since it may interfere with analytical procedures for PW and also its end uses; (2) the orbital reactor (OR) method of carrying out chemistry and electrochemistry in microgravity by using a disk shaped reactor on an orbital table to impart artificial G force to the contents, allowing solution mixing and separation of gases and liquids; and (3) a simple ultra low volume highly sensitive electrochemical/conductivity detector for use with a capillary zone electrophoresis apparatus. It is also recommended, since several different conductivity and resistance measurements are made during the analysis of PW, that the bipolar pulse measuring circuit be used in all these applications for maximum compatibility and redundancy of equipment.

  13. Quantitative determination of the intensities of known components in spectra obtained from surface analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, G.C.

    1984-01-01

    Linear least-squares methods have been used to quantitatively decompose experimental data obtained from surface analytical techniques into its separate components. The mathematical procedure for accomplishing this is described and examples are given of the use of this method with data obtained from Auger electron spectroscopy [both N(E) and derivative], x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and low energy ion scattering spectroscopy. The requirements on the quality of the data are discussed

  14. Reliability and validity of the ultrasound technique to measure the rectus femoris muscle diameter in older CAD-patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomaes Tom

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The increasing age of coronary artery disease (CAD patients and the occurrence of sarcopenia in the elderly population accompanied by 'fear of moving' and hospitalization in these patients often results in a substantial loss of skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength. Cardiac rehabilitation can improve exercise tolerance and muscle strength in CAD patients but less data describe eventual morphological muscular changes possibly by more difficult access to imaging techniques. Therefore the aim of this study is to assess and quantify the reliability and validity of an easy applicable method, the ultrasound (US technique, to measure the diameter of rectus femoris muscle in comparison to the muscle dimensions measured with CT scans. Methods 45 older CAD patients without cardiac event during the last 9 months were included in this study. 25 patients were tested twice with ultrasound with a two day interval to assess test-retest reliability and 20 patients were tested twice (once with US and once with CT on the same day to assess the validity of the US technique compared to CT as the gold standard. Isometric and isokinetic muscle testing was performed to test potential zero-order correlations between muscle diameter, muscle volume and muscle force. Results An intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC of 0.97 ((95%CL: 0.92 - 0.99 was found for the test-retest reliability of US and the ICC computed between US and CT was 0.92 (95%CL: 0.81 - 0.97. The absolute difference between both techniques was 0.01 ± 0.12 cm (p = 0.66 resulting in a typical percentage error of 4.4%. Significant zero-order correlations were found between local muscle volume and muscle diameter assessed with CT (r = 0.67, p = 0.001 and assessed with US (r = 0.49, p Conclusions Ultrasound imaging can be used as a valid and reliable measurement tool to assess the rectus femoris muscle diameter in older CAD patients.

  15. Recent analytical applications of magnetic nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Faraji

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Analytical chemistry has experienced, as well as other areas of science, a big change due to the needs and opportunities provided by analytical nanoscience and nanotechnology. Now, nanotechnology is increasingly proving to be a powerful ally of analytical chemistry to achieve its objectives, and to simplify analytical processes. Moreover, the information needs arising from the growing nanotechnological activity are opening an exciting new field of action for analytical chemists. Magnetic nanoparticles have been used in various fields owing to their unique properties including large specific surface area and simple separation with magnetic fields. For Analytical applications, they have been used mainly for sample preparation techniques (magnetic solid phase extraction with different advanced functional groups (layered double hydroxide, β-cyclodextrin, carbon nanotube, graphen, polymer, octadecylsilane and automation of it, microextraction techniques enantioseparation and chemosensors. This review summarizes the basic principles and achievements of magnetic nanoparticles in sample preparation techniques, enantioseparation and chemosensors. Also, some selected articles recently published (2010-2016 have been reviewed and discussed.

  16. Role of nuclear analytical probe techniques in biological trace element research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, K.W.; Pounds, J.G.

    1985-01-01

    Many biomedical experiments require the qualitative and quantitative localization of trace elements with high sensitivity and good spatial resolution. The feasibility of measuring the chemical form of the elements, the time course of trace elements metabolism, and of conducting experiments in living biological systems are also important requirements for biological trace element research. Nuclear analytical techniques that employ ion or photon beams have grown in importance in the past decade and have led to several new experimental approaches. Some of the important features of these methods are reviewed here along with their role in trace element research, and examples of their use are given to illustrate potential for new research directions. It is emphasized that the effective application of these methods necessitates a closely integrated multidisciplinary scientific team. 21 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

  17. Intracavity optogalvanic spectroscopy. An analytical technique for 14C analysis with subattomole sensitivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murnick, Daniel E; Dogru, Ozgur; Ilkmen, Erhan

    2008-07-01

    We show a new ultrasensitive laser-based analytical technique, intracavity optogalvanic spectroscopy, allowing extremely high sensitivity for detection of (14)C-labeled carbon dioxide. Capable of replacing large accelerator mass spectrometers, the technique quantifies attomoles of (14)C in submicrogram samples. Based on the specificity of narrow laser resonances coupled with the sensitivity provided by standing waves in an optical cavity and detection via impedance variations, limits of detection near 10(-15) (14)C/(12)C ratios are obtained. Using a 15-W (14)CO2 laser, a linear calibration with samples from 10(-15) to >1.5 x 10(-12) in (14)C/(12)C ratios, as determined by accelerator mass spectrometry, is demonstrated. Possible applications include microdosing studies in drug development, individualized subtherapeutic tests of drug metabolism, carbon dating and real time monitoring of atmospheric radiocarbon. The method can also be applied to detection of other trace entities.

  18. An automated method for estimating reliability of grid systems using Bayesian networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doguc, Ozge; Emmanuel Ramirez-Marquez, Jose

    2012-01-01

    Grid computing has become relevant due to its applications to large-scale resource sharing, wide-area information transfer, and multi-institutional collaborating. In general, in grid computing a service requests the use of a set of resources, available in a grid, to complete certain tasks. Although analysis tools and techniques for these types of systems have been studied, grid reliability analysis is generally computation-intensive to obtain due to the complexity of the system. Moreover, conventional reliability models have some common assumptions that cannot be applied to the grid systems. Therefore, new analytical methods are needed for effective and accurate assessment of grid reliability. This study presents a new method for estimating grid service reliability, which does not require prior knowledge about the grid system structure unlike the previous studies. Moreover, the proposed method does not rely on any assumptions about the link and node failure rates. This approach is based on a data-mining algorithm, the K2, to discover the grid system structure from raw historical system data, that allows to find minimum resource spanning trees (MRST) within the grid then, uses Bayesian networks (BN) to model the MRST and estimate grid service reliability.

  19. A new multi-step technique with differential transform method for analytical solution of some nonlinear variable delay differential equations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benhammouda, Brahim; Vazquez-Leal, Hector

    2016-01-01

    This work presents an analytical solution of some nonlinear delay differential equations (DDEs) with variable delays. Such DDEs are difficult to treat numerically and cannot be solved by existing general purpose codes. A new method of steps combined with the differential transform method (DTM) is proposed as a powerful tool to solve these DDEs. This method reduces the DDEs to ordinary differential equations that are then solved by the DTM. Furthermore, we show that the solutions can be improved by Laplace-Padé resummation method. Two examples are presented to show the efficiency of the proposed technique. The main advantage of this technique is that it possesses a simple procedure based on a few straight forward steps and can be combined with any analytical method, other than the DTM, like the homotopy perturbation method.

  20. Preparation of uranium targets and application of analytical techniques for its evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luna Z, D.

    1994-01-01

    The objective of this work is to establish a method to produce uranium targets. The method selected for this purpose was the molecular plating. The first part of this work is devoted to the proper selection of an analytical technique to evaluate the different steps of the molecular plating method. Neutron Activation Analysis was chosen, because its high sensitivity and can be adapted easily to follow the whole procedure. The second part presents the experimental procedure and the study of the different parameters involved in the molecular plating and the evaluation of its uniformity was made using plastic track detectors. The results obtained are presented and a procedure is suggested to produce uranium targets. (Author)

  1. Uncovering category specificity of genital sexual arousal in women: The critical role of analytic technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pulverman, Carey S; Hixon, J Gregory; Meston, Cindy M

    2015-10-01

    Based on analytic techniques that collapse data into a single average value, it has been reported that women lack category specificity and show genital sexual arousal to a large range of sexual stimuli including those that both match and do not match their self-reported sexual interests. These findings may be a methodological artifact of the way in which data are analyzed. This study examined whether using an analytic technique that models data over time would yield different results. Across two studies, heterosexual (N = 19) and lesbian (N = 14) women viewed erotic films featuring heterosexual, lesbian, and gay male couples, respectively, as their physiological sexual arousal was assessed with vaginal photoplethysmography. Data analysis with traditional methods comparing average genital arousal between films failed to detect specificity of genital arousal for either group. When data were analyzed with smoothing regression splines and a within-subjects approach, both heterosexual and lesbian women demonstrated different patterns of genital sexual arousal to the different types of erotic films, suggesting that sophisticated statistical techniques may be necessary to more fully understand women's genital sexual arousal response. Heterosexual women showed category-specific genital sexual arousal. Lesbian women showed higher arousal to the heterosexual film than the other films. However, within subjects, lesbian women showed significantly different arousal responses suggesting that lesbian women's genital arousal discriminates between different categories of stimuli at the individual level. Implications for the future use of vaginal photoplethysmography as a diagnostic tool of sexual preferences in clinical and forensic settings are discussed. © 2015 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

  2. Reliability of electronic systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roca, Jose L.

    2001-01-01

    Reliability techniques have been developed subsequently as a need of the diverse engineering disciplines, nevertheless they are not few those that think they have been work a lot on reliability before the same word was used in the current context. Military, space and nuclear industries were the first ones that have been involved in this topic, however not only in these environments it is that it has been carried out this small great revolution in benefit of the increase of the reliability figures of the products of those industries, but rather it has extended to the whole industry. The fact of the massive production, characteristic of the current industries, drove four decades ago, to the fall of the reliability of its products, on one hand, because the massively itself and, for other, to the recently discovered and even not stabilized industrial techniques. Industry should be changed according to those two new requirements, creating products of medium complexity and assuring an enough reliability appropriated to production costs and controls. Reliability began to be integral part of the manufactured product. Facing this philosophy, the book describes reliability techniques applied to electronics systems and provides a coherent and rigorous framework for these diverse activities providing a unifying scientific basis for the entire subject. It consists of eight chapters plus a lot of statistical tables and an extensive annotated bibliography. Chapters embrace the following topics: 1- Introduction to Reliability; 2- Basic Mathematical Concepts; 3- Catastrophic Failure Models; 4-Parametric Failure Models; 5- Systems Reliability; 6- Reliability in Design and Project; 7- Reliability Tests; 8- Software Reliability. This book is in Spanish language and has a potentially diverse audience as a text book from academic to industrial courses. (author)

  3. Earth Science Data Analytics: Bridging Tools and Techniques with the Co-Analysis of Large, Heterogeneous Datasets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kempler, Steve; Mathews, Tiffany

    2016-01-01

    The continuum of ever-evolving data management systems affords great opportunities to the enhancement of knowledge and facilitation of science research. To take advantage of these opportunities, it is essential to understand and develop methods that enable data relationships to be examined and the information to be manipulated. This presentation describes the efforts of the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Federation Earth Science Data Analytics (ESDA) Cluster to understand, define, and facilitate the implementation of ESDA to advance science research. As a result of the void of Earth science data analytics publication material, the cluster has defined ESDA along with 10 goals to set the framework for a common understanding of tools and techniques that are available and still needed to support ESDA.

  4. Dynamic reliability networks with self-healing units

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jenab, K.; Seyed Hosseini, S.M.; Dhillon, B.S.

    2008-01-01

    This paper presents an analytical approach for dynamic reliability networks used for the failure limit strategy in maintenance optimization. The proposed approach utilizes the moment generating function (MGF) and the flow-graph concept to depict the functional and reliability diagrams of the system comprised of series, parallel or mix configuration of self-healing units. The self-healing unit is featured by the embedded failure detection and recovery mechanisms presented by self-loop in flow-graph networks. The newly developed analytical approach provides the probability of the system failure and time-to-failure data i.e., mean and standard deviation time-to-failure used for maintenance optimization

  5. Systematic comparison of static and dynamic headspace sampling techniques for gas chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kremser, Andreas; Jochmann, Maik A; Schmidt, Torsten C

    2016-09-01

    Six automated, headspace-based sample preparation techniques were used to extract volatile analytes from water with the goal of establishing a systematic comparison between commonly available instrumental alternatives. To that end, these six techniques were used in conjunction with the same gas chromatography instrument for analysis of a common set of volatile organic carbon (VOC) analytes. The methods were thereby divided into three classes: static sampling (by syringe or loop), static enrichment (SPME and PAL SPME Arrow), and dynamic enrichment (ITEX and trap sampling). For PAL SPME Arrow, different sorption phase materials were also included in the evaluation. To enable an effective comparison, method detection limits (MDLs), relative standard deviations (RSDs), and extraction yields were determined and are discussed for all techniques. While static sampling techniques exhibited sufficient extraction yields (approx. 10-20 %) to be reliably used down to approx. 100 ng L(-1), enrichment techniques displayed extraction yields of up to 80 %, resulting in MDLs down to the picogram per liter range. RSDs for all techniques were below 27 %. The choice on one of the different instrumental modes of operation (aforementioned classes) was thereby the most influential parameter in terms of extraction yields and MDLs. Individual methods inside each class showed smaller deviations, and the least influences were observed when evaluating different sorption phase materials for the individual enrichment techniques. The option of selecting specialized sorption phase materials may, however, be more important when analyzing analytes with different properties such as high polarity or the capability of specific molecular interactions. Graphical Abstract PAL SPME Arrow during the extraction of volatile analytes from the headspace of an aqueous sample.

  6. Predicting core losses and efficiency of SRM in continuous current mode of operation using improved analytical technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parsapour, Amir; Dehkordi, Behzad Mirzaeian; Moallem, Mehdi

    2015-01-01

    In applications in which the high torque per ampere at low speed and rated power at high speed are required, the continuous current method is the best solution. However, there is no report on calculating the core loss of SRM in continuous current mode of operation. Efficiency and iron loss calculation which are complex tasks in case of conventional mode of operation is even more involved in continuous current mode of operation. In this paper, the Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) is modeled using finite element method and core loss and copper loss of SRM in discontinuous and continuous current modes of operation are calculated using improved analytical techniques to include the minor loop losses in continuous current mode of operation. Motor efficiency versus speed in both operation modes is obtained and compared. - Highlights: • Continuous current method for Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) is explained. • An improved analytical technique is presented for SRM core loss calculation. • SRM losses in discontinuous and continuous current operation modes are presented. • Effect of mutual inductances on SRM performance is investigated

  7. Predicting core losses and efficiency of SRM in continuous current mode of operation using improved analytical technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parsapour, Amir, E-mail: amirparsapour@gmail.com [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Isfahan, Isfahan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Dehkordi, Behzad Mirzaeian, E-mail: mirzaeian@eng.ui.ac.ir [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Isfahan, Isfahan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Moallem, Mehdi, E-mail: moallem@cc.iut.ac.ir [Department of Electrical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2015-03-15

    In applications in which the high torque per ampere at low speed and rated power at high speed are required, the continuous current method is the best solution. However, there is no report on calculating the core loss of SRM in continuous current mode of operation. Efficiency and iron loss calculation which are complex tasks in case of conventional mode of operation is even more involved in continuous current mode of operation. In this paper, the Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) is modeled using finite element method and core loss and copper loss of SRM in discontinuous and continuous current modes of operation are calculated using improved analytical techniques to include the minor loop losses in continuous current mode of operation. Motor efficiency versus speed in both operation modes is obtained and compared. - Highlights: • Continuous current method for Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) is explained. • An improved analytical technique is presented for SRM core loss calculation. • SRM losses in discontinuous and continuous current operation modes are presented. • Effect of mutual inductances on SRM performance is investigated.

  8. Examination of fast reactor fuels, FBR analytical quality assurance standards and methods, and analytical methods development: irradiation tests. Progress report, April 1--June 30, 1976, and FY 1976

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baker, R.D.

    1976-08-01

    Characterization of unirradiated and irradiated LMFBR fuels by analytical chemistry methods will continue, and additional methods will be modified and mechanized for hot cell application. Macro- and microexaminations will be made on fuel and cladding using the shielded electron microprobe, emission spectrograph, radiochemistry, gamma scanner, mass spectrometers, and other analytical facilities. New capabilities will be developed in gamma scanning, analyses to assess spatial distributions of fuel and fission products, mass spectrometric measurements of burnup and fission gas constituents and other chemical analyses. Microstructural analyses of unirradiated and irradiated materials will continue using optical and electron microscopy and autoradiographic and x-ray techniques. Analytical quality assurance standards tasks are designed to assure the quality of the chemical characterizations necessary to evaluate reactor components relative to specifications. Tasks include: (1) the preparation and distribution of calibration materials and quality control samples for use in quality assurance surveillance programs, (2) the development of and the guidance in the use of quality assurance programs for sampling and analysis, (3) the development of improved methods of analysis, and (4) the preparation of continuously updated analytical method manuals. Reliable analytical methods development for the measurement of burnup, oxygen-to-metal (O/M) ratio, and various gases in irradiated fuels is described

  9. In Situ Analytical Characterization of Contaminated Sites Using Nuclear Spectrometry Techniques. Review of Methodologies and Measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2017-01-01

    Past and current human activities can result in the contamination of sites by radionuclides and heavy metals. The sources of contamination are various. The most important sources for radionuclide release include global fallout from nuclear testing, nuclear and radiological accidents, waste production from nuclear facilities, and activities involving naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). Contamination of the environment by heavy metals mainly originates from industrial applications and mineralogical background concentration. Contamination of sites by radionuclides and heavy metals can present a risk to people and the environment. Therefore, the estimation of the contamination level and the identification of the source constitute important information for the national authorities with the responsibility to protect people and the environment from adverse health effects. In situ analytical techniques based on nuclear spectrometry are important tools for the characterization of contaminated sites. Much progress has been made in the design and implementation of portable systems for efficient and effective monitoring of radioactivity and heavy metals in the environment directly on-site. Accordingly, the IAEA organized a Technical Meeting to review the current status and trends of various applications of in situ nuclear spectrometry techniques for analytical characterization of contaminated sites and to support Member States in their national environmental monitoring programmes applying portable instrumentation. This publication represents a comprehensive review of the in situ gamma ray spectrometry and field portable X ray fluorescence analysis techniques for the characterization of contaminated sites. It includes papers on the use of these techniques, which provide useful background information for conducting similar studies, in the following Member States: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania

  10. Contribution of analytical techniques coupled to the knowledge of the uranium speciation in natural conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petit, J.

    2009-06-01

    To understand the transport mechanisms and the radionuclides behaviour in the bio-geosphere is necessary to evaluate healthy and environmental risks of nuclear industry. These mechanisms are monitored by radioelements speciation, namely the distribution between their different physico-chemical forms in the environment. From this perspective, this PhD thesis deals with uranium speciation in a natural background. A detailed summary of uranium biogeochemistry has been written, which enables to restrict the PhD issue to uranium complexation with oxalic acid, a hydrophilic organic acid with good binding properties, ubiquitous in soil waters. Analytical conditions have been established by means of speciation diagrams. The speciation diagrams building by means of literature stability constants has allowed to define the analytical conditions of complex formation. The chosen analytical technique is the hyphenation of a separative technique (liquid chromatography LC or capillary electrophoresis CE) with mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The studied complexes presence in the synthetic samples has been confirmed with UV/visible spectrophotometry. LC-ICPMS analyses have proved the lability of the uranyl-organic acid complexes, namely their tendency to dissociate during analysis, which prevents from studying uranium speciation. CE-ICPMS study of labile complexes from a metal-ligand system has been made possible by employing affinity capillary electrophoresis, which enables to determine stability constants and electrophoretic mobilities. This PhD thesis has allowed to compare the different mathematical treatments of binding isotherm and to take into account ionic strength and real ligand concentration. Affinity CE has been applied successfully to lanthanum-oxalate (model system) and uranium-oxalate systems. The obtained results have been applied to a real system (situated in Le Bouchet). This shows the contribution of the developed method to the modelling of uranium speciation. (author)

  11. Analytical techniques for determination and control of silica content in the water in thermal power plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ignjatović Nataša R.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Ultrapure water with minimum contents of impurities is used for the preparation of steam in thermal power plants. More recently it has been found that the corrosion process is also influenced by sodium ions, chloride ions, and all forms of silicon in water. At higher temperatures and under high pressure the less soluble compounds of silicon are extracted, which form deposits on the walls of the boiler, the piping system and the turbine blades. Silicon is found in water in the form of different types (species which are characterized by specific physical and chemical properties. Distinctions can be made between highly reactive species of ionic (silicate anions and molecular forms (silicic acid and relatively inert types (suspended, colloidal, and polymerized silicon. The determination of various forms of silicon in water is a complex analytical task. This paper covers relevant research in the field of silicon specification analysis. Maintaining the unchanged, original composition of silicon species during various stages of analysis (sample collection, storage, and conservation has been given special attention. A large number of methods and procedures have been developed for the analysis of species of silicon, including chromatographic, spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques and combinations thereof. The techniques used for determining both the total amount and individual forms of silicon have been singled out. There is also an overview of the coupled techniques used most frequently in practice by using the methodology which involves preliminary separation of species and then individual specification. The paper offers an overview of analytical properties, advantages and disadvantages of the most representative analytical methods developed specifically for the analysis of silicon species in ultrapure water. The most important studies focusing on the silicon species in water have been highlighted and presented in detail. The determination of

  12. Commissioning of the laboratory of Atucha II NPP. Implementation and optimization of analytical techniques, quality aspects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schoenbrod, Betina; Quispe, Benjamin; Cattaneo, Alberto; Rodriguez, Ivanna; Chocron, Mauricio; Farias, Silvia

    2012-09-01

    Atucha II NPP is a Pressurized Vessel Heavy Water Reactor (PVHWR) of 740 MWe designed by SIEMENSKWU. After some years of delay, this NPP is in advanced construction state, being the beginning of commercial operation expected for 2013. Nucleoelectrica Argentina (N.A.S.A.) is the company in charge of the finalization of this project and the future operation of the plant. The Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica (C.N.E.A.) is the R and D nuclear institution in the country that, among many other topics, provides technical support to the stations. The Commissioning Chemistry Division of CNAII is in charge of the commissioning of the demineralization water plant and the organization of the chemical laboratory. The water plant started operating successfully in July 2010 and is providing the plant with nuclear grade purity water. Currently, in the conventional ('cold') laboratory several activities are taking place. On one hand, analytical techniques for the future operation of the plant are being tested and optimized. On the other hand, the laboratory is participating in the cleaning and conservation of the different components of the plant, providing technical support and the necessary analysis. To define the analytical techniques for the normal operation of the plant, the parameters to be measured and their range were established in the Chemistry Manual. The necessary equipment and reagents were bought. In this work, a summary of the analytical techniques that are being implemented and optimized is presented. Common anions (chloride, sulfate, fluoride, bromide and nitrate) are analyzed by ion chromatography. Cations, mainly sodium, are determined by absorption spectrometry. A UV-Vis spectrometer is used to determine silicates, iron, ammonia, DQO, total solids, true color and turbidity. TOC measurements are performed with a TOC analyzer. To optimize the methods, several parameters are evaluated: linearity, detection and quantification limits, precision and

  13. Atomic and nuclear analytical methods. XRF, Moessbauer, XPS, NAA and ion-beam spectroscopic techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verma, H.R.

    2007-01-01

    This book is a blend of analytical methods based on the phenomenon of atomic and nuclear physics. It comprises comprehensive presentations about X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Moessbauer Spectroscopy (MS), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Neutron- Activation Analysis (NAA), Particle Induced X-ray Emission Analysis (PIXE), Rutherford Backscattering Analysis (RBS), Elastic Recoil Detection (ERD), Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA), Particle Induced Gamma-ray Emission Analysis (PIGE), and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). These techniques are commonly applied in the fields of medicine, biology, environmental studies, archaeology or geology et al. and pursued in major international research laboratories. (orig.)

  14. Development and evaluation of analytical techniques for total chlorine in burner fuels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaskill, A. Jr.; Estes, E.D.; Hardison, D.L.; Friedman, P.H.

    1987-01-01

    A current EPA regulation prohibits the sale for burning in non-industrial boilers of used oils and oil fuels contaminated above specified levels with certain metals and total chlorine. When burned as fuel in a small boiler, the contaminants may be emitted to the ambient air at hazardous levels. This regulation establishes a rebuttable presumption that used oil containing more than 1,000 ppm total chlorine has been mixed with halogenated solvents and is a hazardous waste. Rebutting the presumption requires the seller of the oil to prove that this chlorine is not due to halogenated solvents or other hazardous halogenated organics. If the rebuttal is successful, the oil can be sold as fuel up to a level of 4000 ppm total chlorine. Analytical techniques for determination of total chlorine were evaluated or developed to provide regulatory agencies and the regulated community with appropriate chlorine test methods. The techniques evaluated included chemical titrations following oxygen bomb combustion, disposable field test kits, instrumental microcoulometry, and x-ray fluorescence spectrometry. These candidate techniques were subjected to interlaboratory testing to estimate their precision, accuracy, sensitivity, and susceptibility to matrix effects. Information on ease of use and analysis costs was also collected. Based on this pilot study, test methods will be written for the most promising techniques and subjected to a formal collaborative study to generate precision and accuracy data for each method. These methods are to be proposed in the Federal Register as mandatory for compliance with the existing used oil regulation

  15. An integrated approach using orthogonal analytical techniques to characterize heparan sulfate structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beccati, Daniela; Lech, Miroslaw; Ozug, Jennifer; Gunay, Nur Sibel; Wang, Jing; Sun, Elaine Y; Pradines, Joël R; Farutin, Victor; Shriver, Zachary; Kaundinya, Ganesh V; Capila, Ishan

    2017-02-01

    Heparan sulfate (HS), a glycosaminoglycan present on the surface of cells, has been postulated to have important roles in driving both normal and pathological physiologies. The chemical structure and sulfation pattern (domain structure) of HS is believed to determine its biological function, to vary across tissue types, and to be modified in the context of disease. Characterization of HS requires isolation and purification of cell surface HS as a complex mixture. This process may introduce additional chemical modification of the native residues. In this study, we describe an approach towards thorough characterization of bovine kidney heparan sulfate (BKHS) that utilizes a variety of orthogonal analytical techniques (e.g. NMR, IP-RPHPLC, LC-MS). These techniques are applied to characterize this mixture at various levels including composition, fragment level, and overall chain properties. The combination of these techniques in many instances provides orthogonal views into the fine structure of HS, and in other instances provides overlapping / confirmatory information from different perspectives. Specifically, this approach enables quantitative determination of natural and modified saccharide residues in the HS chains, and identifies unusual structures. Analysis of partially digested HS chains allows for a better understanding of the domain structures within this mixture, and yields specific insights into the non-reducing end and reducing end structures of the chains. This approach outlines a useful framework that can be applied to elucidate HS structure and thereby provides means to advance understanding of its biological role and potential involvement in disease progression. In addition, the techniques described here can be applied to characterization of heparin from different sources.

