Status of commercial food irradiation in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welt, M.A.

1983-01-01

It may be difficult for some to realize, but the United States is now starting its fourth decade in food irradiation research. This vast storehouse of research data now makes the ultimate task of bringing the technology to the consumer marketplace that much easier. Radiation Technology, Inc. of Rockaway, New Jersey has pioneered the use of radiation processing for the commercial preservation of food and has established the first food irradiation facility in the United States in West Memphis, Arkansas. The facility, designed by Radiation Technology, Inc., provides the necessary versatility to meet the needs of the food industry. (author)

Status of commercial food irradiation in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Welt, Martin A.

It may be difficult for some to realize, but the United States is now starting its fourth decade in food irradiation research. This vast storehouse of research data now makes the ultimate task of bringing the technology to the consumer marketplace that much easier. Radiation Technology, Inc. of Rockaway, New Jersey has pioneered the use of radiation processing for the commercial preservation of food and has established the first food irradiation facility in the United States in West Memphis, Arkansas. The facility, designed by Radiation Technology, Inc., provides the necessary versatility to meet the needs of the food industry.

Decommissioning commercial nuclear facilities: a review and analysis of current regulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schilling, A.H.; Lippek, H.E.; Tegeler, P.D.; Easterling, J.D.

1979-08-01

This report describes and analyzes the regulatory requirements and guidelines applicable to the decommissioning of commercial light water reactors, other commercial nuclear fuel cycle facilities, and byproduct utilization facilities, as contained principally in the United States Code, the United States Code of Federal Regulations, and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Regulatory Guides. State requirements are discussed where appropriate. The report provides general background informaion to license applicants and to other interested parties. Included is an outline of procedural steps required of an applicant to comply with decommissioning regulatory requiremets

Commercial landscape of noninvasive prenatal testing in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Agarwal, Ashwin; Sayres, Lauren C; Cho, Mildred K; Cook-Deegan, Robert; Chandrasekharan, Subhashini

2013-06-01

Cell-free fetal DNA-based noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) could significantly change the paradigm of prenatal testing and screening. Intellectual property (IP) and commercialization promise to be important components of the emerging debate about clinical implementation of these technologies. We have assembled information about types of testing, prices, turnaround times, and reimbursement of recently launched commercial tests in the United States from the trade press, news articles, and scientific, legal, and business publications. We also describe the patenting and licensing landscape of technologies underlying these tests and ongoing patent litigation in the United States. Finally, we discuss how IP issues may affect clinical translation of NIPT and their potential implications for stakeholders. Fetal medicine professionals (clinicians and researchers), genetic counselors, insurers, regulators, test developers, and patients may be able to use this information to make informed decisions about clinical implementation of current and emerging noninvasive prenatal tests. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Utilization and Costs of Compounded Medications for Commercially Insured Patients, 2012-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

McPherson, Timothy; Fontane, Patrick; Iyengar, Reethi; Henderson, Rochelle

2016-02-01

Although compounding has a long-standing tradition in clinical practice, insurers and pharmacy benefit managers have instituted policies to decrease claims for compounded medications, citing questions about their safety, efficacy, high costs, and lack of FDA approval. There are no reliable published data on the extent of compounding by community pharmacists nor on the fraction of patients who use compounded medications. Prior research suggests that compounded medications represent a relatively small proportion of prescription medications, but those surveys were limited by small sample sizes, subjective data collection methods, and low response rates. To determine the number of claims for compounded medications on a per user per year (PUPY) basis and the average ingredient cost of these claims among commercially insured patients in the United States for 2012 and 2013. This study used prescription claims data from a nationally representative sample of commercially insured members whose pharmacy benefits were managed by a large pharmacy benefit management company. A retrospective claims analysis was conducted from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2013. Annualized prevalence, cost, and utilization estimates were drawn from the data. All prescription claims were adjusted to 30-day equivalents. Data-mining techniques (association rule mining) were employed in order to identify the most commonly combined ingredients in compounded medications. The prevalence of compound users was 1.1% (245,285) of eligible members in 2012 and 1.4% (323,501) in 2013, an increase of 27.3%. Approximately 66% of compound users were female, and the average age of a compound user was approximately 42 years throughout the study period. The geographic distribution of compound user prevalence was consistent across the United States. Compound users' prescription claims increased 36.6% from 2012 to 2013, from approximately 7.1 million to approximately 9.7 million prescriptions. The number of

Commercialization of PV-powered pumping systems for use in utility PV service programs. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-03-01

The project described in this report was a commercialization effort focused on cost-effective remote water pumping systems for use in utility-based photovoltaic (PV) service programs. The project combined a commercialization strategy tailored specifically for electric utilities with the development of a PV-powered pumping system that operates conventional ac pumps rather than relying on the more expensive and less reliable PV pumps on the market. By combining these two attributes, a project goal was established of creating sustained utility purchases of 250 PV-powered water pumping systems per year. The results of each of these tasks are presented in two parts contained in this Final Summary Report. The first part summarizes the results of the Photovoltaic Services Network (PSN) as a new business venture, while the second part summarizes the results of the Golden Photon system installations. Specifically, results and photographs from each of the system installations are presented in this latter part.

Performance of Canadian commercial nuclear units and heavy water plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodhead, L.W.; Ingolfsrud, L.J.

The operating history of Canadian commercial CANDU type reactors, i.e. Pickering generating station-A, is described. Capacity factors and unit energy costs are analyzed in detail. Equipment performance highlights are given. The performance of the two Canadian heavy water plants is described and five more are under construction or planned. (E.C.B.)

77 FR 58051 - Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Bluefish Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for the...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-19

.... 120201086-2418-02] RIN 0648-XC236 Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Bluefish Fishery; Commercial...: NMFS announces that the 2012 bluefish commercial quota allocated to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the bluefish fishery may...

Commercial spent nuclear fuel shipments in the United States, 1964--1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-12-01

This report provides an overview of US commercial light-water reactor spent-fuel shipments that have occurred from January, 1964 through December, 1987. A summary analysis was performed on these historical shipments, showing the amount of fuel that has been shipped to research facilities, reprocessing plants, away-from-reactor (AFR) storage sites, and other reactors. Also presented in this report is a listing of potential spent-fuel shipments to and/or from commercial nuclear plants. Table 1 provides the detailed listing of historical spent-fuel shipments. Table 2 is a summary of these shipments grouped by destination. Section IV discusses utility plans for future spent-fuel shipments. 2 tabs

Summary Report of Commercial reactor Criticality Data for Three Mile Island Unit 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larry B. Wimmer

2001-01-01

The objective of the ''Summary Report of Commercial Reactor Criticality Data for Three Mile Island Unit I'' is to present the CRC data for the TMI-1 reactor. Results from the CRC evaluations will support the development and validation of the neutronics models used for criticality analyses involving commercial spent nuclear fuel. These models and their validation are discussed in the ''Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology Topical Report'' (YMP 2000)

SMES: Redefining the path to commercial demonstration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bingham, W.G. [Bechtel, San Francisco, CA (United States); Lighthipe, R.W. [San Diego Gas & Electric, San Diego, CA (United States)

1994-12-31

SMES (Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage) is an emerging technology offering tremendous potential benefits to the utility industry. San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and Bechtel are leading a team of companies and national laboratories working towards design and construction of the world`s first demonstration facility for large, commercial SMES for enhancing transmission stability in the Southwestern United States.

Overcoming Barriers to Successfully Commercializing Carbon Dioxide Utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kant, Marvin

2017-01-01

The successful transition to a low-carbon economy hinges on innovative solutions and collaborative action on a global scale. Sustainable entrepreneurship is thereby recognized as a key driver in the creation and transformation of ecologically and socially sustainable economic systems. The purpose of this article is to contribute to this topic by understanding commercialization barriers for strong sustainability-oriented new technology ventures and to derive recommendations to overcome them. A qualitative multilevel approach is applied to identify barriers and drivers within the internal dynamic capabilities of the organization and within the organization’s external stakeholders. A model of barriers has been developed based on semi-structured interviews with new carbon dioxide utilization ventures and associated industry players in Canada, the USA, and the European Economic Area. Resulting recommendations to facilitate the (re-)design of a dedicated support system are proposed on four levels: (a) actors, (b) resources, (c) institutional settings, and (d) the coordination of the support system.

Overcoming Barriers to Successfully Commercializing Carbon Dioxide Utilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kant, Marvin, E-mail: marvin.kant@tu-berlin.de [Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin (Germany)

2017-09-13

The successful transition to a low-carbon economy hinges on innovative solutions and collaborative action on a global scale. Sustainable entrepreneurship is thereby recognized as a key driver in the creation and transformation of ecologically and socially sustainable economic systems. The purpose of this article is to contribute to this topic by understanding commercialization barriers for strong sustainability-oriented new technology ventures and to derive recommendations to overcome them. A qualitative multilevel approach is applied to identify barriers and drivers within the internal dynamic capabilities of the organization and within the organization’s external stakeholders. A model of barriers has been developed based on semi-structured interviews with new carbon dioxide utilization ventures and associated industry players in Canada, the USA, and the European Economic Area. Resulting recommendations to facilitate the (re-)design of a dedicated support system are proposed on four levels: (a) actors, (b) resources, (c) institutional settings, and (d) the coordination of the support system.

Overcoming Barriers to Successfully Commercializing Carbon Dioxide Utilization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marvin Kant

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The successful transition to a low-carbon economy hinges on innovative solutions and collaborative action on a global scale. Sustainable entrepreneurship is thereby recognized as a key driver in the creation and transformation of ecologically and socially sustainable economic systems. The purpose of this article is to contribute to this topic by understanding commercialization barriers for strong sustainability-oriented new technology ventures and to derive recommendations to overcome them. A qualitative multilevel approach is applied to identify barriers and drivers within the internal dynamic capabilities of the organization and within the organization’s external stakeholders. A model of barriers has been developed based on semi-structured interviews with new carbon dioxide utilization ventures and associated industry players in Canada, the USA, and the European Economic Area. Resulting recommendations to facilitate the (re-design of a dedicated support system are proposed on four levels: (a actors, (b resources, (c institutional settings, and (d the coordination of the support system.

SMES: Redefining the path to commercial demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bingham, W.G.; Lighthipe, R.W.

1994-01-01

SMES (Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage) is an emerging technology offering tremendous potential benefits to the utility industry. San Diego Gas ampersand Electric (SDG ampersand E) and Bechtel are leading a team of companies and national laboratories working towards design and construction of the world's first demonstration facility for large, commercial SMES for enhancing transmission stability in the Southwestern United States

Space Commercialization

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Gary L.

2011-01-01

A robust and competitive commercial space sector is vital to continued progress in space. The United States is committed to encouraging and facilitating the growth of a U.S. commercial space sector that supports U.S. needs, is globally competitive, and advances U.S. leadership in the generation of new markets and innovation-driven entrepreneurship. Energize competitive domestic industries to participate in global markets and advance the development of: satellite manufacturing; satellite-based services; space launch; terrestrial applications; and increased entrepreneurship. Purchase and use commercial space capabilities and services to the maximum practical extent Actively explore the use of inventive, nontraditional arrangements for acquiring commercial space goods and services to meet United States Government requirements, including measures such as public-private partnerships, . Refrain from conducting United States Government space activities that preclude, discourage, or compete with U.S. commercial space activities. Pursue potential opportunities for transferring routine, operational space functions to the commercial space sector where beneficial and cost-effective.

Liquid hydrogen production and commercial demand in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Heydorn, Barbara

1990-01-01

Kennedy Space Center, the single largest purchaser of liquid hydrogen (LH2) in the United States, evaluated current and anticipated hydrogen production and consumption in the government and commercial sectors. Specific objectives of the study are as follows: (1) identify LH2 producers in the United States and Canada during 1980-1989 period; (2) compile information in expected changes in LH2 production capabilities over the 1990-2000 period; (3) describe how hydrogen is used in each consuming industry and estimate U.S. LH2 consumption for the chemicals, metals, electronics, fats and oil, and glass industries, and report data on a regional basis; (4) estimate historical and future consumption; and (5) assess the influence of international demands on U.S. plants.

Start-up and commercial operation of the Laguna Verde power plants, unit 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres R, J.F.

1991-01-01

The main features of the unit 1 of the Laguna Verde Power Plant is presented as well as the phases of the start-up process. The process includes various steps and tests up to start the commercial operation. (author)

Treatment of DOE mixed wastes using commercial facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kramer, J.F.; Ross, M.A.; Dilday, D.R.

1992-02-01

In a demonstration program, Department of Energy (DOE) solid mixed wastes generated during uranium processing operations are characterized to define the unit operations required for treatment. The objectives included the implementation of these treatment operations utilizing a commercial Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF). In contracting for commercial hazardous and mixed waste treatment, it is important to characterize the waste beyond the identification of toxicity characteristic (TC) and radiological content. Performing treatability studies and verification of all the unit operations required for treatment is critical. The stream selected for this program was TC hazardous for barium (D005) and contaminated with both depleted and low enriched uranium. The program resulted in the generation of characterization data and treatment strategies. The characterization and treatability studies indicated that although a common unit operation was required to remove the toxic characteristic, multiple pretreatment operations were needed. Many of these operations do not exist at available TSDF's, rendering some portions of the stream untreatable using existing commercial TSDF's. For this project the need for pretreatment operations resulted in only a portion of the waste originally targeted for treatment being accepted for treatment at a commercial TSDF. The majority of the targeted stream could not be successfully treated due to lack of an off-site commercial treatment facility having the available equipment and capacity or with the correct combination of RCRA permits and radioactive material handling licenses. This paper presents a case study documenting the results of the project

Process modeling of a reversible solid oxide cell (r-SOC) energy storage system utilizing commercially available SOC reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mottaghizadeh, Pegah; Santhanam, Srikanth; Heddrich, Marc P.; Friedrich, K. Andreas; Rinaldi, Fabio

2017-01-01

Highlights: • An electric energy storage system was developed based on a commercially available SOC reactor. • Heat generated in SOFC mode of r-SOC is utilized in SOEC operation of r-SOC using latent heat storage. • A round trip efficiency of 54.3% was reached for the reference system at atmospheric pressure. • An improved process system design achieved a round-trip efficiency of 60.4% at 25 bar. - Abstract: The increase of intermittent renewable energy contribution in power grids has urged us to seek means for temporal decoupling of electricity production and consumption. A reversible solid oxide cell (r-SOC) enables storage of surplus electricity through electrochemical reactions when it is in electrolysis mode. The reserved energy in form of chemical compounds is then converted to electricity when the cell operates as a fuel cell. A process system model was implemented using Aspen Plus® V8.8 based on a commercially available r-SOC reactor experimentally characterized at DLR. In this study a complete self-sustaining system configuration is designed by optimal thermal integration and balance of plant. Under reference conditions a round trip efficiency of 54.3% was achieved. Generated heat in fuel cell mode is exploited by latent heat storage tanks to enable endothermic operation of reactor in its electrolysis mode. In total, out of 100 units of thermal energy stored in heat storage tanks during fuel cell mode, 90% was utilized to offset heat demand of system in its electrolysis mode. Parametric analysis revealed the significance of heat storage tanks in thermal management even when reactor entered its exothermic mode of electrolysis. An improved process system design demonstrates a system round-trip efficiency of 60.4% at 25 bar.

Commercial operation and outage experience of ABWR at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa units Nos. 6 and 7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anahara, N.; Yamada, M.; Kataoka, H.

2000-01-01

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station Units Nos. 6 and 7, the world's first ABWRs (Advanced Boiling Water Reactor), started commercial operation on November 7, 1996 and July 2, 1997, respectively, and continued their commercial operation with a high capacity factor, low occupational radiation exposure and radioactive waste. Units 6 and 7 were in their 3rd cycle operation until 25th April 1999 and 1st November 1999, respectively. Thermal efficiency was 35.4-35.8% (design thermal efficiency: 34.5%) during these period, demonstrating better performance than that of BWR-5 (design thermal efficiency: 33.4%). Nos. 6 and 7 have experienced 2 annual outages. The first outage of unit No. 6 started on November 20, 1997 and was completed within 61 days (including 6 New Year holidays), and the second outage started on March 13, 1999 and was completed within 44 days. The first annual outage of unit No. 7 started on May 27, 1998, earlier than it would normally have been, to avoid an annual outage during the summer, and was completed within 55 days, and the second outage started on September 18th, 1999 and was completed within 45 days, All annual outages were carried out within a very short time period without any severe malfunctions, including newly designed ABWR systems and equipment. As the first outage in Japan, 55 days is a very short period, despite the fact that the Nos. 6 and 7 are the first ABWRs in the world and the largest capacity units in Japan. The total occupational radiation exposure of No. 6 was 300 man-mSv (1st outage) and 331 man-mSv (2nd outage). That of Unit 7 was 153 man-mSv (1st outage) Those of unit No. 6 were at the same level as those of unit No. 3, which is the latest design 1100MW(e) BWR-5. That of unit No. 7 was the lowest ever at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station. The drums of radioactive waste discharged during the annual outage numbered 54 (1st outage) for No. 6 and 62 (1st outage) for No. 7, which was less than the design target of 100

United States extension of indemnification to utilities and contractors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunningham, G.

1988-01-01

This chapter discusses the status of the Price-Anderson Act which provides a means of compensation for members of the public who may be injured as a result of a nuclear incident at a licensed commercial power plant or a facility of the United States Government operated by a contractor. It describes the course of bills to extend the Act in 1987 and analyses some of the major issues of the debate (NEA) [fr

Industry's Commercial Initiatives on ISS

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, C. E.; Kessler, C.; Lavitola, M. S.

2002-01-01

For more than ten years, private industry has worked to develop a commercial human space market and to create a sustainable ISS commercial utilization customer base. Before ISS assembly was underway - and long before NASA and the international space agencies began to craft ISS commercial business terms and conditions - industry planted and nurtured the seeds of interest in exploiting human space utilization for commerce. These early initiatives have yielded the impetus and framework for industry approaches to ISS commercial utilization today and for NASA's and the International Partners' planned accommodation of private sector interests and desires on the ISS. This paper chronicles major industry initiatives for commercial ISS utilization, emphasizing successful marketing and business approaches and why these approaches have a higher likelihood of success than others. It provides an overview of individual companies' initiatives, as well as collaborative efforts that cross company lines and country borders; and it assesses the relative success of each. Rather than emphasize negative issues and barriers, this paper characterizes and prioritizes actionable success factors for industry and government to make ISS commercial utilization a sustainable reality.

Genetic characterization of commercial honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) populations in the United States by using mitochondrial and microsatellite markers

Science.gov (United States)

D. A. Delaney; M.D. Meixner; N.M. Schiff; W.S. Sheppard

2009-01-01

Genetic diversity levels within and between the two commercial breeding areas in theUnited States were analyzed using the DraI restriction fragment length polymorphism of the COICOII mitochondrial region and 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci. The western commercial breeding population (WCBP) and the southeastern commercial...

Compressed-air energy storage: Commercialization potential and EPRI roles in the commercialization process

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, D. W.; Buckley, O. E.; Clark, C. E.

1982-12-01

This report describes an assessment of potential roles that EPRI might take to facilitate the commercial acceptance of compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems. The assessment is based on (1) detailed analyses of the market potential of utility storage technologies, (2) interviews with representatives of key participants in the CAES market, and (3) a decision analysis synthesizing much of the information about market and technology status. The results indicate a large potential market for CAES systems if the overall business environment for utilities improves. In addition, it appears that EPRI can have a valuable incremental impact in ensuring that utilities realize the potential of CAES by (1) continuing an aggressive information dissemination and technology transfer program, (2) working to ensure the success of the first United States CAES installation at Soyland Power Cooperative, (3) developing planning methods to allow utilities to evaluate CAES and other storage options more effectively and more realistically, and (4) supporting R and D to resolve residual uncertainties in first-generation CAES cost and performance characteristics.

The use of a commercial QA device for daily output check of a helical tomotherapy unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alaei, Parham; Hui, Susanta K.; Higgins, Patrick D.; Gerbi, Bruce J.

2006-01-01

Helical tomotherapy radiation therapy units, due to their particular design and differences from a traditional linear accelerator, require different procedures by which to perform routine quality assurance (QA). One of the principal QA tasks that should be performed daily on any radiation therapy equipment is the output constancy check. The daily output check on a Hi-Art TomoTherapy unit is commonly performed utilizing ionization chambers placed inside a solid water phantom. This provides a good check of output at one point, but does not give any information on either energy or symmetry of the beam, unless more than one point is measured. This also has the added disadvantage that it has to be done by the physics staff. To address these issues, and to simplify the process, such that it can be performed by radiation therapists, we investigated the use of a commercially available daily QA device to perform this task. The use of this device simplifies the task of daily output constancy checks and eliminates the need for continued physics involvement. This device can also be used to monitor the constancy of beam energy and cone profile and can potentially be used to detect gross errors in the couch movement or laser alignment

FBC utilization prospects in decentralized cogeneration units in Caucasus region countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Skodras George

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Great differences are encountered among Caucasus region countries with respect to energy resources reserves and economic conditions. Thermal power plants consist of obsolete and inefficient units, while the Soviet-type large heating systems in the area collapsed after 1992 and their reconstruction is considered uneconomic. Renovation needs of the power and heat sector, and the potential of Fluidised Bed Combustion implementations in decentralized cogeneration units were investigated, since operating oil and gas power plants exhibit high fuel consumption, low efficiency and poor environmental performance. Results showed significant prospects of Fluidised Bed Combustion utilization in decentralized cogeneration units in the Caucausus region heat and power sector. Their introduction constitutes an economically attractive way to cover power and heat demands and promotes utilization of domestic energy resources in all of three countries, provided that financial difficulties could be confronted.

United States extension of indemnification to utilities and contractors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunningham, G.H.

1988-01-01

The status of legislation in the United States, usually known as the Price-Anderson Act, provides an assured source and means of compensation for members of the public who may be injured as a result of a nuclear accident at a licensed commercial nuclear power plant or at a facility of the United States Government operated by a contractor. First a brief overview of the Act and its history is given, then the course of legislation to extend the Price-Anderson Act through the United States Congress is charted with comments made on the major issues of the debate. The Act requires that a least $560 million in insurance and/or Government indemnity is available to cover public liability claims arising out of an accident at a nuclear power plant. The Act also limits the total liability of all persons for any nuclear incident to a predetermined amount and this is one issue discussed. Final action on the legal situation should be taken in 1988. (U.K.)

Sodium content of popular commercially processed and restaurant foods in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in close collaboration with U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring the sodium content of commercially processed and restaurant foods in the United States. The main purpose of this manuscript is to prov...

Ground-source heat pump case studies and utility programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lienau, P.J.; Boyd, T.L.; Rogers, R.L.

1995-04-01

Ground-source heat pump systems are one of the promising new energy technologies that has shown rapid increase in usage over the past ten years in the United States. These systems offer substantial benefits to consumers and utilities in energy (kWh) and demand (kW) savings. The purpose of this study was to determine what existing monitored data was available mainly from electric utilities on heat pump performance, energy savings and demand reduction for residential, school and commercial building applications. In order to verify the performance, information was collected for 253 case studies from mainly utilities throughout the United States. The case studies were compiled into a database. The database was organized into general information, system information, ground system information, system performance, and additional information. Information was developed on the status of demand-side management of ground-source heat pump programs for about 60 electric utility and rural electric cooperatives on marketing, incentive programs, barriers to market penetration, number units installed in service area, and benefits.