  16. Some areas of reliability technique which have been neglected to some extent - maintainability - human reliability - mechanical reliability - repairable systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akersten, P.A.

    1985-01-01

    The present thesis consists of four papers, three of which are of a expositary nature and one more theoretical. The first two papers have a natural coupling to the man-machine interface. The first paper is devoted to the concept of maintainability and the role of man as maintenance technician. The second paper discusses aspects of human reliability, mainly studying man as operator. However, maintenance tasks can be studied in the same manner. The third paper concerns reliability prediction for mechanical components. This is an area of vital importance for the reliability practitioner, who needs realistic and easy-to-use mathematical models for different failure modes. The fourth paper discusses mathematical models for repairable systems, especially the problem of testing whether a constant event intensity model is adequate or not. (author)

  17. A Model of Risk Analysis in Analytical Methodology for Biopharmaceutical Quality Control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrade, Cleyton Lage; Herrera, Miguel Angel De La O; Lemes, Elezer Monte Blanco

    2018-01-01

    One key quality control parameter for biopharmaceutical products is the analysis of residual cellular DNA. To determine small amounts of DNA (around 100 pg) that may be in a biologically derived drug substance, an analytical method should be sensitive, robust, reliable, and accurate. In principle, three techniques have the ability to measure residual cellular DNA: radioactive dot-blot, a type of hybridization; threshold analysis; and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Quality risk management is a systematic process for evaluating, controlling, and reporting of risks that may affects method capabilities and supports a scientific and practical approach to decision making. This paper evaluates, by quality risk management, an alternative approach to assessing the performance risks associated with quality control methods used with biopharmaceuticals, using the tool hazard analysis and critical control points. This tool provides the possibility to find the steps in an analytical procedure with higher impact on method performance. By applying these principles to DNA analysis methods, we conclude that the radioactive dot-blot assay has the largest number of critical control points, followed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and threshold analysis. From the analysis of hazards (i.e., points of method failure) and the associated method procedure critical control points, we conclude that the analytical methodology with the lowest risk for performance failure for residual cellular DNA testing is quantitative polymerase chain reaction. LAY ABSTRACT: In order to mitigate the risk of adverse events by residual cellular DNA that is not completely cleared from downstream production processes, regulatory agencies have required the industry to guarantee a very low level of DNA in biologically derived pharmaceutical products. The technique historically used was radioactive blot hybridization. However, the technique is a challenging method to implement in a quality

  18. WAYS TO INCREASE ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY OF INDIVIDUAL DOSES ASSESSMENTS IN PERSONNEL WITHIN THERMOLUMINESCENCE TECHNIQUE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. N. Kaydanovskiy

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper analyses the main sources of measurement errors of individual doses in personnel performed within the thermoluminescence technique and gives recommendations to minimize these errors. The reasons that reduce reliability of effective dose assessments derived from measured values of personal dose equivalent are imperfections of guidance documents. Changes to the Guidelines «Organization and implementation of individual dosimetric control. Staff of health institutions» are justified.

  19. Analytical quality, performance indices and laboratory service

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hilden, Jørgen; Magid, Erik

    1999-01-01

    analytical error, bias, cost effectiveness, decision-making, laboratory techniques and procedures, mass screening, models, statistical, quality control......analytical error, bias, cost effectiveness, decision-making, laboratory techniques and procedures, mass screening, models, statistical, quality control...

  20. Determination of trace impurities in uranium-transition metal alloy fuels by ICP-MS using extended common analyte internal standardization (ECAIS) technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saha, Abhijit; Deb, S.B.; Nagar, B.K.; Saxena, M.K.

    2015-01-01

    An analytical methodology was developed for the determination of eight trace impurities viz, Al, B, Cd, Co, Cu, Mg, Mn and Ni in three different uranium-transition metal alloy fuels (U-Me; Me = Ti, Zr and Mo) employing inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The well known common analyte internal standardization (CAIS) chemometric technique was modified and then employed to minimize and account for the matrix effect on analyte intensity. Standard addition of analytes to the pure synthetic U-Me sample solutions and subsequently their ≥ 94% recovery by the ICP-MS measurement validates the proposed methodology. One real sample of each of these alloys was analyzed by the developed analytical methodology and the %RSD observed was in the range of 5-8%. The method detection limits were found to be within 4-10 μg L -1 . (author)

  1. Development of an analytical theory to describe the PNAR and CIPN nondestructive assay techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bolind, Alan Michael

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Neutron albedo is modeled by a discrete and iterative reflection process. • The theory enables the PNAR and CIPN NDA techniques to be compared quantitatively. • Improvements to the data analysis and to the CIPN instrument design are suggested. • A correction to translate real no-reflection PNAR data into ideal data is provided. - Abstract: This paper develops an analytical theory to describe how neutron albedo (reflection) increases the multiplication of neutrons by a used fuel assembly. With this theory, the two nondestructive assay (NDA) techniques of Passive Neutron Albedo Reactivity (PNAR) and Californium-252 Interrogation with Prompt Neutron Detection (CIPN) can be compared directly. Specifically, the theory derives expressions for the PNAR and CIPN metrics in terms of the physical properties of the used fuel assembly, such as the neutron multiplications and fate probabilities. The theory thus clarifies the interpretation of these two NDA techniques and suggests ways to improve both the design of the NDA instruments and the algorithms for analyzing the measurement results

  2. Reliability Based Optimization of Structural Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

    1987-01-01

    The optimization problem to design structural systems such that the reliability is satisfactory during the whole lifetime of the structure is considered in this paper. Some of the quantities modelling the loads and the strength of the structure are modelled as random variables. The reliability...... is estimated using first. order reliability methods ( FORM ). The design problem is formulated as the optimization problem to minimize a given cost function such that the reliability of the single elements satisfies given requirements or such that the systems reliability satisfies a given requirement....... For these optimization problems it is described how a sensitivity analysis can be performed. Next, new optimization procedures to solve the optimization problems are presented. Two of these procedures solve the system reliability based optimization problem sequentially using quasi-analytical derivatives. Finally...

  3. Multiple Solutions of Nonlinear Boundary Value Problems of Fractional Order: A New Analytic Iterative Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omar Abu Arqub

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to present a new kind of analytical method, the so-called residual power series, to predict and represent the multiplicity of solutions to nonlinear boundary value problems of fractional order. The present method is capable of calculating all branches of solutions simultaneously, even if these multiple solutions are very close and thus rather difficult to distinguish even by numerical techniques. To verify the computational efficiency of the designed proposed technique, two nonlinear models are performed, one of them arises in mixed convection flows and the other one arises in heat transfer, which both admit multiple solutions. The results reveal that the method is very effective, straightforward, and powerful for formulating these multiple solutions.

  4. A Review on VSC-HVDC Reliability Modeling and Evaluation Techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, L.; Tang, Q.; Li, T.; Wang, Y.; Song, F.

    2017-05-01

    With the fast development of power electronics, voltage-source converter (VSC) HVDC technology presents cost-effective ways for bulk power transmission. An increasing number of VSC-HVDC projects has been installed worldwide. Their reliability affects the profitability of the system and therefore has a major impact on the potential investors. In this paper, an overview of the recent advances in the area of reliability evaluation for VSC-HVDC systems is provided. Taken into account the latest multi-level converter topology, the VSC-HVDC system is categorized into several sub-systems and the reliability data for the key components is discussed based on sources with academic and industrial backgrounds. The development of reliability evaluation methodologies is reviewed and the issues surrounding the different computation approaches are briefly analysed. A general VSC-HVDC reliability evaluation procedure is illustrated in this paper.

  5. Integration of human reliability analysis into the probabilistic risk assessment process: Phase 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bell, B.J.; Vickroy, S.C.

    1984-10-01

    A research program was initiated to develop a testable set of analytical procedures for integrating human reliability analysis (HRA) into the probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) process to more adequately assess the overall impact of human performance on risk. In this three-phase program, stand-alone HRA/PRA analytic procedures will be developed and field evaluated to provide improved methods, techniques, and models for applying quantitative and qualitative human error data which systematically integrate HRA principles, techniques, and analyses throughout the entire PRA process. Phase 1 of the program involved analysis of state-of-the-art PRAs to define the structures and processes currently in use in the industry. Phase 2 research will involve developing a new or revised PRA methodology which will enable more efficient regulation of the industry using quantitative or qualitative results of the PRA. Finally, Phase 3 will be to field test those procedures to assure that the results generated by the new methodologies will be usable and acceptable to the NRC. This paper briefly describes the first phase of the program and outlines the second

  6. Various extraction and analytical techniques for isolation and identification of secondary metabolites from Nigella sativa seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, X; Abd El-Aty, A M; Shim, J-H

    2011-10-01

    Nigella sativa L. (black cumin), commonly known as black seed, is a member of the Ranunculaceae family. This seed is used as a natural remedy in many Middle Eastern and Far Eastern countries. Extracts prepared from N. sativa have, for centuries, been used for medical purposes. Thus far, the organic compounds in N. sativa, including alkaloids, steroids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, fatty acids, etc. have been fairly well characterized. Herein, we summarize some new extraction techniques, including microwave assisted extraction (MAE) and supercritical extraction techniques (SFE), in addition to the classical method of hydrodistillation (HD), which have been employed for isolation and various analytical techniques used for the identification of secondary metabolites in black seed. We believe that some compounds contained in N. sativa remain to be identified, and that high-throughput screening could help to identify new compounds. A study addressing environmentally-friendly techniques that have minimal or no environmental effects is currently underway in our laboratory.

  7. Application of the partitive analytical forecasting (PAF) technique to the United States controlled thermonuclear research effort

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nichols, S.P.

    1975-01-01

    The Partitive Analytical Forecasting (PAF) technique is applied to the overall long-term program plans for the Division of Controlled Thermonuclear Research (DCTR) of the United States Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA). As part of the PAF technique, the Graphical Evaluation and Review Technique (GERTS) IIIZ computer code is used to perform simulations on a logic network describing the DCTR long-term program plan. Logic networks describing the tokamak, mirror, and theta-pinch developments are simulated individually and then together to form an overall DCTR program network. The results of the simulation of the overall network using various funding schemes and strategies are presented. An economic sensitivity analysis is provided for the tokamak logic networks. An analysis is also performed of the fusion-fission hybrid concept in the context of the present DCTR goals. The results mentioned above as well as the PAF technique itself are evaluated, and recommendations for further research are discussed

  8. Research review and development trends of human reliability analysis techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Pengcheng; Chen Guohua; Zhang Li; Dai Licao

    2011-01-01

    Human reliability analysis (HRA) methods are reviewed. The theoretical basis of human reliability analysis, human error mechanism, the key elements of HRA methods as well as the existing HRA methods are respectively introduced and assessed. Their shortcomings,the current research hotspot and difficult problems are identified. Finally, it takes a close look at the trends of human reliability analysis methods. (authors)

  9. Adaptive Response Surface Techniques in Reliability Estimation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Enevoldsen, I.; Faber, M. H.; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

    1993-01-01

    Problems in connection with estimation of the reliability of a component modelled by a limit state function including noise or first order discontinuitics are considered. A gradient free adaptive response surface algorithm is developed. The algorithm applies second order polynomial surfaces...

  10. Designing a reliable leak bio-detection system for natural gas pipelines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Batzias, F.A.; Siontorou, C.G.; Spanidis, P.-M.P.

    2011-01-01

    Monitoring of natural gas (NG) pipelines is an important task for economical/safety operation, loss prevention and environmental protection. Timely and reliable leak detection of gas pipeline, therefore, plays a key role in the overall integrity management for the pipeline system. Owing to the various limitations of the currently available techniques and the surveillance area that needs to be covered, the research on new detector systems is still thriving. Biosensors are worldwide considered as a niche technology in the environmental market, since they afford the desired detector capabilities at low cost, provided they have been properly designed/developed and rationally placed/networked/maintained by the aid of operational research techniques. This paper addresses NG leakage surveillance through a robust cooperative/synergistic scheme between biosensors and conventional detector systems; the network is validated in situ and optimized in order to provide reliable information at the required granularity level. The proposed scheme is substantiated through a knowledge based approach and relies on Fuzzy Multicriteria Analysis (FMCA), for selecting the best biosensor design that suits both, the target analyte and the operational micro-environment. This approach is illustrated in the design of leak surveying over a pipeline network in Greece.

  11. Designing a reliable leak bio-detection system for natural gas pipelines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Batzias, F.A., E-mail: fbatzi@unipi.gr [Univ. Piraeus, Dept. Industrial Management and Technology, Karaoli and Dimitriou 80, 18534 Piraeus (Greece); Siontorou, C.G., E-mail: csiontor@unipi.gr [Univ. Piraeus, Dept. Industrial Management and Technology, Karaoli and Dimitriou 80, 18534 Piraeus (Greece); Spanidis, P.-M.P., E-mail: pspani@asprofos.gr [Asprofos Engineering S.A, El. Venizelos 284, 17675 Kallithea (Greece)

    2011-02-15

    Monitoring of natural gas (NG) pipelines is an important task for economical/safety operation, loss prevention and environmental protection. Timely and reliable leak detection of gas pipeline, therefore, plays a key role in the overall integrity management for the pipeline system. Owing to the various limitations of the currently available techniques and the surveillance area that needs to be covered, the research on new detector systems is still thriving. Biosensors are worldwide considered as a niche technology in the environmental market, since they afford the desired detector capabilities at low cost, provided they have been properly designed/developed and rationally placed/networked/maintained by the aid of operational research techniques. This paper addresses NG leakage surveillance through a robust cooperative/synergistic scheme between biosensors and conventional detector systems; the network is validated in situ and optimized in order to provide reliable information at the required granularity level. The proposed scheme is substantiated through a knowledge based approach and relies on Fuzzy Multicriteria Analysis (FMCA), for selecting the best biosensor design that suits both, the target analyte and the operational micro-environment. This approach is illustrated in the design of leak surveying over a pipeline network in Greece.

  12. A reliable ground bounce noise reduction technique for nanoscale CMOS circuits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Vijay Kumar; Pattanaik, Manisha

    2015-11-01

    Power gating is the most effective method to reduce the standby leakage power by adding header/footer high-VTH sleep transistors between actual and virtual power/ground rails. When a power gating circuit transitions from sleep mode to active mode, a large instantaneous charge current flows through the sleep transistors. Ground bounce noise (GBN) is the high voltage fluctuation on real ground rail during sleep mode to active mode transitions of power gating circuits. GBN disturbs the logic states of internal nodes of circuits. A novel and reliable power gating structure is proposed in this article to reduce the problem of GBN. The proposed structure contains low-VTH transistors in place of high-VTH footer. The proposed power gating structure not only reduces the GBN but also improves other performance metrics. A large mitigation of leakage power in both modes eliminates the need of high-VTH transistors. A comprehensive and comparative evaluation of proposed technique is presented in this article for a chain of 5-CMOS inverters. The simulation results are compared to other well-known GBN reduction circuit techniques at 22 nm predictive technology model (PTM) bulk CMOS model using HSPICE tool. Robustness against process, voltage and temperature (PVT) variations is estimated through Monte-Carlo simulations.

  13. Production of candidate natural matrix reference materials for micro-analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeisler, R.; Fajgelj, A.; Zeiller, E.

    2002-01-01

    Homogeneity is considered to be the most vital prerequisite for a certified reference material (CRM); more stringent requirements exist for the analysis of small subsamples. Many of the natural matrix CRMs are prepared from bulk samples by grinding and milling them to a certain particle size, which is expected to provide a more homogenous material; however recommended sample sizes for biological and environmental reference materials are found to be more than 100 mg. Since the milling of materials is costly and has some drawbacks, natural materials that already occur as small particles such as air particulate matter, certain sediments, and cellular biological materials may form the basis of the required reference materials. The nature of these materials, i.e. naturally occurring particles, may provide ideal model reference material. We describe here the production of the materials and preliminary tests, the evaluation for the micro-analytical techniques

  14. Go-flow: a reliability analysis methodology applicable to piping system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuoka, T.; Kobayashi, M.

    1985-01-01

    Since the completion of the Reactor Safety Study, the use of probabilistic risk assessment technique has been becoming more widespread in the nuclear community. Several analytical methods are used for the reliability analysis of nuclear power plants. The GO methodology is one of these methods. Using the GO methodology, the authors performed a reliability analysis of the emergency decay heat removal system of the nuclear ship Mutsu, in order to examine its applicability to piping systems. By this analysis, the authors have found out some disadvantages of the GO methodology. In the GO methodology, the signal is on-to-off or off-to-on signal, therefore the GO finds out the time point at which the state of a system changes, and can not treat a system which state changes as off-on-off. Several computer runs are required to obtain the time dependent failure probability of a system. In order to overcome these disadvantages, the authors propose a new analytical methodology: GO-FLOW. In GO-FLOW, the modeling method (chart) and the calculation procedure are similar to those in the GO methodology, but the meaning of signal and time point, and the definitions of operators are essentially different. In the paper, the GO-FLOW methodology is explained and two examples of the analysis by GO-FLOW are given

  15. Improving machinery reliability

    CERN Document Server

    Bloch, Heinz P

    1998-01-01

    This totally revised, updated and expanded edition provides proven techniques and procedures that extend machinery life, reduce maintenance costs, and achieve optimum machinery reliability. This essential text clearly describes the reliability improvement and failure avoidance steps practiced by best-of-class process plants in the U.S. and Europe.

  16. Program integration of predictive maintenance with reliability centered maintenance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strong, D.K. Jr; Wray, D.M.

    1990-01-01

    This paper addresses improving the safety and reliability of power plants in a cost-effective manner by integrating the recently developed reliability centered maintenance techniques with the traditional predictive maintenance techniques of nuclear power plants. The topics of the paper include a description of reliability centered maintenance (RCM), enhancing RCM with predictive maintenance, predictive maintenance programs, condition monitoring techniques, performance test techniques, the mid-Atlantic Reliability Centered Maintenance Users Group, test guides and the benefits of shared guide development

  17. Prompt nuclear analytical techniques for material research in accelerator driven transmutation technologies: Prospects and quantitative analyses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vacik, J.; Hnatowicz, V.; Cervena, J.; Perina, V.; Mach, R.

    1998-01-01

    Accelerator driven transmutation technology (ADTT) is a promising way toward liquidation of spent nuclear fuel, nuclear wastes and weapon grade Pu. The ADTT facility comprises a high current (proton) accelerator supplying a sub-critical reactor assembly with spallation neutrons. The reactor part is supposed to be cooled by molten fluorides or metals which serve, at the same time, as a carrier of nuclear fuel. Assumed high working temperature (400-600 C) and high radiation load in the subcritical reactor and spallation neutron source put forward the problem of optimal choice of ADTT construction materials, especially from the point of their radiation and corrosion resistance when in contact with liquid working media. The use of prompt nuclear analytical techniques in ADTT related material research is considered and examples of preliminary analytical results obtained using neutron depth profiling method are shown for illustration. (orig.)

  18. Characterization of pre-hispanic pigments by modern analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ortega A, M.

    2003-01-01

    In this work, the study of mural painting pigments from two archaeological sites (The Great Temple in Mexico city and Cacaxtla) was performed to know their materials composition, identify their structural characteristics and properties by using modern analytical techniques. Blue, ochre, red and black pigments of Mexica culture (1325-1521 a.C. / late Post Classic period); blue, ochre, red, brown, pink, green and white of Olmeca- Xicalanca culture (700-900 a.C. / Epiclassic period) were studied. Data about materials used, technological evolution, mineralogical background, cultural interchange and origin was obtained. Environmental exposition of these paintings since their discovering has produced changes and damage on their materials. Therefore, stability of some pigments has been notorious, ''Maya Blue'' specially presents extraordinary resistance to diluted and concentrated acids and alkalis including boiling condition, acqua regia, solvents, oxidant and reducing agents, moderate heat and biocorrosi6n; for that reason its study was emphasized. ''Maya Blue'' pigment was synthesized in laboratory using the processes described by historic sources (with indigophera suffruticosa leaves and synthetic indigo) up to obtain a stable pigment including acqua regia action. Clay matrix sorbs nearly 0.4 weight percent of organic dye, which cover 79% of palygorskita surface area. (Author)

  19. Analytical method for the identification and assay of 12 phthalates in cosmetic products: application of the ISO 12787 international standard "Cosmetics-Analytical methods-Validation criteria for analytical results using chromatographic techniques".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gimeno, Pascal; Maggio, Annie-Françoise; Bousquet, Claudine; Quoirez, Audrey; Civade, Corinne; Bonnet, Pierre-Antoine

    2012-08-31

    Esters of phthalic acid, more commonly named phthalates, may be present in cosmetic products as ingredients or contaminants. Their presence as contaminant can be due to the manufacturing process, to raw materials used or to the migration of phthalates from packaging when plastic (polyvinyl chloride--PVC) is used. 8 phthalates (DBP, DEHP, BBP, DMEP, DnPP, DiPP, DPP, and DiBP), classified H360 or H361, are forbidden in cosmetics according to the European regulation on cosmetics 1223/2009. A GC/MS method was developed for the assay of 12 phthalates in cosmetics, including the 8 phthalates regulated. Analyses are carried out on a GC/MS system with electron impact ionization mode (EI). The separation of phthalates is obtained on a cross-linked 5%-phenyl/95%-dimethylpolysiloxane capillary column 30 m × 0.25 mm (i.d.) × 0.25 mm film thickness using a temperature gradient. Phthalate quantification is performed by external calibration using an internal standard. Validation elements obtained on standard solutions, highlight a satisfactory system conformity (resolution>1.5), a common quantification limit at 0.25 ng injected, an acceptable linearity between 0.5 μg mL⁻¹ and 5.0 μg mL⁻¹ as well as a precision and an accuracy in agreement with in-house specifications. Cosmetic samples ready for analytical injection are analyzed after a dilution in ethanol whereas more complex cosmetic matrices, like milks and creams, are assayed after a liquid/liquid extraction using ter-butyl methyl ether (TBME). Depending on the type of cosmetics analyzed, the common limits of quantification for the 12 phthalates were set at 0.5 or 2.5 μg g⁻¹. All samples were assayed using the analytical approach described in the ISO 12787 international standard "Cosmetics-Analytical methods-Validation criteria for analytical results using chromatographic techniques". This analytical protocol is particularly adapted when it is not possible to make reconstituted sample matrices. Copyright © 2012

  20. Workplace and occupational health: The first metal evaluation using nuclear and analytical techniques in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barros Correia Menezes, M.A. de; Vilhena Schayer Sabino, C. de; Melo Mattos, S.V. de; Santos Filho, S.; Diniz, E.

    1998-01-01

    Belo Horizonte, the capital of the State of Minas Gerais and its neighbourhood are the second industrial center of Brazil, concentrating many industries in several areas mainly metal refining and transformation. There are no registers about the level of metal concentration in the environmental air in the industry, nor even of the level of workers' contamination. The overall objective of this Project is to make a survey of the exposures to metals related to occupational diseases in galvanizing industry, which is responsible for the majority of occurrences of occupational diseases. The survey will be accomplished using as bio-indicators hair, nails, blood, urine, and individual air filters. These matrixes will indicate the incorporation of metals and the exposure level. The analytical techniques that will be applied are the neutron activation joined to related non nuclear analytical techniques, such as atomic absorption. (author)

  1. Reliability of power system with open access

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ehsani, A.; Ranjbar, A. M.; Fotuhi Firuzabad, M.; Ehsani, M.

    2003-01-01

    Recently, in many countries, electric utility industry is undergoing considerable changes in regard to its structure and regulation. It can be clearly seen that the thrust towards privatization and deregulation or re regulation of the electric utility industry will introduce numerous reliability problems that will require new criteria and analytical tools that recognize the residual uncertainties in the new environment. In this paper, different risks and uncertainties in competitive electricity markets are briefly introduced; the approach of customers, operators, planners, generation bodies and network providers to the reliability of deregulated system is studied; the impact of dispersed generation on system reliability is evaluated; and finally, the reliability cost/reliability worth issues in the new competitive environment are considered

  2. An appraisal of neutron activation analysis and other analytical techniques for the determination of arsenic, selenium and tin in environmental samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peterson, P.J.; Girling, C.A.; Klumpp, D.W.; Minski, M.J.

    1979-01-01

    The paper presents an experimental comparison between neutron activation analysis, atomic absorption spectrophotometry and fluorescence spectrophotometry used for the determination of trace amounts of As, Se and Sn and the other two analytical techniques mentioned. Gamma-ray spectrometry has been used to determine 76 As (tsub(1/2)=26.3 h) after 1 day's irradiation at a thermal neutron flux of 1.6x10 12 n.cm -2 .s -1 . High sensitivity was also obtained using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer coupled with covalent hydride generation. Advantages of the latter technique include simplicity of operation, high speed of analysis and negligible background correction. When used in conjuction with selective reduction and a cold-trap this method quantitatively distinguishes between the valence states and some methylated derivatives. Selenium has been analysed by gamma-ray spectrometry using 77 Sesup(m) (tsub(1/2)=17.5 s) after cyclic activation at a thermal neutron flux of 2x10 12 n.cm -2 .s -1 . Atomic absorption spectrophotometry following hydride generation, or fluorescence spectrophotometry of the 2,3 diaminonaphthalene complex constitute additional sensitive analytical methods for the determination of Se. These have the added advantage that valence states can be selectively measured. Low concentrations of Sn have been determined by neutron activation analysis and by spectrophotometric techniques using phenylfluorone as the complexing reagent, but these methods depend on selective extraction of Sn(IV) iodide. Whilst maintaining high sensitivity, these problems were avoided by using the hydride generation technique with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Comparative analytical values for Bowen's kale and NBS orchard leaves are presented

  3. Simple analytical technique for liquid scintillation counting of environmental carbon-14 using gel suspension method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okai, Tomio; Wakabayashi, Genichiro; Nagao, Kenjiro; Matoba, Masaru; Ohura, Hirotaka; Momoshima, Noriyuki; Kawamura, Hidehisa

    2000-01-01

    A simple analytical technique for liquid scintillation counting of environmental 14 C was developed. Commercially available gelling agent, N-lauroyl-L -glutamic -α,γ-dibutylamide, was used for the gel-formation of the samples (gel suspension method) and for the subsequent liquid scintillation counting of 14 C in the form of CaCO 3 . Our procedure for sample preparation is much simpler than that of the conventional methods and requires no special equipment. Self absorption, stability and reproducibility of gel suspension samples were investigated in order to evaluate the characteristics of the gel suspension method for 14 C activity measurement. The self absorption factor is about 70% and slightly decrease as CaCO 3 weight increase. This is considered to be mainly due to the absorption of β-rays and scintillation light by the CaCO 3 sample itself. No change of the counting rate for the gel suspension sample was observed for more than 2 years after the sample preparation. Four samples were used for checking the reproducibility of the sample preparation method. The same values were obtained for the counting rate of 24 C activity within the counting error. No change of the counting rate was observed for the 're-gelated' sample. These results show that the gel suspension method is appropriate for the 14 C activity measurement by the liquid scintillation counting method and useful for a long-term preservation of the sample for repeated measurement. The above analytical technique was applied to actual environmental samples in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. Results obtained were comparable with those by other researchers and appear to be reasonable. Therefore, the newly developed technique is useful for the routine monitoring of environmental 14 C. (author)

  4. Analytical predictions for the performance of a reinforced concrete containment model subject to overpressurization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weatherby, J.R.; Clauss, D.B.

    1987-01-01

    Under the sponsorship of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Sandia National Laboratories is investigating methods for predicting the structural performance of nuclear reactor containment buildings under hypothesized severe accident conditions. As part of this program, a 1/6th-scale reinforced concrete containment model will be pressurized to failure in early 1987. Data generated by the test will be compared to analytical predictions of the structural response in order to assess the accuracy and reliability of the analytical techniques. As part of the pretest analysis effort, Sandia has conducted a number of analyses of the containment structure using the ABAQUS general purpose finite element code. This paper describes results from a nonlinear axisymmetric shell analysis as well as the material models and failure criteria used in conjunction with the analysis

  5. Suitable activated stable nuclide tracer technique and its applications in biology and medicine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Weicheng

    1989-01-01

    Stable isotopes as tracers in biology and medicine have been more extensively used. Mass spectrometry has been a classic technique in the analysis of stable isotopes because it is very sensitive and precise. Activation analysis has recently been introduced as an analytical tool. Its fast speed and simplicity is a great advantage for handling large batches of samples in isotopic tracer experiments. The combination of enriched stable isotope tracer studies and activation analysis techniques has become an ideal and reliable technique, especially in the fields of biology and medicine. This paper presents a survey of the fundamental principle, the character and the applications in biology and medicine for the suitable activated stable isotope tracer techniques

  6. FEASIBILITY OF INVESTMENT IN BUSINESS ANALYTICS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mladen Varga

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Trends in data processing for decision support show that business users need business analytics, i.e. analytical applications which incorporate a variety of business oriented data analysis techniques and task-specific knowledge. The paper discusses the feasibility of investment in two models of implementing business analytics: custom development and packed analytical applications. The consequences of both models are shown on two models of business analytics implementation in Croatia.

  7. Reliability analysis in intelligent machines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcinroy, John E.; Saridis, George N.

    1990-01-01

    Given an explicit task to be executed, an intelligent machine must be able to find the probability of success, or reliability, of alternative control and sensing strategies. By using concepts for information theory and reliability theory, new techniques for finding the reliability corresponding to alternative subsets of control and sensing strategies are proposed such that a desired set of specifications can be satisfied. The analysis is straightforward, provided that a set of Gaussian random state variables is available. An example problem illustrates the technique, and general reliability results are presented for visual servoing with a computed torque-control algorithm. Moreover, the example illustrates the principle of increasing precision with decreasing intelligence at the execution level of an intelligent machine.

  8. Methodological challenges and analytic opportunities for modeling and interpreting Big Healthcare Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dinov, Ivo D

    2016-01-01

    Managing, processing and understanding big healthcare data is challenging, costly and demanding. Without a robust fundamental theory for representation, analysis and inference, a roadmap for uniform handling and analyzing of such complex data remains elusive. In this article, we outline various big data challenges, opportunities, modeling methods and software techniques for blending complex healthcare data, advanced analytic tools, and distributed scientific computing. Using imaging, genetic and healthcare data we provide examples of processing heterogeneous datasets using distributed cloud services, automated and semi-automated classification techniques, and open-science protocols. Despite substantial advances, new innovative technologies need to be developed that enhance, scale and optimize the management and processing of large, complex and heterogeneous data. Stakeholder investments in data acquisition, research and development, computational infrastructure and education will be critical to realize the huge potential of big data, to reap the expected information benefits and to build lasting knowledge assets. Multi-faceted proprietary, open-source, and community developments will be essential to enable broad, reliable, sustainable and efficient data-driven discovery and analytics. Big data will affect every sector of the economy and their hallmark will be 'team science'.

  9. Reliability of diagnostic imaging techniques in suspected acute appendicitis: proposed diagnostic protocol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cura del, J. L.; Oleaga, L.; Grande, D.; Vela, A. C.; Ibanez, A. M.

    2001-01-01

    To study the utility of ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) in case of suspected appendicitis. To determine the diagnostic yield in terms of different clinical contexts and patient characteristics. to assess the costs and benefits of introducing these techniques and propose a protocol for their use. Negative appendectomies, complications and length of hospital stay in a group of 152 patients with suspected appendicitis who underwent ultrasound and CT were compared with those of 180 patients who underwent appendectomy during the same time period, but had not been selected for the first group: these patients costs for each group were calculated. In the first group, the diagnostic value of the clinical signs was also evaluated. The reliability of the clinical signs was limited, while the results with ultrasound and CT were excellent. The incidence of negative appendectomy was 9.6% in the study group and 12.2% in the control group. Moreover, there were fewer complications and a shorter hospital stay in the first group. Among men, however, the rate of negative appendectomy was lower in the control group. The cost of using ultrasound and CT in the management of appendicitis was only slightly higher than that of the control group. Although ultrasound and CT are not necessary in cases in which the probability of appendicitis is low or in men presenting clear clinical evidence, the use of these techniques is indicated in the remaining cases in which appendicitis is suspected. In children, ultrasound is the technique of choice. In all other patients, if negative results are obtained with one of the two techniques, the other should be performed. (Author) 49 refs

  10. Procedures for treating common cause failures in safety and reliability studies: Volume 2, Analytic background and techniques: Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mosleh, A.; Fleming, K.N.; Parry, G.W.; Paula, H.M.; Worledge, D.H.; Rasmuson, D.M.

    1988-12-01

    This report presents a framework for the inclusion of the impact of common cause failures in risk and reliability evaluations. Common cause failures are defined as that subset of dependent failures for which causes are not explicitly included in the logic model as basic events. The emphasis here is on providing procedures for a practical, systematic approach that can be used to perform and clearly document the analysis. The framework and the methods discussed for performing the different stages of the analysis integrate insights obtained from engineering assessments of the system and the historical evidence from multiple failure events into a systematic, reproducible, and defensible analysis. This document, Volume 2, contains a series of appendices that provide additional background and methodological detail on several important topics discussed in Volume 1

  11. Quality control and quality assurance of nuclear analytical techniques. Thematic planning of QC/QA in technical co-operations. Report of the external participants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Innes, R.W.; Bode, P.; Brickenkamp, C.S.; Casa, A.; Abdul Khalik Haji Wood

    1998-02-01

    In areas of trade, health, safety, and environmental protection users of a laboratory's analytical results, for example by governments and private institutions, are increasingly requiring demonstrable proof of the reliability and credibility of the laboratory's analytical results using internationally accepted standards. This is so that the products and the decisions based on these laboratory results will be accepted in the respective national and international communities. These requirements are being imposed, for example by the European Community and others, for products to be imported and can be a significant barrier to trade, especially for developing nations. In addition to this there is a growing need for these laboratories to operate efficiently and effectively to reduce internal waste, to provide reports on time in an economical manner and to become self supporting. The need for change is global and this proposal is for the Agency to pursue a thematic plan for the implementation of quality assurance as partners in development with the selected laboratories using nuclear analytical techniques. This report describes a model project for this thematic approach to confirm the models immediate benefits as well as facilitating long-term sustainability of member states' laboratories. The model is thematic in that it is also applicable to all other projects for which the credibility and reliability of the results of a laboratory's processes and results must be demonstrated. This model project provides a cost effective approach for protecting the Agency's investment in these laboratories and strengthening the ability of these national institutions to define, organize, and manage the application of nuclear technology in their respective countries. This pilot project consists of (1) determining the general levels of knowledge and application of quality assurance principles (as delineated in ISO Guide 25) in the responding laboratories; (2) selecting a trail group of

  12. Dynamic reliability and risk assessment of the accident localization system of the Ignalina NPP RBMK-1500 reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kopustinskas, V.; Augutis, J.; Rimkevicius, S.

    2005-01-01

    The paper presents reliability and risk analysis of the RBMK-1500 reactor accident localization system (ALS) (confinement), which prevents radioactive releases to the environment. Reliability of the system was estimated and compared by two methods: the conventional fault tree method and an innovative dynamic reliability model, based on stochastic differential equations. Frequency of radioactive release through ALS was also estimated. The results of the study indicate that conventional fault tree modeling techniques in this case apply high degree of conservatism in the system reliability estimates. One of the purposes of the ALS reliability study was to demonstrate advantages of the dynamic reliability analysis against the conventional fault/event tree methods. The Markovian framework to deal with dynamic aspects of system behavior is presented. Although not analyzed in detail, the framework is also capable of accounting for non-constant component failure rates. Computational methods are proposed to solve stochastic differential equations, including analytical solution, which is possible only for relatively small and simple systems. Other numerical methods, like Monte Carlo and numerical schemes of differential equations are analyzed and compared. The study is finalized with concluding remarks regarding both the studied system reliability and computational methods used

  13. Knowledge-base for the new human reliability analysis method, A Technique for Human Error Analysis (ATHEANA)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooper, S.E.; Wreathall, J.; Thompson, C.M., Drouin, M.; Bley, D.C.

    1996-01-01

    This paper describes the knowledge base for the application of the new human reliability analysis (HRA) method, a ''A Technique for Human Error Analysis'' (ATHEANA). Since application of ATHEANA requires the identification of previously unmodeled human failure events, especially errors of commission, and associated error-forcing contexts (i.e., combinations of plant conditions and performance shaping factors), this knowledge base is an essential aid for the HRA analyst

  14. Atomic and Nuclear Analytical Methods XRF, Mössbauer, XPS, NAA and Ion-Beam Spectroscopic Techniques

    CERN Document Server

    Verma, H R

    2007-01-01

    This book is a blend of analytical methods based on the phenomenon of atomic and nuclear physics. It comprises comprehensive presentations about X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Mössbauer Spectroscopy (MS), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Neutron- Activation Analysis (NAA), Particle Induced X-ray Emission Analysis (PIXE), Rutherford Backscattering Analysis (RBS), Elastic Recoil Detection (ERD), Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA), Particle Induced Gamma-ray Emission Analysis (PIGE), and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). These techniques are commonly applied in the fields of medicine, biology, environmental studies, archaeology or geology et al. and pursued in major international research laboratories.

  15. Wireless network development for the automatic registration of parameters in laboratories of nuclear analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tincopa, Jean Pierre; Baltuano, Oscar; Bedregal, Patricia

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents in detail the development of a low-cost wireless network for automatic recording of temperature and relative humidity parameters in the laboratory of nuclear analytical techniques. This prototype has a DHT22 sensor which gives us both parameters with high precision and are automatically read and displayed by a ATmega328P microcontroller. This data is then transmitted through transceivers Xbee Pro S2B forming a mesh network for real time storage using an RTC (Real Time Clock). We present the experimental results obtained in its implementation. (author)

  16. Nuclear analytical methods: Past, present and future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, D.A.

    1996-01-01

    The development of nuclear analytical methods as an analytical tool began in 1936 with the publication of the first paper on neutron activation analysis (NAA). This year, 1996, marks the 60th anniversary of that event. This paper attempts to look back at the nuclear analytical methods of the past, to look around and to see where the technology is right now, and finally, to look ahead to try and see where nuclear methods as an analytical technique (or as a group of analytical techniques) will be going in the future. The general areas which the author focuses on are: neutron activation analysis; prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA); photon activation analysis (PAA); charged-particle activation analysis (CPAA)

  17. Multivariate performance reliability prediction in real-time

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, S.; Lu, H.; Kolarik, W.J.

    2001-01-01

    This paper presents a technique for predicting system performance reliability in real-time considering multiple failure modes. The technique includes on-line multivariate monitoring and forecasting of selected performance measures and conditional performance reliability estimates. The performance measures across time are treated as a multivariate time series. A state-space approach is used to model the multivariate time series. Recursive forecasting is performed by adopting Kalman filtering. The predicted mean vectors and covariance matrix of performance measures are used for the assessment of system survival/reliability with respect to the conditional performance reliability. The technique and modeling protocol discussed in this paper provide a means to forecast and evaluate the performance of an individual system in a dynamic environment in real-time. The paper also presents an example to demonstrate the technique

  18. Impact of power plant reliability on the choice of operating parameter values

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kramer, R.A.

    1985-01-01

    In this thesis, the basic structure for the development of a methodology to evaluate the effect of operating parameters on plant availability and generating system economic dispatch optimization is described. Plant availability is determined by a fault free model. In this model historic, time dependent, component induced forced outage data is utilized as the basis for the calculation of projected plant forced outage rates. The influence of a particular fuel-cycle length at a specific generating station on the operational planning of a multi unit generating system is considered. The basis of the dispatch of units in this analysis is optimal economic operation, i.e., the minimization of the cost of reliability supplying electricity to the system's customers. As a result of the utilization of this technique, a simplified example that considers the choice between a 12- and 18-month fuel cycle length is evaluated in terms of its impact on plant availability, fuel cycle economics and overall optimal generating system economic dispatch. The reliability portion of this methodology is applied to a simplified representation of the recirculation system of a pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant to illustrate the analytic techniques

  19. New analytical techniques for traffic management on the basis of system studies in logistics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Олександр Павлович Кіркін

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available In today's market conditions, it is necessary for enterprises to constantly maintain their competitiveness. This is achieved through raising customer service standards and use of the latest management techniques. In most cases, enterprises adhere to the logistic principles to optimize production. Over time, however, the development of logistics resulted in emergence of its principal subdivisions: transport, storage, etc. Thus, nowadays there are several parallel methodological developments in the field of logistics and making up logistics chains and systems at different stages of the life cycle of the goods. System research in the field of warehouse logistics showed that the majority of its analytical models of management are based on task conflict. Similar tasks of managing traffic flows in transport logistics are solved by methods of SMO, graph theory, linear programming and differential equations of state etc. These methods are not more accurate than the methods of warehouse logistics, have similar important assumptions and simplifications, and require appropriate mathematical training and knowledge in the field of transport, and sometimes lack visible correlation with economic performance. New analytical techniques for the management of transportation systems based on task conflict will reduce the time and resources for optimization and finding solutions. Methods of warehousing logistics can only be used for the continuous transport quantities (intensity, speed, performance, capacity, execution of works, etc.. In the static condition the search for the optimal service intensity can be found in warehouse logistics. In the study of object in dynamics it is better to use transport approach. Some problems such as supplement of warehouse logistics models with elements of the transport task, are still to be decided

  20. Workplace and occupational health: The first metal evaluation using nuclear and analytical techniques in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barros Correia Menezes, M.A. de; Vilhena Schayer Sabino, C de [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN), Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN), Sector de Radioquimica, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais (Brazil); Melo Mattos, S.V. de [FUNED, Divisao de Bromatologia e Toxicologia, Servico de Quimica Especializada, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Santos Filho, S [Secretaria Minicipal de Saude de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Diniz, E [FUNDACENTRO/BH, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

    1999-12-31

    Belo Horizonte, the capital of the State of Minas Gerais and its neighbourhood are the second industrial center of Brazil, concentrating many industries in several areas mainly metal refining and transformation. There are no registers about the level of metal concentration in the environmental air in the industry, nor even of the level of workers` contamination. The overall objective of this Project is to make a survey of the exposures to metals related to occupational diseases in galvanizing industry, which is responsible for the majority of occurrences of occupational diseases. The survey will be accomplished using as bio-indicators hair, nails, blood, urine, and individual air filters. These matrixes will indicate the incorporation of metals and the exposure level. The analytical techniques that will be applied are the neutron activation joined to related non nuclear analytical techniques, such as atomic absorption. (author) 7 refs, 2 tabs

  1. Use of the analytical tree technique to develop a radiological protection program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Domenech N, H.; Jova S, L.

    1996-01-01

    The results obtained by the Cuban Center for Radiological Protection and Hygiene by using an analytical tree technique to develop its general operational radiation protection program are presented. By the application of this method, some factors such as the organization of the radiation protection services, the provision of administrative requirements, the existing general laboratories requirements, the viability of resources and the current documentation was evaluated. Main components were considered such as: complete normative and regulatory documentation; automatic radiological protection data management; scope of 'on the-job'and radiological protection training for the personnel; previous radiological appraisal for the safety performance of the works and application of dose constrains for the personnel and the public. The detailed development of the program allowed to identify the basic aims to be achieved in its maintenance and improvement. (authors). 3 refs

  2. Photovoltaic power system reliability considerations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lalli, V. R.

    1980-01-01

    This paper describes an example of how modern engineering and safety techniques can be used to assure the reliable and safe operation of photovoltaic power systems. This particular application was for a solar cell power system demonstration project in Tangaye, Upper Volta, Africa. The techniques involve a definition of the power system natural and operating environment, use of design criteria and analysis techniques, an awareness of potential problems via the inherent reliability and FMEA methods, and use of a fail-safe and planned spare parts engineering philosophy.

  3. Ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry. A reliable technique for the analysis of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in food and feed samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santos, F J; Malavia, J; Galceran, M T [Barcelona Univ. (Spain). Dept. of Analytical Chemistry; Abalos, M; Abad, E; Rivera, J [Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Dept. of Ecotechnologies, IIQAB-CSIC, Barcelona (Spain)

    2004-09-15

    The recent establishment of maximum residue limits for polychlorodibenzo-pdioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in food and feed samples by the European Community and the future inclusion of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) in these values at the end of 2006, has led to an important increase on the routine analysis of these compounds. Therefore, there is a clear need to have powerful sensitive and selective methods for the analysis of these compounds at low concentration levels. Actually, gas chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) is the technique of reference for the determination of these analytes in environmental and food samples due to its high sensitivity and selectivity. Nevertheless, this technique is relatively expensive and requires qualifier personnel. Therefore, the development of more economical but reliable methods that can deliver results comparable to GC-HRMS is required. During the last years, gas chromatography coupled with ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-ITMS) working in MS/MS mode has become an interesting alternative technique to GC-HRMS for the analysis of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs. The aim of the present work is to demonstrate the ability of the gas chromatography coupled with ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (GC-ITMS/MS) for the analysis of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in food and feed samples. This work was performed on the framework of the European research project called DIFFERENCE (Dioxins in Food and Feed - Reference methods and New Certified Reference Materials) with the objective to validate the GC-ITMS/MS method as alternative to HRMS in order to reduce the cost of dioxin analysis. The results and conclusions of the evaluation study are presented here.

  4. Spatial Game Analytics and Visualization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Drachen, Anders; Schubert, Matthias

    2013-01-01

    , techniques for spatial analysis had their share in these developments. However, the methods for analyzing and visualizing spatial and spatio-temporal patterns in player behavior being used by the game industry are not as diverse as the range of techniques utilized in game research, leaving room...... for a continuing development. This paper presents a review of current work on spatial and spatio-temporal game analytics across industry and research, describing and defining the key terminology, outlining current techniques and their application. We summarize the current problems and challenges in the field......The recently emerged field of game analytics and the development and adaptation of business intelligence techniques to support game design and development has given data-driven techniques a direct role in game development. Given that all digital games contain some sort of spatial operation...

  5. Median of patient results as a tool for assessment of analytical stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jørgensen, Lars Mønster; Hansen, Steen Ingemann; Petersen, Per Hyltoft; Sölétormos, György

    2015-06-15

    In spite of the well-established external quality assessment and proficiency testing surveys of analytical quality performance in laboratory medicine, a simple tool to monitor the long-term analytical stability as a supplement to the internal control procedures is often needed. Patient data from daily internal control schemes was used for monthly appraisal of the analytical stability. This was accomplished by using the monthly medians of patient results to disclose deviations from analytical stability, and by comparing divergences with the quality specifications for allowable analytical bias based on biological variation. Seventy five percent of the twenty analytes achieved on two COBASs INTEGRA 800 instruments performed in accordance with the optimum and with the desirable specifications for bias. Patient results applied in analytical quality performance control procedures are the most reliable sources of material as they represent the genuine substance of the measurements and therefore circumvent the problems associated with non-commutable materials in external assessment. Patient medians in the monthly monitoring of analytical stability in laboratory medicine are an inexpensive, simple and reliable tool to monitor the steadiness of the analytical practice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Reliable design of electronic equipment an engineering guide

    CERN Document Server

    Natarajan, Dhanasekharan

    2014-01-01

    This book explains reliability techniques with examples from electronics design for the benefit of engineers. It presents the application of de-rating, FMEA, overstress analyses and reliability improvement tests for designing reliable electronic equipment. Adequate information is provided for designing computerized reliability database system to support the application of the techniques by designers. Pedantic terms and the associated mathematics of reliability engineering discipline are excluded for the benefit of comprehensiveness and practical applications. This book offers excellent support

  7. Analytical techniques and quality control in biomedical trace element research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heydorn, K.

    1994-01-01

    The small number of analytical results in trace element research calls for special methods of quality control. It is shown that when the analytical methods are in statistical control, only small numbers of duplicate or replicate results are needed to ascertain the absence of systematic errors....../kg. Measurement compatibility is obtained by control of traceability to certified reference materials, (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc....

  8. Deriving Earth Science Data Analytics Requirements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kempler, Steven J.

    2015-01-01

    Data Analytics applications have made successful strides in the business world where co-analyzing extremely large sets of independent variables have proven profitable. Today, most data analytics tools and techniques, sometimes applicable to Earth science, have targeted the business industry. In fact, the literature is nearly absent of discussion about Earth science data analytics. Earth science data analytics (ESDA) is the process of examining large amounts of data from a variety of sources to uncover hidden patterns, unknown correlations, and other useful information. ESDA is most often applied to data preparation, data reduction, and data analysis. Co-analysis of increasing number and volume of Earth science data has become more prevalent ushered by the plethora of Earth science data sources generated by US programs, international programs, field experiments, ground stations, and citizen scientists.Through work associated with the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Federation, ESDA types have been defined in terms of data analytics end goals. Goals of which are very different than those in business, requiring different tools and techniques. A sampling of use cases have been collected and analyzed in terms of data analytics end goal types, volume, specialized processing, and other attributes. The goal of collecting these use cases is to be able to better understand and specify requirements for data analytics tools and techniques yet to be implemented. This presentation will describe the attributes and preliminary findings of ESDA use cases, as well as provide early analysis of data analytics toolstechniques requirements that would support specific ESDA type goals. Representative existing data analytics toolstechniques relevant to ESDA will also be addressed.

  9. [Clinical Application of Analytical and Medical Instruments Mainly Using MS Techniques].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanaka, Koichi

    2016-02-01

    Analytical instruments for clinical use are commonly required to confirm the compounds and forms related to diseases with the highest possible sensitivity, quantitative performance, and specificity and minimal invasiveness within a short time, easily, and at a low cost. Advancements of technical innovation for Mass Spectrometer (MS) have led to techniques that meet such requirements. Besides confirming known substances, other purposes and advantages of MS that are not fully known to the public are using MS as a tool to discover unknown phenomena and compounds. An example is clarifying the mechanisms of human diseases. The human body has approximately 100 thousand types of protein, and there may be more than several million types of protein and their metabolites. Most of them have yet to be discovered, and their discovery may give birth to new academic fields and lead to the clarification of diseases, development of new medicines, etc. For example, using the MS system developed under "Contribution to drug discovery and diagnosis by next generation of advanced mass spectrometry system," one of the 30 projects of the "Funding Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science and Technology" (FIRST program), and other individual basic technologies, we succeeded in discovering new disease biomarker candidates for Alzheimer's disease, cancer, etc. Further contribution of MS to clinical medicine can be expected through the development and improvement of new techniques, efforts to verify discoveries, and communications with the medical front.

  10. Towards Reliable Multi-Hop Broadcast in VANETs: An Analytical Approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gholibeigi, Mozhdeh; Baratchi, Mitra; van den Berg, Hans Leo; Heijenk, Geert

    2016-01-01

    Intelligent Transportation Systems in the domain of vehicular networking, have recently been subject to rapid development. In vehicular ad hoc networks, data broadcast is one of the main communication types and its reliability is crucial for high performance applications. However, due to the lack of

  11. Towards reliable multi-hop broadcast in VANETs : An analytical approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gholibeigi, M.; Baratchi, M.; Berg, J.L. van den; Heijenk, G.

    2017-01-01

    Intelligent Transportation Systems in the domain of vehicular networking, have recently been subject to rapid development. In vehicular ad hoc networks, data broadcast is one of the main communication types and its reliability is crucial for high performance applications. However, due to the lack of

  12. Techniques for increasing the reliability of accelerator control system electronics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Utterback, J.

    1993-09-01

    As the physical size of modern accelerators becomes larger and larger, the number of required control system circuit boards increases, and the probability of one of those circuit boards failing while in service also increases. In order to do physics, the experimenters need the accelerator to provide beam reliably with as little down time as possible. With the advent of colliding beams physics, reliability becomes even more important due to the fact that a control system failure can cause the loss of painstakingly produced antiprotons. These facts prove the importance of keeping reliability in mind when designing and maintaining accelerator control system electronics

  13. Representative Sampling for reliable data analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Lars; Esbensen, Kim Harry

    2005-01-01

    regime in order to secure the necessary reliability of: samples (which must be representative, from the primary sampling onwards), analysis (which will not mean anything outside the miniscule analytical volume without representativity ruling all mass reductions involved, also in the laboratory) and data...

  14. Development of integrated analytical data management system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onishi, Koichi; Wachi, Isamu; Hiroki, Toshio

    1986-01-01

    The Analysis Subsection of Technical Service Section, Tokai Reprocessing Plant, Tokai Works, is engaged in analysis activities required for the management of processes and measurements in the plant. Currently, it has been desired to increase the reliability of analytical data and to perform analyses more rapidly to cope with the increasing number of analysis works. To meet this end, on-line data processing has been promoted and advanced analytical equipment has been introduced in order to enhance automization. In the present study, an integrated analytical data mangement system is developed which serves for improvement of reliability of analytical data as well as for rapid retrieval and automatic compilation of these data. Fabrication of a basic model of the system has been nearly completed and test operation has already been started. In selecting hardware to be used, examinations were made on easiness of system extension, Japanese language processing function for improving man-machine interface, large-capacity auxiliary memory system, and data base processing function. The existing analysis works wer reviewed in establishing the basic design of the system. According to this basic design, the system can perform such works as analysis of application slips received from clients as well as recording, sending, filing and retrieval of analysis results. (Nogami, K.)

  15. Integration of human reliability analysis into the probabilistic risk assessment process: phase 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bell, B.J.; Vickroy, S.C.