Energy consumption behavior in the commercial sector: An ethnographic analysis of utility bill information and customer comprehension in the workplace

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Christopher Todd

The commercial and industrial sectors of the United States compose roughly one-third of total United States energy consumption. Many studies have suggested that significant cost-effective energy savings opportunities exist in this sector, but there is a gap between predictions of potential and actual investment in energy-efficient technologies. Very few studies have been conducted to examine the decision-making environment of the business sector. In particular, there is essentially no information about how small-business decision-makers make choices about energy consumption. My research is intended to begin the process of understanding this important arena of energy consumption behavior. Using semi-structured interview techniques, I interviewed forty-four businesses in ten states. The focus of the interviews was the business decision-maker's handling and use of the utility bill---the main (often sole) piece of information that links energy consumption to cost. Through the interviews, I collected information about how utility bills are understood and misunderstood, what components of the bill are seen as useful or confusing, and how energy consumption was seen in the context of larger business decision-making. In addition, I collected data on two forms of energy consumption feedback: historic consumption feedback, in which informants compared their current energy use to patterns of their own energy consumption over time; and group comparison consumption feedback, in which informants compared their energy consumption to the consumption of a group of similar energy consumers. Finally, I collected data on sources of information to which decision-makers turned when they wanted to seek more information about energy consumption alternatives. Overall, my findings suggest that the current utility bill format is often misunderstood. In many cases, particularly in the small-business and medium-size-business categories, the link between energy consumption and energy cost is

The utilization of a commercial gloss spray in stabilization of incinerated dental structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Berketa, John; Fauzi, Ahmad; James, Helen; Lake, Anthony; Langlois, Neil

2015-07-01

Incinerated human remains may require dental comparison to establish identity. The remains are often fragile and minor forces can damage teeth and facial bones, disrupting anatomical relationships, and impairing the ability to compare with antemortem records. This study evaluated the ability of a commercially available gloss spray to stabilize teeth in incinerated remains. Lower anterior teeth of scavenged sheep mandibles were incinerated in a furnace at a temperature of 500 °C for 35 min. Before a series of vibration tests, the left side of each sample was treated with the spray, with the right side acting as a control. Significant retention of dental data was achieved utilizing the spray in comparison to the non-stabilized sides. This study showed that a commercial clear gloss spray did not affect the ability to document or perform radiographic assessment of restorations, and statistically improved the stability and anatomical relationships of incinerated dental remains in scavenged sheep mandibles. Commercial products, such as the one tested in this study, are readily available and could be deployed at a mass disaster situation. However, the spray should not be used if there is any suspicion that accelerants might be involved at the scene. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Adapting United States training practices to European utilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walsh, T.E.

1983-01-01

The factors which must be considered in the process of adapting United States nuclear utility training programs to the needs of a European utility are discussed. Following a review of the present situation and drawing up of a new training program, the management commitments in terms of personnel and finance must be considered. Short term, medium and long term programs are outlined. The long term objectives should include the establishment of a total training centre. This facility should be capable of providing all the training necessary to operate a power plant safely. This would include specific simulator training, classroom training for operators, technician training, staff training, management training etc. In addition to a simulator, it should include an emergency response facility to train personnel. (U.K.)

Comparative analysis of large biomass & coal co-utilization units

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liszka, M.; Nowak, G.; Ptasinski, K.J.; Favrat, D.; Marechal, F.

2010-01-01

The co-utilization of coal and biomass in large power units is considered in many countries (e.g. Poland) as fast and effective way of increasing renewable energy share in the fuel mix. Such a method of biomass use is especially suitable for power systems where solid fuels (hard coal, lignite) are

Low-level radioactive waste disposal in the United States: An overview of current commercial regulations and concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, W.E. Jr.

1993-08-01

Commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal in the United States is regulated by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) under 10 CFR 61 (1991). This regulation was issued in 1981 after a lengthy and thorough development process that considered the radionuclide concentrations and characteristics associated with commercial low-level radioactive waste streams; alternatives for waste classification; alternative technologies for low-level radioactive waste disposal; and data, modeling, and scenario analyses. The development process also included the publication of both draft and final environmental impact statements. The final regulation describes the general provisions; licenses; performance objectives; technical requirements for land disposal; financial assurances; participation by state governments and Indian tribes; and records, reports, tests, and inspections. This paper provides an overview of, and tutorial on, current commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal regulations in the United States

Advance reactor and fuel-cycle systems--potentials and limitations for United States utilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zebroski, E.L.; Williams, R.F.

1979-01-01

This paper reviews the potential benefits and limitations of advance reactor and fuel-cycle systems for United States utilities. The results of the review of advanced technologies show that for the near and midterm, the only advance reactor and fuel-cycle system with significant potential for United States utilities is the current LWR, and evolutionary, not revolutionary, enhancements. For the long term, the liquid-metal breeder reactor continues to be the most promising advance nuclear option. The major factors leading to this conclusion are summarized

Association of obesity with healthcare resource utilization and costs in a commercial population.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamble, Pravin S; Hayden, Jennifer; Collins, Jenna; Harvey, Raymond A; Suehs, Brandon; Renda, Andrew; Hammer, Mette; Huang, Joanna; Bouchard, Jonathan

2018-05-10

To examine the association of obesity with healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs among commercially insured individuals. This retrospective observational cohort study used administrative claims from 1 January 2007 to 1 December 2013. The ICD-9-CM status codes (V85 hierarchy) from 2008 to 2012 classified body mass index (BMI) into the World Health Organizations' BMI categories. The date of first observed BMI code was defined as the index date and continuous eligibility for one year pre- and post- index date was ensured. Post-index claims determined individuals' HRU and costs. Sampling weights developed using the entropy balance method and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data ensured representation of the US adult commercially insured population. Baseline characteristics were described across BMI classes and associations between BMI categories, and outcomes were examined using multivariable regression. The cohort included 9651 individuals with BMI V85 codes. After weighting, the BMI distribution was: normal (31.1%), overweight (33.4%), obese class I (22.0%), obese class II (8.1%) and obese class III (5.4%). Increasing BMI was associated with greater prevalence of cardiometabolic conditions, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The use of antihypertensives, antihyperlipidemics, antidiabetics, analgesics and antidepressants rose with increasing BMI. Greater BMI level was associated with increased inpatient, emergency department and outpatient utilization, and higher total healthcare, medical and pharmacy costs. Increasing BMI was associated with higher prevalence of cardiometabolic conditions and higher HRU and costs. There is an urgent need to address the epidemic of obesity and its clinical and economic impacts.

Commercial Buildings Characteristics, 1992

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-04-29

Commercial Buildings Characteristics 1992 presents statistics about the number, type, and size of commercial buildings in the United States as well as their energy-related characteristics. These data are collected in the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), a national survey of buildings in the commercial sector. The 1992 CBECS is the fifth in a series conducted since 1979 by the Energy Information Administration. Approximately 6,600 commercial buildings were surveyed, representing the characteristics and energy consumption of 4.8 million commercial buildings and 67.9 billion square feet of commercial floorspace nationwide. Overall, the amount of commercial floorspace in the United States increased an average of 2.4 percent annually between 1989 and 1992, while the number of commercial buildings increased an average of 2.0 percent annually.

78 FR 9111 - Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units: Reconsideration and Final Amendments...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-07

... impacts? 2. What are the water and solid waste impacts? 3. What are the energy impacts? 4. What are the.... Pulp and Paper Sludge 4. Rulemaking Petition Process for Other Categorical Non-Waste Determinations (40... and 241 Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units: Reconsideration and Final Amendments...

Advanced fuel cell development in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ackerman, J.P.

1984-01-01

Both molten carbonate and solid oxide fuel cells are being developed in the United States to complement and/or supplant phosphoric acid cells for commercial and utility use. This paper described the two technologies and the programs for their development

Retail Marijuana Purchases in Designer and Commercial Markets in New York City: Sales Units, Weights, and Prices per Gram

Science.gov (United States)

Sifaneck, Stephen J.; Ream, Geoffrey L.; Johnson, Bruce D.; Dunlap, Eloise

2007-01-01

This paper documents the bifurcation of the market for commercial marijuana from the market for designer marijuana in New York City. Commercial marijuana is usually grown outdoors, imported to NYC, and of average quality. By contrast, several strains of designer marijuana are usually grown indoors from specially-bred strains and carefully handled for maximum quality. The mechanisms for selling include street/park sellers, delivery services, private sales, and storefronts. Retail sales units vary from $5 to $50 and more, but the actual weights and price per gram of retail marijuana purchases lacks scientific precision. Ethnographic staff recruited marijuana purchasers who used digital scales to weigh a purposive sample of 99 marijuana purchases. Results indicate clear differences in price per gram between the purchases of commercial (avg. $8.20/gram) and designer (avg. $18.02/gram) marijuana. Designer purchases are more likely to be made by whites, downtown (Lower East Side/Union Square area), via delivery services, and in units of $10 bags, $50 cubes, and eighth and quarter ounces. Commercial marijuana purchases are more likely to be made by blacks, uptown (Harlem), via street dealers, and in units of $5 and $20 bags. Imported commercial types Arizona and Chocolate were only found uptown, while designer brand names describing actual strains like Sour Diesel and White Widow were only found downtown. Findings indicate clear divisions between commercial and designer marijuana markets in New York City. The extent that these differences may be based upon different THC potencies is a matter for future research. PMID:17055670

Structural, compositional, and sensorial properties of United States commercial ice cream products.

Science.gov (United States)

Warren, Maya M; Hartel, Richard W

2014-10-01

Commercial vanilla ice cream products from the United States (full fat, low fat, and nonfat) were analyzed for their structural, behavioral (i.e., melt rate and drip-through), compositional, and sensorial attributes. Mean size distributions of ice crystals and air cells, drip-through rates, percent partially coalesced fat, percent overrun and total fat, and density were determined. A trained panel carried out sensory analyses in order to determine correlations between ice cream microstructure attributes and sensory properties using a Spectrum(TM) descriptive analysis. Analyses included melt rate, breakdown, size of ice particulates (iciness), denseness, greasiness, and overall creaminess. To determine relationships and interactions, principle component analysis and multivariate pairwise correlation were performed within and between the instrumental and sensorial data. Greasiness and creaminess negatively correlated with drip-through rate and creaminess correlated with percent total fat and percent fat destabilization. Percent fat did not determine the melt rate on a sensorial level. However, drip-through rate at ambient temperatures was predicted by total fat content of the samples. Based on sensory analysis, high-fat products were noted to be creamier than low and nonfat products. Iciness did not correlate with mean ice crystal size and drip-through rate did not predict sensory melt rate. Furthermore, on a sensorial level, greasiness positively correlated with total percent fat destabilization and mean air cell size positively correlated with denseness. These results indicate that commercial ice cream products vary widely in composition, structure, behavior, and sensory properties. There is a wide range of commercial ice creams in the United States market, ranging from full fat to nonfat. In this research we showed that these ice creams vary greatly in their microstructures, behaviors (the melt/drip-though, collapse, and/or stand up properties of ice cream

Commercial incineration demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borduin, L.C.; Neuls, A.S.

1981-01-01

Low-level radioactive wastes (LLW) generated by nuclear utilities presently are shipped to commercial burial grounds for disposal. Substantially increasing shipping and disposal charges have sparked renewed industry interest in incineration and other advanced volume reduction techniques as potential cost-saving measures. Repeated inquiries from industry sources regarding LLW applicability of the Los Alamos controlled-air incineration (CAI) design led DOE to initiate this commercial demonstration program in FY-1980. The selected program approach to achieving CAI demonstration at a utility site is a DOE sponsored joint effort involving Los Alamos, a nuclear utility, and a liaison subcontractor. Required development tasks and responsibilities of the particpants are described. Target date for project completion is the end of FY-1985

Ethics, law, and commercial surrogacy: a call for uniformity.

Science.gov (United States)

Drabiak, Katherine; Wegner, Carole; Fredland, Valita; Helft, Paul R

2007-01-01

In the United States at this time, no uniform federal law exists regarding commercial surrogacy, and state statutory schemes vary vastly, ranging from criminalization to legal recognition with contract enforcement. The authors examine how commercial surrogacy agencies utilize the Internet as a means for attracting parents and surrogates by employing emotional cultural rhetoric. By inducing both parents and surrogates to their jurisdiction, agencies circumvent vast discrepancies in state statutory regulative schemes and create a distinct interstate business, absent an efficient regulatory framework or legal recourse in some circumstances. The authors propose a uniform federal regulatory scheme premised upon regulating interstate business transactions to create accountability and legal remedies for both the parents and the surrogate.

Start up and commercial operation of Laguna Verde nuclear power plant. Unit 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres Ramirez, J.F.

1991-01-01

Prior to start up of Laguna Verde nuclear power plant preoperational tests and start tests were performed and they are described in its more eminent aspects. In relation to commercial operation of nuclear station a series of indicator were set to which allow the measurement of performance in unit 1, in areas of plant efficiency and personal safety. Antecedents. Laguna Verde station is located in Alto Lucero municipality in Veracruz state, 70 kilometers north-northeast from port of Veracruz and a 290 kilometers east-northeast from Mexico city. The station consist of two units manufactured by General Electric, with a nuclear system of vapor supply also called boiling water (BWR/5), and with a system turbine-generator manufactured by Mitsubishi. Each unit has a nominal power of 1931 MWt and a level design power of 675 Mwe and a net power of 654 Electric Megawatts

Summary data for U.S. commercial nuclear power plants in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heddleson, F.A.

1978-01-01

A compilation of data is presented for all United States commercial nuclear power plants for which a construction permit application was made through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The data are compiled in four separate tables with cross-referencing indexes: Table 1--General Data; Table 2--Reactor Data; Table 3--Site Data, and Table 4--Circulating-Water System Data. The power plants are listed in numerical order by docket number in all four tables

The conceptual design and economic evaluation of utility scale SMES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masuda, M.

1986-01-01

The paper reports the result of current Japanese activities in designing and evaluating the economic feasibility of utility Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES). The 5 GWh/1 GW is proposed as a relevant unit of SMES in the year 2000. More than 20 companies, several universities and two national laboratories joined in a task force to study this technology. After three year's assessment, the conclusion on utility scale SMES is that no unresolvable technologies have been found and commercialization potential exists

The Feasibility of Utilizing Wind Energy in Commercial Buildings With Special Reference to the Kingdom of Bahrain

Science.gov (United States)

Abdulrahim Saeed, Saeed

2017-11-01

This article shall investigate the feasibility of utilizing wind energy for commercial buildings with special reference to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Bahrain World Trade Center which was built in 2008, is located in the city of Manama. The fifty-story complex contains identical twin towers that rise over 240 meters in height. The towers are connected by three bridges which hold three turbines each 29 meters long. The three turbines were originally design to provide electric energy required for lighting. The Bahrain World Trade Center was selected as a case study to investigate the feasibility of utilizing wind energy technologies in skyscrapers with special reference to the Kingdom of Bahrain. It is hoped that the findings and conclusion of the study shall be of some value for future utilization of wind energy in the GCC countries and the world at large.

The Research of Utilization Hours of Coal-Fired Power Generation Units Based on Electric Energy Balance

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Junhui; Yang, Jianlian; Wang, Jiangbo; Yang, Meng; Tian, Chunzheng; He, Xinhui

2018-01-01

With grid-connected scale of clean energy such as wind power and photovoltaic power expanding rapidly and cross-province transmission scale being bigger, utilization hours of coal-fired power generation units become lower and lower in the context of the current slowdown in electricity demand. This paper analyzes the influencing factors from the three aspects of demand, supply and supply and demand balance, and the mathematical model has been constructed based on the electric energy balance. The utilization hours of coal-fired power generation units have been solved considering the relationship among proportion of various types of power installed capacity, the output rate and utilization hours. By carrying out empirical research in Henan Province, the utilization hours of coal-fired units of Henan Province in 2020 has been achieved. The example validates the practicability and the rationality of the model, which can provide a basis for the decision-making for coal-fired power generation enterprises.

Timber resource of Wisconsin's Northwest Survey Unit, 1983.

Science.gov (United States)

W. Brad Smith

1984-01-01

The fourth inventory of the timber resource of the Northwest Wisconsin Survey Unit shows a 1.8% decline in commercial forest area and a 36% gain in growing-stock volume between 1968 and 1983. Presented are highlights and statistics on area, volume, growth, mortality, removals, utilization, and biomass.

Commercial gas utilization in the Netherlands. Six years of the Marketing Plan Public Gas Supply (MOG)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoelen, Q.E.J.J.M.; Bartholomeus, P.H.J.; Mallon, W.Ch.

1998-01-01

In 1992, Gasunie (Dutch natural gas trading company) started its marketing plan for the public natural gas supply (MOG, abbreviated in Dutch). The aim is to promote the use of natural gas in cooperation with gas utilities. For the commercial sector many different gas appliances are available: high-efficiency deep-frying pans for the catering sector, gas-fired air humidifiers for office and public buildings, gas-fired tumble dryers for small and medium-sized businesses, etc

Cost structure analysis of commercial nuclear power plants in Japan based on corporate financial statements of electric utility companies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunitake, Norifumi; Nagano, Koji; Suzuki, Tatsujiro

1998-01-01

In this paper, we analyze past and current cost structure of commercial nuclear power plants in Japan based on annual corporate financial statements published by the Japanese electric utility companies, instead of employing the conventional methodology of evaluating the generation cost for a newly constructed model plant. The result of our study on existing commercial nuclear plants reveals the increasing significance of O and M and fuel cycle costs in total generation cost. Thus, it is suggested that electric power companies should take more efforts to reduce these costs in order to maintain the competitiveness of nuclear power in Japan. (author)

Planning and Operation of Commercial Application Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jun Yeon; Kim, Kye Ryung; Lee, Tae Joon; Lee, Jae Hyeong; Park, Je Won; Lee, Jae Sang

2003-06-01

The objectives of this R and D project are as follows : First, transferring developed technologies to outside companies and operating technology market to vitalize technology transactions, Second, developing commercial application projects to transfer technologies for commercial purposes and to solve interface problems in commercial applications, Third, enhancing commercial utilizations of developed accelerator and beam utilization technologies, Finally. preparing infra-structures for the development of over 30 venture- businesses based on achieved technologies through the Proton Engineering Frontier Project

Planning and Operation of Commercial Application Center

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jun Yeon; Kim, Kye Ryung; Lee, Tae Joon; Lee, Jae Hyeong; Park, Je Won; Lee, Jae Sang

2003-06-15

The objectives of this R and D project are as follows : First, transferring developed technologies to outside companies and operating technology market to vitalize technology transactions, Second, developing commercial application projects to transfer technologies for commercial purposes and to solve interface problems in commercial applications, Third, enhancing commercial utilizations of developed accelerator and beam utilization technologies, Finally. preparing infra-structures for the development of over 30 venture- businesses based on achieved technologies through the Proton Engineering Frontier Project.

Economic evaluation of Kori and Wolsong Unit 1 plant life extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, T. H.; Jeong, I. S.

2002-01-01

24 years have been passed since Kori Unit 1 began its commercial operation, and 19 years have been passed since Wolsong Unit 1 began its commercial operation. As the end point of design life become closer, plant life extension and periodic safety assessment is paid more and more attention to by the utility company. In this paper, the methodologies and results of plant lifetime management economic evaluations of both units have been presented in comparison with Korean standard nuclear power plant 10, 20 and 30 year life extension cases respectively. In addition to that, sensitivity analysis and break even point analysis results are presented with the variables of capacity factor, operation and maintenance cost, and discount rate

Injectable naltrexone, oral naltrexone, and buprenorphine utilization and discontinuation among individuals treated for opioid use disorder in a United States commercially insured population.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Jake R; Schackman, Bruce R; Leff, Jared A; Linas, Benjamin P; Walley, Alexander Y

2018-02-01

We investigated prescribing patterns for four opioid use disorder (OUD) medications: 1) injectable naltrexone, 2) oral naltrexone, 3) sublingual or oralmucosal buprenorphine/naloxone, and 4) sublingual buprenorphine as well as transdermal buprenorphine (which is approved for treating pain, but not OUD) in a nationally representative claims-based database (Truven Health MarketScan®) of commercially insured individuals in the United States. We calculated the prevalence of OUD in the database for each year from 2010 to 2014 and the proportion of diagnosed patient months on OUD medication. We compared characteristics of individuals diagnosed with OUD who did and did not receive these medications with bivariate descriptive statistics. Finally, we fit a Cox proportional hazards model of time to discontinuation of therapy as a function of therapy type, controlling for relevant confounders. From 2010 to 2014, the proportion of commercially insured individuals diagnosed with OUD grew by fourfold (0.12% to 0.48%), but the proportion of diagnosed patient-months on medication decreased from 25% in 2010 (0.05% injectable naltrexone, 0.4% oral naltrexone, 23.1% sublingual or oralmucosal buprenorphine/naloxone, 1.5% sublingual buprenorphine, and 0% transdermal buprenorphine) to 16% in 2014 (0.2% injectable naltrexone, 0.4% oral naltrexone, 13.8% sublingual or oralmucosal buprenorphine/naloxone, 1.4% sublingual buprenorphine, and 0.3% transdermal buprenorphine). Individuals who received medication therapy were more likely to be male, younger, and have an additional substance use disorder compared with those diagnosed with OUD who did not receive medication therapy. Those prescribed injectable naltrexone were more often male, younger, and diagnosed with additional substance use disorders compared with those prescribed other medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs). At 30 days after initiation, 52% for individuals treated with injectable naltrexone, 70% for individuals treated

Internet-facilitated commercial sexual exploitation of children: findings from a nationally representative sample of law enforcement agencies in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Kimberly J; Jones, Lisa M; Finkelhor, David; Wolak, Janis

2011-03-01

This article explores the variety of ways in which the Internet is used to facilitate the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and provides national incidence estimates for the number of arrests involving such technology-facilitated crimes in 2006. The National Juvenile Online Victimization Study is a nationally representative longitudinal study of more than 2,500 local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies across the United States. The current article utilizes Wave 2 data, which surveyed arrests in 2006 for Internet-related sex crimes against minors. Detailed data were collected via telephone interviews with investigators about 1,051 individual arrest cases. Findings show that an estimated 569 arrests for Internet-facilitated commercial sexual exploitation of children (IF-CSEC) occurred in the United States in 2006. Offenders in IF-CSEC cases fell into two main categories: (1) those who used the Internet to purchase or sell access to identified children for sexual purposes including child pornography (CP) production (36% of cases), and (2) those who used the Internet to purchase or sell CP images they possessed but did not produce (64% of cases). Offenders attempting to profit from child sexual exploitation were more likely than those who were purchasing to have (a) prior arrests for sexual and nonsexual offenses, (b) a history of violence, (c) produced CP, (d) joined forces with other offenders, and (e) involved female offenders. Although the number of arrests for IF-CSEC crimes is relatively small, the victims of these crimes are a high-risk subgroup of youth, and the offenders who try to profit from these crimes are particularly concerning from a child welfare perspective.

Summary of the fourth conference on United States utility experience in reactor noise analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fry, D.N.