    1985-01-01

    The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Pacific Northwest Laboratory initiated a research program in 1984 to develop a testable set of analytical procedures for integrating human reliability analysis (HRA) into the probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) process to more adequately assess the overall impact of human performance on risk. In this three phase program, stand-alone HRA/PRA analytic procedures will be developed and field evaluated to provide improved methods, techniques, and models for applying quantitative and qualitative human error data which systematically integrate HRA principles, techniques, and analyses throughout the entire PRA process. Phase 1 of the program involved analysis of state-of-the-art PRAs to define the structures and processes currently in use in the industry. Phase 2 research will involve developing a new or revised PRA methodology which will enable more efficient regulation of the industry using quantitative or qualitative results of the PRA. Finally, Phase 3 will be to field test those procedures to assure that the results generated by the new methodologies will be usable and acceptable to the NRC. This paper briefly describes the first phase of the program and outlines the second

  16. Nuclear techniques and the disposal of non-radioactive solid wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Landsberger, S.; Buchholz, B.

    1993-01-01

    One of the most vital and persistent public health challenges facing local, state, and national governments is the disposal of solid waste produced from industrial, utility, and municipal sources. There is a growing interest in the monitoring, control, and safe disposal of the chemical constituents arising from these sources. For instance, it is now well known that the release of by products from coal-fired power plants - namely airborne particulates, bottom ash, and fly ash - can have adverse effects on air and water quality. It is therefore important that reliable chemical analytical techniques are readily available to assess the impact of widespread disposal practices of organic and inorganic chemicals. The use of nuclear and nuclear-related analytical techniques - such as neutron activation analysis, energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence and particle induced X-ray emission - have become widespread in major areas of science and technology. These methods and techniques have important applications in such work since they can be used for both the determination of specific individual pollutants (e.g. toxic heavy metals) and multi-elemental analyses for source identification and apportionment purposes. Other nuclear techniques, such as isotope tracers, have also had wide acceptance in characterizing diffusion patterns for metals in soil and aqueous environments and water pollution flows. 1 graph., 1 tab

  17. Basic Concepts in Classical Test Theory: Tests Aren't Reliable, the Nature of Alpha, and Reliability Generalization as a Meta-analytic Method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helms, LuAnn Sherbeck

    This paper discusses the fact that reliability is about scores and not tests and how reliability limits effect sizes. The paper also explores the classical reliability coefficients of stability, equivalence, and internal consistency. Stability is concerned with how stable test scores will be over time, while equivalence addresses the relationship…

  18. Test-retest reliability of the 40 Hz EEG auditory steady-state response.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristina L McFadden

    Full Text Available Auditory evoked steady-state responses are increasingly being used as a marker of brain function and dysfunction in various neuropsychiatric disorders, but research investigating the test-retest reliability of this response is lacking. The purpose of this study was to assess the consistency of the auditory steady-state response (ASSR across sessions. Furthermore, the current study aimed to investigate how the reliability of the ASSR is impacted by stimulus parameters and analysis method employed. The consistency of this response across two sessions spaced approximately 1 week apart was measured in nineteen healthy adults using electroencephalography (EEG. The ASSR was entrained by both 40 Hz amplitude-modulated white noise and click train stimuli. Correlations between sessions were assessed with two separate analytical techniques: a channel-level analysis across the whole-head array and b signal-space projection from auditory dipoles. Overall, the ASSR was significantly correlated between sessions 1 and 2 (p<0.05, multiple comparison corrected, suggesting adequate test-retest reliability of this response. The current study also suggests that measures of inter-trial phase coherence may be more reliable between sessions than measures of evoked power. Results were similar between the two analysis methods, but reliability varied depending on the presented stimulus, with click train stimuli producing more consistent responses than white noise stimuli.

  19. Biomimetic polymers in analytical chemistry. Part 1: preparation and applications of MIP (Molecularly Imprinted Polymers) in extraction and separation techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarley, Cesar Ricardo Teixeira; Sotomayor, Maria del Pilar Taboada; Kubota, Lauro Tatsuo

    2005-01-01

    MIPs are synthetic polymers that are used as biomimetic materials simulating the mechanism verified in natural entities such as antibodies and enzymes. Although MIPs have been successfully used as an outstanding tool for enhancing the selectivity or different analytical approaches, such as separation science and electrochemical and optical sensors, several parameters must be optimized during their synthesis. Therefore, the state-of-the-art of MIP production as well as the different polymerization methods are discussed. The potential selectivity of MIPs in the extraction and separation techniques focusing mainly on environmental, clinical and pharmaceutical samples as applications for analytical purposes is presented. (author)

  20. Analytical procedures. Pt. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, G.

    1985-01-01

    In analytical procedures (Boole procedures) there is certain to be a close relationship between the safety assessment and reliability assessment of technical facilities. The paper gives an overview of the organization of models, fault trees, the probabilistic evaluation of systems, evaluation with minimum steps or minimum paths regarding statistically dependent components and of systems liable to suffer different kinds of outages. (orig.) [de

  1. Designing a reliable leak bio-detection system for natural gas pipelines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batzias, F A; Siontorou, C G; Spanidis, P-M P

    2011-02-15

    Monitoring of natural gas (NG) pipelines is an important task for economical/safety operation, loss prevention and environmental protection. Timely and reliable leak detection of gas pipeline, therefore, plays a key role in the overall integrity management for the pipeline system. Owing to the various limitations of the currently available techniques and the surveillance area that needs to be covered, the research on new detector systems is still thriving. Biosensors are worldwide considered as a niche technology in the environmental market, since they afford the desired detector capabilities at low cost, provided they have been properly designed/developed and rationally placed/networked/maintained by the aid of operational research techniques. This paper addresses NG leakage surveillance through a robust cooperative/synergistic scheme between biosensors and conventional detector systems; the network is validated in situ and optimized in order to provide reliable information at the required granularity level. The proposed scheme is substantiated through a knowledge based approach and relies on Fuzzy Multicriteria Analysis (FMCA), for selecting the best biosensor design that suits both, the target analyte and the operational micro-environment. This approach is illustrated in the design of leak surveying over a pipeline network in Greece. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Facility and application of nuclear and supplementary analytical techniques at Dalat Nuclear Research Institute

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen Mong Sinh; Ho Manh Dung; Nguyen Thanh Binh

    2006-01-01

    The main applications of the nuclear and supplementary analytical techniques (N and SATs) in the Dalat Nuclear Research Institute (DNRI) and the facilities for the techniques are presented. The NATs in DNRI include the neutron activation analysis (NAA) with instrumental, radiochemical and prompt gamma methods (INAA, RNAA, PGNAA), the X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRFA) and the low-level counting and spectrometry. The sample irradiation sites for NAA, the automatic and manual pneumatic transfer systems, were installed at channels 7-1 and 13-2 and rotary rack on the Dalat research reactor. An ORTEC automatic sample changer (model ASC2) for γ-ray counting was equipped. A computer software for NAA based on the k 0 -standardization method for calculation of elemental concentration was developed. The low-level counting and spectrometry techniques have been setup. The devices required for sampling, sample preparation and data processing have also been equipped. The applications of N and SATs for determination of elemental composition, particularly important in providing data so-called trace elements, radionuclides and multi-element have been enlarged for objects of geology, archaeology, bio-agriculture, health-nutrition and environment. The implementation a quality system for N and SATs has been planned and initiated. (author)

  3. Reliability analysis of reactor inspection robot(RIROB)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eom, H. S.; Kim, J. H.; Lee, J. C.; Choi, Y. R.; Moon, S. S.

    2002-05-01

    This report describes the method and the result of the reliability analysis of RIROB developed in Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. There are many classic techniques and models for the reliability analysis. These techniques and models have been used widely and approved in other industries such as aviation and nuclear industry. Though these techniques and models have been approved in real fields they are still insufficient for the complicated systems such RIROB which are composed of computer, networks, electronic parts, mechanical parts, and software. Particularly the application of these analysis techniques to digital and software parts of complicated systems is immature at this time thus expert judgement plays important role in evaluating the reliability of the systems at these days. In this report we proposed a method which combines diverse evidences relevant to the reliability to evaluate the reliability of complicated systems such as RIROB. The proposed method combines diverse evidences and performs inference in formal and in quantitative way by using the benefits of Bayesian Belief Nets (BBN)

  4. Analytical quality control [An IAEA service

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1973-07-01

    In analytical chemistry the determination of small or trace amounts of elements or compounds in different types of materials is increasingly important. The results of these findings have a great influence on different fields of science, and on human life. Their reliability, precision and accuracy must, therefore, be checked by analytical quality control measures. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) set up an Analytical Quality Control Service (AQCS) in 1962 to assist laboratories in Member States in the assessment of their reliability in radionuclide analysis, and in other branches of applied analysis in which radionuclides may be used as analytical implements. For practical reasons, most analytical laboratories are not in a position to check accuracy internally, as frequently resources are available for only one method; standardized sample material, particularly in the case of trace analysis, is not available and can be prepared by the institutes themselves only in exceptional cases; intercomparisons are organized rather seldom and many important types of analysis are so far not covered. AQCS assistance is provided by the shipment to laboratories of standard reference materials containing known quantities of different trace elements or radionuclides, as well as by the organization of analytical intercomparisons in which the participating laboratories are provided with aliquots of homogenized material of unknown composition for analysis. In the latter case the laboratories report their data to the Agency's laboratory, which calculates averages and distributions of results and advises each laboratory of its performance relative to all the others. Throughout the years several dozens of intercomparisons have been organized and many thousands of samples provided. The service offered, as a consequence, has grown enormously. The programme for 1973 and 1974, which is currently being distributed to Member States, will contain 31 different types of materials.

  5. Determination of Rare Earth Elements in Thai Monazite by Inductively Coupled Plasma and Nuclear Analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Busamongkol, Arporn; Ratanapra, Dusadee; Sukharn, Sumalee; Laoharojanaphand, Sirinart

    2003-10-01

    The inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) for the determination of individual rare-earth elements (REE) was evaluated by comparison with instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF). The accuracy and precision of INAA and ICP-AES were evaluated by using standard reference material IGS-36, a monazite concentrate. For INAA, the results were close to the certified value while ICP-AES were in good agreement except for some low concentration rare earth. The techniques were applied for the analysis of some rare earth elements in two Thai monazite samples preparing as the in-house reference material for the Rare Earth Research and Development Center, Chemistry Division, Office of Atoms for Peace. The analytical results obtained by these techniques were in good agreement with each other

  6. AK-SYS: An adaptation of the AK-MCS method for system reliability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fauriat, W.; Gayton, N.

    2014-01-01

    A lot of research work has been proposed over the last two decades to evaluate the probability of failure of a structure involving a very time-consuming mechanical model. Surrogate model approaches based on Kriging, such as the Efficient Global Reliability Analysis (EGRA) or the Active learning and Kriging-based Monte-Carlo Simulation (AK-MCS) methods, are very efficient and each has advantages of its own. EGRA is well suited to evaluating small probabilities, as the surrogate can be used to classify any population. AK-MCS is built in relation to a given population and requires no optimization program for the active learning procedure to be performed. It is therefore easier to implement and more likely to spend computational effort on areas with a significant probability content. When assessing system reliability, analytical approaches and first-order approximation are widely used in the literature. However, in the present paper we rather focus on sampling techniques and, considering the recent adaptation of the EGRA method for systems, a strategy is presented to adapt the AK-MCS method for system reliability. The AK-SYS method, “Active learning and Kriging-based SYStem reliability method”, is presented. Its high efficiency and accuracy are illustrated via various examples

  7. New analytic and computational techniques for finite temperature condensed matter systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arias, T.A.

    1992-01-01

    By employing a special summation technique we find that the breakdown of the Meissner-Ochsenfeld effect in the three dimensional Bose gas as the applied field passes;through its critical value is an entropy driven weakly first order transition, rather than the second order transition usually ascribed to the system. The transition is second order at the usual Bose condensation temperature T c as well as at T = O, with a line o first order transition connecting these critical points. The first order transitions make the Bose gas resemble familiar superconductors, and a Landau-Ginzburg analysis indicates that the Bose gas is always a type I superconductor. We employ the recently introduce conjugate-gradient methods for minimization of the electronic energy functional to perform an extensive ab initio study of the Σ = 5 tilt [310] grain boundary in germanium. We find that the boundary reliably reconstructs to the tetrahedrally bonded network observed in HREM experiments without the proliferation of false local minima observed in similar twist boundaries. The reduced density of bonds crossing the grain boundary plan leads us to conjecture that the boundary may be a preferred fracture interface. We then combine these conjugate-gradient methods with a new technique for generating trail wavefunctions to produce an efficient ab initio molecular dynamics scheme that is that is at least two orders of magnitude more accurate than previous schemes and thus allows accurate calculation of dynamic correlation functions while maintaining tolerable energy conservation for microcanonical averages of those correlation function over picosecond time scales. We present two advances which greatly enhance the efficiency of our new ab initio molecular dynamics technique. We introduce a class of generalizations of traditional Fermionic energy functionals which allow us to lift the orthonormality constraints on the single particle orbitals and thus speed convergence

  8. Reliability study of a prestressed concrete beam by Monte Carlo techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Floris, C.; Migliacci, A.

    1987-01-01

    The safety of a prestressed beam is studied at the third probabilistic level and so calculating the probability of failure (P f ) under known loads. Since the beam is simply supported and subject only to loads perpendicular to its axis, only bending and shear loads are present. Since the ratio between the span and the clear height is over 20 with thus a very considerable shear span, it can be assumed that failure occurs entirely due to the bending moment, with shear having no effect. In order to calculate P f the probability density function (p.d.f.) have to be known both for the stress moment and the resisting moment. Attention here is focused on the construction of the latter. It is shown that it is practically impossible to find the required function analytically. On the other hand, numerical simulation with the help of a computer is particularly convenient. The so-called Monte Carlo techniques were chosen: they are based on the extraction of random numbers and are thus very suitable for simulating random events and quantities. (orig./HP)

  9. Electronics reliability calculation and design

    CERN Document Server

    Dummer, Geoffrey W A; Hiller, N

    1966-01-01

    Electronics Reliability-Calculation and Design provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts of reliability. The increasing complexity of electronic equipment has made problems in designing and manufacturing a reliable product more and more difficult. Specific techniques have been developed that enable designers to integrate reliability into their products, and reliability has become a science in its own right. The book begins with a discussion of basic mathematical and statistical concepts, including arithmetic mean, frequency distribution, median and mode, scatter or dispersion of mea

  10. AECL's reliability and maintainability program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wolfe, W.A.; Nieuwhof, G.W.E.

    1976-05-01

    AECL's reliability and maintainability program for nuclear generating stations is described. How the various resources of the company are organized to design and construct stations that operate reliably and safely is shown. Reliability and maintainability includes not only special mathematically oriented techniques, but also the technical skills and organizational abilities of the company. (author)

  11. Reliability of non-destructive test techniques in the inspection of pipelines used in the oil industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carvalho, A.A.; Rebello, J.M.A.; Souza, M.P.V.; Sagrilo, L.V.S.; Soares, S.D.

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this work is to evaluate the reliability of non-destructive test (NDT) techniques for the inspection of pipeline welds employed in the petroleum industry. Radiography, manual and automatic ultrasonic techniques using pulse-echo and time of flight diffraction (TOFD) were employed. Three classes of defects were analyzed: lack of penetration (LP), lack of fusion (LF) and undercut (UC). The tests were carried out on specimen made from pipelines containing defects, which had been artificially inserted on laying the weld bead. The results showed the superiority of the automatic ultrasonic tests for defect detection compared with the manual ultrasonic and radiographic tests. Additionally, artificial neural networks (ANN) were used in the detection and automatic classification of the defects

  12. Automated Predictive Big Data Analytics Using Ontology Based Semantics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nural, Mustafa V; Cotterell, Michael E; Peng, Hao; Xie, Rui; Ma, Ping; Miller, John A

    2015-10-01

    Predictive analytics in the big data era is taking on an ever increasingly important role. Issues related to choice on modeling technique, estimation procedure (or algorithm) and efficient execution can present significant challenges. For example, selection of appropriate and optimal models for big data analytics often requires careful investigation and considerable expertise which might not always be readily available. In this paper, we propose to use semantic technology to assist data analysts and data scientists in selecting appropriate modeling techniques and building specific models as well as the rationale for the techniques and models selected. To formally describe the modeling techniques, models and results, we developed the Analytics Ontology that supports inferencing for semi-automated model selection. The SCALATION framework, which currently supports over thirty modeling techniques for predictive big data analytics is used as a testbed for evaluating the use of semantic technology.

  13. Comparison of the THERP quantitative tables with the human reliability analysis techniques of second generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alvarenga, Marco Antonio Bayout; Fonseca, Renato Alves

    2009-01-01

    The methodology THERP is classified as a Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) technique of first generation and its emergence was an important initial step for the development of HRA techniques in the industry. Due to the fact of being a first generation technique, THERP quantification tables of human errors are based on a taxonomy that does not take into account the human errors mechanisms. Concerning the three cognitive levels in the Rasmussen framework for the cognitive information processing in human beings, THERP deals in most cases with errors that happen in the perceptual-motor level (stimulus-response). In the rules level, this technique can work better using the time dependent probabilities curves of diagnosis errors, obtained in nuclear power plants simulators. Nevertheless, this is done without processing any error mechanisms. Another deficiency is the fact that the performance shaping factors are in limited number. Furthermore, the influences (predictable or not) of operational context, arising from operational deviations of the most probable (in terms of occurrence probabilities) standard scenarios beside the consequent operational tendencies (operator actions) are not estimated. This work makes a critical analysis of these deficiencies and it points out possible solutions in order to modify the THERP tables, seeking a realistic quantification, that does not underestimate or overestimate the human errors probabilities when applying the HRA techniques to nuclear power plants. The critical analysis is accomplished through a qualitative comparison between THERP, a HRA technique of first generation, with CREAM, as well as ATHEANA, which are HRA techniques of second generation. (author)

  14. Comparison of the THERP quantitative tables with the human reliability analysis techniques of second generation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alvarenga, Marco Antonio Bayout; Fonseca, Renato Alves [Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)], e-mail: bayout@cnen.gov.br, e-mail: rfonseca@cnen.gov.br

    2009-07-01

    The methodology THERP is classified as a Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) technique of first generation and its emergence was an important initial step for the development of HRA techniques in the industry. Due to the fact of being a first generation technique, THERP quantification tables of human errors are based on a taxonomy that does not take into account the human errors mechanisms. Concerning the three cognitive levels in the Rasmussen framework for the cognitive information processing in human beings, THERP deals in most cases with errors that happen in the perceptual-motor level (stimulus-response). In the rules level, this technique can work better using the time dependent probabilities curves of diagnosis errors, obtained in nuclear power plants simulators. Nevertheless, this is done without processing any error mechanisms. Another deficiency is the fact that the performance shaping factors are in limited number. Furthermore, the influences (predictable or not) of operational context, arising from operational deviations of the most probable (in terms of occurrence probabilities) standard scenarios beside the consequent operational tendencies (operator actions) are not estimated. This work makes a critical analysis of these deficiencies and it points out possible solutions in order to modify the THERP tables, seeking a realistic quantification, that does not underestimate or overestimate the human errors probabilities when applying the HRA techniques to nuclear power plants. The critical analysis is accomplished through a qualitative comparison between THERP, a HRA technique of first generation, with CREAM, as well as ATHEANA, which are HRA techniques of second generation. (author)

  15. Multidisciplinary System Reliability Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahadevan, Sankaran; Han, Song; Chamis, Christos C. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    The objective of this study is to develop a new methodology for estimating the reliability of engineering systems that encompass multiple disciplines. The methodology is formulated in the context of the NESSUS probabilistic structural analysis code, developed under the leadership of NASA Glenn Research Center. The NESSUS code has been successfully applied to the reliability estimation of a variety of structural engineering systems. This study examines whether the features of NESSUS could be used to investigate the reliability of systems in other disciplines such as heat transfer, fluid mechanics, electrical circuits etc., without considerable programming effort specific to each discipline. In this study, the mechanical equivalence between system behavior models in different disciplines are investigated to achieve this objective. A new methodology is presented for the analysis of heat transfer, fluid flow, and electrical circuit problems using the structural analysis routines within NESSUS, by utilizing the equivalence between the computational quantities in different disciplines. This technique is integrated with the fast probability integration and system reliability techniques within the NESSUS code, to successfully compute the system reliability of multidisciplinary systems. Traditional as well as progressive failure analysis methods for system reliability estimation are demonstrated, through a numerical example of a heat exchanger system involving failure modes in structural, heat transfer and fluid flow disciplines.

  16. Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry: analytical assessment of the technique at the beginning of the 90's

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanz-Medel, A.

    1991-01-01

    The main application of the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) today is in atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), as an excitation spectrochemical source, although uses of an ICP for fluorescence as just an atomizer, and specially for mass spectrometry, as an ionization source, are rocketing in the last few years. Since its inception, only a quarter of a century ago, ICP-AES has rapidly evolved to one of the preferred routine analytical techniques for convenient determination of many elements with high speed, at low levels and in the most varied samples. Perhaps its comparatively high kinetic temperature (capable of atomizing virtually every compound of any sample), its high excitation and ionization temperatures, and its favourable spatial structure at the core of the ICP success. By now, the ICP-AES can be considered as having achieved maturity in that a huge amount of analytical problems can be tackled with this technique, while no major or fundamental changes have been adopted for several years. Despite this fact, important driving forces are still in operation to further improve the ICP-AES sensitivity, selectivity, precision, sample throughput, etc. Moreover, proposals to extend the scope of the technique to traditionally elusive fields (e.g. non-metals and organic compound analysis) are also appearing in the recent literature. In this paper the 'state of the art', the last developments and the expectations in trying to circumvent the limitations of the ICP-AES (on the light of literature data and personal experience) are reviewed. (author)

  17. Social Data Analytics Using Tensors and Sparse Techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Miao

    2014-01-01

    The development of internet and mobile technologies is driving an earthshaking social media revolution. They bring the internet world a huge amount of social media content, such as images, videos, comments, etc. Those massive media content and complicate social structures require the analytic expertise to transform those flood of information into…

  18. Suitability of analytical methods to measure solubility for the purpose of nanoregulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tantra, Ratna; Bouwmeester, Hans; Bolea, Eduardo; Rey-Castro, Carlos; David, Calin A; Dogné, Jean-Michel; Jarman, John; Laborda, Francisco; Laloy, Julie; Robinson, Kenneth N; Undas, Anna K; van der Zande, Meike

    2016-01-01

    Solubility is an important physicochemical parameter in nanoregulation. If nanomaterial is completely soluble, then from a risk assessment point of view, its disposal can be treated much in the same way as "ordinary" chemicals, which will simplify testing and characterisation regimes. This review assesses potential techniques for the measurement of nanomaterial solubility and evaluates the performance against a set of analytical criteria (based on satisfying the requirements as governed by the cosmetic regulation as well as the need to quantify the concentration of free (hydrated) ions). Our findings show that no universal method exists. A complementary approach is thus recommended, to comprise an atomic spectrometry-based method in conjunction with an electrochemical (or colorimetric) method. This article shows that although some techniques are more commonly used than others, a huge research gap remains, related with the need to ensure data reliability.

  19. Analytical techniques for in-line/on-line monitoring of uranium and plutonium in process solutions : a brief literature survey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marathe, S.G.; Sood, D.D.

    1991-01-01

    In-line/on-line monitoring of various parameters such as uranium-plutonium-fission product concentration, acidity, density etc. plays an important role in quickly understanding the efficiency of processes in a reprocessing plant. Efforts in studying and installation of such analytical instruments are going on since more than three decades with adaptation of newer methods and technologies. A review on the developement of in-line analytical instrumentation was carried out in this laboratory about two decades ago. This report presents a very short literature survey of the work in the last two decades. The report includes an outline of principles of the main techniques employed in the in-line/on-line monitoring. (author). 77 refs., 6 tabs

  20. High throughput-screening of animal urine samples: It is fast but is it also reliable?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaufmann, Anton

    2016-05-01

    Advanced analytical technologies like ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry can be used for veterinary drug screening of animal urine. The technique is sufficiently robust and reliable to detect veterinary drugs in urine samples of animals where the maximum residue limit of these compounds in organs like muscle, kidney, or liver has been exceeded. The limitations and possibilities of the technique are discussed. The most critical point is the variability of the drug concentration ratio between the tissue and urine. Ways to manage the false positive and false negatives are discussed. The capability to confirm findings and the possibility of semi-targeted analysis are also addressed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. Standardizing the practice of human reliability analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hallbert, B.P.

    1993-01-01

    The practice of human reliability analysis (HRA) within the nuclear industry varies greatly in terms of posited mechanisms that shape human performance, methods of characterizing and analytically modeling human behavior, and the techniques that are employed to estimate the frequency with which human error occurs. This variation has been a source of contention among HRA practitioners regarding the validity of results obtained from different HRA methods. It has also resulted in attempts to develop standard methods and procedures for conducting HRAs. For many of the same reasons, the practice of HRA has not been standardized or has been standardized only to the extent that individual analysts have developed heuristics and consistent approaches in their practice of HRA. From the standpoint of consumers and regulators, this has resulted in a lack of clear acceptance criteria for the assumptions, modeling, and quantification of human errors in probabilistic risk assessments

  2. The analytic hierarchy process as a systematic approach to the identification of important parameters for the reliability assessment of passive systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zio, E.; Cantarella, M.; Cammi, A.

    2003-01-01

    Passive systems play a crucial role in the development of future solutions for nuclear plant technology. A fundamental issue still to be resolved is the quantification of the reliability of such systems. In this paper, we firstly illustrate a systematic methodology to guide the definition of the failure criteria of a passive system and the evaluation of its probability of occurrence, through the identification of the relevant system parameters and the propagation of their associated uncertainties. Within this methodology, we propose the use of the analytic hierarchy process as a structured and reproducible tool for the decomposition of the problem and the identification of the dominant system parameters. An example of its application to a real passive system is illustrated in details

  3. Application of reliability techniques to prioritize BWR [boiling water reactor] recirculation loop welds for in-service inspection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holman, G.S.