1987-01-01

The fourth informal conference on United States utility experience in reactor noise analysis and loose-part monitoring was held at the Northeast Utilities Service Company offices in Hartford, Connecticut, May 12-14, 1987. Host and general chairman for the meeting was J.V. Persio of Northeast Utilities. This conference provided a forum where utilities could share information on reactor noise analysis on an informal basis. There were about 60 attendees at the meeting representing 10 utilities, 3 reactor vendors, 8 consulting organizations, and 4 universities and research laboratories. Twenty-three papers were presented at the conference, dealing with various aspects of loose-part monitoring, neutron noise analysis, and standards activities

Multi-purpose canister storage unit and transfer cask thermal analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montgomery, R.A.; Niemer, K.A.; Lindner, C.N.

1997-01-01

Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) generated at commercial nuclear power plants throughout the US is a concern because of continued delays in obtaining a safe, permanent disposal facility. Most utilities maintain their SNF in wet storage pools; however, after decades of use, many pools are filled to capacity. Unfortunately, DOE's proposed final repository at Yucca Mountain is at least 10 years from completion, and commercial power utilities have few options for SNF storage in the interim. The Multi-Purpose Canister (MPC) system, sponsored by DOE's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, is a viable solution to the interim storage problem. The system is designed for interim dry storage, transport, and ultimate disposal of commercial SNF. The MPC system consists of four separate components: an MPC, Transfer Cask, Storage Unit, and Transport Cask. The SNF assemblies are loaded and sealed inside the helium-filled steel MPC. Once sealed, the MPC is not reopened, eliminating the need to re-handle the individual spent fuel assemblies. The MPC is transferred, using the MPC Transfer Cask, into a cylindrical, reinforced-concrete Storage Unit for on-site dry storage. The MPC may be removed from the Storage Unit at any time and transferred into the MPC Transport Cask for transport to the final repository. This paper discusses the analytical approach used to evaluate the heat transfer characteristics of an MPC containing SNF assemblies in the MPC Transfer Cask and Storage Unit

Commercial nuclear power 1988: Prospects for the United States and the world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

This report presents historical data on commercial nuclear power in the United States, with projections of domestic nuclear capacity and generation through the year 2020. The report also gives country-specific projections of nuclear capacity and generation through the year 2010 for other countries in the world outside centrally planned economic areas (WOCA). Information is also presented regarding operable reactors and those under construction in countries with centrally planned economies. This report presents three different nuclear supply scenarios. The Optimistic-case scenario, included in previous issues of this report, has been deleted. 7 figs; 36 tabs

Commercial grade item (CGI) dedication of generators for nuclear safety related applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, R.K.; Hajos, L.G.

1993-01-01

The number of nuclear safety related equipment suppliers and the availability of spare and replacement parts designed specifically for nuclear safety related application are shrinking rapidly. These have made it necessary for utilities to apply commercial grade spare and replacement parts in nuclear safety related applications after implementing proper acceptance and dedication process to verify that such items conform with the requirements of their use in nuclear safety related application. The general guidelines for the commercial grade item (CGI) acceptance and dedication are provided in US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Generic Letters and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Report NP-5652, Guideline for the Utilization of Commercial Grade Items in Nuclear Safety Related Applications. This paper presents an application of these generic guidelines for procurement, acceptance, and dedication of a commercial grade generator for use as a standby generator at Salem Generating Station Units 1 and 2. The paper identifies the critical characteristics of the generator which once verified, will provide reasonable assurance that the generator will perform its intended safety function. The paper also delineates the method of verification of the critical characteristics through tests and provide acceptance criteria for the test results. The methodology presented in this paper may be used as specific guidelines for reliable and cost effective procurement and dedication of commercial grade generators for use as standby generators at nuclear power plants

Timber resource of Michigan's Southern Lower Peninsula Unit, 1980.

Science.gov (United States)

Jerold T. Hahn

1982-01-01

The fourth inventory of the timber resource of Michigan's Southern Lower Peninsula Survey Unit shows a 12% decline in commercial forest area and a 26% gain in growing-stock volume between 1966 and 1980. Presented are highlights and statistics on area, volume, growth, mortality, removals, utilization, and biomass.

40 CFR 73.18 - Submittal procedures for units commencing commercial operation during the period from January 1...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... commencing commercial operation during the period from January 1, 1993, through December 31, 1995. 73.18 Section 73.18 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) SULFUR DIOXIDE ALLOWANCE SYSTEM Allowance Allocations § 73.18 Submittal procedures for units...

Health Utilization and Cost Impact of Childhood Constipation in the United States

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liem, Olivia; Harman, Jeffrey; Benninga, Marc; Kelleher, Kelly; Mousa, Hayat; Di Lorenzo, Carlo

2009-01-01

Objective To estimate the total health care utilization and costs for children with constipation in the United States. Study design We analyzed data from 2 consecutive years (2003 and 2004) of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a nationally representative household survey. We identified

Commercial-grade motors in safety-related applications: Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holzman, P.M.

1988-04-01

The objective of this project was to discuss the process necessary to utilize commercial grade equipment in safety related applications and to provide utilities with guidance for accepting commercial grade motors for safety-related applications. The generic commercial-grade concepts presented in this report can be successfully applied to motors. Commercial grade item utilization has the greatest applicability to motors in ''mild'' environments, because these motors are essentially similar to commercial grade motors in materials, construction methods, and capabilities. The acceptance process is less applicable to motors that are subject to ''harsh'' environments during postulated accidents, because of the unique design features and testing required to qualify these motors

The Effect of Geographic Units of Analysis on Measuring Geographic Variation in Medical Services Utilization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnus M. Kim

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the effect of geographic units of analysis on measuring geographic variation in medical services utilization. For this purpose, we compared geographic variations in the rates of eight major procedures in administrative units (districts and new areal units organized based on the actual health care use of the population in Korea. Methods: To compare geographic variation in geographic units of analysis, we calculated the age–sex standardized rates of eight major procedures (coronary artery bypass graft surgery, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, surgery after hip fracture, knee-replacement surgery, caesarean section, hysterectomy, computed tomography scan, and magnetic resonance imaging scan from the National Health Insurance database in Korea for the 2013 period. Using the coefficient of variation, the extremal quotient, and the systematic component of variation, we measured geographic variation for these eight procedures in districts and new areal units. Results: Compared with districts, new areal units showed a reduction in geographic variation. Extremal quotients and inter-decile ratios for the eight procedures were lower in new areal units. While the coefficient of variation was lower for most procedures in new areal units, the pattern of change of the systematic component of variation between districts and new areal units differed among procedures. Conclusions: Geographic variation in medical service utilization could vary according to the geographic unit of analysis. To determine how geographic characteristics such as population size and number of geographic units affect geographic variation, further studies are needed.

Geothermal Energy Utilization in the United States - 2000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lund, John W.; Boyd, Tonya L (Geo-Heat Center, Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls, OR); Sifford, Alex (Sifford Energy Services, Neskowin, OR); Bloomquist, R. Gordon (Washington State University Energy Program, Olympia, WA)

2000-01-01

Geothermal energy is used for electric power generation and direct utilization in the United States. The present installed capacity for electric power generation is 3,064 MWe with only 2,212 MWe in operation due to reduction at The Geysers geothermal field in California; producing approximately16,000 GWh per year. Geothermal electric power plants are located in California, Nevada, Utah and Hawaii. The two largest concentrations of plants are at The Geysers in northern California and the Imperial Valley in southern California. The direct utilization of geothermal energy includes the heating of pools and spas, greenhouses and aquaculture facilities, space heating and district heating, snow melting, agricultural drying, industrial applications and ground-source heat pumps. The installed capacity is 4,000 MWt and the annual energy use is 20,600 billion Btu (21,700 TJ - 6040 GWh). The largest applications is groundsource (geothermal) heat pumps (59% of the energy use), and the largest direct-use is in aquaculture. Direct utilization is increasing at about six percent per year; whereas, electric power plant development is almost static. Geothermal energy is a relatively benign energy source, displaying fossil fuels and thus, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A recent initiative by the U.S. Department of Energy, “Geo-Powering the West,” should stimulate future geothermal development. The proposal is especially oriented to small-scale power plants with cascaded uses of the geothermal fluid for direct applications.

Geothermal energy utilization in the United States - 2000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lund, John W.; Boyd, Tonya L.; Sifford, Alex; Bloomquist, R. Gordon

2000-01-01

Geothermal energy is used for electric power generation and direct utilization in the United States. The present installed capacity for electric power generation is 3,064 MWe with only 2,212 MWe in operation due to reduction at The Geysers geothermal field in California; producing approximately16,000 GWh per year. Geothermal electric power plants are located in California, Nevada, Utah and Hawaii. The two largest concentrations of plants are at The Geysers in northern California and the Imperial Valley in southern California. The direct utilization of geothermal energy includes the heating of pools and spas, greenhouses and aquaculture facilities, space heating and district heating, snow melting, agricultural drying, industrial applications and ground-source heat pumps. The installed capacity is 4,000 MWt and the annual energy use is 20,600 billion Btu (21,700 TJ - 6040 GWh). The largest applications is groundsource (geothermal) heat pumps (59% of the energy use), and the largest direct-use is in aquaculture. Direct utilization is increasing at about six percent per year; whereas, electric power plant development is almost static. Geothermal energy is a relatively benign energy source, displaying fossil fuels and thus, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A recent initiative by the U.S. Department of Energy, “Geo-Powering the West,” should stimulate future geothermal development. The proposal is especially oriented to small-scale power plants with cascaded uses of the geothermal fluid for direct applications.

Restricted Albumin Utilization Is Safe and Cost Effective in a Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Rabin, Joseph; Meyenburg, Timothy; Lowery, Ashleigh V; Rouse, Michael; Gammie, James S; Herr, Daniel

2017-07-01

Volume expansion is often necessary after cardiac surgery, and albumin is often administered. Albumin's high cost motivated an attempt to reduce its utilization. This study analyzes the impact limiting albumin infusion in a cardiac surgery intensive care unit. This retrospective study analyzed albumin use between April 2014 and April 2015 in patients admitted to a cardiac surgery intensive care unit. During the first 9 months, there were no restrictions. In January 2015, institutional guidelines limited albumin use to patients requiring more than 3 L crystalloid in the early postoperative period, hypoalbuminemic patients, and to patients considered fluid overloaded. Albumin utilization was obtained from pharmacy records and compared with outcome quality metrics. In all, 1,401 patients were admitted over 13 months. Albumin use, mortality, ventilator days, patients receiving transfusions, and length of stay were compared for 961 patients before and 440 patients after guidelines were initiated. After restrictive guidelines were instituted, albumin utilization was reduced from a mean of 280 monthly doses to a mean of 101 monthly doses (p albumin doses, the cardiac surgery intensive care unit demonstrated more than $45,000 of wholesale savings per month after restrictions were implemented. Albumin restriction in the cardiac surgery intensive care unit was feasible and safe. Significant reductions in utilization and cost with no changes in morbidity or mortality were demonstrated. These findings may provide a strategy for reducing cost while maintaining quality of care. Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of commercial grade item dedication to reduce procurement costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosch, F.

1995-01-01

In the mid-1980s, the Nuclear Regulatory Industry (NRC) began inspecting utility practices of procuring and dedicating commercial grade items intended for plant safety-related applications. As a result of the industry efforts to address NRC concerns, nuclear utilities have enhanced existing programs and procedures for dedication of commercial grade items. Though these programs were originally enhanced to meet NRC concerns, utilities have discovered that the dedication of commercial grade items can also reduce overall procurement costs. This paper will discuss the enhancement of utility dedication programs and demonstrates how utilities have utilized them to reduce procurement costs

EPRI instruments reach commercial market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1978-01-01

The Electric Power Research Institute has developed instruments capable of verifying time responses of power plant pressure sensors and temperature sensors. A patent is pending on the pressure-sensor device, and the temperature-sensor device is already commercially available. The devices, EPRI's first hardware products to be marketed, are the result of research to find technological solutions to the problems of knowing the time period when temperature and pressure changes occur in light water reactors. The hydraulic pressure-sensor device is a portable unit that can conveniently test equipment in place. Utilities can obtain detailed information from EPRI's project report to construct their own. The loop current step response (LCSR), measuring resistance temperature, is also a compact system suitable for in-plant testing

Effect of a commercial housing system on egg quality during extended storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, D R; Karcher, D M; Abdo, Z

2014-05-01

Egg producers in the United States are utilizing a variety of commercial egg production systems to provide consumer choice and meet legislative requirements. Consumer egg grades in the United States were developed for conventional cage production, and it is unclear what effect alternative production systems might have on egg quality during retail and consumer home storage. The current study was undertaken to determine what changes in egg quality characteristics occur during extended cold storage for commercially produced conventional cage, enriched colony cage, and cage-free aviary eggs. During 12 wk of cold storage, egg weight, albumen height, Haugh unit, static compression shell strength, vitelline membrane strength and deformation, yolk index, shell dynamic stiffness, and whole egg total solids were monitored. Overall, aviary and enriched eggs were significantly (P system effects for yolk measurements, shell dynamic stiffness, or whole egg total solids were observed. Albumen height, Haugh unit, and yolk quality measurements were all greatest at 0 and lowest at 12 wk of storage (P systems for each measured attribute at 4, 6, and 12 wk was determined. Other than differences in the change of egg weight at 4 wk, no significant differences in the rate of quality decline were found among the housing systems. The results of the current study indicate that current US egg quality standards should effectively define quality for commercially produced conventional cage, enriched colony cage, and cage-free aviary eggs.

Evaluation of Technical and Utility Programmatic Challenges With Residential Forced-Air Integrated Space/Water Heat Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kingston, Tim [Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit, Des Plaines, IL (United States); Vadnal, Hillary [Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit, Des Plaines, IL (United States); Scott, Shawn [Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit, Des Plaines, IL (United States); Kalensky, Dave [Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit, Des Plaines, IL (United States)

2016-12-01

This multi-unit field demonstration of combined space and water heating (combi) systems was conducted to help document combi system installation and performance issues that needed to be addressed through research. The objective of the project was to put commercialized forced-air tankless combi units into the field through local contractors that were trained by manufacturers and GTI staff under the auspices of utility-implemented ETPs.

Business Opportunity Prospectus for Utilities in Solar Water Heating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Energy Alliance Group

1999-06-30

Faced with deregulation and increasingly aggressive competition, utilities are looking for new products and services to increase revenues, improve customer loyalty and retention, and establish barriers to market erosion. With open access now a reality, and retail wheeling just around the corner, business expansion via new products and services is now the central goal for most utilities in the United States. It may seem surprising that solar thermal energy as applied to heating domestic hot water - an idea that has been around for a long time - offers what utilities and their residential customers want most in a new product/service. This document not only explains how and why, it shows how to get into the business and succeed on a commercial scale.

Economic feasibility prediction of the commercial fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Yan; Karady, George G.; Winston, Anthony; Gilbert, Palomino; Hess, Robert; Pelley, Don

2009-01-01

This paper presents a prediction method and corresponding Visual Basic program to evaluate the economic feasibility of the commercial fuel cells in utility systems. The economic feasibility of a fuel cell is defined as having a net present value (NPV) greater than zero. The basic process of the method is to combine fuel cell specifications and real energy market data to calculate yearly earning and cost for obtaining the NPV of fuel cells. The Fuel Cell Analysis Software was developed using Visual Basic based on the proposed method. The investigation of a 250 kW molten carbonate fuel cell (FuelCell Energy DFC300A) predicted that, for application specifically in Arizona, United States, no profit would result from the installation of this fuel cell. The analysis results indicated that the efficiency, investment cost, and operation cost are three key factors affecting potential feasibility of the commercial fuel cells

NASA's commercial research plans and opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Ray J.

One of the primary goals of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) commercial space development plan is to encourage the development of space-based products and markets, along with the infrastructure and transportation that will support those products and markets. A three phased program has been instituted to carry out this program. The first phase utilizes government grants through the Centers for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS) for space-related, industry driven research; the development of a technology data base; and the development of commercial space transportation and infrastructure. The second phase includes the development of these technologies by industry for new commercial markets, and features unique industry/government collaborations such as Joint Endeavor Agreements. The final phase will feature technical applications actually brought to the marketplace. The government's role will be to support industry required infrastructure to encourage start-up markets and industries through follow-on development agreements such as the Space Systems Development Agreement. The Office of Commercial Programs has an aggressive flight program underway on the Space Shuttle, suborbital rockets, orbital expendable launch vehicles, and the Commercial Middeck Accommodation Module with SPACEHAB Inc. The Office of Commercial Program's has been allocated 35 percent of the U.S. share of the Space Station Freedom resources for 1997 utilization. A utilization plan has been developed with the Centers for the Commercial Development of Space and has identified eleven materials processing and biotechnology payloads occupying 5 double racks in the pressurized module as well as two payloads external to the module in materials exposure and environment monitoring. The Office of Commercial Programs will rely on the Space Station Freedom to provide the long duration laboratory component for space-based commercial research.

United States of America. Status of commercial LILW site closure in the USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

The United States has adopted the requirements of 10 CFR Part 61 for the licensing standards of all new commercial low level radioactive waste disposal facilities. In general, low level waste as addressed in 10 CFR Part 61 is that waste that is not classified as high level waste, transuranic waste, or naturally occurring or accelerator produced radioactive materials. The requirements of this regulation dictate that certain standards be met by any new licensed facility. Obviously, arid locations offer certain advantages over humid locations with regards to controlling moisture infiltration and movement, the primary mechanism for radionuclide transport. Whereas relatively simple thick vegetated caps designed for enhancing evapotranspiration may be suitable for arid locations, more humid facilities may require more elaborate means to provide for the same degree of long term isolation of wastes from the biosphere. In general, the closure systems at low level disposal facilities built in humid areas of the United States tend to have more engineering features than those in more arid locations

A supply chain analysis framework for assessing state-level forest biomass utilization policies in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, Dennis R.; Moseley, Cassandra; Lee, Christine

2011-01-01

The number of state policies aimed at fostering biomass utilization has proliferated in recent years in the United States. Several states aim to increase the use of forest and agriculture biomass through renewable energy production. Several more indirectly encourage utilization by targeting aspects of the supply chain from trees standing in the forest to goods sold. This research classifies 370 state policies from across the United States that provides incentives for forest biomass utilization. We compare those policies by types of incentives relative to the supply chain and geographic clustering. We then develop a framework for policy evaluation building on the supply chain steps, which can be used to assess intended and unintended consequences of policy interactions. These findings may inform policy development and identify synergies at different steps in the supply chain to enhance forest biomass utilization.

Innovative clean coal technology (ICCT): demonstration of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology for the control of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission from high-sulfur, coal-fired boilers - economic evaluation of commercial-scale SCR applications for utility boilers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Healy, E.C.; Maxwell, J.D.; Hinton, W.S.

1996-09-01

This report presents the results of an economic evaluation produced as part of the Innovative Clean Coal Technology project, which demonstrated selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology for reduction of NO x emissions from utility boilers burning U.S. high-sulfur coal. The document includes a commercial-scale capital and O ampersand M cost evaluation of SCR technology applied to a new facility, coal-fired boiler utilizing high-sulfur U.S. coal. The base case presented herein determines the total capital requirement, fixed and variable operating costs, and levelized costs for a new 250-MW pulverized coal utility boiler operating with a 60-percent NO x removal. Sensitivity evaluations are included to demonstrate the variation in cost due to changes in process variables and assumptions. This report also presents the results of a study completed by SCS to determine the cost and technical feasibility of retrofitting SCR technology to selected coal-fired generating units within the Southern electric system

NASA commercial programs

Science.gov (United States)

1990-01-01

Highlights of NASA-sponsored and assisted commercial space activities of 1989 are presented. Industrial R and D in space, centers for the commercial development of space, and new cooperative agreements are addressed in the U.S. private sector in space section. In the building U.S. competitiveness through technology section, the following topics are presented: (1) technology utilization as a national priority; (2) an exploration of benefits; and (3) honoring Apollo-Era spinoffs. International and domestic R and D trends, and the space sector are discussed in the section on selected economic indicators. Other subjects included in this report are: (1) small business innovation; (2) budget highlights and trends; (3) commercial programs management; and (4) the commercial programs advisory committee.

The utilization of endopower β in commercial feed which contains palm kernel cake on performance of broiler chicken

Science.gov (United States)

Purba, S. S. A.; Tafsin, M.; Ginting, S. P.; Khairani, Y.

2018-02-01

Palm kernel cake is an agricultural waste that can be used as raw material in the preparation of poultry rations. The design used was Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 5 treatments and 4 replications. Level endopower β used 0 % (R0), 0.02% (R1), 0.04% (R2) and 0.06% (R3). The results showed that R0a and R0b were significantly different from R3 in terms of diet consumption, body weight gain and the conversion ratio The utilization of endopower β in commercial diets containing palm kernel cake in broilers can increase body weight gain, feed consumption, improve feed use efficiency and even energy. It is concluded that utilization endpower β improve performances of broiler chicken fed by diet containing palm kernel cake.

Experimental investigations on cylindrical latent heat storage units with sodium acetate trihydrate composites utilizing supercooling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dannemand, Mark; Johansen, Jakob Berg; Kong, Weiqiang

2016-01-01

Latent heat storage units utilizing stable supercooling of sodium acetate trihydrate (SAT) composites were tested in a laboratory. The stainless steel units were 1.5 m high cylinders with internal heat exchangers of tubes with fins. One unit was tested with 116 kg SAT with 6% extra water. Another...... in the thickened phase change material after melting. The heat content in the fully charged state and the heat released after solidification of the supercooled SAT mixtures at ambient temperature was higher for the unit with the thickened SAT mixture. The heat discharged after solidification of the supercooled SAT...

Commercial demonstration of atmospheric medium BTU fuel gas production from biomass without oxygen the Burlington, Vermont Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rohrer, J.W. [Zurn/NEPCO, South Portland, MA (United States); Paisley, M. [Battelle Laboratories, Columbus, OH (United States)

1995-12-31

The first U.S. demonstration of a gas turbine operating on fuel gas produced by the thermal gasification of biomass occurred at Battelle Columbus Labs (BCL) during 1994 using their high throughput indirect medium Btu gasification Process Research Unit (PRU). Zurn/NEPCO was retained to build a commercial scale gas plant utilizing this technology. This plant will have a throughput rating of 8 to 12 dry tons per hour. During a subsequent phase of the Burlington project, this fuel gas will be utilized in a commercial scale gas turbine. It is felt that this process holds unique promise for economically converting a wide variety of biomass feedstocks efficiently into both a medium Btu (500 Btu/scf) gas turbine and IC engine quality fuel gas that can be burned in engines without modification, derating or efficiency loss. Others are currently demonstrating sub-commercial scale thermal biomass gasification processes for turbine gas, utilizing both atmospheric and pressurized air and oxygen-blown fluid bed processes. While some of these approaches hold merit for coal, there is significant question as to whether they will prove economically viable in biomass facilities which are typically scale limited by fuel availability and transportation logistics below 60 MW. Atmospheric air-blown technologies suffer from large sensible heat loss, high gas volume and cleaning cost, huge gas compressor power consumption and engine deratings. Pressurized units and/or oxygen-blown gas plants are extremely expensive for plant scales below 250 MW. The FERCO/BCL process shows great promise for overcoming the above limitations by utilizing an extremely high throughout circulation fluid bed (CFB) gasifier, in which biomass is fully devolitalized with hot sand from a CFB char combustor. The fuel gas can be cooled and cleaned by a conventional scrubbing system. Fuel gas compressor power consumption is reduced 3 to 4 fold verses low Btu biomass gas.