    1989-12-01

    In January 1988 the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued Generic Letter 88-01 together with NUREG-0313, Revision 2, ''Technical Report on Material Selection and Processing Guidelines for BWR Coolant Pressure Boundary Piping,'' to implement NRC long-range plans for addressing the problem of stress corrosion cracking in boiling water reactor piping. NUREG-0313 presents guidelines for categorizing BWR pipe welds according to their SCC condition (e.g., presence of known cracks, implementation of measures for mitigating SCC) as well as recommended inspection schedules (e.g., percentage of welds inspected, inspection frequency) for each weld category. NUREG-0313 does not, however, specify individual welds to be inspected. To address this issue, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory developed two recommended inspection samples for welds in a typical BWR recirculation loop. Using a probabilistic fracture mechanics model, LLNL prioritized loop welds on the basis of estimated leak probabilities. The results of this evaluation indicate that riser welds and bypass welds should be given priority attention over other welds. Larger-diameter welds as a group can be considered of secondary importance compared to riser and bypass welds. A ''blind'' comparison between the probability-based inspection samples and data from actual field inspections indicated that the probabilistic analysis generally captured the welds which the field inspections identified as warranting repair or replacement. Discrepancies between the field data and the analytic results can likely be attributed to simplifying assumptions made in the analysis. The overall agreement between analysis and field experience suggests that reliability techniques -- when combined with historical experience -- represent a sound technical basis on which to define meaningful weld inspection programs. 13 refs., 8 figs., 5 tabs

  4. NDE reliability and advanced NDE technology validation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doctor, S.R.; Deffenbaugh, J.D.; Good, M.S.; Green, E.R.; Heasler, P.G.; Hutton, P.H.; Reid, L.D.; Simonen, F.A.; Spanner, J.C.; Vo, T.V.

    1989-01-01

    This paper reports on progress for three programs: (1) evaluation and improvement in nondestructive examination reliability for inservice inspection of light water reactors (LWR) (NDE Reliability Program), (2) field validation acceptance, and training for advanced NDE technology, and (3) evaluation of computer-based NDE techniques and regional support of inspection activities. The NDE Reliability Program objectives are to quantify the reliability of inservice inspection techniques for LWR primary system components through independent research and establish means for obtaining improvements in the reliability of inservice inspections. The areas of significant progress will be described concerning ASME Code activities, re-analysis of the PISC-II data, the equipment interaction matrix study, new inspection criteria, and PISC-III. The objectives of the second program are to develop field procedures for the AE and SAFT-UT techniques, perform field validation testing of these techniques, provide training in the techniques for NRC headquarters and regional staff, and work with the ASME Code for the use of these advanced technologies. The final program's objective is to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of interpretation of results from computer-based ultrasonic inservice inspection systems, and to develop guidelines for NRC staff to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of inservice inspections conducted on nuclear power reactors. This program started in the last quarter of FY89, and the extent of the program was to prepare a work plan for presentation to and approval from a technical advisory group of NRC staff

  5. Optical trapping for analytical biotechnology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashok, Praveen C; Dholakia, Kishan

    2012-02-01

    We describe the exciting advances of using optical trapping in the field of analytical biotechnology. This technique has opened up opportunities to manipulate biological particles at the single cell or even at subcellular levels which has allowed an insight into the physical and chemical mechanisms of many biological processes. The ability of this technique to manipulate microparticles and measure pico-Newton forces has found several applications such as understanding the dynamics of biological macromolecules, cell-cell interactions and the micro-rheology of both cells and fluids. Furthermore we may probe and analyse the biological world when combining trapping with analytical techniques such as Raman spectroscopy and imaging. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Large Sample Confidence Intervals for Item Response Theory Reliability Coefficients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andersson, Björn; Xin, Tao

    2018-01-01

    In applications of item response theory (IRT), an estimate of the reliability of the ability estimates or sum scores is often reported. However, analytical expressions for the standard errors of the estimators of the reliability coefficients are not available in the literature and therefore the variability associated with the estimated reliability…

  7. Reliability assessment of Port Harcourt 33/11kv Distribution System ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This makes reliability studies an important task besides all the other analyses required for assessing the system performance. The paper presents an analytical approach in the reliability assessment of the Port Harcourt 33/11kV power distribution system. The assessment was performed with the 2009 power outage data ...

  8. On Bayesian System Reliability Analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soerensen Ringi, M

    1995-05-01

    The view taken in this thesis is that reliability, the probability that a system will perform a required function for a stated period of time, depends on a person`s state of knowledge. Reliability changes as this state of knowledge changes, i.e. when new relevant information becomes available. Most existing models for system reliability prediction are developed in a classical framework of probability theory and they overlook some information that is always present. Probability is just an analytical tool to handle uncertainty, based on judgement and subjective opinions. It is argued that the Bayesian approach gives a much more comprehensive understanding of the foundations of probability than the so called frequentistic school. A new model for system reliability prediction is given in two papers. The model encloses the fact that component failures are dependent because of a shared operational environment. The suggested model also naturally permits learning from failure data of similar components in non identical environments. 85 refs.

  9. On Bayesian System Reliability Analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soerensen Ringi, M.

    1995-01-01

    The view taken in this thesis is that reliability, the probability that a system will perform a required function for a stated period of time, depends on a person's state of knowledge. Reliability changes as this state of knowledge changes, i.e. when new relevant information becomes available. Most existing models for system reliability prediction are developed in a classical framework of probability theory and they overlook some information that is always present. Probability is just an analytical tool to handle uncertainty, based on judgement and subjective opinions. It is argued that the Bayesian approach gives a much more comprehensive understanding of the foundations of probability than the so called frequentistic school. A new model for system reliability prediction is given in two papers. The model encloses the fact that component failures are dependent because of a shared operational environment. The suggested model also naturally permits learning from failure data of similar components in non identical environments. 85 refs

  10. On numerical-analytic techniques for boundary value problems

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Rontó, András; Rontó, M.; Shchobak, N.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 12, č. 3 (2012), s. 5-10 ISSN 1335-8243 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : numerical-analytic method * periodic successive approximations * Lyapunov-Schmidt method Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/aeei.2012.12.issue-3/v10198-012-0035-1/v10198-012-0035-1.xml?format=INT

  11. Models of signal validation using artificial intelligence techniques applied to a nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliveira, Mauro V.; Schirru, Roberto

    2000-01-01

    This work presents two models of signal validation in which the analytical redundancy of the monitored signals from a nuclear plant is made by neural networks. In one model the analytical redundancy is made by only one neural network while in the other it is done by several neural networks, each one working in a specific part of the entire operation region of the plant. Four cluster techniques were tested to separate the entire operation region in several specific regions. An additional information of systems' reliability is supplied by a fuzzy inference system. The models were implemented in C language and tested with signals acquired from Angra I nuclear power plant, from its start to 100% of power. (author)

  12. HiRel: Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor (HARP) integrated reliability tool system, (version 7.0). Volume 1: HARP introduction and user's guide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bavuso, Salvatore J.; Rothmann, Elizabeth; Dugan, Joanne Bechta; Trivedi, Kishor S.; Mittal, Nitin; Boyd, Mark A.; Geist, Robert M.; Smotherman, Mark D.

    1994-01-01

    The Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor (HARP) integrated Reliability (HiRel) tool system for reliability/availability prediction offers a toolbox of integrated reliability/availability programs that can be used to customize the user's application in a workstation or nonworkstation environment. HiRel consists of interactive graphical input/output programs and four reliability/availability modeling engines that provide analytical and simulative solutions to a wide host of reliable fault-tolerant system architectures and is also applicable to electronic systems in general. The tool system was designed to be compatible with most computing platforms and operating systems, and some programs have been beta tested, within the aerospace community for over 8 years. Volume 1 provides an introduction to the HARP program. Comprehensive information on HARP mathematical models can be found in the references.

  13. Some new hydraulic and tracer measurement techniques for heterogeneous aquifer formations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ptak, T.; Teutsch, G.

    1990-01-01

    Groundwater contamination assessment and remediation activities demand reliable techniques for the determination of the governing aquifer parameters and their spatial distribution. In order to define guidelines and recommendations, some existing underground investigation techniques were tested and new methods have been developed as a part of the research program at the Horkheimer Insel experimental field site. In this paper, some new developed field and laboratory techniques are introduced and the results compared for two example monitoring wells located in the northern part of the field site. It is shown that highly conductive and highly heterogeneous aquifers demand high resolution investigation techniques. For transport predictions, new methods are needed that are able to detect preferential flow paths. Results from multilevel tracer tests show that simple analytical interpretations are not valid for this type of aquifer. (Author) (8 refs., 12 figs., tab.)

  14. NUMERICAL AND ANALYTIC METHODS OF ESTIMATION BRIDGES’ CONSTRUCTIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Y. Luchko

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available In this article the numerical and analytical methods of calculation of the stressed-and-strained state of bridge constructions are considered. The task on increasing of reliability and accuracy of the numerical method and its solution by means of calculations in two bases are formulated. The analytical solution of the differential equation of deformation of a ferro-concrete plate under the action of local loads is also obtained.

  15. Reliability Analyses of Groundwater Pollutant Transport

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dimakis, Panagiotis

    1997-12-31

    This thesis develops a probabilistic finite element model for the analysis of groundwater pollution problems. Two computer codes were developed, (1) one using finite element technique to solve the two-dimensional steady state equations of groundwater flow and pollution transport, and (2) a first order reliability method code that can do a probabilistic analysis of any given analytical or numerical equation. The two codes were connected into one model, PAGAP (Probability Analysis of Groundwater And Pollution). PAGAP can be used to obtain (1) the probability that the concentration at a given point at a given time will exceed a specified value, (2) the probability that the maximum concentration at a given point will exceed a specified value and (3) the probability that the residence time at a given point will exceed a specified period. PAGAP could be used as a tool for assessment purposes and risk analyses, for instance the assessment of the efficiency of a proposed remediation technique or to study the effects of parameter distribution for a given problem (sensitivity study). The model has been applied to study the greatest self sustained, precipitation controlled aquifer in North Europe, which underlies Oslo`s new major airport. 92 refs., 187 figs., 26 tabs.

  16. Proceedings of the BRNS-AEACI first symposium on current trends in analytical chemistry: book of abstracts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reddy, A.V.R.

    2015-01-01

    The symposium was very useful for the scientists on various aspects of current trends in analytical chemistry like separation science, speciation, nuclear analytical techniques, thermo analytical techniques, electro analytical techniques, spectrochemical and microscopic techniques, environmental studies, geochemical studies, chemical metrology, analytical instrumentation. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

  17. power system reliability in supplying nuclear reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gad, M.M.M.

    2007-01-01

    this thesis presents a simple technique for deducing minimal cut set (MCS) from the defined minimal path set (MPS) of generic distribution system and this technique have been used to evaluate the basic reliability indices of Egypt's second research reactor (ETRR-2) electrical distribution network. the alternative system configurations are then studied to evaluate their impact on service reliability. the proposed MCS approach considers both sustained and temporary outage. the temporary outage constitutes an important parameter in characterizing the system reliability indices for critical load point in distribution system. it is also consider the power quality impact on the reliability indices

  18. Characterisation of PDO olive oil Chianti Classico by non-selective (UV–visible, NIR and MIR spectroscopy) and selective (fatty acid composition) analytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Casale, M.; Oliveri, P.; Casolino, C.; Sinelli, N.; Zunin, P.; Armanino, C.; Forina, M.; Lanteri, S.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Characterisation of the Italian PDO extra virgin olive oil Chianti Classico. ► Comparison between non-selective (UV–vis, NIR and MIR spectroscopy) and selective (fatty acid composition) analytical techniques. ► Synergy among spectroscopic techniques, by the fusion of the respective spectra. ► Prediction of the content of oleic and linoleic acids in the olive oils. - Abstract: An authentication study of the Italian PDO (protected designation of origin) extra virgin olive oil Chianti Classico was performed; UV–visible (UV–vis), Near-Infrared (NIR) and Mid-Infrared (MIR) spectroscopies were applied to a set of samples representative of the whole Chianti Classico production area. The non-selective signals (fingerprints) provided by the three spectroscopic techniques were utilised both individually and jointly, after fusion of the respective profile vectors, in order to build a model for the Chianti Classico PDO olive oil. Moreover, these results were compared with those obtained by the gas chromatographic determination of the fatty acids composition. In order to characterise the olive oils produced in the Chianti Classico PDO area, UNEQ (unequal class models) and SIMCA (soft independent modelling of class analogy) were employed both on the MIR, NIR and UV–vis spectra, individually and jointly, and on the fatty acid composition. Finally, PLS (partial least square) regression was applied on the UV–vis, NIR and MIR spectra, in order to predict the content of oleic and linoleic acids in the extra virgin olive oils. UNEQ, SIMCA and PLS were performed after selection of the relevant predictors, in order to increase the efficiency of both classification and regression models. The non-selective information obtained from UV–vis, NIR and MIR spectroscopy allowed to build reliable models for checking the authenticity of the Italian PDO extra virgin olive oil Chianti Classico.

  19. Characterisation of PDO olive oil Chianti Classico by non-selective (UV-visible, NIR and MIR spectroscopy) and selective (fatty acid composition) analytical techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Casale, M., E-mail: monica@dictfa.unige.it [Universita degli Studi di Genova, Department of Chemistry and Food and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Via Brigata Salerno 13, I-16147, Genoa (Italy); Oliveri, P.; Casolino, C. [Universita degli Studi di Genova, Department of Chemistry and Food and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Via Brigata Salerno 13, I-16147, Genoa (Italy); Sinelli, N. [Universita degli Studi di Milano, Department of Food Science and Technology, Via Celoria, 2 - I-20133 Milan (Italy); Zunin, P.; Armanino, C.; Forina, M.; Lanteri, S. [Universita degli Studi di Genova, Department of Chemistry and Food and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Via Brigata Salerno 13, I-16147, Genoa (Italy)

    2012-01-27

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Characterisation of the Italian PDO extra virgin olive oil Chianti Classico. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Comparison between non-selective (UV-vis, NIR and MIR spectroscopy) and selective (fatty acid composition) analytical techniques. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Synergy among spectroscopic techniques, by the fusion of the respective spectra. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Prediction of the content of oleic and linoleic acids in the olive oils. - Abstract: An authentication study of the Italian PDO (protected designation of origin) extra virgin olive oil Chianti Classico was performed; UV-visible (UV-vis), Near-Infrared (NIR) and Mid-Infrared (MIR) spectroscopies were applied to a set of samples representative of the whole Chianti Classico production area. The non-selective signals (fingerprints) provided by the three spectroscopic techniques were utilised both individually and jointly, after fusion of the respective profile vectors, in order to build a model for the Chianti Classico PDO olive oil. Moreover, these results were compared with those obtained by the gas chromatographic determination of the fatty acids composition. In order to characterise the olive oils produced in the Chianti Classico PDO area, UNEQ (unequal class models) and SIMCA (soft independent modelling of class analogy) were employed both on the MIR, NIR and UV-vis spectra, individually and jointly, and on the fatty acid composition. Finally, PLS (partial least square) regression was applied on the UV-vis, NIR and MIR spectra, in order to predict the content of oleic and linoleic acids in the extra virgin olive oils. UNEQ, SIMCA and PLS were performed after selection of the relevant predictors, in order to increase the efficiency of both classification and regression models. The non-selective information obtained from UV-vis, NIR and MIR spectroscopy allowed to build reliable models for checking the authenticity of the Italian PDO extra virgin olive oil

  20. Assessing the Impact of Imperfect Diagnosis on Service Reliability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grønbæk, Lars Jesper; Schwefel, Hans-Peter; Kjærgaard, Jens Kristian

    2010-01-01

    , representative diagnosis performance metrics have been defined and their closed-form solutions obtained for the Markov model. These equations enable model parameterization from traces of implemented diagnosis components. The diagnosis model has been integrated in a reliability model assessing the impact...... of the diagnosis functions for the studied reliability problem. In a simulation study we finally analyze trade-off properties of diagnosis heuristics from literature, map them to the analytic Markov model, and investigate its suitability for service reliability optimization....

  1. Quality of the Critical Incident Technique in practice: Interrater reliability and users' acceptance under real conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ANNA KOCH

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available The Critical Incident Technique (CIT is a widely used task analysis method in personnel psychology. While studies on psychometric properties of the CIT so far primarily took into account relevance ratings of task-lists or attributes, and hence, only a smaller or adapted part of the CIT, little is known about the psychometric properties of the complete CIT in its most meaningful and fruitful way. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess interrater reliability and the participants’ view of the CIT under real conditions and especially to provide data for the key step of the CIT: the classification of behavior descriptions into requirements. Additionally, the cost-benefit-ratio and practicability were rated from the participants’ views as an important indicator for the acceptance of the task analysis approach in practice. Instructors of German Institutions for Statutory Accidents Insurance and Prevention as well as their supervisors took part in a job analysis with the CIT. Moderate interrater reliability for the relevance rating was found while the classification step yielded unexpectedly low coefficients for interrater reliability. The cost-benefit-ratio and practicability of the complete CIT were rated very positive. The results are discussed in relation to determinants that facilitate or impede the application of task analysis procedures.

  2. Accounting for methodological, structural, and parameter uncertainty in decision-analytic models: a practical guide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bilcke, Joke; Beutels, Philippe; Brisson, Marc; Jit, Mark

    2011-01-01

    Accounting for uncertainty is now a standard part of decision-analytic modeling and is recommended by many health technology agencies and published guidelines. However, the scope of such analyses is often limited, even though techniques have been developed for presenting the effects of methodological, structural, and parameter uncertainty on model results. To help bring these techniques into mainstream use, the authors present a step-by-step guide that offers an integrated approach to account for different kinds of uncertainty in the same model, along with a checklist for assessing the way in which uncertainty has been incorporated. The guide also addresses special situations such as when a source of uncertainty is difficult to parameterize, resources are limited for an ideal exploration of uncertainty, or evidence to inform the model is not available or not reliable. for identifying the sources of uncertainty that influence results most are also described. Besides guiding analysts, the guide and checklist may be useful to decision makers who need to assess how well uncertainty has been accounted for in a decision-analytic model before using the results to make a decision.

  3. Predictive analytics and child protection: constraints and opportunities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, Jesse

    2015-08-01

    This paper considers how predictive analytics might inform, assist, and improve decision making in child protection. Predictive analytics represents recent increases in data quantity and data diversity, along with advances in computing technology. While the use of data and statistical modeling is not new to child protection decision making, its use in child protection is experiencing growth, and efforts to leverage predictive analytics for better decision-making in child protection are increasing. Past experiences, constraints and opportunities are reviewed. For predictive analytics to make the most impact on child protection practice and outcomes, it must embrace established criteria of validity, equity, reliability, and usefulness. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Development of versatile universal reagent immunoradiometric assay technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hazra, D.K.

    1982-10-01

    Immunoradiometric assays, which make use of labelled antibodies, potentially offer better sensitivity and specificity than do radioimmunoassays, which use labelled antigens. In addition, they can in principle be performed in a particularly convenient scheme wherein the same labelled reagent may be used for many different analytes - thus serving as a ''universal'' labelled reagent. Thus if the specific antibody for every analyte is raised in rabbits, and an anti-rabbit antibody is labelled, the latter may be added after the specific antibody to quantify the amount of specific antibody bound to analyte and thereby the amount of analyte present. The potential greater sensitivity and specificity of the immunoradiometric procedure, coupled with the potential convenience of the ''universal'' labelled reagent, might allow such immunoradiometric techniques to be used effectively in the study of communicable diseases in developing countries. Development of these procedures was the subject of this investigation. Many components of these procedures had to be explored and provisionally optimized, including coating of assay tubes with ''extraction'' antibody, immunological purification of antibodies, labelling of antibodies, and intermediate steps toward these goals. Applications were thereupon tested using those provisionally optimized components. The ''universal'' labelled reagent, a donkey anti-rabbit antiserum, was successfully used in the assay of TSH; however, cross reactions of the reagent with non-rabbit immunoglobulins and other materials present seriously limited the sensitivity of the method. Using conventional immunoradiometric procedures, circulating TB and amoebic antibodies could be detected in patients suffering from these diseases. Similarly, circulating antigens in the same patients could also be detected, but not with sufficient sensitivity and specificity to provide a reliable analytical system. Numerous improvements will be required before these techniques

  5. Determination of alpha-naphthol by an oscillating chemical reaction using the analyte pulse perturbation technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Wu; Sun Kanjun; Lv Weilian; Bo Lili; He Xiaoyan; Suo Nan; Gao Jinzhang

    2005-01-01

    An analytical method for the determination of alpha-naphthol (α-NP) is proposed by the sequential perturbation caused by different amounts of alpha-naphthol on the oscillating chemical system involving the Cu(II)-catalyzed oscillating reaction between hydrogen peroxide and sodium thiocyanate in an alkaline medium with the aid of continuous-flow stirred tank reactor (CSTR). The method relies on the linear relationship between the changes in the oscillation amplitude of the chemical system and the concentration of alpha-naphthol. The use of the analyte pulse perturbation technique permits sequential determinations in the same oscillating system owing to the expeditiousness with which the steady state is regained after each perturbation. The calibration curve obeys a linear equation very well when the concentration of alpha-naphthol is over the range 0.034-530 umol/L (r = 0.9991). Influences of temperature, injection points, flow rate and reaction variables on the oscillating system are investigated in detail and the possible mechanism of action of alpha-naphthol to the chemical oscillating system is also discussed. The method has been successfully used for the determination of α-naphthol in carbaryl hydrolysates

  6. SFC-MS/MS as an orthogonal technique for improved screening of polar analytes in anti-doping control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parr, Maria Kristina; Wuest, Bernhard; Naegele, Edgar; Joseph, Jan F; Wenzel, Maxi; Schmidt, Alexander H; Stanic, Mijo; de la Torre, Xavier; Botrè, Francesco

    2016-09-01

    HPLC is considered the method of choice for the separation of various classes of drugs. However, some analytes are still challenging as HPLC shows limited resolution capabilities for highly polar analytes as they interact insufficiently on conventional reversed-phase (RP) columns. Especially in combination with mass spectrometric detection, limitations apply for alterations of stationary phases. Some highly polar sympathomimetic drugs and their metabolites showed almost no retention on different RP columns. Their retention remains poor even on phenylhexyl phases that show different selectivity due to π-π interactions. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) as an orthogonal separation technique to HPLC may help to overcome these issues. Selected polar drugs and metabolites were analyzed utilizing SFC separation. All compounds showed sharp peaks and good retention even for the very polar analytes, such as sulfoconjugates. Retention times and elution orders in SFC are different to both RP and HILIC separations as a result of the orthogonality. Short cycle times could be realized. As temperature and pressure strongly influence the polarity of supercritical fluids, precise regulation of temperature and backpressure is required for the stability of the retention times. As CO2 is the main constituent of the mobile phase in SFC, solvent consumption and solvent waste are considerably reduced. Graphical Abstract SFC-MS/MS vs. LC-MS/MS.

  7. Comparison between two non-contact techniques for art digitalization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bianconi, F.; Catalucci, S.; Filippucci, M.; Marsili, R.; Moretti, M.; Rossi, G.; Speranzini, E.

    2017-08-01

    Many measurements techniques have been proposed for the “digitalization of objects”: structured light 3D scanner, laser scanner, high resolution camera, depth cam, thermal-cam, … Since the adoption of the European Agenda for Culture in 2007, heritage has been a priority for the Council’s work plans for culture, and cooperation at European level has advanced through the Open Method of Coordination. Political interest at EU level has steadily grown cultural and heritage stakeholders recently highlighted in the Declaration on a New Narrative for Europe: “Europe as a political body needs to recognize the value of Cultural Heritage”. Photomodelling is an innovative and extremely economical technique related to the conservation of Cultural Heritage, which leads to the creation of three-dimensional models starting from simple photographs. The aim of the research is to understand the full potential offered by this new technique and dedicated software, analysing the reliability of each instrument, with particular attention to freeware ones. An analytical comparison between photomodelling and structured light 3D scanner guarantees a first measure of the reliability of instruments, tested in the survey of several Umbrian heritage artefacts. The comparison between tests and reference models is explained using different algorithms and criteria, spatial, volumetric and superficial.

  8. Complementarities of nuclear-based analytical techniques for the characterization of thin film technological materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bamford, Samuel; Kregsamer, Peter; Fazinic, Stjepko; Jaksic, Milko; Wegrzynek, Dariusz; Chinea-Cano, Ernesto; Markowicz, Andrzej

    2007-01-01

    Two thin film technological materials (A/B) from the aerospace industry have been characterized for their elemental composition, for the purpose of determining their purity and trace element distribution. The results contribute to the assessment of the materials' suitability as part of a spacecraft's thermal hardware. Analysis was done using a combination of PIXE/RBS and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analytical techniques. Samples of the materials were analyzed with PIXE/RBS system using 2 MeV proton beam from a 1 MV Tandetron accelerator and also with separate EDXRF systems employing Am-241 and Mo-secondary target as excitation sources. PIXE/RBS measurements enabled identification of the elemental composition and elucidation of the layer structure of the materials. From the PIXE/RBS results, Am-241-excited EDXRF technique was selected for quantitative determination of indium (In) and tin (Sn) by their K-X-rays, after reasonable absorption corrections. A comparison has been made of the results obtained from EDXRF and PIXE/RBS. Material A has been found to be a thin film with three layers, while material B is a thin film comprised of four layers. Thicknesses and compositions (including trace elements) of all layers have been determined. The limitation of EDXRF in the analysis of inhomogeneously distributed elements was overcome by using PIXE/RBS as an appropriate complimentary technique

  9. A review of sex estimation techniques during examination of skeletal remains in forensic anthropology casework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krishan, Kewal; Chatterjee, Preetika M; Kanchan, Tanuj; Kaur, Sandeep; Baryah, Neha; Singh, R K

    2016-04-01

    Sex estimation is considered as one of the essential parameters in forensic anthropology casework, and requires foremost consideration in the examination of skeletal remains. Forensic anthropologists frequently employ morphologic and metric methods for sex estimation of human remains. These methods are still very imperative in identification process in spite of the advent and accomplishment of molecular techniques. A constant boost in the use of imaging techniques in forensic anthropology research has facilitated to derive as well as revise the available population data. These methods however, are less reliable owing to high variance and indistinct landmark details. The present review discusses the reliability and reproducibility of various analytical approaches; morphological, metric, molecular and radiographic methods in sex estimation of skeletal remains. Numerous studies have shown a higher reliability and reproducibility of measurements taken directly on the bones and hence, such direct methods of sex estimation are considered to be more reliable than the other methods. Geometric morphometric (GM) method and Diagnose Sexuelle Probabiliste (DSP) method are emerging as valid methods and widely used techniques in forensic anthropology in terms of accuracy and reliability. Besides, the newer 3D methods are shown to exhibit specific sexual dimorphism patterns not readily revealed by traditional methods. Development of newer and better methodologies for sex estimation as well as re-evaluation of the existing ones will continue in the endeavour of forensic researchers for more accurate results. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Establishing the Appropriate Attributes in Current Human Reliability Assessment Techniques for Nuclear Safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bowie, Jane; Munley, Gary; Dang, Vinh; Wreathall, John; Bye, Andreas; Cooper, Susan; Marble, Julie; Peters, Sean; Xing, Jing; Fauchille, Veronique; Fiset, Jean Yves; Haage, Monica; Johanson, Gunnar; Jung, Won Dae; Kim, Jaewhan; Lee, Seung Jung; Kubicek, Jan; Le Bot, Pierre; Pesme, Helene; Preischl, Wolfgang; Salway, Alice; Amri, Abdallah; Lamarre, Greg; White, Andrew; )

    2015-03-01

    This report presents the results of a joint task of the Working Groups on Risk Assessment (WGRISK) and on Human and Organisational Factors (WGHOF) of the OECD/NEA CSNI, to identify desirable attributes of Human Reliability Assessment (HRA) methods, and to evaluate a range of HRA methods used in OECD member countries against those attributes. The purpose of this project is to provide information that will support regulators and operators of nuclear facilities when making judgements about the appropriateness of HRA methods for conducting assessments in support of Probabilistic Safety Assessments (PSA). The task was performed by an international team of Human Factors, HRA and PSA experts from a broad range of OECD member countries. As in other reviews of HRA methods, the study did not set out to recommend or promote the use of any particular HRA method. Rather the study aims to identify the strengths and limitations of commonly used and developing methods to aid those responsible for production of HRAs in selecting appropriate tools for specific HRA applications. The study also aims to assist regulators when making judgements on the appropriateness of the application of an HRA technique within nuclear-related probabilistic safety assessments. The report is aimed at practitioners in the field of human reliability assessment, human factors, and risk assessment more generally

  11. 4. Danish symposium in analytical chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    At the 4th Danish Symposium of Analytical Chemistry 11 lectures and 32 posters were presented during two session days on the 20 and 21 August 1996. Various analytical techniques were discussed for foodstuff, pesticide, pharmaceutical, industrial and other analyses. (EG)

  12. Comparison of nuclear analytical methods with competitive methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-10-01

    The use of nuclear analytical techniques, especially neutron activation analysis, already have a 50 year old history. Today several sensitive and accurate, non-nuclear trace element analytical techniques are available and new methods are continuously developed. The IAEA is supporting the development of nuclear analytical laboratories in its Member States. In order to be able to advise the developing countries which methods to use in different applications, it is important to know the present status and development trends of nuclear analytical methods, what are their benefits, drawbacks and recommended fields of application, compared with other, non-nuclear techniques. In order to get an answer to these questions the IAEA convened this Advisory Group Meeting. This volume is the outcome of the presentations and discussions of the meeting. A separate abstract was prepared for each of the 21 papers. Refs, figs, tabs

  13. Role of modern analytical techniques in the production of uranium metal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hareendran, K.N.; Roy, S.B.

    2009-01-01

    Production of nuclear grade uranium metal conforming to its stringent specification with respect to metallic and non metallic impurities necessitates implementation of a comprehensive quality control regime. Founding members of Uranium Metal Plant realised the importance of this aspect of metal production and a quality control laboratory was set up as part of the production plant. In the initial stages of its existence, the laboratory mainly catered to the process control analysis of the plant process samples and Spectroscopy Division and Analytical Division of BARC provided analysis of trace metallic impurities in the intermediates as well as in the product uranium metal. This laboratory also provided invaluable R and D support for the optimization of the process involving both calciothermy and magnesiothermy. Prior to 1985, analytical procedures used were limited to classical methods of analysis with minimal instrumental procedures. The first major analytical instrument, a Flame AAS was installed in 1985 and a beginning to the trace analysis was made. However during the last 15 years the Quality Control Section has modernized the analytical set up by acquiring appropriate instruments. Presently the facility has implemented a complete quality control and quality assurance program required to cover all aspects of uranium metal production viz analysis of raw materials, process samples, waste disposal samples and also determination of all the specification elements in uranium metal. The current analytical practices followed in QCS are presented here

  14. An Analytical Technique to Determine the Potential for Moisture Accumulation in Deactivated Structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MINICHAN, RL

    2004-01-01

    This paper describes an analytical technique developed to predict an order of magnitude volume of moisture accumulation in massive structures after deactivation. This work was done to support deactivation of a Department of Energy nuclear materials processing facility. The structure is a four-story, concrete building with a rectangular footprint that is approximately 250m long by 37m wide by 22m high. Its walls are 1.2m thick. The building will be supplied with unconditioned ventilation air after deactivation. The objective of the work was to provide a cost effective engineering evaluation to determine if the un-conditioned ventilation air would result in condensate accumulating inside the building under study. The analysis described is a simple representation of a complex problem. The modeling method is discussed in sufficient detail to allow its application to the study of similar structures

  15. The analytical quality control programme of the IAEA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suschny, O; Richman, D M [International Atomic Energy Agency, Division of Research and Laboratories, Seibersdorf (Austria)

    1973-10-01

    The International Atomic Energy Agency has distributed calibrated radioisotope solutions, standard reference materials and intercomparison materials in the nuclear and radioisotope materials and intercomparison materials in the nuclear and radioisotope fields since the early 1960's. The purpose of this activity was to help laboratories in the Member States to assess and, if necessary, to improve the reliability of their analytical work and to enable them, in this way, to render better service in a large number of areas ranging from nuclear technology to isotope applications in medicine and environmental sciences. The usefulness and the need for this service was demonstrated by the results of many intercomparisons which proved that without continued analytical quality control adequate reliability of analytical data could not be taken for granted. The scope and the size of the future programme of the Agency in this field has been delineated by recommendations made by several Panels of Experts. They have all agreed on the importance of it and made detailed recommendations in their areas of expertise.

  16. The analytical quality control programme of the IAEA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suschny, O.; Richman, D.M.

    1973-10-01

    The International Atomic Energy Agency has distributed calibrated radioisotope solutions, standard reference materials and intercomparison materials in the nuclear and radioisotope materials and intercomparison materials in the nuclear and radioisotope fields since the early 1960's. The purpose of this activity was to help laboratories in the Member States to assess and, if necessary, to improve the reliability of their analytical work and to enable them, in this way, to render better service in a large number of areas ranging from nuclear technology to isotope applications in medicine and environmental sciences. The usefulness and the need for this service was demonstrated by the results of many intercomparisons which proved that without continued analytical quality control adequate reliability of analytical data could not be taken for granted. The scope and the size of the future programme of the Agency in this field has been delineated by recommendations made by several Panels of Experts. They have all agreed on the importance of it and made detailed recommendations in their areas of expertise

  17. Pilot testing of SHRP 2 reliability data and analytical products: Florida.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Transportation agencies have realized the importance of performance estimation, measurement, and management. The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act legislation identifies travel time reliability as one of the goals of the federal highw...

  18. Human reliability assessment and probabilistic risk assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Embrey, D.E.; Lucas, D.A.

    1989-01-01

    Human reliability assessment (HRA) is used within Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) to identify the human errors (both omission and commission) which have a significant effect on the overall safety of the system and to quantify the probability of their occurrence. There exist a variey of HRA techniques and the selection of an appropriate one is often difficult. This paper reviews a number of available HRA techniques and discusses their strengths and weaknesses. The techniques reviewed include: decompositional methods, time-reliability curves and systematic expert judgement techniques. (orig.)

  19. Multispectral analytical image fusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stubbings, T.C.

    2000-04-01

    With new and advanced analytical imaging methods emerging, the limits of physical analysis capabilities and furthermore of data acquisition quantities are constantly pushed, claiming high demands to the field of scientific data processing and visualisation. Physical analysis methods like Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) or Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and others are capable of delivering high-resolution multispectral two-dimensional and three-dimensional image data; usually this multispectral data is available in form of n separate image files with each showing one element or other singular aspect of the sample. There is high need for digital image processing methods enabling the analytical scientist, confronted with such amounts of data routinely, to get rapid insight into the composition of the sample examined, to filter the relevant data and to integrate the information of numerous separate multispectral images to get the complete picture. Sophisticated image processing methods like classification and fusion provide possible solution approaches to this challenge. Classification is a treatment by multivariate statistical means in order to extract analytical information. Image fusion on the other hand denotes a process where images obtained from various sensors or at different moments of time are combined together to provide a more complete picture of a scene or object under investigation. Both techniques are important for the task of information extraction and integration and often one technique depends on the other. Therefore overall aim of this thesis is to evaluate the possibilities of both techniques regarding the task of analytical image processing and to find solutions for the integration and condensation of multispectral analytical image data in order to facilitate the interpretation of the enormous amounts of data routinely acquired by modern physical analysis instruments. (author)

  20. Degradation of glass artifacts: application of modern surface analytical techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melcher, Michael; Wiesinger, Rita; Schreiner, Manfred

    2010-06-15

    A detailed understanding of the stability of glasses toward liquid or atmospheric attack is of considerable importance for preserving numerous objects of our cultural heritage. Glasses produced in the ancient periods (Egyptian, Greek, or Roman glasses), as well as modern glass, can be classified as soda-lime-silica glasses. In contrast, potash was used as a flux in medieval Northern Europe for the production of window panes for churches and cathedrals. The particular chemical composition of these potash-lime-silica glasses (low in silica and rich in alkali and alkaline earth components), in combination with increased levels of acidifying gases (such as SO(2), CO(2), NO(x), or O(3)) and airborne particulate matter in today's urban or industrial atmospheres, has resulted in severe degradation of important cultural relics, particularly over the last century. Rapid developments in the fields of microelectronics and computer sciences, however, have contributed to the development of a variety of nondestructive, surface analytical techniques for the scientific investigation and material characterization of these unique and valuable objects. These methods include scanning electron microscopy in combination with energy- or wavelength-dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDX or SEM/WDX), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In this Account, we address glass analysis and weathering mechanisms, exploring the possibilities (and limitations) of modern analytical techniques. Corrosion by liquid substances is well investigated in the glass literature. In a tremendous number of case studies, the basic reaction between aqueous solutions and the glass surfaces was identified as an ion-exchange reaction between hydrogen-bearing species of the attacking liquid and the alkali and alkaline earth ions in the glass, causing a depletion of the latter in the outermost surface layers. Although mechanistic analogies to liquid corrosion are obvious, atmospheric

  1. Role of analytical chemistry in environmental monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kayasth, S.; Swain, K.

    2004-01-01

    Basic aspects of pollution and the role of analytical chemistry in environmental monitoring are highlighted and exemplified, with emphasis on trace elements. Sources and pathways of natural and especially man-made polluting substances as well as physico-chemical characteristics are given. Attention is paid to adequate sampling in various compartments of the environment comprising both lithosphere and biosphere. Trace analysis is dealt with using a variety of analytical techniques, including criteria for choice of suited techniques, as well as aspects of analytical quality assurance and control. Finally, some data on trace elements levels in soil and water samples from India are presented. (author)

  2. Trade-Offs between Energy Saving and Reliability in Low Duty Cycle Wireless Sensor Networks Using a Packet Splitting Forwarding Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonardi Alessandro

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the challenging topics and design constraints in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs is the reduction of energy consumption because, in most application scenarios, replacement of power resources in sensor devices might be unfeasible. In order to minimize the power consumption, some nodes can be put to sleep during idle times and wake up only when needed. Although it seems the best way to limit the consumption of energy, other performance parameters such as network reliability have to be considered. In a recent paper, we introduced a new forwarding algorithm for WSNs based on a simple splitting procedure able to increase the network lifetime. The forwarding technique is based on the Chinese Remainder Theorem and exhibits very good results in terms of energy efficiency and complexity. In this paper, we intend to investigate a trade-off between energy efficiency and reliability of the proposed forwarding scheme when duty-cycling techniques are considered too.

  3. Laser-induced plasmas as an analytical source for quantitative analysis of gaseous and aerosol systems: Fundamentals of plasma-particle interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diwakar, Prasoon K.

    2009-11-01

    Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is a relatively new analytical diagnostic technique which has gained serious attention in recent past due to its simplicity, robustness, and portability and multi-element analysis capabilities. LIBS has been used successfully for analysis of elements in different media including solids, liquids and gases. Since 1963, when the first breakdown study was reported, to 1983, when the first LIBS experiments were reported, the technique has come a long way, but the majority of fundamental understanding of the processes that occur has taken place in last few years, which has propelled LIBS in the direction of being a well established analytical technique. This study, which mostly focuses on LIBS involving aerosols, has been able to unravel some of the mysteries and provide knowledge that will be valuable to LIBS community as a whole. LIBS processes can be broken down to three basic steps, namely, plasma formation, analyte introduction, and plasma-analyte interactions. In this study, these three steps have been investigated in laser-induced plasma, focusing mainly on the plasma-particle interactions. Understanding plasma-particle interactions and the fundamental processes involved is important in advancing laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy as a reliable and accurate analytical technique. Critical understanding of plasma-particle interactions includes study of the plasma evolution, analyte atomization, and the particle dissociation and diffusion. In this dissertation, temporal and spatial studies have been done to understand the fundamentals of the LIBS processes including the breakdown of gases by the laser pulse, plasma inception mechanisms, plasma evolution, analyte introduction and plasma-particle interactions and their influence on LIBS signal. Spectral measurements were performed in a laser-induced plasma and the results reveal localized perturbations in the plasma properties in the vicinity of the analyte species, for

  4. Advances in developing rapid, reliable and portable detection systems for alcohol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thungon, Phurpa Dema; Kakoti, Ankana; Ngashangva, Lightson; Goswami, Pranab

    2017-11-15

    Development of portable, reliable, sensitive, simple, and inexpensive detection system for alcohol has been an instinctive demand not only in traditional brewing, pharmaceutical, food and clinical industries but also in rapidly growing alcohol based fuel industries. Highly sensitive, selective, and reliable alcohol detections are currently amenable typically through the sophisticated instrument based analyses confined mostly to the state-of-art analytical laboratory facilities. With the growing demand of rapid and reliable alcohol detection systems, an all-round attempt has been made over the past decade encompassing various disciplines from basic and engineering sciences. Of late, the research for developing small-scale portable alcohol detection system has been accelerated with the advent of emerging miniaturization techniques, advanced materials and sensing platforms such as lab-on-chip, lab-on-CD, lab-on-paper etc. With these new inter-disciplinary approaches along with the support from the parallel knowledge growth on rapid detection systems being pursued for various targets, the progress on translating the proof-of-concepts to commercially viable and environment friendly portable alcohol detection systems is gaining pace. Here, we summarize the progress made over the years on the alcohol detection systems, with a focus on recent advancement towards developing portable, simple and efficient alcohol sensors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Reliability analysis of self-actuated shutdown system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itooka, S.; Kumasaka, K.; Okabe, A.; Satoh, K.; Tsukui, Y.

    1991-01-01

    An analytical study was performed for the reliability of a self-actuated shutdown system (SASS) under the unprotected loss of flow (ULOF) event in a typical loop-type liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) by the use of the response surface Monte Carlo analysis method. Dominant parameters for the SASS, such as Curie point characteristics, subassembly outlet coolant temperature, electromagnetic surface condition, etc., were selected and their probability density functions (PDFs) were determined by the design study information and experimental data. To get the response surface function (RSF) for the maximum coolant temperature, transient analyses of ULOF were performed by utilizing the experimental design method in the determination of analytical cases. Then, the RSF was derived by the multi-variable regression analysis. The unreliability of the SASS was evaluated as a probability that the maximum coolant temperature exceeded an acceptable level, employing the Monte Carlo calculation using the above PDFs and RSF. In this study, sensitivities to the dominant parameter were compared. The dispersion of subassembly outlet coolant temperature near the SASS-was found to be one of the most sensitive parameters. Fault tree analysis was performed using this value for the SASS in order to evaluate the shutdown system reliability. As a result of this study, the effectiveness of the SASS on the reliability improvement in the LMFBR shutdown system was analytically confirmed. This study has been performed as a part of joint research and development projects for DFBR under the sponsorship of the nine Japanese electric power companies, Electric Power Development Company and the Japan Atomic Power Company. (author)

  6. Automated novel high-accuracy miniaturized positioning system for use in analytical instrumentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siomos, Konstadinos; Kaliakatsos, John; Apostolakis, Manolis; Lianakis, John; Duenow, Peter

    1996-01-01

    The development of three-dimensional automotive devices (micro-robots) for applications in analytical instrumentation, clinical chemical diagnostics and advanced laser optics, depends strongly on the ability of such a device: firstly to be positioned with high accuracy, reliability, and automatically, by means of user friendly interface techniques; secondly to be compact; and thirdly to operate under vacuum conditions, free of most of the problems connected with conventional micropositioners using stepping-motor gear techniques. The objective of this paper is to develop and construct a mechanically compact computer-based micropositioning system for coordinated motion in the X-Y-Z directions with: (1) a positioning accuracy of less than 1 micrometer, (the accuracy of the end-position of the system is controlled by a hard/software assembly using a self-constructed optical encoder); (2) a heat-free propulsion mechanism for vacuum operation; and (3) synchronized X-Y motion.

  7. Regression analysis of the structure function for reliability evaluation of continuous-state system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gamiz, M.L.; Martinez Miranda, M.D.

    2010-01-01

    Technical systems are designed to perform an intended task with an admissible range of efficiency. According to this idea, it is permissible that the system runs among different levels of performance, in addition to complete failure and the perfect functioning one. As a consequence, reliability theory has evolved from binary-state systems to the most general case of continuous-state system, in which the state of the system changes over time through some interval on the real number line. In this context, obtaining an expression for the structure function becomes difficult, compared to the discrete case, with difficulty increasing as the number of components of the system increases. In this work, we propose a method to build a structure function for a continuum system by using multivariate nonparametric regression techniques, in which certain analytical restrictions on the variable of interest must be taken into account. Once the structure function is obtained, some reliability indices of the system are estimated. We illustrate our method via several numerical examples.

  8. Regression analysis of the structure function for reliability evaluation of continuous-state system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gamiz, M.L., E-mail: mgamiz@ugr.e [Departamento de Estadistica e I.O., Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada 18071 (Spain); Martinez Miranda, M.D. [Departamento de Estadistica e I.O., Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada 18071 (Spain)

    2010-02-15

    Technical systems are designed to perform an intended task with an admissible range of efficiency. According to this idea, it is permissible that the system runs among different levels of performance, in addition to complete failure and the perfect functioning one. As a consequence, reliability theory has evolved from binary-state systems to the most general case of continuous-state system, in which the state of the system changes over time through some interval on the real number line. In this context, obtaining an expression for the structure function becomes difficult, compared to the discrete case, with difficulty increasing as the number of components of the system increases. In this work, we propose a method to build a structure function for a continuum system by using multivariate nonparametric regression techniques, in which certain analytical restrictions on the variable of interest must be taken into account. Once the structure function is obtained, some reliability indices of the system are estimated. We illustrate our method via several numerical examples.

  9. Reliability performance of standby equipment with periodic testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sim, S.H.

    1985-11-01

    In this report, the reliability performance of standby equipment subjected to periodic testing is studied. analytical expressions have been derived for reliability measures, such as the man accumulated operating time to failure, the expected number of tests between two consecutive failures, the mean time to failure following an emergency start-up and the probability of failing to complete an emergency mission of a specified duration. These results are useful for the reliability assessment of standby equipment such as combustion turbine units of the emergency power supply system, and of the Class III power system at a nuclear generating station

  10. Analytic webs support the synthesis of ecological data sets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellison, Aaron M; Osterweil, Leon J; Clarke, Lori; Hadley, Julian L; Wise, Alexander; Boose, Emery; Foster, David R; Hanson, Allen; Jensen, David; Kuzeja, Paul; Riseman, Edward; Schultz, Howard

    2006-06-01

    A wide variety of data sets produced by individual investigators are now synthesized to address ecological questions that span a range of spatial and temporal scales. It is important to facilitate such syntheses so that "consumers" of data sets can be confident that both input data sets and synthetic products are reliable. Necessary documentation to ensure the reliability and validation of data sets includes both familiar descriptive metadata and formal documentation of the scientific processes used (i.e., process metadata) to produce usable data sets from collections of raw data. Such documentation is complex and difficult to construct, so it is important to help "producers" create reliable data sets and to facilitate their creation of required metadata. We describe a formal representation, an "analytic web," that aids both producers and consumers of data sets by providing complete and precise definitions of scientific processes used to process raw and derived data sets. The formalisms used to define analytic webs are adaptations of those used in software engineering, and they provide a novel and effective support system for both the synthesis and the validation of ecological data sets. We illustrate the utility of an analytic web as an aid to producing synthetic data sets through a worked example: the synthesis of long-term measurements of whole-ecosystem carbon exchange. Analytic webs are also useful validation aids for consumers because they support the concurrent construction of a complete, Internet-accessible audit trail of the analytic processes used in the synthesis of the data sets. Finally we describe our early efforts to evaluate these ideas through the use of a prototype software tool, SciWalker. We indicate how this tool has been used to create analytic webs tailored to specific data-set synthesis and validation activities, and suggest extensions to it that will support additional forms of validation. The process metadata created by SciWalker is

  11. Analytic escrutineo for plaguicidas organofosforados in blood in forensic cases by means of SPME-GC/NPD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandez Quesada, K.; Saenz Ugalde, M. F.

    2003-01-01

    The plaguicidas organophosphorus represent one of the most important causes of intoxication in Costa Rica; 20% of the cases received in the Section of Toxicology of the Department of Forensic Sciences of the Organism of Judicial Investigation (OIJ) are related to these plaguicidas. At the present time, the employed techniques in this institution to carry out the organophosphorus analyses in blood, present important limitations in their analytic potential. As a consequence, it is necessary to look for new methodologies, with the purpose to obtain a great specificity, and to diminish the limits of detection. This would allow a more qualified service that assures the validity and reliability of the results. Besides, it is an ideal instrument for the correct administration of justice of the Judicial Authorities. In this final work of graduation, it develops a methodology for the scrutiny of pesticides organophosphorus, in which a sample of biological origin of forensic importance is used. This employs a technique of quick, simple and clean extraction, using a separation method of detection of high analytic sensibility. In the methodology's development, samples of total blood, and the microextraccion techniques in solid phase will be used (SPME), and detection with gas chromatography by a specific instrumental detector of match and nitrogen (GCINPD) [es

  12. Investigating Reliabilities of Intraindividual Variability Indicators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lijuan; Grimm, Kevin J.

    2012-01-01

    Reliabilities of the two most widely used intraindividual variability indicators, "ISD[superscript 2]" and "ISD", are derived analytically. Both are functions of the sizes of the first and second moments of true intraindividual variability, the size of the measurement error variance, and the number of assessments within a burst. For comparison,…

  13. Bayesian methods in reliability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sander, P.; Badoux, R.

    1991-11-01

    The present proceedings from a course on Bayesian methods in reliability encompasses Bayesian statistical methods and their computational implementation, models for analyzing censored data from nonrepairable systems, the traits of repairable systems and growth models, the use of expert judgment, and a review of the problem of forecasting software reliability. Specific issues addressed include the use of Bayesian methods to estimate the leak rate of a gas pipeline, approximate analyses under great prior uncertainty, reliability estimation techniques, and a nonhomogeneous Poisson process. Also addressed are the calibration sets and seed variables of expert judgment systems for risk assessment, experimental illustrations of the use of expert judgment for reliability testing, and analyses of the predictive quality of software-reliability growth models such as the Weibull order statistics.

  14. Data Analytics in CRM Processes: A Literature Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gončarovs Pāvels

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, the data scarcity problem has been supplanted by the data deluge problem. Marketers and Customer Relationship Management (CRM specialists have access to rich data on consumer behaviour. The current challenge is effective utilisation of these data in CRM processes and selection of appropriate data analytics techniques. Data analytics techniques help find hidden patterns in data. The present paper explores the characteristics of data analytics as the integrated tool in CRM for sales managers. The paper aims at analysing some of the different analytics methods and tools which can be used for continuous improvement of CRM processes. A systematic literature has been conducted to achieve this goal. The results of the review highlight the most frequently considered CRM processes in the context of data analytics.

  15. Review of analytical techniques to determine the chemical forms of vapours and aerosols released from overheated fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bowsher, B.R.; Nichols, A.L.

    1989-12-01

    A comprehensive review has been undertaken of appropriate analytical techniques to monitor and measure the chemical effects that occur in large-scale tests designed to study severe reactor accidents. Various methods have been developed to determine the chemical forms of the vapours, aerosols and deposits generated during and after such integral experiments. Other specific techniques have the long-term potential to provide some of the desired data in greater detail, although considerable efforts are still required to apply these techniques to the study of radioactive debris. Such in-situ and post-test methods of analysis have been also assessed in terms of their applicability to the analysis of samples from the Phebus-FP tests. The recommended in-situ methods of analysis are gamma-ray spectroscopy, potentiometry, mass spectrometry, and Raman/UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. Vapour/aerosol and deposition samples should also be obtained at well-defined time intervals during each experiment for subsequent post-test analysis. No single technique can provide all the necessary chemical data from these samples, and the most appropriate method of analysis involves a complementary combination of autoradiography, AES, IR, MRS, SEMS/EDS, SIMS/LMIS, XPS and XRD

  16. Pollution prevention in the analytical laboratory--Microscale and other techniques do add up

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erickson, M.D.; Alvarado, J.S.; Lu, C.-S.; Peterson, D.P.; Silzer, J.

    1996-01-01

    The principles of pollution prevention in the analytical laboratory have not been addressed sufficiently. Although the amount of reagent used per sample is often only a few milliliters, the aggregate of many routine test each day in thousands of laboratories becomes significant. Current recycling practices are not practical with small streams. Therefore, we have adopted the principles of microscale chemistry, along with other modern analytical approaches, to develop routine analytical methods that significantly curtail waste but still maintain acceptable analytical figures of merit and achieve cost savings through reduced reagent consumption and reduced labor cost

  17. Advanced techniques for analytic liquid wastes management in the Rokkasho reprocessing plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madic, C.; Moulin, J.P.; Runge, S.; Schott, R.; Kashiwai, T.; Hayashi, M.

    1991-01-01

    The JNFS Rokkasho reprocessing plant is a large scale commercial reprocessing plant. Liquid waste treatment relies on concentration by evaporation. The management of liquid wastes is rather sophisticated and implies, beside the organic wastes, sorting out between process and non-process, acidic and salt-bearing, tritiated and low tritiated streams and also according to their level of activity. A particular attention had to be paid to the analytical wastes, as their particularity is to contain not only a significant amount of radioactivity but also some fissile material and exotic chemicals which are useful for analytical purpose but unwanted in the main process mainly because of their corrosive and chelating properties. The analytical wastes are sorted out according to their activity level and fissile material content. On the one hand, a specific process has been developed to recover the bulk of plutonium from the analytical wastes. On the other hand, the foreseeable amount of unwanted chemicals (such as chloride ions) has been drastically reduced by carefully selecting all the analytical methods either by modification of already known methods or in some cases by working out new methods

  18. Human reliability assessors guide: an overview

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Humphreys, P.

    1988-01-01

    The Human Reliability Assessors Guide 1 provides a review of techniques currently available for the quantification of Human Error Probabilities. The Guide has two main objectives. The first is to provide a clear and comprehensive description of eight major techniques which can be used to assess human reliability. This is supplemented by case studies taken from practical applications of each technique to industrial problems. The second objective is to provide practical guidelines for the selection of techniques. The selection process is aided by reference to a set of criteria against which each of the eight techniques have been evaluated. Utilising the criteria and critiques, a selection method is presented. This is designed to assist the potential user in choosing the technique, or combination of techniques, most suited to answering the users requirements. For each of the eight selected techniques, a summary of the origins of the technique is provided, together with a method description, detailed case studies, abstracted case studies and supporting references. (author)

  19. Calculation of the reliability of large complex systems by the relevant path method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richter, G.