Energy and exergy utilization efficiencies in the Japanese residential/commercial sectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondo, Kumiko

2009-01-01

Unlike the manufacturing sector, the residential/commercial sectors of Japan struggle to meet their environmental requirements. For instance, their CO 2 emission levels have increased tremendously since 1990. This research estimates energy and 'exergy (available energy)' efficiencies in Japan's residential/commercial sectors during the period 1990-2006. Since an exergy analysis reveals 'available energy losses', it is an effective tool to achieve sustainable societies. The primary objective of this paper is to examine the potential for advancing the 'true' energy efficiency in Japan's residential/commercial sectors-by observing energy and exergy efficiency disparities. The results show large differences between the overall energy and exergy efficiencies in the residential (60.12%, 6.33%)/commercial sectors (51.78%, 5.74%) in 2006. This implies great potential for energy savings in both sectors. Furthermore, this research suggests that the residential sector may face more difficulties than the commercial sector, although the latter appears to be less energy-efficient, according to recent statistics. This is because the disparity between energy and exergy efficiencies has expanded in the residential sector since 2000. This study illustrates the importance of exergy analyses in promoting sustainable energy policies and new adaptation strategies.

An operating nuclear utility's experience with the ALARA design of a new nuclear unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodgers, R.C.

1985-01-01

This talk presents a review of how operating experience at Northeast Utilities has been factored into the design of a new nuclear unit and the development and management of the radiation protection program. Their operational experience has indicated that there are two facets to keeping radiation exposures ALARA. The first is the proper ALARA design of the unit. The other facet is the design of a comprehensive radiation protection program. The author discusses these facets in some detail

Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units (CISWI): New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Emission Guidelines (EG) for Existing Sources

Science.gov (United States)

Learn about the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for commercial and industrial solid waste incineration (CISWI) units including emission guidelines and compliance times for the rule. Read the rule history and summary, and find supporting documents

Commercial processing and disposal alternatives for very low levels of radioactive waste in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benda, G.A.

2005-01-01

The United States has several options available in the commercial processing and disposal of very low levels of radioactive waste. These range from NRC licensed low level radioactive sites for Class A, B and C waste to conditional disposal or free release of very low concentrations of material. Throughout the development of disposal alternatives, the US promoted a graded disposal approach based on risk of the material hazards. The US still promotes this approach and is renewing the emphasis on risk based disposal for very low levels of radioactive waste. One state in the US, Tennessee, has had a long and successful history of disposal of very low levels of radioactive material. This paper describes that approach and the continuing commercial options for safe, long term processing and disposal. (author)

Commercialization of nuclear power plant decommissioning technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, D.H.

1983-01-01

The commercialization of nuclear power plant decommissioning is presented as a step in the commercialization of nuclear energy. Opportunities for technology application advances are identified. Utility planning needs are presented

Storage options in the United States of America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, J.; Richardson, J.

1994-01-01

The inventory of spent fuel from commercial reactors in the United States is nearly 25 000 metric tons heavy metal (MTHM) and is increasing at a rate of about 2000 MTHM per year. By the time the last licence for the current generation of nuclear reactors expires, the inventory of spent fuel is expected to be about 85 000 MTHM. Almost all of the spent fuel is stored in water pools at reactor sites, but dry storage has begun to be used by several utilities that have used up their pool capacity. Eventually the spent fuel will be transferred to the Federal waste-management system now being developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The DOE is developing a waste-management system consisting of three components: a geologic repository, a facility for monitored retrievable storage (MRS), and a transportation system to support MRS and repository operations. This paper briefly describes how the commercial nuclear utilities are addressing spent fuel storage at their reactor sites and the DOE's strategy for interfacing with the utilities. (author)

Lessons Learned: A review of utility experience with conservation and load management programs for commercial and industrial customers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nadel, S.

1990-10-01

This report examines utility experience with conservation and load management (C LM) programs of commercial and industrial (C I) customers in order to summarize the lessons learned from program experiences to date and what these teach us about how to operate successful programs in the future. This analysis was motivated by a desire to learn about programs which achieve high participation rates and high electricity savings while remaining cost effective. Also, we wanted to review the very latest experiences with innovative program approaches -- approaches that might prove useful to utilities as they scale up their C LM activities. Specific objectives of this phase of the study are threefold: (1) To disseminate information on utility C LM experience to a nationwide audience. (2) To review current New York State utility programs and make suggestions on how these programs can be improved. (3) To collect data for the final phase of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy/New York State Energy Research and Development Authority project, which will examine the savings that are achievable if C LM programs are pushed to the limit'' of current knowledge on how to structure and run cost-effective C LM programs. 19 tabs.

Marketing demand management in the commercial sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fraser, M.E.

1990-01-01

Ontario Hydro has a marketing strategy for designing and implementing demand side management (DSM) programs, which marks a turnaround from previous years when marketing efforts were concentrated on selling electricity. Starting in the 1980s, marketing activities consisted, in effect, of coordinating relations between the customer, the market, and the utility. To achieve a better understanding of the needs of customers, the nature of the energy market, and the utilization of energy, the utility conducted research on the decision-making process associated with consumer choices of energy systems. To develop relations with its clientele in the commercial sector, the utility published an information bulletin and prepared an energy guide. Along with this initiative, the number of energy advisers to the commercial sector was increased in Ontario Hydro's regional offices. To improve understanding of each segment of the commercial market, the utility contacted organizations representing each segment as well as broader based organizations with the objective of creating opportunities to address this market, for example at conferences. Because of this philosophy of satisfying and understanding customer needs, Ontario Hydro has been in the process of commercializing demand-side management. Its high-efficiency lighting program is a good example in this regard. From a strategy which focused on a simple reduction in lighting in the 1970s, the utility has turned toward promoting efficient high-quality lighting which better responds to industry needs, to the point where industry itself has begun to promote the program. Such a strategy benefits industry, customers, and Ontario Hydro's demand-side management programs

Issues related to the inter-utility transfer of material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-08-01

An option that utilities have for obtaining material is to procure the desired item(s) from another utility. There are several reasons utilities choose another utility as the procurement source including item obsolescence, prohibitive cost on the commercial market, and excessive lead time. This document provides information on the technical, quality, and commercial issues which utilities may need to address when selling material to or procuring material from other utilities. This report provides suggested approaches for each of the following technical and quality issues: Design considerations; item acceptability considerations; original supplier considerations; commercial grade item dedication considerations; reportability considerations; packaging, shipping, and storage considerations; documentation considerations; receipt inspection considerations. The information is provided primarily for the inter-utility transfer of safety-related material. Several of the topics, however, may also apply to the transfer of non-safety-related material. The report also provides considerations on commercial issues which may be addressed during the inter-utility transfer of materials

Long-Term Reliability of a Hard-Switched Boost Power Processing Unit Utilizing SiC Power MOSFETs

Science.gov (United States)

Ikpe, Stanley A.; Lauenstein, Jean-Marie; Carr, Gregory A.; Hunter, Don; Ludwig, Lawrence L.; Wood, William; Iannello, Christopher J.; Del Castillo, Linda Y.; Fitzpatrick, Fred D.; Mojarradi, Mohammad M.;

Market potential for solar thermal energy supply systems in the United States industrial and commercial sectors: 1990--2030

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-12-01

This report revises and extends previous work sponsored by the US DOE on the potential industrial market in the United States for solar thermal energy systems and presents a new analysis of the commercial sector market potential. Current and future industrial process heat demand and commercial water heating, space heating and space cooling end-use demands are estimated. The PC Industrial Model (PCIM) and the commercial modules of the Building Energy End-Use Model (BEEM) used by the DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA) to support the recent National Energy Strategy (NES) analysis are used to forecast industrial and commercial end-use energy demand respectively. Energy demand is disaggregated by US Census region to account for geographic variation in solar insolation and regional variation in cost of alternative natural gas-fired energy sources. The industrial sector analysis also disaggregates demand by heat medium and temperature range to facilitate process end-use matching with appropriate solar thermal energy supply technologies. The commercial sector analysis disaggregates energy demand by three end uses: water heating, space heating, and space cooling. Generic conceptual designs are created for both industrial and commercial applications. Levelized energy costs (LEC) are calculated for industrial sector applications employing low temperature flat plate collectors for process water preheat; parabolic troughs for intermediate temperature process steam and direct heat industrial application; and parabolic dish technologies for high temperature, direct heat industrial applications. LEC are calculated for commercial sector applications employing parabolic trough technologies for low temperature water and space heating. Cost comparisons are made with natural gas-fired sources for both the industrial market and the commercial market assuming fuel price escalation consistent with NES reference case scenarios for industrial and commercial sector gas markets

The impact of innovative commercial technologies on students’ behaviour of an economic university

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurentiu-Dan Anghel

2015-05-01

Full Text Available In a dynamic business environment, implementing innovative commercial technologies facilitates the winning of new competitive advantages in the retail industry, given the manifested influence on consumer buying behaviour towards commercial units, as well as the significant contribution to the development of modern shops image. This paper presents the attitude of students from the Bucharest University of Economic Studies towards the adoption of innovative retail technologies within hypermarkets in Romania, based on a selective marketing research, conducted on a sample of 359 students from undergraduate and master cycles. The main objectives focused on identifying: the image of certain instruments belonging to the innovative commercial technologies in terms of usefulness in the process of buying; the intention to use innovative commercial technologies; the perception of the main advantages and disadvantages of using innovative commercial technologies in the buying process; the importance of commercial technologies in relation to other attributes underlying the development of a hypermarket image. Research results show a relatively low level of awareness among buyers, due to a reduced exposure to innovative commercial technologies, but a relatively high availability of acceptance in the purchasing process. Thus, there is a favourable assessment of the utility of commercial instruments in the buying process and a relatively high intention of use. The paper also highlights the influence of innovative commercial technologies on store image and loyalty of buyers.

COMMERCIAL DEMONSTRATION OF THE MANUFACTURED AGGREGATE PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY UTILIZING SPRAY DRYER ASH

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roy Scandrol

2003-10-01

Universal Aggregates, LLC proposes to design, construct and operate a lightweight aggregate manufacturing plant at the Birchwood Power Facility in King George, Virginia. The installation and start-up expenses for the Birchwood Aggregate Facility are $19.5 million. The DOE share is $7.2 million (37%) and the Universal Aggregates share is $12.3 (63%). The project team consists of CONSOL Energy Inc., P.J. Dick, Inc., SynAggs, LLC, and Universal Aggregates, LLC. The Birchwood Facility will transform 115,000 tons per year of spray dryer by-products that are currently being disposed of in an offsite landfill into 167,000 tons of a useful product, lightweight aggregates that can be used to manufacture lightweight aggregates that can be used to manufacture lightweight and medium weight masonry blocks. In addition to the environmental benefits, the Birchwood Facility will create nine (9) manufacturing jobs plus additional employment in the local trucking industry to deliver the aggregate to customers or reagents to the facility. A successful demonstration would lead to additional lightweight aggregate manufacturing facilities in the United States. There are currently twenty-one (21) spray dryer facilities operating in the United States that produce an adequate amount of spray dryer by-product to economically justify the installation of a lightweight aggregate manufacturing facility. Industry sources believe that as additional scrubbing is required, dry FGD technologies will be the technology of choice. Letters from potential lightweight aggregate customers indicate that there is a market for the product once the commercialization barriers are eliminated by this demonstration project.

COMMERCIAL DEMONSTRATION OF THE MANUFACTURED AGGREGATE PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY UTILIZING SPRAY DRYER ASH

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roy Scandrol

2003-04-01

Universal Aggregates, LLC proposes to design, construct and operate a lightweight aggregate manufacturing plant at the Birchwood Power Facility in King George, Virginia. The installation and start-up expenses for the Birchwood Aggregate Facility are $19.5 million. The DOE share is $7.2 million (37%) and the Universal Aggregates share is $12.3 (63%). The project team consists of CONSOL Energy Inc., P.J. Dick, Inc., SynAggs, LLC, and Universal Aggregates, LLC. The Birchwood Facility will transform 115,000 tons per year of spray dryer by-products that are currently being disposed of in an offsite landfill into 167,000 tons of a useful product, lightweight aggregates that can be used to manufacture lightweight aggregates that can be used to manufacture lightweight and medium weight masonry blocks. In addition to the environmental benefits, the Birchwood Facility will create eight (8) manufacturing jobs plus additional employment in the local trucking industry to deliver the aggregate to customers or reagents to the facility. A successful demonstration would lead to additional lightweight aggregate manufacturing facilities in the United States. There are currently twenty-one (21) spray dryer facilities operating in the United States that produce an adequate amount of spray dryer by-product to economically justify the installation of a lightweight aggregate manufacturing facility. Industry sources believe that as additional scrubbing is required, dry flue gas desulfurization (FGD) technologies will be the technology of choice. Letters from potential lightweight aggregate customers indicate that there is a market for the product once the commercialization barriers are eliminated by this demonstration project.

Strategies for commercializing customer thermal-energy storage. [64 references

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nelson, S.H.

1976-12-01

This report presents strategies for commercializing customer thermal storage. Four storage techniques are evaluated: space heating, air conditioning, hot-water heating, and interruptible hot-water heating. The storage systems involved store off-peak electric energy for thermal applications during peak load hours. Analyses of both storage techniques and principal parties affected by storage indicate four barriers: the absence of (1) commercially available air conditioning storage devices, (2) appropriate rates, (3) information on both rates and devices, and (4) widespread utility support. Development of appropriate rates is the key to commercialization. The criteria used to evaluate rate types are: maximum combined utility and customer benefits, ease of commercialization, and practical feasibility. Four rate types--demand charges, time-of-use rates, and two forms of load management rates (a monthly credit and an off-peak discount)--plus the possibility of utility ownership are considered. The best rate types for each storage option are: for hot-water heating, a monthly credit for allowing utility interruptions or an off-peak price discount for storage; for space heating, an off-peak discount contingent upon meeting utility requirements; and for air conditioning, an off-peak discount plus monthly credit.

Womb Outsourcing: Commercial Surrogacy in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Frankford, David M; Bennington, Linda K; Ryan, Jane Greene

2015-01-01

Infertility affects more than 7 million American couples. As traditional treatments fail and the costs of hiring a surrogate increase in the United States, transnational commercial surrogacy becomes a feasible alternative for many couples. Infertile couples may opt for this choice after reading enticing Internet advertisements of global medical tourism offering "special deals" on commercial surrogacy. This is particularly true in India where couples from the United States can purchase transnational surrogacy for less than one-half or even one-third of the costs in the United States, including the cost of travel. The majority of surrogate mothers in India come from impoverished, poorly educated rural areas of India. Commercial surrogacy offers the lure of earning the equivalent of 5 years of family income. This multidisciplinary review of the literature suggests that the issue of commercial surrogacy is complex and influenced by a number of factors including expensive infertility costs, ease of global travel, and the financial vulnerability of Indian commercial surrogate mothers and their families. Questions are being raised about decision making by the surrogate mother particularly as influenced by gender inequities, power differentials, and inadequate legal protection for the surrogate mother. More research is needed to understand commercial surrogacy, especially research inclusive of the viewpoints of the Indian mothers and their families involved in these transactions.

Designating Earth's Moon as a United Nations World Heritage Site - Permanently Protected from Commercial or Military Uses

Science.gov (United States)

Steiner, R. G.

2002-01-01

This paper proposes that Earth's Moon, in its entirety, be designated a United Nations World Heritage Site (WHS), permanently protected from any and all commercial or military utilization and reserved exclusively for scientific and aesthetic purposes. The paper discusses: 1) the extraordinary importance of the Moon for science, culture, and religion - past, present and future; 2) the history of proposals to exploit the Moon for commercial and military purposes and the shortcomings of this colonial, exploitation paradigm; and 3) the necessity, policy mechanisms, and political dynamics of designating the Moon as a World Heritage Site, permanently protected from commercial and/or military uses. The first part of the paper discusses the extraordinary importance of the Moon as it exists today - as a scientific laboratory, a source of beauty and inspiration throughout human evolution, a source for artistic expression, and as an object that is considered sacred by many cultures. Next, the paper traces the history of specific proposals for the exploitation of the Moon for commercial and/or military purposes - including plans by the U.S. Air Force in 1959 to detonate a nuclear explosion on the Moon, proposals to strip-mine the lunar regolith for helium-3 and rocket-fuel hydrogen; construction of solar power plants to transmit energy to Earth, and proposals to use the lunar surface as a billboard upon which to project commercial advertisements visible from Earth. The profound ethical, legal, and scientific shortcomings of this exploitation paradigm are described as an emerging Extraterrestrial Manifest Destiny that we have a collective obligation to challenge and constrain. The paper proposes that space exploration be infused with an ethical commitment to compassion, reverence, conservation, and non-interference to abiotic and biotic systems alike; as opposed to the expansion and extraterrestrial imposition of the colonization, exploitation, domination, and despoliation

National profile on commercially generated low-level radioactive mixed waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klein, J.A.; Mrochek, J.E.; Jolley, R.L.; Osborne-Lee, I.W.; Francis, A.A.; Wright, T. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

1992-12-01

This report details the findings and conclusions drawn from a survey undertaken as part of a joint US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and US Environmental Protection Agency-sponsored project entitled ``National Profile on Commercially Generated Low-Level Radioactive Mixed Waste.`` The overall objective of the work was to compile a national profile on the volumes, characteristics, and treatability of commercially generated low-level mixed waste for 1990 by five major facility categories-academic, industrial, medical, and NRC-/Agreement State-licensed goverment facilities and nuclear utilities. Included in this report are descriptions of the methodology used to collect and collate the data, the procedures used to estimate the mixed waste generation rate for commercial facilities in the United States in 1990, and the identification of available treatment technologies to meet applicable EPA treatment standards (40 CFR Part 268) and, if possible, to render the hazardous component of specific mixed waste streams nonhazardous. The report also contains information on existing and potential commercial waste treatment facilities that may provide treatment for specific waste streams identified in the national survey. The report does not include any aspect of the Department of Energy`s (DOES) management of mixed waste and generally does not address wastes from remedial action activities.

National profile on commercially generated low-level radioactive mixed waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, J.A.; Mrochek, J.E.; Jolley, R.L.; Osborne-Lee, I.W.; Francis, A.A.; Wright, T.

1992-12-01

This report details the findings and conclusions drawn from a survey undertaken as part of a joint US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and US Environmental Protection Agency-sponsored project entitled ''National Profile on Commercially Generated Low-Level Radioactive Mixed Waste.'' The overall objective of the work was to compile a national profile on the volumes, characteristics, and treatability of commercially generated low-level mixed waste for 1990 by five major facility categories-academic, industrial, medical, and NRC-/Agreement State-licensed goverment facilities and nuclear utilities. Included in this report are descriptions of the methodology used to collect and collate the data, the procedures used to estimate the mixed waste generation rate for commercial facilities in the United States in 1990, and the identification of available treatment technologies to meet applicable EPA treatment standards (40 CFR Part 268) and, if possible, to render the hazardous component of specific mixed waste streams nonhazardous. The report also contains information on existing and potential commercial waste treatment facilities that may provide treatment for specific waste streams identified in the national survey. The report does not include any aspect of the Department of Energy's (DOES) management of mixed waste and generally does not address wastes from remedial action activities

10 CFR 603.1230 - Commercial firm.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Commercial firm. 603.1230 Section 603.1230 Energy... Used in this Part § 603.1230 Commercial firm. A for-profit firm or segment of a for-profit firm (e.g., a division or other business unit) that does a substantial portion of its business in the commercial...

Summary of inspection findings of licensee inservice testing programs at United States commercial nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunlop, A.; Colaccino, J.

1996-12-01

Periodic inspections of pump and valve inservice testing (IST) programs in United States commercial nuclear power plants are performed by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Regional Inspectors to verify licensee regulatory compliance and licensee commitments. IST inspections are conducted using NRC Inspection Procedure 73756, {open_quotes}Inservice Testing of Pumps and Valves{close_quotes} (IP 73756), which was updated on July 27, 1995. A large number of IST inspections have also been conducted using Temporary Instruction 2515/114, {open_quotes}Inspection Requirements for Generic Letter 89-04, Acceptable Inservice Testing Programs{close_quotes} (TI-2515/114), which was issued January 15, 1992. A majority of U.S. commercial nuclear power plants have had an IST inspection to either IP 73756 or TI 2515/114. This paper is intended to summarize the significant and recurring findings from a number of these inspections since January of 1990.

Study on increasing commercial benefits of 60Co irradiation facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Shuizi; Qi Huanjiang; Xei Tong

2004-01-01

Estimating commercial benefits of irradiation facilities adopts commercial benefits coefficient. The effect factors are the utilization rate of irradiation energy (E), the consistency of irradiation facilities (Ci), the utilization rate of time (T), the utilization rate of space, the minimum efficient adsorption dose (Dmin), the irradiation adsorption dose uriformity (U), the sale (S), the running cost (C) et. al, and E, Ci, S, C are main in all factors. (authors)

Are high penetrations of commercial cogeneration good for society?

Science.gov (United States)

Keen, Jeremy F.; Apt, Jay

2016-12-01

Low natural gas prices, market reports and evidence from New York State suggest that the number of commercial combined heat and power (CHP) installations in the United States will increase by 2%-9% annually over the next decade. We investigate how increasing commercial CHP penetrations may affect net emissions, the distribution network, and total system energy costs. We constructed an integrated planning and operations model that maximizes owner profit through sizing and operation of CHP on a realistic distribution feeder in New York. We find that a greater penetration of CHP reduces both total system energy costs and network congestion. Commercial buildings often have low and inconsistent heat loads, which can cause low fuel utilization efficiencies, low CHP rates-of-return and diminishing avoided emissions as CHP penetration increases. In the northeast, without policy intervention, a 5% penetration of small commercially owned CHP would increase CO2 emissions by 2% relative to the bulk power grid. Low emission CHP installations can be encouraged with incentives that promote CHP operation only during times of high heat loads. Time-varying rates, such as time-of-day and seasonal rates, are one option and were shown to reduce customer emissions without reducing profits. In contrast, natural gas rate discounts, a common incentive for industrial CHP in some states, can encourage CHP operation during low heat loads and thus increase emissions.

The cost and performance of utility commercial lighting programs. A report from the Database on Energy Efficiency Programs (DEEP) project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eto, J.; Vine, E.; Shown, L.; Sonnenblick, R.; Payne, C. [Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States). Energy and Environment Div.