    1975-03-01

    In this paper, analytical methods are presented and tested with which the probabilistic reliability data of technical systems can be determined for given fault trees and block diagrams and known reliability data of the components. (orig./AK) [de

  20. A GA based penalty function technique for solving constrained redundancy allocation problem of series system with interval valued reliability of components

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, R. K.; Bhunia, A. K.; Roy, D.

    2009-10-01

    In this paper, we have considered the problem of constrained redundancy allocation of series system with interval valued reliability of components. For maximizing the overall system reliability under limited resource constraints, the problem is formulated as an unconstrained integer programming problem with interval coefficients by penalty function technique and solved by an advanced GA for integer variables with interval fitness function, tournament selection, uniform crossover, uniform mutation and elitism. As a special case, considering the lower and upper bounds of the interval valued reliabilities of the components to be the same, the corresponding problem has been solved. The model has been illustrated with some numerical examples and the results of the series redundancy allocation problem with fixed value of reliability of the components have been compared with the existing results available in the literature. Finally, sensitivity analyses have been shown graphically to study the stability of our developed GA with respect to the different GA parameters.

  1. Reliable Communication in Wireless Meshed Networks using Network Coding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pahlevani, Peyman; Paramanathan, Achuthan; Hundebøll, Martin

    2012-01-01

    The advantages of network coding have been extensively studied in the field of wireless networks. Integrating network coding with existing IEEE 802.11 MAC layer is a challenging problem. The IEEE 802.11 MAC does not provide any reliability mechanisms for overheard packets. This paper addresses...... this problem and suggests different mechanisms to support reliability as part of the MAC protocol. Analytical expressions to this problem are given to qualify the performance of the modified network coding. These expressions are confirmed by numerical result. While the suggested reliability mechanisms...

  2. Assessment of the reliability of ultrasonic inspection methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haines, N.F.; Langston, D.B.; Green, A.J.; Wilson, R.

    1982-01-01

    The reliability of NDT techniques has remained an open question for many years. A reliable technique may be defined as one that, when rigorously applied by a number of inspection teams, consistently finds then correctly sizes all defects of concern. In this paper we report an assessment of the reliability of defect detection by manual ultrasonic methods applied to the inspection of thick section pressure vessel weldments. Initially we consider the available data relating to the inherent physical capabilities of ultrasonic techniques to detect cracks in weldment and then, independently, we assess the likely variability in team to team performance when several teams are asked to follow the same specified test procedure. The two aspects of 'capability' and 'variability' are brought together to provide quantitative estimates of the overall reliability of ultrasonic inspection of thick section pressure vessel weldments based on currently existing data. The final section of the paper considers current research programmes on reliability and presents a view on how these will help to further improve NDT reliability. (author)

  3. Integration of nondestructive examination reliability and fracture mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doctor, S.R.; Bates, D.J.; Charlot, L.A.

    1985-01-01

    The primary pressure boundaries (pressure vessels and piping) of nuclear power plants are in-service inspected (ISI) according to the rules of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XI. Ultrasonic techniques are normally used for these inspections, which are periodically performed on a sampling of welds. The Integration of Nondestructive Examination (NDE) Reliability and Fracture Mechanics (FM) Program at Pacific Northwest Laboratory was established to determine the reliability of current ISI techniques and to develop recommendations that will ensure a suitably high inspection reliability. The objectives of this NRC program are to: 1) determine the reliability of ultrasonic ISI performed on commercial light-water reactor primary systems; 2) using probabilistic FM analysis, determine the impact of NDE unreliability on system safety and determine the level of inspection reliability required to ensure a suitably low failure probability; 3) evaluate the degree of reliability improvement that could be achieved using improved and advanced NDE techniques; and 4) based on material properties, service conditions, and NDE uncertainties, formulate recommended revisions to ASME Code, Section XI, and Regulatory Requirements needed to ensure suitably low failure probabilities

  4. On the NPP structural reliability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klemin, A.I.; Polyakov, E.F.

    1980-01-01

    Reviewed are the main statements peculiarities and possibilities of the first branch guiding technical material (GTM) ''The methods of calculation of structural reliability of NPP and its systems at the stage of projecting''. It is stated, that in GTM presented are recomendations on the calculation of reliability of such specific systems, as the system of the reactor control and protection the system of measuring instruments and automatics and safe systems. GTM are based on analytical methods of modern theory of realibility with the Use of metodology of minimal cross sections of complex systems. It is stressed, that the calculations on the proposed methods permit to calculate a wide complex of reliability parameters, reflecting separately or together prorerties of NPP dependability and maintainability. For NPP, operating by a variable schedule of leading, aditionally considered are parameters, characterizing reliability with account of the proposed regime of power change, i.e. taking into account failures, caused by decrease of the obtained power lower, than the reguired or increase of the required power higher, than the obtained

  5. Multi-Disciplinary System Reliability Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahadevan, Sankaran; Han, Song

    1997-01-01

    The objective of this study is to develop a new methodology for estimating the reliability of engineering systems that encompass multiple disciplines. The methodology is formulated in the context of the NESSUS probabilistic structural analysis code developed under the leadership of NASA Lewis Research Center. The NESSUS code has been successfully applied to the reliability estimation of a variety of structural engineering systems. This study examines whether the features of NESSUS could be used to investigate the reliability of systems in other disciplines such as heat transfer, fluid mechanics, electrical circuits etc., without considerable programming effort specific to each discipline. In this study, the mechanical equivalence between system behavior models in different disciplines are investigated to achieve this objective. A new methodology is presented for the analysis of heat transfer, fluid flow, and electrical circuit problems using the structural analysis routines within NESSUS, by utilizing the equivalence between the computational quantities in different disciplines. This technique is integrated with the fast probability integration and system reliability techniques within the NESSUS code, to successfully compute the system reliability of multi-disciplinary systems. Traditional as well as progressive failure analysis methods for system reliability estimation are demonstrated, through a numerical example of a heat exchanger system involving failure modes in structural, heat transfer and fluid flow disciplines.

  6. Structural reliability analysis and seismic risk assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, H.; Reich, M.; Shinozuka, M.

    1984-01-01

    This paper presents a reliability analysis method for safety evaluation of nuclear structures. By utilizing this method, it is possible to estimate the limit state probability in the lifetime of structures and to generate analytically the fragility curves for PRA studies. The earthquake ground acceleration, in this approach, is represented by a segment of stationary Gaussian process with a zero mean and a Kanai-Tajimi Spectrum. All possible seismic hazard at a site represented by a hazard curve is also taken into consideration. Furthermore, the limit state of a structure is analytically defined and the corresponding limit state surface is then established. Finally, the fragility curve is generated and the limit state probability is evaluated. In this paper, using a realistic reinforced concrete containment as an example, results of the reliability analysis of the containment subjected to dead load, live load and ground earthquake acceleration are presented and a fragility curve for PRA studies is also constructed

  7. Performance Marketing with Google Analytics Strategies and Techniques for Maximizing Online ROI

    CERN Document Server

    Tonkin, Sebastian

    2010-01-01

    An unparalleled author trio shares valuable advice for using Google Analytics to achieve your business goals. Google Analytics is a free tool used by millions of Web site owners across the globe to track how visitors interact with their Web sites, where they arrive from, and which visitors drive the most revenue and sales leads. This book offers clear explanations of practical applications drawn from the real world. The author trio of Google Analytics veterans starts with a broad explanation of performance marketing and gets progressively more specific, closing with step-by-step analysis and a

  8. Microgenetic Learning Analytics Methods: Workshop Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aghababyan, Ani; Martin, Taylor; Janisiewicz, Philip; Close, Kevin

    2016-01-01

    Learning analytics is an emerging discipline and, as such, benefits from new tools and methodological approaches. This work reviews and summarizes our workshop on microgenetic data analysis techniques using R, held at the second annual Learning Analytics Summer Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on 30 June 2014. Specifically, this paper…

  9. Target normal sheath acceleration analytical modeling, comparative study and developments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perego, C.; Batani, D.; Zani, A.; Passoni, M.

    2012-01-01

    Ultra-intense laser interaction with solid targets appears to be an extremely promising technique to accelerate ions up to several MeV, producing beams that exhibit interesting properties for many foreseen applications. Nowadays, most of all the published experimental results can be theoretically explained in the framework of the target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) mechanism proposed by Wilks et al. [Phys. Plasmas 8(2), 542 (2001)]. As an alternative to numerical simulation various analytical or semi-analytical TNSA models have been published in the latest years, each of them trying to provide predictions for some of the ion beam features, given the initial laser and target parameters. However, the problem of developing a reliable model for the TNSA process is still open, which is why the purpose of this work is to enlighten the present situation of TNSA modeling and experimental results, by means of a quantitative comparison between measurements and theoretical predictions of the maximum ion energy. Moreover, in the light of such an analysis, some indications for the future development of the model proposed by Passoni and Lontano [Phys. Plasmas 13(4), 042102 (2006)] are then presented.

  10. Sampling practices and analytical techniques used in the monitoring of steam and water in CEGB nuclear boilers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goodfellow, G.I.

    1978-01-01

    The steam and water in CEGB Magnox and AGR nuclear boilers are continuously monitored, using both laboratory techniques and on-line instrumentation, in order to maintain the chemical quality within pre-determined limits. The sampling systems in use and some of the difficulties associated with sampling requirements are discussed. The relative merits of chemical instruments installed either locally in various parts of the plant or in centralized instrument rooms are reviewed. The quality of water in nuclear boilers, as with all high-pressure steam-raising plant, is extremely high; consequently very sensitive analytical procedures are required, particularly for monitoring the feed-water of 'once-through boiler' systems. Considerable progress has been made in this field and examples are given of some of the techniques developed for analyses at the 'μ/kg' level together with some of the current problems.(author)

  11. A Reliability Based Model for Wind Turbine Selection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.K. Rajeevan

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available A wind turbine generator output at a specific site depends on many factors, particularly cut- in, rated and cut-out wind speed parameters. Hence power output varies from turbine to turbine. The objective of this paper is to develop a mathematical relationship between reliability and wind power generation. The analytical computation of monthly wind power is obtained from weibull statistical model using cubic mean cube root of wind speed. Reliability calculation is based on failure probability analysis. There are many different types of wind turbinescommercially available in the market. From reliability point of view, to get optimum reliability in power generation, it is desirable to select a wind turbine generator which is best suited for a site. The mathematical relationship developed in this paper can be used for site-matching turbine selection in reliability point of view.

  12. Comparative study of inorganic elements determined in whole blood from Dmd(mdx)/J mice strain by EDXRF and NAA analytical techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redígolo, M M; Sato, I M; Metairon, S; Zamboni, C B

    2016-04-01

    Several diseases can be diagnosed observing the variation of specific elements concentration in body fluids. In this study the concentration of inorganic elements in blood samples of dystrophic (Dmd(mdx)/J) and C57BL/6J (control group) mice strain were determined. The results obtained from Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) were compared with Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) technique. Both analytical techniques showed to be appropriate and complementary offering a new contribution for veterinary medicine as well as detailed knowledge of this pathology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Distribution-analytical techniques in the study of AD/HD: Delta plot analyses reveal deficits in response inhibition that are eliminated by methylphenidate treatment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ridderinkhof, K.R.; Scheres, A.; Oosterlaan, J.; Sergeant, J.A.

    2005-01-01

    The authors highlight the utility of distribution-analytical techniques in the study of individual differences and clinical disorders. Cognitive deficits associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) were examined by using delta-plot analyses of performance data (reaction time and

  14. Reliability of cervical lordosis measurement techniques on long-cassette radiographs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janusz, Piotr; Tyrakowski, Marcin; Yu, Hailong; Siemionow, Kris

    2016-11-01

    Lateral radiographs are commonly used to assess cervical sagittal alignment. Three assessment methods have been described and are commonly utilized in clinical practice. These methods are described for perfect lateral cervical radiographs, however in everyday practice radiograph quality varies. The aim of this study was to compare the reliability and reproducibility of 3 cervical lordosis (CL) measurement methods. Forty-four standing lateral radiographs were randomly chosen from a lateral long-cassette radiograph database. Measurements of CL were performed with: Cobb method C2-C7 (CM), C2-C7 posterior tangent method (PTM), sum of posterior tangent method for each segment (SPTM). Three independent orthopaedic surgeons measured CL using the three methods on 44 lateral radiographs. One researcher used the three methods to measured CL three times at 4-week time intervals. Agreement between the methods as well as their intra- and interobserver reliability were tested and quantified by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and median error for a single measurement (SEM). ICC of 0.75 or more reflected an excellent agreement/reliability. The results were compared with repeated ANOVA test, with p  0.05). All three methods appeared to be highly reliable. Although, high agreement between all measurement methods was shown, we do not recommend using Cobb measurement method interchangeably with PTM or SPTM within a single study as this could lead to error, whereas, such a comparison between tangent methods can be considered.

  15. Analytic of elements for the determination of soil->plant transfer factors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liese, T.

    1985-02-01

    This article describes a part of the conventional analytical work, which was done to determine soil to plant transfer factors. The analytical methods, the experiments to find out the best way of sample digestion and the resulting analytical procedures are described. Analytical methods are graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). In case of ICP-AES the necessity of right background correction and correction of the spectral interferences is shown. The reliability of the analytical procedure is demonstrated by measuring different kinds of standard reference materials and by comparison of AAS and AES. (orig./HP) [de

  16. Security and reliability analysis of diversity combining techniques in SIMO mixed RF/FSO with multiple users

    KAUST Repository

    Abd El-Malek, Ahmed H.; Salhab, Anas M.; Zummo, Salam A.; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate the impact of different diversity combining techniques on the security and reliability analysis of a single-input-multiple-output (SIMO) mixed radio frequency (RF)/free space optical (FSO) relay network with opportunistic multiuser scheduling. In this model, the user of the best channel among multiple users communicates with a multiple antennas relay node over an RF link, and then, the relay node employs amplify-and-forward (AF) protocol in retransmitting the user data to the destination over an FSO link. Moreover, the authorized transmission is assumed to be attacked by a single passive RF eavesdropper equipped with multiple antennas. Therefore, the system security reliability trade-off analysis is investigated. Closed-form expressions for the system outage probability and the system intercept probability are derived. Then, the newly derived expressions are simplified to their asymptotic formulas at the high signal-to-noise- ratio (SNR) region. Numerical results are presented to validate the achieved exact and asymptotic results and to illustrate the impact of various system parameters on the system performance. © 2016 IEEE.

  17. Security and reliability analysis of diversity combining techniques in SIMO mixed RF/FSO with multiple users

    KAUST Repository

    Abd El-Malek, Ahmed H.

    2016-07-26

    In this paper, we investigate the impact of different diversity combining techniques on the security and reliability analysis of a single-input-multiple-output (SIMO) mixed radio frequency (RF)/free space optical (FSO) relay network with opportunistic multiuser scheduling. In this model, the user of the best channel among multiple users communicates with a multiple antennas relay node over an RF link, and then, the relay node employs amplify-and-forward (AF) protocol in retransmitting the user data to the destination over an FSO link. Moreover, the authorized transmission is assumed to be attacked by a single passive RF eavesdropper equipped with multiple antennas. Therefore, the system security reliability trade-off analysis is investigated. Closed-form expressions for the system outage probability and the system intercept probability are derived. Then, the newly derived expressions are simplified to their asymptotic formulas at the high signal-to-noise- ratio (SNR) region. Numerical results are presented to validate the achieved exact and asymptotic results and to illustrate the impact of various system parameters on the system performance. © 2016 IEEE.

  18. Surface analytical investigations at Sandia Labs./Albuquerque

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madden, H.H.

    1978-01-01

    An overview is given of some projects which (1) have used surface analytical techniques in a conventional way to investigate specific surface-related problems; (2) have utilized surface studies to get a more fundamental understanding of the operations of various devices and components, and of the factors that determine such parameters as the lifetime and reliability of such devices; and (3) have been undertaken to better understand just what additional information can be extracted from two of the myriad surface analytical techniques, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and electron-stimulated desorption (ESD). The examples in the first two categories are directly related weapons work while the examples discussed in the third category provide more general support to weapons programs. Only work in the first category is tabulated. Two examples of work in the second category are the neutron generator project and the design and production of integrated circuits (IC). Tritide-film targets in neutron generator tubes lose their efficiency for neutron production when they have adsorbed surface contaminants such as oxygen. Ion microprobe analysis has been applied to the study of contaminants on and in these films; and thermal desorption spectroscopy has been used to identify, and to determine the binding energy of gases evolved during outgassing of materials used in tube construction. Long-term outgassing determines the lifetime of the vacuum tubes. AES serves as the common thread in the third category projects. Gas phase, core-valence-valence (CVV) Auger lines have been measured in a systematic attempt, utilizing both theory and experimental results, to determine the factors that influence the shapes of the lines. This work demonstrates the local nature of the information on the energy distribution of valence levels contained in the Auger lineshapes

  19. Reliability of a two-wavelength autofluorescence technique by Heidelberg Spectralis to measure macular pigment optical density in Asian subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obana, Akira; Gellermann, Werner; Gohto, Yuko; Seto, Takahiko; Sasano, Hiroyuki; Tanito, Masaki; Okazaki, Shigetoshi

    2018-03-01

    This study evaluates the accuracy of an objective two-wavelength fundus autofluorescence technique for the purpose of measuring the macular pigment optical density (MPOD) in Asian pigmented eyes. Potential differences between MPOD values obtained via autofluorescence technique and subjective heterochromatic photometry (HFP) were examined. Inter-examiner reproducibility between three examiners and test-retest reliability over five time points were also explored. Subjects were 27 healthy Japanese volunteers aged 24 to 58 (mean ± standard deviation, 40.2 ± 9.0) years. An MPOD module of the Spectralis MultiColor instrument configuration (Spectralis-MP) was used for the autofluorescence technique, and a Macular Metrics Densitometer (MM) was used for HFP. The mean MPOD values at 0.25° and 0.5° eccentricities using the Spectralis-MP were 0.51 ± 0.12 and 0.48 ± 0.13, respectively. In comparison, the MM based values were 0.72 ± 0.23 and 0.61 ± 0.25, respectively. High correlations between the Spectralis-MP and MM instrument were found (Pearson's correlation coefficients of 0.73 and 0.87 at 0.25° and 0.5° eccentricities, respectively), but there was a systematic bias: the MPOD values by MM method were significantly higher than those by Spectralis-MP at 0.25° eccentricity. High inter-examiner reproducibility and test-retest reliability were found for MM measurements at 0.5° eccentricity, but not at 0.25°. The Spectralis-MP showed less inter-examiner and test-retest variability than the MM instrument at 0.25° and 0.5° eccentricities. We conclude that the Spectralis-MP, given its high agreement with the HFP method and due to its higher reproducibility and reliability, is well suited for clinical measurements of MPOD levels in Asian pigmented eyes. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  20. Analytical application of solid contact ion-selective electrodes for determination of copper and nitrate in various food products and drinking water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wardak, Cecylia; Grabarczyk, Malgorzata

    2016-08-02

    A simple, fast and cheap method for monitoring copper and nitrate in drinking water and food products using newly developed solid contact ion-selective electrodes is proposed. Determination of copper and nitrate was performed by application of multiple standard additions technique. The reliability of the obtained results was assessed by comparing them using the anodic stripping voltammetry or spectrophotometry for the same samples. In each case, satisfactory agreement of the results was obtained, which confirms the analytical usefulness of the constructed electrodes.

  1. Software reliability models for critical applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pham, H.; Pham, M.

    1991-12-01

    This report presents the results of the first phase of the ongoing EG&G Idaho, Inc. Software Reliability Research Program. The program is studying the existing software reliability models and proposes a state-of-the-art software reliability model that is relevant to the nuclear reactor control environment. This report consists of three parts: (1) summaries of the literature review of existing software reliability and fault tolerant software reliability models and their related issues, (2) proposed technique for software reliability enhancement, and (3) general discussion and future research. The development of this proposed state-of-the-art software reliability model will be performed in the second place. 407 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

  2. Software reliability models for critical applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pham, H.; Pham, M.

    1991-12-01

    This report presents the results of the first phase of the ongoing EG G Idaho, Inc. Software Reliability Research Program. The program is studying the existing software reliability models and proposes a state-of-the-art software reliability model that is relevant to the nuclear reactor control environment. This report consists of three parts: (1) summaries of the literature review of existing software reliability and fault tolerant software reliability models and their related issues, (2) proposed technique for software reliability enhancement, and (3) general discussion and future research. The development of this proposed state-of-the-art software reliability model will be performed in the second place. 407 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

  3. Synchrotron radiation based analytical techniques (XAS and XRF)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jha, Shambhu Nath

    2014-01-01

    A brief description of the principles of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) techniques is given in this article with emphasis on the advantages of using synchrotron radiation-based instrumentation/beamline. XAS technique is described in more detail to emphasize the strength of the technique as a local structural probe. (author)

  4. Analytical procedures. Pt. 4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rackwitz, R.

    1985-01-01

    The semi-analytical procedures are summarized under the heading 'first or second-order reliability method'. The asymptotic aggravation of the theory was repeatedly hinted at. In supporting structures the probability of outage of components always is also a function of the condition of all other components. It depends moreover on the stress affecting mostly all components. This fact causes a marked reduction of the effect of redundant component arrangements in the system. It moreover requires very special formulations. Although theoretically interesting and practically important developments will leave their mark on the further progress of the theory, the statements obtained by those approaches will continue to depend on how closely the chosen physical relationships and stoachstic models can come to the scatter quantities. Sensitivity studies show that these are partly aspects of substantially higher importance with a view to decision criteria than the refinement of the (probabilistic) method. Questions of relevance and reliability of data and their adequate treatment in reliability analyses seem to rank higher in order of sequence than exaggerated demands on methodics. (orig./HP) [de

  5. Analytic number theory

    CERN Document Server

    Iwaniec, Henryk

    2004-01-01

    Analytic Number Theory distinguishes itself by the variety of tools it uses to establish results, many of which belong to the mainstream of arithmetic. One of the main attractions of analytic number theory is the vast diversity of concepts and methods it includes. The main goal of the book is to show the scope of the theory, both in classical and modern directions, and to exhibit its wealth and prospects, its beautiful theorems and powerful techniques. The book is written with graduate students in mind, and the authors tried to balance between clarity, completeness, and generality. The exercis

  6. Reliable software for unreliable hardware a cross layer perspective

    CERN Document Server

    Rehman, Semeen; Henkel, Jörg

    2016-01-01

    This book describes novel software concepts to increase reliability under user-defined constraints. The authors’ approach bridges, for the first time, the reliability gap between hardware and software. Readers will learn how to achieve increased soft error resilience on unreliable hardware, while exploiting the inherent error masking characteristics and error (stemming from soft errors, aging, and process variations) mitigations potential at different software layers. · Provides a comprehensive overview of reliability modeling and optimization techniques at different hardware and software levels; · Describes novel optimization techniques for software cross-layer reliability, targeting unreliable hardware.

  7. Reliability Estimation Based Upon Test Plan Results

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Read, Robert

    1997-01-01

    The report contains a brief summary of aspects of the Maximus reliability point and interval estimation technique as it has been applied to the reliability of a device whose surveillance tests contain...

  8. Future analytical provision - Relocation of Sellafield Ltd Analytical Services Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Newell, B.

    2015-01-01

    Sellafield Ltd Analytical Services provide an essential view on the environmental, safety, process and high hazard risk reduction performances by analysis of samples. It is the largest and most complex analytical services laboratory in Europe, with 150 laboratories (55 operational) and 350 staff (including 180 analysts). Sellafield Ltd Analytical Services Main Laboratory is in need of replacement. This is due to the age of the facility and changes to work streams. This relocation is an opportunity to -) design and commission bespoke MA (Medium-Active) cells, -) modify HA (High-Active) cell design to facilitate an in-cell laboratory, -) develop non-destructive techniques, -) open light building for better worker morale. The option chosen was to move the activities to the NNL Central laboratory (NNLCL) that is based at Sellafield and is the UK's flagship nuclear research and development facility. This poster gives a time schedule

  9. International Congress on Analytical Chemistry. Abstracts. V. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-01-01

    The collection of materials of the international congress on analytical chemistry taken place in Moscow in June 1997. The main directs of investigations in such regions of analytical chemistry as quantitative and qualitative analysis, microanalysis, sample preparation and preconcentration, analytical reagents, chromatography and related techniques, flow analysis, electroanalytical and kinetic methods sensors are elucidated

  10. Risk and reliability allocation to risk control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vojnovic, D.; Kozuh, M.

    1992-01-01

    The risk allocation procedure is used as an analytical model to support the optimal decision making for reliability/availability improvement planning. Both levels of decision criteria, the plant risk measures and plant performance indices, are used in risk allocation procedure. Decision support system uses the multi objective decision making concept. (author) [sl

  11. Big Data Analytics with Datalog Queries on Spark.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shkapsky, Alexander; Yang, Mohan; Interlandi, Matteo; Chiu, Hsuan; Condie, Tyson; Zaniolo, Carlo

    2016-01-01

    There is great interest in exploiting the opportunity provided by cloud computing platforms for large-scale analytics. Among these platforms, Apache Spark is growing in popularity for machine learning and graph analytics. Developing efficient complex analytics in Spark requires deep understanding of both the algorithm at hand and the Spark API or subsystem APIs (e.g., Spark SQL, GraphX). Our BigDatalog system addresses the problem by providing concise declarative specification of complex queries amenable to efficient evaluation. Towards this goal, we propose compilation and optimization techniques that tackle the important problem of efficiently supporting recursion in Spark. We perform an experimental comparison with other state-of-the-art large-scale Datalog systems and verify the efficacy of our techniques and effectiveness of Spark in supporting Datalog-based analytics.

  12. Development of an absolute x-ray fluorescence technique and high accuracy analytical methods for the determination of metals in catalytic materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    LaBrecque, J.J.; Parker, W.C.

    1982-09-01

    A technique to produce characteristic x-rays by direct beta excitation for x-ray fluorescence analysis is presented. This is carried out by the introduction of 100 uCi of Pm-147 or Ni-63 to a small sample, which is placed directly in the window of a modified Si(Li) semiconductor. Corrected intensities are only given at 300 seconds for synthetic standards oscillating within the range 22 3 was used, to which the radioisotope was directly added. Preliminary results of the determination of eleven different radionuclides by means of an elementary x-ray analysis by using a new analytical technique, are discussed. In this technique the radioisotope and the sample are directly mixed, then this source-sample in the detector window and is protected from contamination with a thin plastic film. Future and possible applications of this technique are presented

  13. Reliability Generalization: An Examination of the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leue, Anja; Lange, Sebastian

    2011-01-01

    The assessment of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) by means of the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule has received a remarkable popularity in the social sciences. Using a meta-analytic tool--namely, reliability generalization (RG)--population reliability scores of both scales have been investigated on the basis of a random…

  14. PET-MR image fusion in soft tissue sarcoma: accuracy, reliability and practicality of interactive point-based and automated mutual information techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Somer, Edward J.R.; Marsden, Paul K.; Benatar, Nigel A.; O'Doherty, Michael J.; Goodey, Joanne; Smith, Michael A.

    2003-01-01

    The fusion of functional positron emission tomography (PET) data with anatomical magnetic resonance (MR) or computed tomography images, using a variety of interactive and automated techniques, is becoming commonplace, with the technique of choice dependent on the specific application. The case of PET-MR image fusion in soft tissue is complicated by a lack of conspicuous anatomical features and deviation from the rigid-body model. Here we compare a point-based external marker technique with an automated mutual information algorithm and discuss the practicality, reliability and accuracy of each when applied to the study of soft tissue sarcoma. Ten subjects with suspected sarcoma in the knee, thigh, groin, flank or back underwent MR and PET scanning after the attachment of nine external fiducial markers. In the assessment of the point-based technique, three error measures were considered: fiducial localisation error (FLE), fiducial registration error (FRE) and target registration error (TRE). FLE, which represents the accuracy with which the fiducial points can be located, is related to the FRE minimised by the registration algorithm. The registration accuracy is best characterised by the TRE, which is the distance between corresponding points in each image space after registration. In the absence of salient features within the target volume, the TRE can be measured at fiducials excluded from the registration process. To assess the mutual information technique, PET data, acquired after physically removing the markers, were reconstructed in a variety of ways and registered with MR. Having applied the transform suggested by the algorithm to the PET scan acquired before the markers were removed, the residual distance between PET and MR marker-pairs could be measured. The manual point-based technique yielded the best results (RMS TRE =8.3 mm, max =22.4 mm, min =1.7 mm), performing better than the automated algorithm (RMS TRE =20.0 mm, max =30.5 mm, min =7.7 mm) when

  15. Course on Advanced Analytical Chemistry and Chromatography

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Jens Enevold Thaulov; Fristrup, Peter; Nielsen, Kristian Fog

    2011-01-01

    Methods of analytical chemistry constitute an integral part of decision making in chemical research, and students must master a high degree of knowledge, in order to perform reliable analysis. At DTU departments of chemistry it was thus decided to develop a course that was attractive to master...... students of different direction of studies, to Ph.D. students and to professionals that need an update of their current state of skills and knowledge. A course of 10 ECTS points was devised with the purpose of introducing students to analytical chemistry and chromatography with the aim of including theory...

  16. Reliability analysis under epistemic uncertainty

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nannapaneni, Saideep; Mahadevan, Sankaran

    2016-01-01

    This paper proposes a probabilistic framework to include both aleatory and epistemic uncertainty within model-based reliability estimation of engineering systems for individual limit states. Epistemic uncertainty is considered due to both data and model sources. Sparse point and/or interval data regarding the input random variables leads to uncertainty regarding their distribution types, distribution parameters, and correlations; this statistical uncertainty is included in the reliability analysis through a combination of likelihood-based representation, Bayesian hypothesis testing, and Bayesian model averaging techniques. Model errors, which include numerical solution errors and model form errors, are quantified through Gaussian process models and included in the reliability analysis. The probability integral transform is used to develop an auxiliary variable approach that facilitates a single-level representation of both aleatory and epistemic uncertainty. This strategy results in an efficient single-loop implementation of Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) and FORM/SORM techniques for reliability estimation under both aleatory and epistemic uncertainty. Two engineering examples are used to demonstrate the proposed methodology. - Highlights: • Epistemic uncertainty due to data and model included in reliability analysis. • A novel FORM-based approach proposed to include aleatory and epistemic uncertainty. • A single-loop Monte Carlo approach proposed to include both types of uncertainties. • Two engineering examples used for illustration.

  17. Multi-Intelligence Analytics for Next Generation Analysts (MIAGA)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blasch, Erik; Waltz, Ed

    2016-05-01

    Current analysts are inundated with large volumes of data from which extraction, exploitation, and indexing are required. A future need for next-generation analysts is an appropriate balance between machine analytics from raw data and the ability of the user to interact with information through automation. Many quantitative intelligence tools and techniques have been developed which are examined towards matching analyst opportunities with recent technical trends such as big data, access to information, and visualization. The concepts and techniques summarized are derived from discussions with real analysts, documented trends of technical developments, and methods to engage future analysts with multiintelligence services. For example, qualitative techniques should be matched against physical, cognitive, and contextual quantitative analytics for intelligence reporting. Future trends include enabling knowledge search, collaborative situational sharing, and agile support for empirical decision-making and analytical reasoning.

  18. The analyst's participation in the analytic process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levine, H B

    1994-08-01

    The analyst's moment-to-moment participation in the analytic process is inevitably and simultaneously determined by at least three sets of considerations. These are: (1) the application of proper analytic technique; (2) the analyst's personally-motivated responses to the patient and/or the analysis; (3) the analyst's use of him or herself to actualise, via fantasy, feeling or action, some aspect of the patient's conflicts, fantasies or internal object relationships. This formulation has relevance to our view of actualisation and enactment in the analytic process and to our understanding of a series of related issues that are fundamental to our theory of technique. These include the dialectical relationships that exist between insight and action, interpretation and suggestion, empathy and countertransference, and abstinence and gratification. In raising these issues, I do not seek to encourage or endorse wild analysis, the attempt to supply patients with 'corrective emotional experiences' or a rationalisation for acting out one's countertransferences. Rather, it is my hope that if we can better appreciate and describe these important dimensions of the analytic encounter, we can be better prepared to recognise, understand and interpret the continual streams of actualisation and enactment that are embedded in the analytic process. A deeper appreciation of the nature of the analyst's participation in the analytic process and the dimensions of the analytic process to which that participation gives rise may offer us a limited, although important, safeguard against analytic impasse.

  19. Computer controlled quality of analytical measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1979-01-01

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

  20. Development of a morphology-based modeling technique for tracking solid-body displacements: examining the reliability of a potential MRI-only approach for joint kinematics assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahato, Niladri K.; Montuelle, Stephane; Cotton, John; Williams, Susan; Thomas, James; Clark, Brian

    2016-01-01

    Single or biplanar video radiography and Roentgen stereophotogrammetry (RSA) techniques used for the assessment of in-vivo joint kinematics involves application of ionizing radiation, which is a limitation for clinical research involving human subjects. To overcome this limitation, our long-term goal is to develop a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-only, three dimensional (3-D) modeling technique that permits dynamic imaging of joint motion in humans. Here, we present our initial findings, as well as reliability data, for an MRI-only protocol and modeling technique. We developed a morphology-based motion-analysis technique that uses MRI of custom-built solid-body objects to animate and quantify experimental displacements between them. The technique involved four major steps. First, the imaging volume was calibrated using a custom-built grid. Second, 3-D models were segmented from axial scans of two custom-built solid-body cubes. Third, these cubes were positioned at pre-determined relative displacements (translation and rotation) in the magnetic resonance coil and scanned with a T 1 and a fast contrast-enhanced pulse sequences. The digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) images were then processed for animation. The fourth step involved importing these processed images into an animation software, where they were displayed as background scenes. In the same step, 3-D models of the cubes were imported into the animation software, where the user manipulated the models to match their outlines in the scene (rotoscoping) and registered the models into an anatomical joint system. Measurements of displacements obtained from two different rotoscoping sessions were tested for reliability using coefficient of variations (CV), intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), Bland-Altman plots, and Limits of Agreement analyses. Between-session reliability was high for both the T 1 and the contrast-enhanced sequences. Specifically, the average CVs for translation were 4

  1. Development of a morphology-based modeling technique for tracking solid-body displacements: examining the reliability of a potential MRI-only approach for joint kinematics assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahato, Niladri K; Montuelle, Stephane; Cotton, John; Williams, Susan; Thomas, James; Clark, Brian

    2016-05-18

    Single or biplanar video radiography and Roentgen stereophotogrammetry (RSA) techniques used for the assessment of in-vivo joint kinematics involves application of ionizing radiation, which is a limitation for clinical research involving human subjects. To overcome this limitation, our long-term goal is to develop a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-only, three dimensional (3-D) modeling technique that permits dynamic imaging of joint motion in humans. Here, we present our initial findings, as well as reliability data, for an MRI-only protocol and modeling technique. We developed a morphology-based motion-analysis technique that uses MRI of custom-built solid-body objects to animate and quantify experimental displacements between them. The technique involved four major steps. First, the imaging volume was calibrated using a custom-built grid. Second, 3-D models were segmented from axial scans of two custom-built solid-body cubes. Third, these cubes were positioned at pre-determined relative displacements (translation and rotation) in the magnetic resonance coil and scanned with a T1 and a fast contrast-enhanced pulse sequences. The digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) images were then processed for animation. The fourth step involved importing these processed images into an animation software, where they were displayed as background scenes. In the same step, 3-D models of the cubes were imported into the animation software, where the user manipulated the models to match their outlines in the scene (rotoscoping) and registered the models into an anatomical joint system. Measurements of displacements obtained from two different rotoscoping sessions were tested for reliability using coefficient of variations (CV), intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), Bland-Altman plots, and Limits of Agreement analyses. Between-session reliability was high for both the T1 and the contrast-enhanced sequences. Specifically, the average CVs for translation were 4

  2. Reliable quantification of phthalates in environmental matrices (air, water, sludge, sediment and soil): a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Net, Sopheak; Delmont, Anne; Sempéré, Richard; Paluselli, Andrea; Ouddane, Baghdad

    2015-05-15

    Because of their widespread application, phthalates or phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are ubiquitous in the environment. Their presence has attracted considerable attention due to their potential impacts on ecosystem functioning and on public health, so their quantification has become a necessity. Various extraction procedures as well as gas/liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry detection techniques are found as suitable for reliable detection of such compounds. However, PAEs are ubiquitous in the laboratory environment including ambient air, reagents, sampling equipment, and various analytical devices, that induces difficult analysis of real samples with a low PAE background. Therefore, accurate PAE analysis in environmental matrices is a challenging task. This paper reviews the extensive literature data on the techniques for PAE quantification in natural media. Sampling, sample extraction/pretreatment and detection for quantifying PAEs in different environmental matrices (air, water, sludge, sediment and soil) have been reviewed and compared. The concept of "green analytical chemistry" for PAE determination is also discussed. Moreover useful information about the material preparation and the procedures of quality control and quality assurance are presented to overcome the problem of sample contamination and these encountered due to matrix effects in order to avoid overestimating PAE concentrations in the environment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Pilot testing of SHRP 2 reliability data and analytical products: Southern California.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    The second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) has been investigating the critical subject of travel time reliability for several years. As part of this research, SHRP 2 supported multiple efforts to develop products to evaluate travel time r...

  4. A reliability analysis tool for SpaceWire network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Qiang; Zhu, Longjiang; Fei, Haidong; Wang, Xingyou

    2017-04-01

    A SpaceWire is a standard for on-board satellite networks as the basis for future data-handling architectures. It is becoming more and more popular in space applications due to its technical advantages, including reliability, low power and fault protection, etc. High reliability is the vital issue for spacecraft. Therefore, it is very important to analyze and improve the reliability performance of the SpaceWire network. This paper deals with the problem of reliability modeling and analysis with SpaceWire network. According to the function division of distributed network, a reliability analysis method based on a task is proposed, the reliability analysis of every task can lead to the system reliability matrix, the reliability result of the network system can be deduced by integrating these entire reliability indexes in the matrix. With the method, we develop a reliability analysis tool for SpaceWire Network based on VC, where the computation schemes for reliability matrix and the multi-path-task reliability are also implemented. By using this tool, we analyze several cases on typical architectures. And the analytic results indicate that redundancy architecture has better reliability performance than basic one. In practical, the dual redundancy scheme has been adopted for some key unit, to improve the reliability index of the system or task. Finally, this reliability analysis tool will has a directive influence on both task division and topology selection in the phase of SpaceWire network system design.

  5. Development of statistical and analytical techniques for use in national quality control schemes for steroid hormones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilson, D.W.; Gaskell, S.J.; Fahmy, D.R.; Joyce, B.G.; Groom, G.V.; Griffiths, K.; Kemp, K.W.; Nix, A.B.J.; Rowlands, R.J.

    1979-01-01

    Adopting the rationale that the improvement of intra-laboratory performance of immunometric assays will enable the assessment of national QC schemes to become more meaningful, the group of participating laboratories has developed statistical and analytical techniques for the improvement of accuracy, precision and monitoring of error for the determination of steroid hormones. These developments are now described and their relevance to NQC schemes discussed. Attention has been focussed on some of the factors necessary for improving standards of quality in immunometric assays and their relevance to laboratories participating in NQC schemes as described. These have included the 'accuracy', precision and robustness of assay procedures as well as improved methods for internal quality control. (Auth.)

  6. An analytical model for computation of reliability of waste management facilities with intermediate storages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kallweit, A.; Schumacher, F.

    1977-01-01

    A high reliability is called for waste management facilities within the fuel cycle of nuclear power stations which can be fulfilled by providing intermediate storage facilities and reserve capacities. In this report a model based on the theory of Markov processes is described which allows computation of reliability characteristics of waste management facilities containing intermediate storage facilities. The application of the model is demonstrated by an example. (orig.) [de

  7. Evaluation of the quality of results obtained in institutions participating in interlaboratory experiments and of the reliability characteristics of the analytical methods used on the basis of certification of standard soil samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parshin, A.K.; Obol' yaninova, V.G.; Sul' dina, N.P.

    1986-08-20

    Rapid monitoring of the level of pollution of the environment and, especially, of soils necessitates preparation of standard samples (SS) close in properties and material composition to the objects to be analyzed. During 1978-1982 four sets (three types of samples in each) of State Standard Samples of different soils were developed: soddy-podzolic sandy-loamy, typical chernozem, krasnozem, and calcareous sierozem. The certification studies of the SS of the soils were carried out in accordance with the classical scheme of interlab experiment (ILE). More than 100 institutions were involved in the ILE and the total number of independent analytical results was of the order of 10/sup 4/. With such a volume of analytical information at their disposal they were able to find some general characteristics intrinsic to certification studies, to assess the quality of work of the ILE participants with due regard for their specialization, and the reliability characteristics of the analytical methods used.

  8. Effectiveness and reliability of US inservice inspection techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doctor, S.R.; Becker, F.L.; Selby, G.P.

    1982-01-01

    The work presented is from an ongoing program directed toward measuring the effectiveness and reliability of inservice inspection (ISI) of light water reactor systems (primary piping and pressure vessel). Extensive round robin and parametric evaluations have been conducted in 10 in. Sch. 80 stainless steel as well as centrifugally cast stainless steel and clad ferritic main coolant pipe welds. Results from these measurements will be viewed in relationship to US regulations and ASME Section XI Code requirements. 6 figures

  9. Reliability evaluation of deregulated electric power systems for planning applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ehsani, A.; Ranjbar, A.M.; Jafari, A.; Fotuhi-Firuzabad, M.

    2008-01-01

    In a deregulated electric power utility industry in which a competitive electricity market can influence system reliability, market risks cannot be ignored. This paper (1) proposes an analytical probabilistic model for reliability evaluation of competitive electricity markets and (2) develops a methodology for incorporating the market reliability problem into HLII reliability studies. A Markov state space diagram is employed to evaluate the market reliability. Since the market is a continuously operated system, the concept of absorbing states is applied to it in order to evaluate the reliability. The market states are identified by using market performance indices and the transition rates are calculated by using historical data. The key point in the proposed method is the concept that the reliability level of a restructured electric power system can be calculated using the availability of the composite power system (HLII) and the reliability of the electricity market. Two case studies are carried out over Roy Billinton Test System (RBTS) to illustrate interesting features of the proposed methodology

  10. Approach to reliability assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Green, A.E.; Bourne, A.J.

    1975-01-01

    Experience has shown that reliability assessments can play an important role in the early design and subsequent operation of technological systems where reliability is at a premium. The approaches to and techniques for such assessments, which have been outlined in the paper, have been successfully applied in variety of applications ranging from individual equipments to large and complex systems. The general approach involves the logical and systematic establishment of the purpose, performance requirements and reliability criteria of systems. This is followed by an appraisal of likely system achievment based on the understanding of different types of variational behavior. A fundamental reliability model emerges from the correlation between the appropriate Q and H functions for performance requirement and achievement. This model may cover the complete spectrum of performance behavior in all the system dimensions

  11. Reliability demonstration methodology for products with Gamma Process by optimal accelerated degradation testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Chunhua; Lu, Xiang; Tan, Yuanyuan; Wang, Yashun

    2015-01-01

    For products with high reliability and long lifetime, accelerated degradation testing (ADT) may be adopted during product development phase to verify whether its reliability satisfies the predetermined level within feasible test duration. The actual degradation from engineering is usually a strictly monotonic process, such as fatigue crack growth, wear, and erosion. However, the method for reliability demonstration by ADT with monotonic degradation process has not been investigated so far. This paper proposes a reliability demonstration methodology by ADT for this kind of product. We first apply Gamma process to describe the monotonic degradation. Next, we present a reliability demonstration method by converting the required reliability level into allowable cumulative degradation in ADT and comparing the actual accumulative degradation with the allowable level. Further, we suggest an analytical optimal ADT design method for more efficient reliability demonstration by minimizing the asymptotic variance of decision variable in reliability demonstration under the constraints of sample size, test duration, test cost, and predetermined decision risks. The method is validated and illustrated with example on reliability demonstration of alloy product, and is applied to demonstrate the wear reliability within long service duration of spherical plain bearing in the end. - Highlights: • We present a reliability demonstration method by ADT for products with monotonic degradation process, which may be applied to verify reliability with long service life for products with monotonic degradation process within feasible test duration. • We suggest an analytical optimal ADT design method for more efficient reliability demonstration, which differs from the existed optimal ADT design for more accurate reliability estimation by different objective function and different constraints. • The methods are applied to demonstrate the wear reliability within long service duration of

  12. Can non-destructive inspection be reliable

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silk, M.G.; Stoneham, A.M.; Temple, J.A.G.

    1988-01-01

    The paper on inspection is based on the book ''The reliability of non-destructive inspection: assessing the assessment of structures under stress'' by the present authors (published by Adam Hilger 1987). Emphasis is placed on the reliability of inspection and whether cracks in welds or flaws in components can be detected. The need for non-destructive testing and the historical attitudes to non-destructive testing are outlined, along with the case of failure. Factors influencing reliable inspection are discussed, and defect detection trials involving round robin tests are described. The development of reliable inspection techniques and the costs of reliability and unreliability are also examined. (U.K.)

  13. Strategy for continuous improvement in IC manufacturability, yield, and reliability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dreier, Dean J.; Berry, Mark; Schani, Phil; Phillips, Michael; Steinberg, Joe; DePinto, Gary

    1993-01-01

    Continual improvements in yield, reliability and manufacturability measure a fab and ultimately result in Total Customer Satisfaction. A new organizational and technical methodology for continuous defect reduction has been established in a formal feedback loop, which relies on yield and reliability, failed bit map analysis, analytical tools, inline monitoring, cross functional teams and a defect engineering group. The strategy requires the fastest detection, identification and implementation of possible corrective actions. Feedback cycle time is minimized at all points to improve yield and reliability and reduce costs, essential for competitiveness in the memory business. Payoff was a 9.4X reduction in defectivity and a 6.2X improvement in reliability of 256 K fast SRAMs over 20 months.

  14. Experiences with IAEA project: TC Regional Project on Quality Control and Quality Assurance for Nuclear Analytical Techniques (RER/2/004)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glavic-Cindro, Denis; Korun, Matjaz

    2002-01-01

    In the TC Regional Project on Quality Control and Quality Assurance for Nuclear Analytical Techniques RER/2/004, 12 laboratories from east and central European countries participated. Within this project 4 workshops, 2 audit inspections and 2 proficiency tests were organized. The aim of this project was to help these laboratories to implement quality assurance system based on the ISO 17025 standard and to help them on the way towards accreditation. (author)

  15. Improvement of the reliability on nondestructive inspection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, Sung Jin; Kim, Young H.; Lee, Hyang Beom; Shin, Young Kil; Jung, Hyun Jo; Park, Ik Keun; Park, Eun Soo

    2002-03-01

    Retaining reliabilities of nondestructive testing is essential for the life-time maintenance of Nuclear Power Plant. The nondestructive testing methods which are frequently used in the Nuclear Power Plant are eddy current testing for the inspection of steam generator tubes and ultrasonic testing for the inspection of weldments. In order to improve reliabilities of ultrasonic testing and eddy current testing, the subjects carried out in this study are as follows : development of BEM analysis technique for ECT of SG tube, development of neural network technique for the intelligent analysis of ECT flaw signals of SG tubes, development of RFECT technology for the inspection of SG tube, FEM analysis of ultrasonic scattering field, evaluation of statistical reliability of PD-RR test of ultrasonic testing and development of multi-Gaussian beam modeling technique to predict accurate signal of signal beam ultrasonic testing with the efficiency in calculation time

  16. Improvement of the reliability on nondestructive inspection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Song, Sung Jin; Kim, Young H. [Sungkyunkwan Univ., Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Hyang Beom [Soongsil Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Young Kil [Kunsan National Univ., Gunsan (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Hyun Jo [Wonkwang Univ., Iksan (Korea, Republic of); Park, Ik Keun; Park, Eun Soo [Seoul Nationl Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2002-03-15

    Retaining reliabilities of nondestructive testing is essential for the life-time maintenance of Nuclear Power Plant. The nondestructive testing methods which are frequently used in the Nuclear Power Plant are eddy current testing for the inspection of steam generator tubes and ultrasonic testing for the inspection of weldments. In order to improve reliabilities of ultrasonic testing and eddy current testing, the subjects carried out in this study are as follows : development of BEM analysis technique for ECT of SG tube, development of neural network technique for the intelligent analysis of ECT flaw signals of SG tubes, development of RFECT technology for the inspection of SG tube, FEM analysis of ultrasonic scattering field, evaluation of statistical reliability of PD-RR test of ultrasonic testing and development of multi-Gaussian beam modeling technique to predict accurate signal of signal beam ultrasonic testing with the efficiency in calculation time.

  17. Soft computing approach for reliability optimization: State-of-the-art survey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gen, Mitsuo; Yun, Young Su

    2006-01-01

    In the broadest sense, reliability is a measure of performance of systems. As systems have grown more complex, the consequences of their unreliable behavior have become severe in terms of cost, effort, lives, etc., and the interest in assessing system reliability and the need for improving the reliability of products and systems have become very important. Most solution methods for reliability optimization assume that systems have redundancy components in series and/or parallel systems and alternative designs are available. Reliability optimization problems concentrate on optimal allocation of redundancy components and optimal selection of alternative designs to meet system requirement. In the past two decades, numerous reliability optimization techniques have been proposed. Generally, these techniques can be classified as linear programming, dynamic programming, integer programming, geometric programming, heuristic method, Lagrangean multiplier method and so on. A Genetic Algorithm (GA), as a soft computing approach, is a powerful tool for solving various reliability optimization problems. In this paper, we briefly survey GA-based approach for various reliability optimization problems, such as reliability optimization of redundant system, reliability optimization with alternative design, reliability optimization with time-dependent reliability, reliability optimization with interval coefficients, bicriteria reliability optimization, and reliability optimization with fuzzy goals. We also introduce the hybrid approaches for combining GA with fuzzy logic, neural network and other conventional search techniques. Finally, we have some experiments with an example of various reliability optimization problems using hybrid GA approach

  18. Reliability evaluation of high-performance, low-power FinFET standard cells based on mixed RBB/FBB technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Tian; Cui, Xiaoxin; Ni, Yewen; Liao, Kai; Liao, Nan; Yu, Dunshan; Cui, Xiaole

    2017-04-01

    With shrinking transistor feature size, the fin-type field-effect transistor (FinFET) has become the most promising option in low-power circuit design due to its superior capability to suppress leakage. To support the VLSI digital system flow based on logic synthesis, we have designed an optimized high-performance low-power FinFET standard cell library based on employing the mixed FBB/RBB technique in the existing stacked structure of each cell. This paper presents the reliability evaluation of the optimized cells under process and operating environment variations based on Monte Carlo analysis. The variations are modelled with Gaussian distribution of the device parameters and 10000 sweeps are conducted in the simulation to obtain the statistical properties of the worst-case delay and input-dependent leakage for each cell. For comparison, a set of non-optimal cells that adopt the same topology without employing the mixed biasing technique is also generated. Experimental results show that the optimized cells achieve standard deviation reduction of 39.1% and 30.7% at most in worst-case delay and input-dependent leakage respectively while the normalized deviation shrinking in worst-case delay and input-dependent leakage can be up to 98.37% and 24.13%, respectively, which demonstrates that our optimized cells are less sensitive to variability and exhibit more reliability. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61306040), the State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China (No. 2015CB057201), the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (No. 4152020), and Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (No. 2015A030313147).

  19. A technical survey on issues of the quantitative evaluation of software reliability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, J. K; Sung, T. Y.; Eom, H. S.; Jeong, H. S.; Park, J. H.; Kang, H. G.; Lee, K. Y.; Park, J. K.

    2000-04-01

    To develop the methodology for evaluating the software reliability included in digital instrumentation and control system (I and C), many kinds of methodologies/techniques that have been proposed from the software reliability engineering fuel are analyzed to identify the strong and week points of them. According to analysis results, methodologies/techniques that can be directly applied for the evaluation of the software reliability are not exist. Thus additional researches to combine the most appropriate methodologies/techniques from existing ones would be needed to evaluate the software reliability. (author)

  20. HiRel: Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor (HARP) integrated reliability tool system, (version 7.0). Volume 4: HARP Output (HARPO) graphics display user's guide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sproles, Darrell W.; Bavuso, Salvatore J.

    1994-01-01

    The Hybrid Automated Reliability Predictor (HARP) integrated Reliability (HiRel) tool system for reliability/availability prediction offers a toolbox of integrated reliability/availability programs that can be used to customize the user's application in a workstation or nonworkstation environment. HiRel consists of interactive graphical input/output programs and four reliability/availability modeling engines that provide analytical and simulative solutions to a wide host of highly reliable fault-tolerant system architectures and is also applicable to electronic systems in general. The tool system was designed at the outset to be compatible with most computing platforms and operating systems and some programs have been beta tested within the aerospace community for over 8 years. This document is a user's guide for the HiRel graphical postprocessor program HARPO (HARP Output). HARPO reads ASCII files generated by HARP. It provides an interactive plotting capability that can be used to display alternate model data for trade-off analyses. File data can also be imported to other commercial software programs.