1994-05-01

The objective of the Database on Energy Efficiency Programs (DEEP) is to document the measured cost and performance of utility-sponsored, energy-efficiency, demand-side management (DSM) programs. Consistent documentation of DSM programs is a challenging goal because of problems with data consistency, evaluation methodologies, and data reporting formats that continue to limit the usefulness and comparability of individual program results. This first DEEP report investigates the results of 20 recent commercial lighting DSM programs. The report, unlike previous reports of its kind, compares the DSM definitions and methodologies that each utility uses to compute costs and energy savings and then makes adjustments to standardize reported program results. All 20 programs were judged cost-effective when compared to avoided costs in their local areas. At an average cost of 3.9{cents}/kWh, however, utility-sponsored energy efficiency programs are not ``too cheap to meter.`` While it is generally agreed upon that utilities must take active measures to minimize the costs and rate impacts of DSM programs, the authors believe that these activities will be facilitated by industry adoption of standard definitions and reporting formats, so that the best program designs can be readily identified and adopted.

Direct and Indirect Healthcare Resource Utilization and Costs Among Migraine Patients in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonafede, Machaon; Sapra, Sandhya; Shah, Neel; Tepper, Stewart; Cappell, Katherine; Desai, Pooja

2018-05-01

The goal of this analysis was to provide a contemporary estimate of the burden of migraine, incorporating both direct and indirect costs, by comparing the costs of migraine patients to a matched group of patients without migraine in a large, nationally representative sample of commercially insured patients in the United States. Previous studies have shown that the economic burden of migraine in the United States is substantial for payers, patients, and employers. Despite the availability of multiple acute and preventive pharmacological treatment options and a relatively stable migraine prevalence in the United States, there has been a documented increase in migraine-related healthcare resource and pharmacy use. Given the frequently disabling nature of migraine and its high prevalence, especially during peak productive years, and the lack of recent estimates of the burden of migraine, there is a need to update the existing literature with more current data. This retrospective, observational cohort study identified migraine patients in the Truven Health Market Scan Research Databases between January 2008 and June 2013. Adult patients had 12 months of continuous enrollment before (baseline period) and after (follow-up period) the day they received migraine diagnoses and/or medications (index) and no diagnosis of HIV or malignancy during the study period. The patients with migraine were matched 1:1 to a group of patients without migraine on demographic variables and index date. Direct healthcare utilization and costs and indirect (absenteeism, short-term disability, and long-term disability) costs were assessed during the 12-month follow-up period and differences between patients with vs without migraine were assessed. Two additional multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted. First, an analysis was conducted comparing the odds of having a short-term disability claim between patients with and without migraine after controlling for patient demographic and

Health Care Costs, Utilization and Patterns of Care following Lyme Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Adrion, Emily R.; Aucott, John; Lemke, Klaus W.; Weiner, Jonathan P.

2015-01-01

Background Lyme disease is the most frequently reported vector borne infection in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control have estimated that approximately 10% to 20% of individuals may experience Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome – a set of symptoms including fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and neurocognitive complaints that persist after initial antibiotic treatment of Lyme disease. Little is known about the impact of Lyme disease or post-treatment Lyme disease symptoms (PTLDS) on health care costs and utilization in the United States. Objectives 1) to examine the impact of Lyme disease on health care costs and utilization, 2) to understand the relationship between Lyme disease and the probability of developing PTLDS, 3) to understand how PTLDS may impact health care costs and utilization. Methods This study utilizes retrospective data on medical claims and member enrollment for persons aged 0-64 years who were enrolled in commercial health insurance plans in the United States between 2006-2010. 52,795 individuals treated for Lyme disease were compared to 263,975 matched controls with no evidence of Lyme disease exposure. Results Lyme disease is associated with $2,968 higher total health care costs (95% CI: 2,807-3,128, pLyme disease, having one or more PTLDS-related diagnosis is associated with $3,798 higher total health care costs (95% CI: 3,542-4,055, pLyme disease is associated with increased costs above what would be expected for an easy to treat infection. The presence of PTLDS-related diagnoses after treatment is associated with significant health care costs and utilization. PMID:25650808

Direct fuel cell power plants: the final steps to commercialization

Science.gov (United States)

Glenn, Donald R.

Since the last paper presented at the Second Grove Fuel Cell Symposium, the Energy Research Corporation (ERC) has established two commercial subsidiaries, become a publically-held firm, expanded its facilities and has moved the direct fuel cell (DFC) technology and systems significantly closer to commercial readiness. The subsidiaries, the Fuel Cell Engineering Corporation (FCE) and Fuel Cell Manufacturing Corporation (FCMC) are perfecting their respective roles in the company's strategy to commercialize its DFC technology. FCE is the prime contractor for the Santa Clara Demonstration and is establishing the needed marketing, sales, engineering, and servicing functions. FCMC in addition to producing the stacks and stack modules for the Santa Clara demonstration plant is now upgrading its production capability and product yields, and retooling for the final stack scale-up for the commercial unit. ERC has built and operated the tallest and largest capacities-to-date carbonate fuel cell stacks as well as numerous short stacks. While most of these units were tested at ERC's Danbury, Connecticut (USA) R&D Center, others have been evaluated at other domestic and overseas facilities using a variety of fuels. ERC has supplied stacks to Elkraft and MTU for tests with natural gas, and RWE in Germany where coal-derived gas were used. Additional stack test activities have been performed by MELCO and Sanyo in Japan. Information from some of these activities is protected by ERC's license arrangements with these firms. However, permission for limited data releases will be requested to provide the Grove Conference with up-to-date results. Arguably the most dramatic demonstration of carbonate fuel cells in the utility-scale, 2 MW power plant demonstration unit, located in the City of Santa Clara, California. Construction of the unit's balance-of-plant (BOP) has been completed and the installed equipment has been operationally checked. Two of the four DFC stack sub-modules, each

Risk mitigation process for utilization of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts in CCD camera for military applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Anees; Batcheldor, Scott; Cannon, Steven C.; Roberts, Thomas E.

2002-09-01

This paper presents the lessons learned during the design and development of a high performance cooled CCD camera for military applications utilizing common commercial off the shelf (COTS) parts. Our experience showed that concurrent evaluation and testing of high risk COTS must be performed to assess their performance over the required temperature range and other special product requirements such as fuel vapor compatibility, EMI and shock susceptibility, etc. Technical, cost and schedule risks for COTS parts must also be carefully evaluated. The customer must be involved in the selection and evaluation of such parts so that the performance limitations of the selected parts are clearly understood. It is equally important to check with vendors on the availability and obsolescence of the COTS parts being considered since the electronic components are often replaced by newer, better and cheaper models in a couple of years. In summary, this paper addresses the major benefits and risks associated with using commercial and industrial parts in military products, and suggests a risk mitigation approach to ensure a smooth development phase, and predictable performance from the end product.

Antioxidant activity and polyphenol and procyanidin contents of selected commercially available cocoa-containing and chocolate products in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Kenneth B; Stuart, David A; Smith, Nancy L; Lee, Chang Y; McHale, Nancy L; Flanagan, Judith A; Ou, Boxin; Hurst, W Jeffrey

2006-05-31

In the United States, commercially available foods, including cocoa and chocolate, are being marketed with statements referring to the level of antioxidant activity and polyphenols. For cocoa-containing foods, there has been no comprehensive survey of the content of these and other chemistries. A survey of cocoa and chocolate-containing products marketed in the United States was conducted to determine antioxidant activity and polyphenol and procyanidin contents. Commercially available samples consisted of the top market share products in each of the following six categories: natural cocoa, unsweetened baking chocolate, dark chocolate, semisweet baking chips, milk chocolate, and chocolate syrup. Composite samples were characterized using four different methods: oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), vitamin C equivalence antioxidant capacity (VCEAC), total polyphenols, and procyanidins. All composite lots were further characterized for percent nonfat cocoa solids (NFCS) and percent fat. Natural cocoas had the highest levels of antioxidant activities, total polyphenols, and procyanidins followed by baking chocolates, dark chocolates and baking chips, and finally milk chocolate and syrups. The results showed a strong linear correlation between NFCS and ORAC (R (2) = 0.9849), total polyphenols (R (2) = 0.9793), and procyanidins (R (2) = 0.946), respectively. On the basis of principal component analysis, 81.4% of the sample set was associated with NFCS, antioxidant activity, total polyphenols, and procyanidins. The results indicated that, regardless of the product category, NFCS were the primary factor contributing to the level of cocoa antioxidants in the products tested. Results further suggested that differences in cocoa bean blends and processing, with the possible exception of Dutching, are minor factors in determining the level of antioxidants in commercially available cocoa-containing products in the United States.

Utilization of Health Care Coalitions and Resiliency Forums in the United States and United Kingdom: Different Approaches to Strengthen Emergency Preparedness.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, John; Swan, Allan Graeme

2016-02-01

The process for developing national emergency management strategies for both the United States and the United Kingdom has led to the formulation of differing approaches to meet similar desired outcomes. Historically, the pathways for each are the result of the enactment of legislation in response to a significant event or a series of events. The resulting laws attempt to revise practices and policies leading to more effective and efficient management in preparing, responding, and mitigating all types of natural, manmade, and technological hazards. Following the turn of the 21st century, each country has experienced significant advancements in emergency management including the formation and utilization of 2 distinct models: health care coalitions in the United States and resiliency forums in the United Kingdom. Both models have evolved from circumstances and governance unique to each country. Further in-depth study of both approaches will identify strengths, weaknesses, and existing gaps to meet continued and future challenges of our respective disaster health care systems.

Modification of polysaccharides: Pharmaceutical and tissue engineering applications with commercial utility (patents)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malviya, Rishabha, E-mail: rishabhamalviya19@gmail.com [Polymer Science Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy, School of Medical & Allied Sciences, Galgotias University, Greator Noida, UP (India); Department of Pharmacy, Uttarkhand Technical University, Dehradun, Uttarkhand (India); Sharma, Pramod Kumar [Polymer Science Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy, School of Medical & Allied Sciences, Galgotias University, Greator Noida, UP (India); Dubey, Susheel Kumar [Siddarth Institute of Pharmacy, Dehradun, Uttarkhand (India)

2016-11-01

Polymer modifications open new era for the development of polymers with requisite properties. Use of modified polymers is practically boundless. Different studies focus on biomedical applications of chemically modified polysaccharides. Development and utilization of modified polysaccharides get attention to be used as carrier for pharmaceutical drug delivery as well as tissue engineering scaffolds. Grafted polymer shows better cellular regeneration, signal transmission, diagnostic and imaging material than putative form. This review article aims to discuss various approaches to modify naturally derived polymer and their applications as pharmaceutical drug carrier and as a material for wound dressing and artificial cartilage due to better biophysical cues. Manuscript included various patents based on the applications of modified polymers and techniques used to modify polymers. - Highlights: • Properties of natural polysaccharides can be modulated by modification in their basic backbone. • Polysaccharides can be easily modified using microwave irradiation as compared to conventional closed vessel modification. • Biodegradable and biocompatible nature of modified polymer promotes their use in targeted cellular delivery of pharmaceuticals. • Studies show strong support that biodegradable polymers have ability to modulate cell signaling, cellular attachment, migration, proliferation and differentiation. • Manuscript reveals the fact that various commercial patents have been granted for the use of modified polymer.

Inconsistencies Exist in National Estimates of Eye Care Services Utilization in the United States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando A. Wilson

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. There are limited research and substantial uncertainty about the level of eye care utilization in the United States. Objectives. Our study estimated eye care utilization using, to our knowledge, every known nationally representative, publicly available database with information on office-based optometry or ophthalmology services. Research Design. We analyzed the following national databases to estimate eye care utilization: the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS, National Health Interview Survey (NHIS, Joint Canada/US Survey of Health (JCUSH, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS, and the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS. Subjects. US adults aged 18 and older. Measures. Self-reported utilization of eye care services. Results. The weighted number of adults seeing or talking with any eye doctor ranges from 87.9 million to 99.5 million, and the number of visits annually ranges from 72.9 million to 142.6 million. There were an estimated 17.2 million optometry visits and 55.8 million ophthalmology visits. Conclusions. The definitions and estimates of eye care services vary widely across national databases, leading to substantial differences in national estimates of eye care utilization.

Commercial incineration demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vavruska, J.S.; Borduin, L.C.

1982-01-01

Low-level radioactive wastes (LLW) generated by nuclear utilities presently are shipped to commercial burial grounds for disposal. Increasing transportation and disposal costs have caused industry to consider incineration as a cost-effective means of volume reduction of combustible LLW. Repeated inquiries from the nuclear industry regarding the applicability of the Los Alamos controlled air incineration (CAI) design led the DOE to initiate a commercial demonstration program in FY-1980. Development studies and results in support of this program involving ion exchange resin incineration and fission/activation product distributions within the Los Alamos CAI are described

Understanding barriers to commercial-scale carbon capture and sequestration in the United States: An empirical assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davies, Lincoln L.; Uchitel, Kirsten; Ruple, John

2013-01-01

Although a potentially useful climate change mitigation tool, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) efforts in the United States remain mired in demonstration and development. Prior studies suggest numerous reasons for this stagnation. This article empirically assesses those claims. Using an anonymous opinion survey completed by 229 CCS experts, we identified four primary barriers to CCS commercialization: (1) cost and cost recovery, (2) lack of a price signal or financial incentive, (3) long-term liability risks, and (4) lack of a comprehensive regulatory regime. These results give empirical weight to previous studies suggesting that CCS cost (and cost recovery) and liability risks are primary barriers to the technology. However, the need for comprehensive rather than piecemeal CCS regulation represents an emerging concern not previously singled out in the literature. Our results clearly show that the CCS community sees fragmented regulation as one of the most significant barriers to CCS deployment. Specifically, industry is united in its preference for a federal regulatory floor that is subject to state-level administration and sensitive to local conditions. Likewise, CCS experts share broad confidence in the technology's readiness, despite continued calls for commercial-scale demonstration projects before CCS is widely deployed. - Highlights: • We developed and distributed a unique CCS opinion survey. • Our analysis confirmed cost and liability as primary barriers to CCS deployment. • We identified regulatory barriers to CCS not previously singled out in the literature. • We address the need for comprehensive rather than piecemeal CCS regulation

Licensed operating reactors. Operating units status report, data as of 2-28-79

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-03-01

This report is divided into three sections: the first contains monthly highlights and statistics for commercial operating units, and errata from previously reported data; the second is a compilation of detailed information on each unit, provided by NRC Regional Offices and IE Headquarters; and the third section is an appendix containing comparative statistics of U.S. nuclear/fossil capacity, identification of nuclear power plants within regional Electric Reliability Councils, the relative status of U.S. nuclear electric production to all U.S. electric production by state, and selected Edison Electric Institute operating statistics. Throughout the report, statistical factors for periods greater than a report month, or for more than one unit, are computed as the arithmetic average of each unit's individual operating statistics. The statistical factors for each unit for the report month are computed from actual power production for the month. The factors for the life-span of each unit (the ''Cumulative'' column) are reported by the utility and are not entirely re-computed by NRC. Utility power production data is checked for consistency with previously submitted statistics

Design and operational considerations of United States commercial nea-surface low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birk, Sandra M.

1997-01-01

Low-level radioactive waste disposal standards and techniques in the United States have evolved significantly since the early 1960's. Six commercial LLW disposal facilities(Barnwell, Richland, Ward Valley, Sierra Blanca, Wake County and Boyd County) operated and proposed between 1962 and 1997. This report summarizes each site's design and operational considerations for near-surface disposal of low-level radioactive waste. These new standards and mitigating efforts at closed facilities (Sheffield, Maxey Flats, Beatty and West Valley) have helped to ensure that the public has been safely protected from LLW. 15 refs

Commercial applications of inertial confinement fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Booth, L.A.; Frank, T.G.

1977-05-01

This report describes the fundamentals of inertial-confinement fusion, some laser-fusion reactor (LFR) concepts, and attendant means of utilizing the thermonuclear energy for commercial electric power generation. In addition, other commercial energy-related applications, such as the production of fissionable fuels, of synthetic hydrocarbon-based fuels, and of process heat for a variety of uses, as well as the environmental and safety aspects of fusion energy, are discussed. Finally, the requirements for commercialization of laser fusion technologies are described

Commercial Demonstration of the Manufactured Aggregate Processing Technology Utilizing Spray Dryer Ash

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Milton Wu; Paul Yuran

2006-12-31

Universal Aggregates LLC (UA) was awarded a cost sharing Co-operative Agreement from the Department of Energy (DOE) through the Power Plant Improvement Initiative Program (PPII) to design, construct and operate a lightweight aggregate manufacturing plant at the Birchwood Power Facility in King George, Virginia in October 2001. The Agreement was signed in November 2002. The installation and start-up expenses for the Birchwood Aggregate Facility are $19.5 million. The DOE share is $7.2 million (37%) and the UA share is $12.3 million (63%). The original project team consists of UA, SynAggs, LLC, CONSOL Energy Inc. and P. J. Dick, Inc. Using 115,000 ton per year of spray dryer ash (SDA), a dry FGD by-product from the power station, UA will produce 167,000 tons of manufactured lightweight aggregate for use in production of concrete masonry units (CMU). Manufacturing aggregate from FGD by-products can provide an economical high-volume use and substantially expand market for FGD by-products. Most of the FGD by-products are currently disposed of in landfills. Construction of the Birchwood Aggregate Facility was completed in March 2004. Operation startup was begun in April 2004. Plant Integration was initiated in December 2004. Integration includes mixing, extrusion, curing, crushing and screening. Lightweight aggregates with proper size gradation and bulk density were produced from the manufacturing aggregate plant and loaded on a stockpile for shipment. The shipped aggregates were used in a commercial block plant for CMU production. However, most of the production was made at low capacity factors and for a relatively short time in 2005. Several areas were identified as important factors to improve plant capacity and availability. Equipment and process control modifications and curing vessel clean up were made to improve plant operation in the first half of 2006. About 3,000 tons of crushed aggregate was produced in August 2006. UA is continuing to work to improve plant

Owners of nuclear power plants: Percentage ownership of commercial nuclear power plants by utility companies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, R.S.

1987-08-01

The following list indicates percentage ownership of commercial nuclear power plants by utility companies as of June 1, 1987. The list includes all plants licensed to operate, under construction, docked for NRC safety and environmental reviews, or under NRC antitrust review. It does not include those plants announced but not yet under review or those plants formally canceled. In many cases, ownership may be in the process of changing as a result of altered financial conditions, changed power needs, and other reasons. However, this list reflects only those ownership percentages of which the NRC has been formally notified. Part I lists plants alphabetically with their associated applicants/licensees and percentage ownership. Part II lists applicants/licensees alphabetically with their associated plants and percentage ownership. Part I also indicates which plants have received operating licenses (OL's). Footnotes for both parts appear at the end of this document

Assessing the role of federal community assistance programs to develop biomass utilization capacity in the Western United States

Science.gov (United States)

Dennis R. Becker; Mark Nechodom; Adam Barnett; Tad Mason; Eini C. Lowell; John Shelly; Dean Graham

2008-01-01

As forest biomass utilization becomes cost effective to harvest, more areas at risk of catastrophic wildfire can be thinned of dense brush and small-diameter trees. In an effort to increase biomass utilization, the USDA Forest Service granted more than $36 million in National Fire Plan-Economic Action Program funds in the Western United States during fiscal years 2001...

Clean Energy Innovation: Sources of Technical and Commercial Breakthroughs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perry, T. D., IV; Miller, M.; Fleming, L.; Younge, K.; Newcomb, J.

2011-03-01

Low-carbon energy innovation is essential to combat climate change, promote economic competitiveness, and achieve energy security. Using U.S. patent data and additional patent-relevant data collected from the Internet, we map the landscape of low-carbon energy innovation in the United States since 1975. We isolate 10,603 renewable and 10,442 traditional energy patents and develop a database that characterizes proxy measures for technical and commercial impact, as measured by patent citations and Web presence, respectively. Regression models and multivariate simulations are used to compare the social, institutional, and geographic drivers of breakthrough clean energy innovation. Results indicate statistically significant effects of social, institutional, and geographic variables on technical and commercial impacts of patents and unique innovation trends between different energy technologies. We observe important differences between patent citations and Web presence of licensed and unlicensed patents, indicating the potential utility of using screened Web hits as a measure of commercial importance. We offer hypotheses for these revealed differences and suggest a research agenda with which to test these hypotheses. These preliminary findings indicate that leveraging empirical insights to better target research expenditures would augment the speed and scale of innovation and deployment of clean energy technologies.

Development of a California commercial building benchmarking database

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinney, Satkartar; Piette, Mary Ann

2002-01-01

Building energy benchmarking is a useful starting point for commercial building owners and operators to target energy savings opportunities. There are a number of tools and methods for benchmarking energy use. Benchmarking based on regional data can provides more relevant information for California buildings than national tools such as Energy Star. This paper discusses issues related to benchmarking commercial building energy use and the development of Cal-Arch, a building energy benchmarking database for California. Currently Cal-Arch uses existing survey data from California's Commercial End Use Survey (CEUS), a largely underutilized wealth of information collected by California's major utilities. Doe's Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) is used by a similar tool, Arch, and by a number of other benchmarking tools. Future versions of Arch/Cal-Arch will utilize additional data sources including modeled data and individual buildings to expand the database

Safstor decommissioning of the Humboldt Bay Power Plant Unit No. 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, R.T.

1985-01-01

The Humboldt Bay Power Plant is located near Eureka, California, about 265 miles north of San Francisco. The plant consists of two fossil fueled units, two mobil gas turbine peaking units, and a nuclear unit - Unit No. 3. Unit No. 3, which utilized a boiling water reactor, was constructed between 1960 and 1963. The unit began commercial operation in August 1963 and operated until July 2, 1976 when it was shutdown for refueling, seismic modifications, and additional seismic and geologic studies. During the years Unit 3 operated it had one of the best operating records of any nuclear power plant in the United States. For its operating lifetime Unit 3 had an overall capacity factor of 63.0% and an availability factor of 85.9%. The unit included certain design features which made it unique among nuclear power plants of its era. Some of these unique features included natural circulation recirculation flow which eliminated the need for costly recirculation pumps, utilization of a pressure suppression containment system which had been developed jointly by PG and E and the General Electric Company, and the fact that the reactor vessel and the containment system were constructed in a caisson below ground level. These design features reduced the overall construction cost of the unit and improved its inherent safety

Managing carbon regulatory risk in utility resource planning: Current practices in the Western United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbose, Galen; Wiser, Ryan; Phadke, Amol; Goldman, Charles

2008-01-01

Concerns about global climate change have substantially increased the likelihood that future policy will seek to minimize carbon dioxide emissions. As such, even today, electric utilities are making resource planning and investment decisions that consider the possible implications of these future carbon regulations. In this article, we examine the manner in which utilities assess the financial risks associated with future carbon regulations within their long-term resource plans. We base our analysis on a review of the most recent resource plans filed by 15 electric utilities in the Western United States. Virtually all of these utilities made some effort to quantitatively evaluate the potential cost of future carbon regulations when analyzing alternate supply- and demand-side resource options for meeting customer load. Even without federal climate regulation in the US, the prospect of that regulation is already having an impact on utility decision-making and resource choices. That said, the methods and assumptions used by utilities to analyze carbon regulatory risk, and the impact of that analysis on their choice of a particular resource strategy, vary considerably, revealing a number of opportunities for analytic improvement. Though our review focuses on a subset of US electric utilities, this work holds implications for all electric utilities and energy policymakers who are seeking to minimize the compliance costs associated with future carbon regulations

Implementation of the U.S. utility industry's TEAM-UP commercialization initiative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergman, M.; Bigger, J.; Hester, S.; Serfass, J.; Hoffner, J.

1994-01-01

TEAM-UP is a partnership program of the US electric utility industry and the US Department of Energy to help develop utility PV markets. TEAM-UP is a utility-directed program to significantly increase utility PV experience by promoting installations of utility PV systems. Two primary program areas are proposed for TEAM-UP; (1) Grid-Independent Applications (GIA) -- an initiative to aggregate utility purchases of small-scale, grid-independent applications, and (2) Grid-Connected Applications -- an initiative to identify and competitively award cost-sharing contracts for grid-connected PV systems with high market growth potential, or collective purchase programs involving multiple buyers. This paper describes these programs and outlines the schedule, the procurement status, and the results of surveys, public review workshops, and notices that are part of the TEAM-UP process

Japanese utilities' plutonium utilization program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuo, Yuichiro.

1996-01-01

Japan's 10 utility companies are working and will continue to work towards establishing a fully closed nuclear fuel cycle. The key goals of which are: (1) reprocessing spent fuel; (2) recycling recovered uranium and plutonium; and (3) commercializing fast breeder technology by around the year 2030. This course of action by the Japanese electric power industry is in full accordance with Japan's national policy outlined in the government's report ''The Long-Term Program for Research, Development, and Nuclear Energy,'' which was published in June 1994. The Japanese civilian nuclear program is a long-term program that looks into the 21st century and beyond. It is quite true that sustaining the recycling option for energy security and the global environment demands a large investment. For it to be accepted by the public, safety must be the highest priority and will be pursued at a great cost if necessary. In its history, Japan has learned that as technology advances, costs will come down. The Japanese utility industry will continue investment in technology without compromising safety until the recycling option becomes more competitive with other options. This effort will be equally applied to the development of the commercial FBRs. The Japanese utility industry is confident that Japan's stable policy and strong objective to develop competitive and peaceful technology will contribute to the global economy and the environment without increasing the threat of plutonium proliferation

Economic burden of sarcoidosis in a commercially-insured population in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, J Bradford; White, Alan; Lopez, Andrea; Conway, Alexandra; Wagh, Aneesha; Nelson, Winnie W; Philbin, Michael; Wan, George J

2017-10-01

Sarcoidosis is a multi-system inflammatory disorder characterized by the presence of non-caseating granulomas in involved organs. Patients with sarcoidosis have a reduced quality-of-life and are at an increased risk for several comorbidities. Little is known about the direct and indirect cost of sarcoidosis following the initial diagnosis. To provide an estimate of the healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs borne by commercial payers for sarcoidosis patients in the US. Patients with a first diagnosis of sarcoidosis between January 1, 1998 and March 31, 2015 ("index date") were selected from a de-identified privately-insured administrative claims database. Sarcoidosis patients were required to have continuous health plan enrollment 12 months prior to and following their index dates. Propensity-score (1:1) matching of sarcoidosis patients with non-sarcoidosis controls was carried out based on a logistic regression of baseline characteristics. Burden of HCRU and work loss (disability days and medically-related absenteeism) were compared between the matched groups over the 12-month period following the index date ("outcome period"). A total of 7,119 sarcoidosis patients who met the selection criteria were matched with a control. Overall, commercial payers incurred $19,714 in mean total annual healthcare costs per sarcoidosis patient. The principle cost drivers were outpatient visits ($9,050 2015 USD, 46%) and inpatient admissions ($6,398, 32%). Relative to controls, sarcoidosis patients had $5,190 (36%) higher total healthcare costs ($19,714 vs $14,524; p economic burden to payers in the first year following diagnosis.

Seeing through the Glitz: Commercial Literacy for Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Hillyer, Kathryn Oliver

Television advertising aimed at children is explored, including its regulation, techniques, and research on its effects. Particular attention is given to sexual stereotypes in commercials, including an analysis of certain commercials. A commercial literacy unit is presented for use with fourth graders. The history of advertising targeted at…

Development of a California commercial building benchmarking database

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kinney, Satkartar; Piette, Mary Ann

2002-05-17

Building energy benchmarking is a useful starting point for commercial building owners and operators to target energy savings opportunities. There are a number of tools and methods for benchmarking energy use. Benchmarking based on regional data can provides more relevant information for California buildings than national tools such as Energy Star. This paper discusses issues related to benchmarking commercial building energy use and the development of Cal-Arch, a building energy benchmarking database for California. Currently Cal-Arch uses existing survey data from California's Commercial End Use Survey (CEUS), a largely underutilized wealth of information collected by California's major utilities. Doe's Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) is used by a similar tool, Arch, and by a number of other benchmarking tools. Future versions of Arch/Cal-Arch will utilize additional data sources including modeled data and individual buildings to expand the database.

Shutdown and low-power operation at commercial nuclear power plants in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-09-01

The report contains the results of the NRC Staff's evaluation of shutdown and low-power operations at US commercial nuclear power plants. The report describes studies conducted by the staff in the following areas: Operating experience related to shutdown and low-power operations, probabilistic risk assessment of shutdown and low-power conditions and utility programs for planning and conducting activities during periods the plant is shut down. The report also documents evaluations of a number of technical issues regarding shutdown and low-power operations performed by the staff, including the principal findings and conclusions. Potential new regulatory requirements are discussed, as well as potential changes in NRC programs. A draft report was issued for comment in February 1992. This report is the final version and includes the responses to the comments along with the staff regulatory analysis of potential new requirements

The Price-Anderson Act: A Linchpin in the Development of Commercial Nuclear Power in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quattrocchi, J. L.

2006-01-01

The dawn of the atomic age brought with it both the hope of great benefit and the fear of great disaster. By the mid-1950's, the United States recognized that it was in the national interest to promote commercial development of nuclear energy in medicine and industry, particularly in the generation of electric power. The uncertainties of the technology and the potential for severe accidents were clear obstacles to commercial development. Exposure to potentially serious uninsured liabilities inhibited the private sector. These impediments led Congress to enact the Price-Anderson Act in 1957. Its three-fold purpose was to encourage private development of nuclear power, establish a framework for handling liability claims and provide a ready source of funds to compensate accident victims. The law was originally enacted for ten years but has now been extended four times. The major provisions of the Act and its importance to the public and to insurers are described in this paper.(author)

Policy Considerations for Commercializing Natural Gas and Biomass CCUS

Science.gov (United States)

Abrahams, L.; Clavin, C.

2017-12-01

Captured CO2 from power generation has been discussed as an opportunity to improve the environmental sustainability of fossil fuel-based electricity generation and likely necessary technological solution necessary for meeting long-term climate change mitigation goals. In our presentation, we review the findings of a study of natural gas CCUS technology research and development and discuss their applications to biomass CCUS technology potential. Based on interviews conducted with key stakeholders in CCUS technology development and operations, this presentation will discuss these technical and economic challenges and potential policy opportunities to support commercial scale CCUS deployment. In current domestic and electricity and oil markets, CCUS faces economic challenges for commercial deployment. In particular, the economic viability of CCUS has been impacted by the sustained low oil prices that have limited the potential for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) to serve as a near-term utilization opportunity for the captured CO2. In addition, large scale commercial adoption of CCUS is constrained by regulatory inconsistencies and uncertainties across the United States, high initial capital costs, achieving familiarity with new technology applications to existing markets, developing a successful performance track record to acquire financing agreements, and competing against well-established incumbent technologies. CCUS also has additional technical hurdles for measurement, verification, and reporting within states that have existing policy and regulatory frameworks for climate change mitigation. In addition to fossil-fuel based CCUS, we will discuss emerging opportunities to utilize CCUS fueled by gasified biomass resulting in carbon negative power generation with expanded economic opportunities associated with the enhanced carbon sequestration. Successful technology development of CCUS technology requires a portfolio of research leading to technical advances, advances in

Updated Value of Service Reliability Estimates for Electric Utility Customers in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, Michael [Nexant Inc., Burlington, MA (United States); Schellenberg, Josh [Nexant Inc., Burlington, MA (United States); Blundell, Marshall [Nexant Inc., Burlington, MA (United States)

2015-01-01

This report updates the 2009 meta-analysis that provides estimates of the value of service reliability for electricity customers in the United States (U.S.). The meta-dataset now includes 34 different datasets from surveys fielded by 10 different utility companies between 1989 and 2012. Because these studies used nearly identical interruption cost estimation or willingness-to-pay/accept methods, it was possible to integrate their results into a single meta-dataset describing the value of electric service reliability observed in all of them. Once the datasets from the various studies were combined, a two-part regression model was used to estimate customer damage functions that can be generally applied to calculate customer interruption costs per event by season, time of day, day of week, and geographical regions within the U.S. for industrial, commercial, and residential customers. This report focuses on the backwards stepwise selection process that was used to develop the final revised model for all customer classes. Across customer classes, the revised customer interruption cost model has improved significantly because it incorporates more data and does not include the many extraneous variables that were in the original specification from the 2009 meta-analysis. The backwards stepwise selection process led to a more parsimonious model that only included key variables, while still achieving comparable out-of-sample predictive performance. In turn, users of interruption cost estimation tools such as the Interruption Cost Estimate (ICE) Calculator will have less customer characteristics information to provide and the associated inputs page will be far less cumbersome. The upcoming new version of the ICE Calculator is anticipated to be released in 2015.

Public health response to commercial airline travel of a person with Ebola virus infection - United States, 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Regan, Joanna J; Jungerman, Robynne; Montiel, Sonia H; Newsome, Kimberly; Objio, Tina; Washburn, Faith; Roland, Efrosini; Petersen, Emily; Twentyman, Evelyn; Olaiya, Oluwatosin; Naughton, Mary; Alvarado-Ramy, Francisco; Lippold, Susan A; Tabony, Laura; McCarty, Carolyn L; Kinsey, Cara Bicking; Barnes, Meghan; Black, Stephanie; Azzam, Ihsan; Stanek, Danielle; Sweitzer, John; Valiani, Anita; Kohl, Katrin S; Brown, Clive; Pesik, Nicki

2015-01-30

Before the current Ebola epidemic in West Africa, there were few documented cases of symptomatic Ebola patients traveling by commercial airline, and no evidence of transmission to passengers or crew members during airline travel. In July 2014 two persons with confirmed Ebola virus infection who were infected early in the Nigeria outbreak traveled by commercial airline while symptomatic, involving a total of four flights (two international flights and two Nigeria domestic flights). It is not clear what symptoms either of these two passengers experienced during flight; however, one collapsed in the airport shortly after landing, and the other was documented to have fever, vomiting, and diarrhea on the day the flight arrived. Neither infected passenger transmitted Ebola to other passengers or crew on these flights. In October 2014, another airline passenger, a U.S. health care worker who had traveled domestically on two commercial flights, was confirmed to have Ebola virus infection. Given that the time of onset of symptoms was uncertain, an Ebola airline contact investigation in the United States was conducted. In total, follow-up was conducted for 268 contacts in nine states, including all 247 passengers from both flights, 12 flight crew members, eight cleaning crew members, and one federal airport worker (81 of these contacts were documented in a report published previously). All contacts were accounted for by state and local jurisdictions and followed until completion of their 21-day incubation periods. No secondary cases of Ebola were identified in this investigation, confirming that transmission of Ebola during commercial air travel did not occur.

Utility-Scale Solar 2016: An Empirical Analysis of Project Cost, Performance, and Pricing Trends in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bolinger, Mark; Seel, Joachim; LaCommare, Kristina Hamachi

2017-09-19

The utility-scale solar sector has led the overall U.S. solar market in terms of installed capacity since 2012. In 2016, the utility-scale sector installed more than 2.5 times as much new capacity as did the residential and commercial sectors combined, and is expected to maintain its dominant position for at least another five years. This report—the fifth edition in an ongoing annual series—provides data-driven analysis of the utility-scale solar project fleet in the United States. We analyze not just installed project prices, but also operating costs, capacity factors, and power purchase agreement ("PPA") prices from a large sample of utility-scale PV and CSP projects throughout the United States. Highlights from this year's edition include the following: Installation Trends: The use of solar tracking devices dominated 2016 installations, at nearly 80% of all new capacity. In a reflection of the ongoing geographic expansion of the market beyond California and the Southwest, the median long-term average insolation level at newly built project sites declined again in 2016. While new fixed-tilt projects are now seen predominantly in less-sunny regions, tracking projects are increasingly pushing into these same regions. The median inverter loading ratio has stabilized in 2016 at 1.3 for both tracking and fixed-tilt projects. Installed Prices: Median installed PV project prices within a sizable sample have fallen by two-thirds since the 2007-2009 period, to $2.2/WAC (or $1.7/WDC) for projects completed in 2016. The lowest 20th percentile of projects within our 2016 sample were priced at or below $2.0/WAC, with the lowest-priced projects around $1.5/WAC. Overall price dispersion across the entire sample and across geographic regions decreased significantly in 2016. Operation and Maintenance (“O&M”) Costs: What limited empirical O&M cost data are publicly available suggest that PV O&M costs were in the neighborhood of $18/kWAC-year, or $8/MWh, in 2016. These

Design and operational considerations of United States commercial near-surface low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birk, S.M.

1997-10-01

In accordance with the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985, states are responsible for providing for disposal of commercially generated low-level radioactive waste (LLW) within their borders. LLW in the US is defined as all radioactive waste that is not classified as spent nuclear fuel, high-level radioactive waste, transuranic waste, or by-product material resulting from the extraction of uranium from ore. Commercial waste includes LLW generated by hospitals, universities, industry, pharmaceutical companies, and power utilities. LLW generated by the country''s defense operations is the responsibility of the Federal government and its agency, the Department of Energy. The commercial LLRW disposal sites discussed in this report are located near: Sheffield, Illinois (closed); Maxey Flats, Kentucky (closed); Beatty, Nevada (closed); West Valley, New York (closed); Barnwell, South Carolina (operating); Richland, Washington (operating); Ward Valley, California, (proposed); Sierra Blanca, Texas (proposed); Wake County, North Carolina (proposed); and Boyd County, Nebraska (proposed). While some comparisons between the sites described in this report are appropriate, this must be done with caution. In addition to differences in climate and geology between sites, LLW facilities in the past were not designed and operated to today''s standards. This report summarizes each site''s design and operational considerations for near-surface disposal of low-level radioactive waste. The report includes: a description of waste characteristics; design and operational features; post closure measures and plans; cost and duration of site characterization, construction, and operation; recent related R and D activities for LLW treatment and disposal; and the status of the LLW system in the US

Microbiological survey of commercial tattoo and permanent makeup inks available in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Nho, S W; Kim, S-J; Kweon, O; Howard, P C; Moon, M S; Sadrieh, N K; Cerniglia, C E

2018-05-01

Tattooing and use of permanent makeup (PMU) has dramatically increased over the last decade, with a concomitant increase in ink-related infections. The aim of this study was to determine whether micro-organisms are present, and if so, the number and their identification in the commercial tattoo and PMU inks available in the United States. We surveyed 85 unopened tattoo and PMU inks, purchased from 13 companies. We incubated 100 μl of ink samples on trypticase soy agar plates for bacterial growth, 7H10 Middlebrook medium for mycobacterial growth, and Sabouraud dextrose medium for fungal growth. In total, 42 inks were contaminated with micro-organisms (49%). Thirty-three inks were contaminated with bacteria, 2 inks with fungi, and 7 inks had both bacterial and fungal growth. Mycobacteria were not detected in any of the examined tattoo and PMU inks. In 26 inks, microbial concentrations ranged between 10 1 and 10 3 CFU per ml, but higher counts (>10 3 CFU per ml) were recorded in 16 inks. We identified 83 bacteria by their 16S rDNA sequences, including 20 genera and 49 species. Strains of Bacillus spp. (53%) were dominant, followed by Lysinibacillus fusiformis (7%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5%). Thirty-four (41%) possibly clinically relevant strains were identified, including P. aeruginosa, Dermacoccus barathri and Roseomonas mucosa, some of which have been previously reported to be associated with human skin infections. The results indicate that commercial tattoo and PMU inks on the US market surveyed in this study contain a wide range of micro-organisms, including pathogenic bacteria. Microbial contaminants in tattoo and PMU inks are an emerging safety concern for public health. This study provides evidence that microbial contamination of tattoo and PMU inks available in the United States is more common than previously thought and highlights the importance of monitoring these products for potentially pathogenic micro-organisms. Published 2018. This article is a U

MOBIL CONTAINER UNIT FOR SEWAGE SLUDGE UTILIZATION FROM SMALL AND MEDIUM WASTWATER TREATMENT PLANTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanisław Ledakowicz

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The most wastewater treatment plants in Poland are small and medium plants of flow capacity below 1000 m3/d. These plants are not able to build sludge incineration plants and the transportation costs to the nearest plants increase the total costs of wastewater treatment. Polish company Metal Expert together with the French company ETIA and Lodz University of Technology proposed mobile unit for integrated drying and pyrolysis of sewage sludge in a pilot bench scale with capacity of 100 kg/h of dewatered sludge. The pilot plant was mounted in a typical mobile container which could provide service to small and medium wastewater treatment plants offering thermal processing of sewage sludge. This unit consists of KENKI contact dryer and „Spirajoule”® pyrolyser supplied with electricity utilizing the Joule effect, and a boiler, wherein the pyrolysis gases and volatile products are burned producing steam sent to the contact dryer. The bio-char produced during sludge pyrolysis could be utilized for agriculture purposes. During preliminary experiments and short-term exploitation of the unit at Elbląg Wastewater Treatment Plant the obtained results allowed us to make a mass and energy balance depended on the process conditions in the pyrolysis temperature range of 400÷800 °C. Based on the obtained results a calculator was created in the Excel , which enables assessment of pyrolysis products content and making mass and energy balances depended on process parameters such as initial moisture of sludge, pyrolysis temperature and installation output.

Stereotactic radiotherapy of the prostate: fractionation and utilization in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiner, Josph P.; Schwartz, David; Shao, Meng; Osborn, Virginia; Schreiber, David; Choi, Kwang

2017-01-01

To analyze the utilization and fractionation of extreme hypofractionation via stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in the treatment of prostate cancer. Data was analyzed on men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer between 2004–2012 and treated with definitive-intent radiation therapy, as captured in the National Cancer Database. This database is a hospital-based registry that collects an estimated 70% of all diagnosed malignancies in the United States. There were 299,186 patients identified, of which 4,962 (1.7%) were identified as receiving SBRT as primary treatment. Of those men, 2,082 had low risk disease (42.0%), 2,201 had intermediate risk disease (44.4%), and 679 had high risk disease (13.7%). The relative utilization of SBRT increased from 0.1% in 2004 to 4.0% in 2012. Initially SBRT was more commonly used in academic programs, though as time progressed there was a shift to favor an increased absolute number of men treated in the community setting. Delivery of five separate treatments was the most commonly utilized fractionation pattern, with 4,635 patients (91.3%) receiving this number of treatments. The most common dosing pattern was 725 cGy × 5 fractions (49.6%) followed by 700 cGy × 5 fractions (21.3%). Extreme hypofractionation via SBRT is slowly increasing acceptance. Currently 700-725 cGy × 5 fractions appears to be the most commonly employed scheme. As further long-term data regarding the safety and efficacy emerges, the relative utilization of this modality is expected to continue to increase

Stereotactic radiotherapy of the prostate: fractionation and utilization in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weiner, Josph P.; Schwartz, David; Shao, Meng; Osborn, Virginia; Schreiber, David [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System, Brooklyn (United States); Choi, Kwang [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn (United States)

2017-06-15

To analyze the utilization and fractionation of extreme hypofractionation via stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in the treatment of prostate cancer. Data was analyzed on men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer between 2004–2012 and treated with definitive-intent radiation therapy, as captured in the National Cancer Database. This database is a hospital-based registry that collects an estimated 70% of all diagnosed malignancies in the United States. There were 299,186 patients identified, of which 4,962 (1.7%) were identified as receiving SBRT as primary treatment. Of those men, 2,082 had low risk disease (42.0%), 2,201 had intermediate risk disease (44.4%), and 679 had high risk disease (13.7%). The relative utilization of SBRT increased from 0.1% in 2004 to 4.0% in 2012. Initially SBRT was more commonly used in academic programs, though as time progressed there was a shift to favor an increased absolute number of men treated in the community setting. Delivery of five separate treatments was the most commonly utilized fractionation pattern, with 4,635 patients (91.3%) receiving this number of treatments. The most common dosing pattern was 725 cGy × 5 fractions (49.6%) followed by 700 cGy × 5 fractions (21.3%). Extreme hypofractionation via SBRT is slowly increasing acceptance. Currently 700-725 cGy × 5 fractions appears to be the most commonly employed scheme. As further long-term data regarding the safety and efficacy emerges, the relative utilization of this modality is expected to continue to increase.

The commercial implications of the EELV program

Science.gov (United States)

Sasso, Steven E.

1998-01-01

There have been several studies over the past 15 years intended to define and develop a space launch system that would meet future needs of the United States Government (USG). While these past studies (Advanced Launch System, National Launch System, Spacelifter, etc) yielded valuable data, none were carried to fruition. Overriding issues included high development cost, changing requirements, and uncertainty in the mission model, as well lack of a clear direction for where this nation should be headed. In 1995, the Air Force embarked on the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program as a way of defining and developing the next-generation expendable launch system. This time groundrules for this effort were clearly defined-the program relied on the use of evolving a system rather than developing a high-technology solution to reduce development cost, and the commercial market was factored in as a way of reducing cost to the USG. The EELV program is nearing the engineering manufacturing development (EMD) phase by mid-1998 with first flight planned for early 2001. This paper describes the planned Lockheed Martin EELV program and its ability to utilize the commercial market to benefit the USG in its need to develop the next-generation expendable launch vehicle.

Joint utility task group CGI data-base procurement history module

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosch, F.

1993-01-01

The purpose of the procurement history record module of the Joint Utility Task Group's (JUTG's) commercial-grade item (CGI) data base is to assist utilities to cost effectively implement the dedication methodology provided in the Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI's) report NP-5652, open-quotes Guidelines for the Utilization of Commercial Grade Items in Nuclear Safety-Related Applications.close quotes

Performance of Loaded Thermal Storage Unit with a Commercial Phase Change Materials based on Energy and Exergy Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdullah Nasrallh Olimat

2017-11-01

Article History: Received July 6th 2017; Received in revised form September 15th 2017; Accepted 25th Sept 2017; Available online How to Cite This Article: Olimat, A.N., Awad, A.S., Al-Gathain, F.M., and Shaban, N.A.. (2017 Performance of Loaded Thermal Storage Unit With A Commercial Phase Change Materials Based on Energy and Exergy Analysis. International Journal of Renewable Energy Develeopment, 6(3,283-290. https://doi.org/10.14710/ijred.6.3.283-290

The Surface Coating of Commercial LiFePO4 by Utilizing ZIF-8 for High Electrochemical Performance Lithium Ion Battery

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, XiaoLong; Qi, CongYu; Hao, ZhenDong; Wang, Hao; Jiu, JinTing; Liu, JingBing; Yan, Hui; Suganuma, Katsuaki

2018-03-01

The requirement of energy-storage equipment needs to develop the lithium ion battery (LIB) with high electrochemical performance. The surface modification of commercial LiFePO4 (LFP) by utilizing zeolitic imidazolate frameworks-8 (ZIF-8) offers new possibilities for commercial LFP with high electrochemical performances. In this work, the carbonized ZIF-8 (CZIF-8) was coated on the surface of LFP particles by the in situ growth and carbonization of ZIF-8. Transmission electron microscopy indicates that there is an approximate 10 nm coating layer with metal zinc and graphite-like carbon on the surface of LFP/CZIF-8 sample. The N2 adsorption and desorption isotherm suggests that the coating layer has uniform and simple connecting mesopores. As cathode material, LFP/CZIF-8 cathode-active material delivers a discharge specific capacity of 159.3 mAh g-1 at 0.1C and a discharge specific energy of 141.7 mWh g-1 after 200 cycles at 5.0C (the retention rate is approximate 99%). These results are attributed to the synergy improvement of the conductivity, the lithium ion diffusion coefficient, and the degree of freedom for volume change of LFP/CZIF-8 cathode. This work will contribute to the improvement of the cathode materials of commercial LIB.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Detection of atypical porcine pestivirus in semen from commercial boar studs in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Gatto, I R H; Arruda, P H; Visek, C A; Victoria, J G; Patterson, A R; Krull, A C; Schwartz, K J; de Oliveira, L G; Arruda, B L

2018-04-01

Atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) has recently been identified as a cause of congenital tremor (CT) in pigs and has been detected in semen and preputial swabs from boars that were known to be clinically affected with CT. Accordingly, the objectives of this study were to 1) detect the presence of APPV in semen, preputial fluids and preputial swabs from adult boars by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and 2) genetically characterize a subset of positive samples to better understand the ecology of APPV in commercial boar studs and the potential risk of transmission of APPV via semen. A total of 597 samples of semen, preputial fluid and preputial swabs each representing a different boar were obtained from four commercial boar studs located in three different states in the United States. Viral RNA was detected by qRT-PCR in 90 samples (15.08%; 90/597), with the greatest per cent positive from preputial swabs (23.81%; 5/21) followed by preputial fluid (22.81%; 26/114) and semen (12.91%; 59/457). The mean cycle quantification (Cq) between sample types was similar while eleven semen samples had Cq values lower than 27.0 corresponding to approximately 2 × 10 6  copies/ml. Based on phylogenetic analysis of the Npro gene, different viral strains can be on the same farm at the same and different times. This is the first report of detection of APPV in semen from commercial boar studs. Studies investigating the role of semen in the transmission of APPV and production of CT are needed. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

75 FR 60093 - Record of Decision for the United States Marine Corps Basewide Utilities Infrastructure Project...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-29

... Basewide Utilities Infrastructure Project at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA AGENCY: Department of the... Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, 42 United States Code (U.S.C.) Section 4332(2)(c), the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 Code...

Lost opportunities: Modeling commercial building energy code adoption in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, Hal T.

2012-01-01

This paper models the adoption of commercial building energy codes in the US between 1977 and 2006. Energy code adoption typically results in an increase in aggregate social welfare by cost effectively reducing energy expenditures. Using a Cox proportional hazards model, I test if relative state funding, a new, objective, multivariate regression-derived measure of government capacity, as well as a vector of control variables commonly used in comparative state research, predict commercial building energy code adoption. The research shows little political influence over historical commercial building energy code adoption in the sample. Colder climates and higher electricity prices also do not predict more frequent code adoptions. I do find evidence of high government capacity states being 60 percent more likely than low capacity states to adopt commercial building energy codes in the following year. Wealthier states are also more likely to adopt commercial codes. Policy recommendations to increase building code adoption include increasing access to low cost capital for the private sector and providing noncompetitive block grants to the states from the federal government. - Highlights: ► Model the adoption of commercial building energy codes from 1977–2006 in the US. ► Little political influence over historical building energy code adoption. ► High capacity states are over 60 percent more likely than low capacity states to adopt codes. ► Wealthier states are more likely to adopt commercial codes. ► Access to capital and technical assistance is critical to increase code adoption.

Can we Plan. The political economy of commercial nuclear energy policy in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, J.L. Jr.

1984-01-01

The dissertation is an analysis of the commercial nuclear energy sector's decline in the United States. The research attempts to reconcile the debate between Weberian-institutional and Marxist political theory about the state's inability to successfully plan industrial development in advanced capitalist countries. Synthesizing these views, the central hypothesis guiding the research is that the greater the state's relative autonomy from political and economic constraints in an institutional sense, i.e., the greater its insulation from the contradictions of capitalism and democracy, the greater its planning capacity and the more successful it will be in directing industrial performance. The research examines one industrial sector, commercial nuclear energy, and draws two major comparison. First, the French and US nuclear industries are compared, since the state's relative autonomy is much greater in the former than in the latter. This comparison is developed to identify policy areas where nuclear planning has succeeded in France but failed in America. Four areas are identified: reactor standardization, waste management, reactor safety, and financing. Second, looking particularly at the US, the policy areas are compared to analyze the development of policy and its effects on the sector's performance and to determine the degree to which planning was undermined by the structural constraints characteristic of a state with low relative autonomy

Optimal load scheduling in commercial and residential microgrids

Science.gov (United States)

Ganji Tanha, Mohammad Mahdi

Residential and commercial electricity customers use more than two third of the total energy consumed in the United States, representing a significant resource of demand response. Price-based demand response, which is in response to changes in electricity prices, represents the adjustments in load through optimal load scheduling (OLS). In this study, an efficient model for OLS is developed for residential and commercial microgrids which include aggregated loads in single-units and communal loads. Single unit loads which include fixed, adjustable and shiftable loads are controllable by the unit occupants. Communal loads which include pool pumps, elevators and central heating/cooling systems are shared among the units. In order to optimally schedule residential and commercial loads, a community-based optimal load scheduling (CBOLS) is proposed in this thesis. The CBOLS schedule considers hourly market prices, occupants' comfort level, and microgrid operation constraints. The CBOLS' objective in residential and commercial microgrids is the constrained minimization of the total cost of supplying the aggregator load, defined as the microgrid load minus the microgrid generation. This problem is represented by a large-scale mixed-integer optimization for supplying single-unit and communal loads. The Lagrangian relaxation methodology is used to relax the linking communal load constraint and decompose the independent single-unit functions into subproblems which can be solved in parallel. The optimal solution is acceptable if the aggregator load limit and the duality gap are within the bounds. If any of the proposed criteria is not satisfied, the Lagrangian multiplier will be updated and a new optimal load schedule will be regenerated until both constraints are satisfied. The proposed method is applied to several case studies and the results are presented for the Galvin Center load on the 16th floor of the IIT Tower in Chicago.

Methanol to propylene. From development to commercialization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haag, S.; Rothaemel, M. [Air Liquide Forschung und Entwicklung GmbH, Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Pohl, S.; Gorny, M. [Lurgie GmbH, Frankfurt am Main (Germany). Air Liquide Global E and C Solutions

2012-07-01

In the late 1990s the development of the so-called MTP {sup registered} (methanol-to-propylene) process, a Lurgi Technology (by Air Liquide Global E and C Solutions) started. This constitutes a novel route to a valuable product that would not rely on crude oil as feedstock (as conventional propylene production does), but instead utilizes coal or natural gas and potentially biomass. These alternative feedstocks are first converted to synthesis gas, cleaned, and then converted to methanol. The development of the methanol-to-propylene conversion was achieved in a close collaboration between R and D and engineering. Two pilot plants at the R and D center in Frankfurt and a demonstration plant in Norway have been used to demonstrate the yields, catalyst lifetime and product quality and to support the engineering team in plant design and scale-up. Especially the last item is important as it was clear from the very beginning that the first commercial MTP {sup registered} plant would already be world-scale, actually one of the largest propylene producing plants in the world. This required a safe and diligent scale-up as the MTP {sup registered} reactors in the commercial plant receive about 7,000 times the feed of the demo unit and as much as 100,000 times the feed of the pilot plant. The catalyst used is a zeolite ZSM-5 that was developed by our long-term cooperation partner Sued-Chemie (now Clariant). At the end of 2010, the first commercial MTP {sup registered} plant in Ningdong in the Chinese province of Ningxia was started up as part of a coal-to-chemicals complex owned by the Shenhua Ningxia Coal Industry Group. In this complex the complete chain starting from coal through to the final polypropylene product is realized. The customer successful started the polymer-grade propylene production in April 2011 and then announced in May 2011 that he sold the first 1000 tons of polypropylene made with propylene coming from the MTP {sup registered} unit. Following this

INVENTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF COMMERCIAL REACTOR FUELS WITHIN THE UNITED STATES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vinson, D.

2011-03-31

There are currently 104 nuclear reactors in 31 states, operated by 51 different utilities. Operation of these reactors generates used fuel assemblies that require storage prior to final disposition. The regulatory framework within the United States (U.S.) allows for the licensing of used nuclear fuel storage facilities for an initial licensing period of up to 40 years with potential for license extensions in 40 years increments. Extended storage, for periods of up to 300 years, is being considered within the U.S. Therefore, there is an emerging need to develop the technical bases to support the licensing for long-term storage. In support of the Research and Development (R&D) activities required to support the technical bases, a comprehensive assessment of the current inventory of used nuclear fuel based upon publicly available resources has been completed that includes the most current projections of used fuel discharges from operating reactors. Negotiations with the nuclear power industry are ongoing concerning the willingness of individual utilities to provide information and material needed to complete the R&D activities required to develop the technical bases for used fuel storage for up to 300 years. This report includes a status of negotiations between DOE and industry in these regards. These negotiations are expected to result in a framework for cooperation between the Department and industry in which industry will provide and specific information on used fuel inventory and the Department will compensate industry for the material required for Research and Development and Testing and Evaluation Facility activities.

US utility partnerships

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Worthington, B.

1995-01-01

Activities of the United States Energy Association were reviewed, as well as the manner in which its members are benefitting from the Association's programs. The principal cooperative program set up is the Utility Partnership Program, which was described. Through this program the Association is matching US companies, both electric utilities and gas utilities, with counterparts in Eastern Europe or the former Soviet Union. So far, about 25 partnerships were signed, e.g. in the Czech Republic, in Kazakhstan, in Poland, and in Slovakia. It was estimated that the return to the United States from the investments made by the American government in these Utility Partnership Programs has been well over 100-fold

The Global Online Sexuality Survey (GOSS): the United States of America in 2011 chapter II: phosphodiesterase inhibitors utilization among English speakers.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaeer, Osama

2013-02-01

Utility of phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDEi's) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) has been the focus of experimental and clinical studies. However, public preferences, attitudes, and experiences with PDEi's are rarely addressed from a population/epidemiology viewpoint. The Global Online Sexuality Survey (GOSS) is a worldwide epidemiologic study of sexuality and sexual disorders, first launched in the Middle East in 2010, followed by the United States in 2011. To describe the utilization rates, trends, and attitudes toward PDEi's in the United States in the year 2011. GOSS was randomly deployed to English-speaking male Web surfers in the United States via paid advertising on Facebook®, comprising 146 questions. Utilization rates and preferences for PDEi's by brand. Six hundred three subjects participated; mean age 53.43 years ± 13.9. Twenty-three point seven percent used PDEi's on more consistent basis, 37.5% of those with ED vs. 15.6% of those without ED (recreational users). Unrealistic safety concerns including habituation were pronounced. Seventy-nine point six percent of utilization was on prescription basis. PDEi's were purchased through pharmacies (5.3% without prescription) and in 16.5% over the Internet (68% without prescription). Nine point six percent nonprescription users suffered coronary heart disease. Prescription use was inclined toward sildenafil, generally, and particularly in severe cases, and shifted toward tadalafil in moderate ED and for recreational use, followed by vardenafil. Nonprescription utilization trends were similar, except in recreational use where sildenafil came first. In the United States unrealistic safety concerns over PDEi's utility exist and should be addressed. Preference for particular PDEi's over the others is primarily dictated by health-care providers, despite lack of guidelines that govern physician choice. Online and over-the-counter sales of PDEi's are common, and can expose a subset of users to health

Tracking the Sun V: An Historical Summary of the Installed Price of Photovoltaics in the United States from 1998 to 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barbose, Galen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Darghouth, Naim [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Wiser, Ryan [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2012-11-01

As the deployment of grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) systems has increased, so too has the desire to track the installed price of these systems over time and by location, customer type, and system characteristics. This report helps to fill this need by summarizing trends in the installed price of grid-connected PV systems in the United States from 1998 through 2011, with preliminary data for 2012. The analysis is based on project-level data for more than 150,000 individual residential, commercial, and utility-scale PV systems, totaling more than 3,000 megawatts (MW) and representing 76% of all grid-connected PV capacity installed in the United States through 2011. The report describes installed price trends for residential and commercial PV systems, and another set of trends for utility-scale PV. In all cases, installed prices are identified in terms of real 2011 dollars per installed watt (DC-STC), prior to receipt of any direct financial incentives or tax credits.

Methods utilized in evaluating the profitability of commercial space processing

Science.gov (United States)

Bloom, H. L.; Schmitt, P. T.

1976-01-01

Profitability analysis is applied to commercial space processing on the basis of business concept definition and assessment and the relationship between ground and space functions. Throughput analysis is demonstrated by analysis of the space manufacturing of surface acoustic wave devices. The paper describes a financial analysis model for space processing and provides key profitability measures for space processed isoenzymes.

Utilization Trends in Diagnostic Imaging for a Commercially Insured Population: A Study of Massachusetts Residents 2009 to 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Flaherty, Stephen; Mortele, Koenraad J; Young, Gary J

2018-06-01

To report utilization trends in diagnostic imaging among commercially insured Massachusetts residents from 2009 to 2013. Current Procedural Terminology codes were used to identify diagnostic imaging claims in the Massachusetts All-Payer Claims Database for the years 2009 to 2013. We reported utilization and spending annually by imaging modality using total claims, claims per 1,000 individuals, total expenditures, and average per claim payments. The number of diagnostic imaging claims per insured MA resident increased only 0.6% from 2009 to 2013, whereas nonradiology claims increased by 6% annually. Overall diagnostic imaging expenditures, adjusted for inflation, were 27% lower in 2009 than 2013, compared with an 18% increase in nonimaging expenditures. Average payments per claim were lower in 2013 than 2009 for all modalities except nuclear medicine. Imaging procedure claims per 1,000 MA residents increased from 2009 to 2013 by 13% in MRI, from 147 to 166; by 17% in ultrasound, from 453 to 530; and by 12% in radiography (x-ray), from 985 to 1,100. However, CT claims per 1,000 fell by 37%, from 341 to 213, and nuclear medicine declined 57%, from 89 claims per 1,000 to 38. Diagnostic imaging utilization exhibited negligible growth over the study period. Diagnostic imaging expenditures declined, largely the result of falling payments per claim in most imaging modalities, in contrast with increased utilization and spending on nonimaging services. Utilization of MRI, ultrasound, and x-ray increased from 2009 to 2013, whereas CT and nuclear medicine use decreased sharply, although CT was heavily impacted by billing code changes. Copyright © 2018 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measurement of alpha-fetoprotein in maternal serum: three commercial radioimmunoassay kits and two non-commercial radioimmunoassays compared

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forest, J.C.; Verreault, F.; Pouliot, M.

1982-01-01

We evaluated three commercial radioimmunoassay kits (Amersham, Dainabot, Clinical Assays) and two non-commercial methods for determining alpha-fetoprotein in maternal serum during pregnancy. All five procedures were found to be acceptable with respect to practicability, sensitivity, linearity, and precision. Similar results were obtained with Dainabot, Clinical Assays, and the two non-commercial methods, but the Amersham method revealed a proportional error, results being about 20% lower than those by the other methods. Use of the international unit system is suggested for reporting results for AFP, to facilitate comparison between methods and laboratories

Utility of Amyloid and FDG-PET in Clinical Practice: Differences Between Secondary and Tertiary Care Memory Units.

Science.gov (United States)

Lage, Carmen; Suarez, Andrea Gonzalez; Pozueta, Ana; Riancho, Javier; Kazimierczak, Martha; Bravo, Maria; Jimenez Bonilla, Julio; de Arcocha Torres, Marıa; Quirce, Remedios; Banzo, Ignacio; Vazquez-Higuera, Jose Luis; Rabinovici, Gil D; Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Eloy; Sánchez-Juan, Pascual

2018-04-27

The clinical utility of amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) has not been fully established. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of amyloid imaging on clinical decision making in a secondary care unit and compare our results with a previous study in a tertiary center following the same methods. We reviewed retrospectively 151 cognitively impaired patients who underwent amyloid (Pittsburgh compound B [PiB]) PET and were evaluated clinically before and after the scan in a secondary care unit. One hundred and fifty concurrently underwent fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET. We assessed changes between the pre- and post-PET clinical diagnosis and Alzheimer's disease treatment plan. The association between PiB/FDG results and changes in management was evaluated using χ2 and multivariate logistic regression. Concordance between classification based on scan readings and baseline diagnosis was 66% for PiB and 47% for FDG. The primary diagnosis changed after PET in 17.2% of cases. When examined independently, discordant PiB and discordant FDG were both associated with diagnostic change (p PET due to a higher likelihood of diagnostic change. We found that changes in diagnosis after PET in our secondary center almost doubled those of our previous analysis of a tertiary unit (9% versus 17.2%). Our results offer some clues about the rational use of amyloid PET in a secondary care memory unit stressing its utility in mild cognitive impairment patients.

Gas-cooled reactor commercialization study. Interim report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-01-01

This report of the gas-cooled reactor commercialization study completes the technical and cost evaluation portions of this study contract. A final report in December will update the status of the incentive analyses and the issues of commercialization. This study was designed to bring together potential industry participants (utilities and suppliers) to evaluate the commercial potential of the HTGR-SC and to build channels of communication among the participating organizations at the same time that technical, economic and institutional issues were being evaluated. RAMCO, Inc., in suggesting and using this study approach, believes its application extends to any commercialization problem involving multi-party involvement in high capital, intensive, high risk energy technologies

A review from the regulatory position of the control of occupational exposure associated with the first 20 years of the United Kingdom commercial nuclear power programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emmerson, B.W.

1980-01-01

The control of occupational exposure received at commercial nuclear generating plants in the United Kingdom has been subject to regulatory requirements embodied in site licence conditions since 1959, and at commercial fuel production and reprocessing plants since 1971. The paper indicates the main radiological control objectives which have applied, reviews the statutory measures introduced for their achievement and indicates some of the administrative arrangements made by site operators in order to comply. The principal sources of occupational exposure associated with each stage of the fuel cycle are identified and exposure data since licensed operations commenced are reviewed. The effectiveness of the United Kingdom site licensing procedure in ensuring adequate radiological control procedures, including the minimisation of occupational exposure, is examined in relation to the relevant ICRP recommendations and against the background of the first 20 years of commercial nuclear power production. The impact on these procedures of more recently introduced legislation relating to health and safety at all places of employment in the United Kingdom is discussed. The paper considers the changes in current regulatory procedures that may result from the introduction of ICRP-26 and the recommendations of ICRP Committee 2, and concludes with a review of the more important problems facing the licensee and the Nuclear Inspectorate with regard to the implementation of future radiological control procedures. (H.K.)

Commercial and Institutional Waste

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Thomas Højlund; Fruergaard, Thilde

2011-01-01

Commercial and institutional waste is primarily from retail (stores), hotels, restaurants, health care (except health risk waste), banks, insurance companies, education, retirement homes, public services and transport. Within some of these sectors, e.g. retail and restaurants, large variations...... are found in terms of which products and services are offered. Available data on unit generation rates and material composition as well as determining factors are discussed in this chapter. The characterizing of commercial and institutional waste is faced with the problem that often only a part of the waste...... is handled in the municipal waste system, where information is easily accessible. An important part of commercial and institutional waste is packaging waste, and enterprises with large quantities of clean paper, cardboard and plastic waste may have their own facilities for baling and storing their waste...

Utility requirements for fusion power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeBellis, R.J.

1977-03-01

A four-man month study was undertaken to identify utility requirements of fusion power and define a role for the utilities in the fusion development process during the 1980s. This report, preliminary in nature, serves mainly as a planning document for future requirements analyses. A requirements organization was defined to consist of three major chronological phases: research and development, plant installation, and plant operation. Thirty-seven requirements were identified, covering all categories. In addition, training, environment, safety, licensing, and utility model were identified as five matrix-type requirements. As the requirement definition process continued during the study period, comments received from utility representatives revealed a consistency of key issues in the fusion development process. These issues form the basis for the eventual establishment of definitive roles for the utilities during the 1980s. The issues are not meant to reflect a negative view of fusion, but are items that must be solved before fusion can be introduced commercially as an electrical power source. As a result of this requirements study, preliminary candidate roles for the utilities in the fusion development process during the 1980s were identified as public education, commercialization studies, industry investment analyses, training plan implementation, alternate reactor concept development, ERDA concept design review, and requirements refinement

Commercial applications of solar total energy systems. Third quarterly progress report, November 1, 1976--January 31, 1977

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1977-09-01

The application of Solar Total Energy System (STES) to the commercial sector (e.g., office buildings, shopping centers, retail stores, etc.) in the United States is investigated. Candidate solar-thermal and solar-photovoltaic concepts are considered for providing on-site electrical power generation as well as thermal energy for both heating and cooling applications. The solar-thermal concepts include the use of solar concentrators (distributed or central-receiver) for collection of the thermal energy for conversion to electricity by means of a Rankine-cycle or Brayton-cycle power-conversion system. Recoverable waste heat from the power-generation process is utilized to help meet the building thermal-energy demand. Evaluation methodology is identified to allow ranking and/or selection of the most cost-effective concept for commercial-building applications.

State Policies Influence Medicare Telemedicine Utilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Neufeld, Jonathan D; Doarn, Charles R; Aly, Reem

2016-01-01

Medicare policy regarding telemedicine reimbursement has changed little since 2000. Many individual states, however, have added telemedicine reimbursement for either Medicaid and/or commercial payers over the same period. Because telemedicine programs must serve patients from all or most payers, it is likely that these state-level policy changes have significant impacts on telemedicine program viability and utilization of services from all payers, not just those services and payers affected directly by state policy. This report explores the impact of two significant state-level policy changes-one expanding Medicaid telemedicine coverage and the other introducing telemedicine parity for commercial payers-on Medicare utilization in the affected states. Medicare claims data from 2011-2013 were examined for states in the Great Lakes region. All valid claims for live interactive telemedicine professional fees were extracted and linked to their states of origin. Allowed encounters and expenditures were calculated in total and on a per 1,000 members per year basis to standardize against changes in the Medicare population by state and year. Medicare telemedicine encounters and professional fee expenditures grew sharply following changes in state Medicaid and commercial payer policy in the examined states. Medicare utilization in Illinois grew by 173% in 2012 (over 2011) following Medicaid coverage expansion, and Medicare utilization in Michigan grew by 118% in 2013 (over 2012) following adoption of telemedicine parity for commercial payers. By contrast, annual Medicare telemedicine utilization growth in surrounding states (in which there were no significant policy changes during these years) varied somewhat but showed no discernible pattern. Although Medicare telemedicine policy has changed little since its inception, changes in state policies with regard to telemedicine reimbursement appear to have significant impacts on the practical viability of telemedicine programs

Market driven strategy for acquisition of waste acceptance and transportation services for commercial spent fuel in the united states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemeshewsky, W.; Macaluso, C.; Smith, P.; Teer, B.

1998-01-01

The Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) in the United States Department of Energy (DOE) has the responsibility under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (the Act) for the shipment of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from commercial reactors to a Federal facility for storage and/or disposal. The Act requires the use of private industry to the 'fullest extent possible' in the transportation of spent fuels. An OCRWM goal is to develop a safe, efficient and effective transportation system while meeting the mandate of the Act. OCRWM has then develop a strategy for a market driven approach for the acquisition of transportation services and equipment. To implement this strategy, OCRWM is planning to issue a Request for Proposal (RPF) for the provision of the required services and equipment to accept SNF from the utilities and transport the SNF to a Federal facility. Two draft RPFs have been issued with the second draft incorporating comments on the first draft from potential contractors and other interested parties. The overall strategy as outlined in the draft RPF relies on private industry to use the innovative powers of the marketplace to help DOE accomplish its mission objectives. DOE intends to pursue this procurement strategy whether or not the OCRWM program includes interim storage. The concept described in the draft RPF provides for DOE to purchase services and equipment from a contractor-operated waste acceptance and transportation organization. The contractor is expected to provide initial financing for the project including that necessary for initial acquisition of operational equipment, establish the necessary management organization, and mobilize the necessary resources and capabilities to provide the SNF delivery services at a fixed rate. DOE will retain final approval on all routes and maintain primary responsibility to the States, tribes, and local units of government for assuring appropriate interaction and consideration of their input on

22 CFR 40.24 - Prostitution and commercialized vice.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Prostitution and commercialized vice. 40.24... Certain Crimes § 40.24 Prostitution and commercialized vice. (a) Activities within 10 years preceding visa... United States solely, principally, or incidentally to engage in prostitution, or has engaged in...

Inspection of rotor bores, retaining rings and turbine discs utilizing UDRPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quinn, J.R.

1990-01-01

New construction in the U.S. utility industry is at a very low level. The average age of plants in increasing almost linearly with time, many units will pass nominal end of life in the next decade. Planned new construction now takes ten years to effect at a minimum. The need for more reliable inspection of high stress utility components is and will continue to be a subject of increased emphasis. Dynacon Systems Inc. has recently introduced into commercial service, a fully automated ultrasonic inspection instrumentation package designed to significantly increase the reliability of turbine/generator rotor shaft, LP disc and generator retaining ring inspections. The package is designed to automate to a very high degree, the entire analysis process, thus eliminating operator error sources. The automated process begins at the ultrasonic pulse generator and ends with the input to fracture mechanics analysis

Utility-Scale Solar 2015: An Empirical Analysis of Project Cost, Performance, and Pricing Trends in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bolinger, Mark [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division; Seel, Joachim [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division

2016-08-17

The utility-scale solar sector—defined here to include any ground-mounted photovoltaic (“PV”), concentrating photovoltaic (“CPV”), or concentrating solar power (“CSP”) project that is larger than 5 MWAC in capacity—has led the overall U.S. solar market in terms of installed capacity since 2012. It is expected to maintain its market-leading position for at least another five years, driven in part by December 2015’s three-year extension of the 30% federal investment tax credit (“ITC”) through 2019 (coupled with a favorable switch to a “start construction” rather than a “placed in service” eligibility requirement, and a gradual phase down of the credit to 10% by 2022). In fact, in 2016 alone, the utility-scale sector is projected to install more than twice as much new capacity as it ever has previously in a single year. This unprecedented boom makes it difficult, yet more important than ever, to stay abreast of the latest utility-scale market developments and trends. This report—the fourth edition in an ongoing annual series—is intended to help meet this need, by providing in-depth, annually updated, data-driven analysis of the utility-scale solar project fleet in the United States. Drawing on empirical project-level data from a wide range of sources, this report analyzes not just installed project costs or prices—i.e., the traditional realm of most solar economic analyses—but also operating costs, capacity factors, and power purchase agreement (“PPA”) prices from a large sample of utility-scale solar projects throughout the United States. Given its current dominance in the market, utility-scale PV also dominates much of this report, though data from CPV and CSP projects are also presented where appropriate.

Commercial Banks and Capital Regulation in the Early 20th Century US

OpenAIRE

Gou, Michael

2017-01-01

My dissertation investigates the effect of capital requirements on commercial banks and the impact of commercial bank suspensions on the United States economy during the early 20th century. The first chapter examines the effect of capital requirements on bank stability. The early 20th century United States provides an opportunity to determine whether imposing capital requirements on commercial banks promotes banking stability in the long run. The structure of the national banking system fac...

Commercial Hy-Line W-36 pullet and laying hen venous blood gas and chemistry profiles utilizing the portable i-STAT?1 analyzer

OpenAIRE

Schaal, T. P.; Arango, J.; Wolc, A.; Brady, J. V.; Fulton, J. E.; Rubinoff, I.; Ehr, I. J.; Persia, M. E.; O'Sullivan, N. P.

2015-01-01

Venous blood gas and chemistry reference ranges were determined for commercial Hy-Line W-36 pullets and laying hens utilizing the portable i-STAT?1 analyzer and CG8+ cartridges. A total of 632 samples were analyzed from birds between 4 and 110 wk of age. Reference ranges were established for pullets (4 to 15 wk), first cycle laying hens (20 to 68 wk), and second cycle (post molt) laying hens (70 to 110 wk) for the following traits: sodium (Na mmol/L), potassium (K mmol/L), ionized calcium (iC...

Commercial, environmental and legislative factors that influence the implementation of fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Serfass, Jeffrey A.; Bergman, Michael K.; Rodenhiser, Wendy

1994-04-01

Fuel cells and other advanced electric-generation technologies have not experienced a record of successful commercialization efforts. To lower costs for these technologies, it requires substantial production volumes with a significant investment in manufacturing facilities, all dependent on developer confidence in the ultimate market. Yet, market acceptance by buyers requires an adequate demonstration of technical performance and an assurance that these lower costs can be reached. In addition to this fundamental commercialization challenge, there are significant external factors that are greatly influencing the market's (utility's) future implementation of new alternative energy-generating technologies. The factor that has possibly the greatest impact today is the public demand for environmentally benign and renewable resource technologies. There is a growing trend of involvement by consumers, regulators and intervenors in the business and utility industry that is shifting the economic playing field by which industries make resource decisions. Concerns over air pollution, global warming, acid precipitation, depletion of the ozone layer and the hazards of electromagnetic fields (EMF) from power lines, have all led to more stringent regulations and environmental mandates. The utility business environment itself is rapidly changing. Higher public expectations from energy providers and increasing competition are leading to major changes in the American utility sector. Competitive requirements to reduce the cost of utility service is leading to business decisions that provide both opportunities and problems for increased use of alternative energy-generating technologies, like fuel cells, and/or renewables, such as wind and solar photovoltaics. Bringing new energy technologies to market is very expensive and this financial burden cannot be shouldered by the market, manufacturers or federal government alone. Further, for the market to assume a key position in early

Enabling Sustainable Exploration through the Commercial Development of Space

Science.gov (United States)

Nall, Mark; Casas, Joseph

2003-01-01

The commercial development of space offers enabling benefits to space exploration. This paper examines how those benefits can be realized, and how the Space Product Development Office of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is taking the first steps towards opening the space frontier through vital and sustainable industrial development. The Space Product Development Office manages 15 Commercial Space Centers that partner with US industry to develop opportunities for commerce in space. This partnership directly benefits NASA exploration in four primary ways. First, by actively involving traditional and non-traditional companies in commercial space activities, it seeks and encourages to the maximum extent possible the fullest commercial use of space, as directed by NASA's charter. Second, the commercial research and technologies pursued and developed in the program often have direct applicability to NASA priority mission areas. This dual use strategy for research and technology has the potential to greatly expand what the NASA scientific community can do. Third, the commercial experiment hardware developed by the Commercial Space Centers and their industrial partners is available for use by NASA researchers in support of priority NASA research. By utilizing low cost and existing commercial hardware, essential NASA research can be more readily accomplished. Fourth, by assisting industry in understanding the use of the environment of space and in helping industry enhance the tools and technologies for NASA and commercial space systems, the market for commercial space utilization and the capability for meeting the future growing market needs is being developed. These two activities taken together form the beginning of a new space economy that will enable sustainable NASA exploration of the universe.

Electric vehicles: Technology assessment and commercialization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zabot, S.

1991-01-01

This article traces the history of commercialization efforts relative to electric vehicles, assesses the state-of-the-art of electric vehicle technology and identifies the industrial firms that are investing heavily in this field. The main design problems affecting the commercialization of these vehicles (e.g., battery weight, autonomy, operating safety and toxicity) are pointed out. Comparisons of commercialization prospects are made with those for hydrogen fuelled vehicles. With regard to investments in research programs, it is argued that, in addition to car manufacturers and oil companies, the usual active participants in the transport sector, new participants are needed to give added support to the development of electric vehicles, namely, electric utilities and battery manufacturers

Nuclear development in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brewer, S.

1983-01-01

The history of the nuclear development in the United States has been one of international cooperation relations so far. The United States is to offer the technical information on atomic energy utilization to foreign countries in exchange for the guarantee that they never attempt to have or develop nuclear weapons. Actually, the United States has supplied the technologies on nuclear fuel cycle and other related fields to enable other countries to achieve economical and social progress. The Department of Energy clarified the public promise of the United States regarding the idea of international energy community. The ratio of nuclear power generation to total electric power supply in the United States exceeded 12%, and will exceed 20% by 1990. Since 1978, new nuclear power station has not been ordered, and some of the contracted power stations were canceled. The atomic energy industry in the United States prospered at the beginning of 1970s, but lost the spirit now, mainly due to the institutional problems rather than the technical ones. As the policy of the government to eliminate the obstacles, the improvement of the procedure for the permission and approval, the establishment of waste disposal capability, the verification of fast breeder reactor technology and the promotion of commercial fuel reprocessing were proposed. The re-establishment of the United States as the reliable supplier of atomic energy service is the final aim. (Kako, I.)

Benchmark Two-Good Utility Functions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jaegher, K.

Benchmark two-good utility functions involving a good with zero income elasticity and unit income elasticity are well known. This paper derives utility functions for the additional benchmark cases where one good has zero cross-price elasticity, unit own-price elasticity, and zero own price

10 CFR 431.132 - Definitions concerning automatic commercial ice makers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... CERTAIN COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT Automatic Commercial Ice Makers § 431.132 Definitions... necessarily shipped in 1 package) that— (1) Consists of a condensing unit and ice-making section operating as...

7 CFR 51.1435 - U.S. Commercial Pieces.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false U.S. Commercial Pieces. 51.1435 Section 51.1435 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards... STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Shelled Pecans Grades § 51.1435 U.S. Commercial Pieces. The...

7 CFR 51.1433 - U.S. Commercial Halves.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false U.S. Commercial Halves. 51.1433 Section 51.1433 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards... STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Shelled Pecans Grades § 51.1433 U.S. Commercial Halves. The...

Market driven strategy for acquisition of waste acceptance and transportation services for commercial spent fuel in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemeshewky, W.; Macaluso, C.; Smith, P.; Teer, B.

1998-05-01

The Department of Energy has the responsibility for the shipment of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from commercial reactors to a Federal facility for storage and/or disposal. DOE has developed a strategy for a market driven approach for the acquisition of transportation services and equipment which will maximize the participation of private industry. To implement this strategy, DOE is planning to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the provision of the required services and equipment to accept SNF from the utilities and transport the SNF to a Federal facility. The paper discusses this strategy and describes the RFP

Children's orthodontic utilization in the United States: Socioeconomic and surveillance considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Laniado, Nadia; Oliva, Stephanie; Matthews, Gregory J

2017-11-01

There has been no epidemiologic study of malocclusion prevalence and treatment need in the United States since the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted from 1988 to 1991. In this descriptive study, the authors sought to estimate orthodontic treatment prevalence by examining a nationally representative survey to assess current pediatric dental and orthodontic utilization. The 2009 and 2013 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys were used to categorize and compare all types of pediatric dental and orthodontic procedures in children and adolescents up to 20 years old. Descriptive variables included dental insurance, poverty level, and racial/ethnic background. Visits for orthodontic procedures constituted the third largest treatment category (14.5%) and were greatest among the uninsured and higher income populations. Children with public insurance had the fewest orthodontic visits (9.4%). Racial/ethnic disparities were most pronounced among orthodontic visits, with black and Hispanic children receiving the fewest orthodontic procedures (8.89% and 10.56%, respectively). Orthodontic treatment prevalence data suggest that significant disparities exist in orthodontic utilization based on race/ethnicity, poverty level, and insurance status. To establish the burden of malocclusion, describe populations in greatest need of interventions, and craft appropriate programs and policies, an active orthodontic surveillance system is essential. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Commercial and Industrial Wiring.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaltwasser, Stan; Flowers, Gary

This module is the third in a series of three wiring publications, includes additional technical knowledge and applications required for job entry in the commercial and industrial wiring trade. The module contains 15 instructional units that cover the following topics: blueprint reading and load calculations; tools and equipment; service;…

75 FR 52378 - Transfer of Commercial Standard Mail Parcels to Competitive Product List

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-25

..., 2010, the United States Postal Service[reg] filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission a Request of the United States Postal Service to transfer commercial Standard Mail Parcels from the Mail... POSTAL SERVICE Transfer of Commercial Standard Mail Parcels to Competitive Product List AGENCY...

KWU's modular approach to HTR commercialization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frewer, H.; Weisbrodt, I.

1983-01-01

As a way of avoiding the uncertainties, delays and unacceptable commercial risks which have plagued advanced reactor projects in Germany, KWU is advocating a modular approach to commercialization of the high-temperature reactor (HTR), using small size standard reactor units. KWU has received a contract for the study of a co-generation plant based on this modular system. Features of the KWU modular HTR, process heat, gasification, costs and future development are discussed. (UK)

National Utility Rate Database: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ong, S.; McKeel, R.

2012-08-01

When modeling solar energy technologies and other distributed energy systems, using high-quality expansive electricity rates is essential. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed a utility rate platform for entering, storing, updating, and accessing a large collection of utility rates from around the United States. This utility rate platform lives on the Open Energy Information (OpenEI) website, OpenEI.org, allowing the data to be programmatically accessed from a web browser, using an application programming interface (API). The semantic-based utility rate platform currently has record of 1,885 utility rates and covers over 85% of the electricity consumption in the United States.

Utility requirements for fusion power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeBellis, R.J.

1977-03-01

A four-man-month study, jointly funded by EPRI and McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company-EAST, was undertaken to identify the utility requirements of fusion power and define a role for the utilities in the fusion development process during the 1980's. This report, preliminary in nature, serves mainly as a planning document for future requirements analyses. A requirements organization was defined to consist of three major chronological phases: research and development, plant installation, and plant operation. Thirty-seven requirements were identified, covering all categories. In addition, training, environment, safety, licensing, and utility model were identified as five matrix-type requirements. As the requirement definition process continued during the study period, comments received from utility representatives revealed a consistency of key issues in the fusion development process. These issues form the basis for the eventual establishment of definitive roles for the utilities during the 1980's. The issues are not meant to reflect a negative view of fusion, but are items which must be solved before fusion can be introduced commercially as an electrical power source. As a result of this requirements study, preliminary candidate roles for the utilities in the fusion development process during the 1980's were identified as public education, commercialization studies, industry investment analyses, training plan implementation, alternate reactor concept development, ERDA concept design review, and requirements refinement

Association between unemployment rates and prescription drug utilization in the United States, 2007–2010

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background While extensive evidence suggests that the economic recession has had far reaching effects on many economic sectors, little is known regarding its impact on prescription drug utilization. The purpose of this study is to describe the association between state-level unemployment rates and retail sales of seven therapeutic classes (statins, antidepressants, antipsychotics, angiotensin-converting enzyme [ACE] inhibitors, opiates, phosphodiesterase [PDE] inhibitors and oral contraceptives) in the United States. Methods Using a retrospective mixed ecological design, we examined retail prescription sales using IMS Health Xponent™ from September 2007 through July 2010, and we used the Bureau of Labor Statistics to derive population-based rates and mixed-effects modeling with state-level controls to examine the association between unemployment and utilization. Our main outcome measure was state-level utilization per 100,000 people for each class. Results Monthly unemployment levels and rates of use of each class varied substantially across the states. There were no statistically significant associations between use of ACE inhibitors or SSRIs/SNRIs and average unemployment in analyses across states, while for opioids and PDE inhibitors there were small statistically significant direct associations, and for the remaining classes inverse associations. Analyses using each state as its own control collectively exhibited statistically significant positive associations between increases in unemployment and prescription drug utilization for five of seven areas examined. This relationship was greatest for statins (on average, a 4% increase in utilization per 1% increased unemployment) and PDE inhibitors (3% increase in utilization per 1% increased unemployment), and lower for oral contraceptives and atypical antipsychotics. Conclusion We found no evidence of an association between increasing unemployment and decreasing prescription utilization, suggesting that any

Trends in the Utilization of Brachytherapy in Cervical Cancer in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Kathy, E-mail: Kathy.Han@rmp.uhn.on.ca [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Milosevic, Michael; Fyles, Anthony [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Pintilie, Melania [Department of Biostatistics, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Viswanathan, Akila N. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States)

2013-09-01

Purpose: To determine the trends in brachytherapy use in cervical cancer in the United States and to identify factors and survival benefits associated with brachytherapy treatment. Methods and Materials: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we identified 7359 patients with stages IB2-IVA cervical cancer treated with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) between 1988 and 2009. Propensity score matching was used to adjust for differences between patients who received brachytherapy and those who did not from 2000 onward (after the National Cancer Institute alert recommending concurrent chemotherapy). Results: Sixty-three percent of the 7359 women received brachytherapy in combination with EBRT, and 37% received EBRT alone. The brachytherapy utilization rate has decreased from 83% in 1988 to 58% in 2009 (P<.001), with a sharp decline of 23% in 2003 to 43%. Factors associated with higher odds of brachytherapy use include younger age, married (vs single) patients, earlier years of diagnosis, earlier stage and certain SEER regions. In the propensity score-matched cohort, brachytherapy treatment was associated with higher 4-year cause-specific survival (CSS; 64.3% vs 51.5%, P<.001) and overall survival (OS; 58.2% vs 46.2%, P<.001). Brachytherapy treatment was independently associated with better CSS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57-0.71), and OS (HR 0.66; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.74). Conclusions: This population-based analysis reveals a concerning decline in brachytherapy utilization and significant geographic disparities in the delivery of brachytherapy in the United States. Brachytherapy use is independently associated with significantly higher CSS and OS and should be implemented in all feasible cases.

Optimal Residential Load Scheduling Under Utility and Rooftop Photovoltaic Units

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghulam Hafeez

2018-03-01

Full Text Available With the rapid advancement in technology, electrical energy consumption is increasing rapidly. Especially, in the residential sector, more than 80% of electrical energy is being consumed because of consumer negligence. This brings the challenging task of maintaining the balance between the demand and supply of electric power. In this paper, we focus on the problem of load balancing via load scheduling under utility and rooftop photovoltaic (PV units to reduce electricity cost and peak to average ratio (PAR in demand-side management. For this purpose, we adopted genetic algorithm (GA, binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO, wind-driven optimization (WDO, and our proposed genetic WDO (GWDO algorithm, which is a hybrid of GA and WDO, to schedule the household load. For energy cost estimation, combined real-time pricing (RTP and inclined block rate (IBR were used. The proposed algorithm shifts load from peak consumption hours to off-peak hours based on combined pricing scheme and generation from rooftop PV units. Simulation results validate our proposed GWDO algorithm in terms of electricity cost and PAR reduction while considering all three scenarios which we have considered in this work: (1 load scheduling without renewable energy sources (RESs and energy storage system (ESS, (2 load scheduling with RESs, and (3 load scheduling with RESs and ESS. Furthermore, our proposed scheme reduced electricity cost and PAR by 22.5% and 29.1% in scenario 1, 47.7% and 30% in scenario 2, and 49.2% and 35.4% in scenario 3, respectively, as compared to unscheduled electricity consumption.

DSM Pocket Guidebook: Commercial technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-08-01

It has been estimated that if electricity were used more efficiently with commercially available end-use technologies, 24%endash 44% of the nation's current demand for electricity could be eliminated. Almost all major electric utilities in the west are investigating such demand-side management (9DSM) opportunities. In some service territories, for example, improved efficiency could soon produce as much power as that from new coal-fired plants and produce it at a lower cost. Even utilities that currently have excess capacity are finding that DSM offers an opportunity to build efficient end-use stock to help them meet their future load shape objectives. Utility DSM programs typically consist of several measures designed to modify the utility's load shape (for example, innovative rate structures, direct utility control of loads, promotion of energy-efficient technologies, and customer education). The coordinated implementation of such measures requires planning, analysis of options, engineering, marketing, monitoring, and other coordination activities (Figure P1). This guidebook addresses one facet of an overall DSM program: selectrion of end-use technologies within the electrical utilities

Are men shortchanged on health? Perspective on health care utilization and health risk behavior in men and women in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinkhasov, R M; Wong, J; Kashanian, J; Lee, M; Samadi, D B; Pinkhasov, M M; Shabsigh, R

2010-03-01

Significant gender disparities exist in life expectancy and major disease morbidity. There is a need to understand the major issues related to men's health that contributes to these significant disparities. It is hypothesized that, high-risk behaviors and low utilization of all and preventive health services contribute to the higher mortality and the higher and earlier morbidity in men. Data was collected from CDC: Health United States, 2007; Health Behavior of Adults: United States 2002-04; and National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2005 Summary. In United States, men are more likely to be regular and heavy alcohol drinkers, heavier smokers who are less likely to quit, non-medical illicit drug users, and are more overweight compared to women. Men are less likely to utilize health care visits to doctor's offices, emergency departments (ED), and physician home visits than women. They are also less likely to make preventive care, hospice care, dental care visits, and have fewer hospital discharges and shorter hospital stays than women. High-risk behaviors and low utilization of health services may contribute to the lower life expectancy in men. In the context of public health, behavioral and preventive interventions are needed to reduce the gender disparity.

Trends Analysis of rhBMP2 Utilization in Single-Level Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Lao, Lifeng; Cohen, Jeremiah R; Buser, Zorica; Brodke, Darrel S; Yoon, S Tim; Youssef, Jim A; Park, Jong-Beom; Meisel, Hans-Joerg; Wang, Jeffrey C

2018-04-01

Retrospective case study. To evaluate the trends and demographics of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP2) utilization in single-level anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) in the United States. Patients who underwent single-level ALIF from 2005 to 2011 were identified by searching ICD-9 diagnosis and procedure codes in the PearlDiver Patient Records Database (PearlDiver Technologies, Fort Wayne, IN), a national database of orthopedic insurance records. The year of procedure, age, gender, and region of the United States were analyzed for each patient. A total of 921 patients were identified who underwent a single-level ALIF in this study. The average rate of single-level ALIF with rhBMP2 utilization increased (35%-48%) from 2005 to 2009, but sharply decreased to 16.7% in 2010 and 15.0% in 2011. The overall incidence of single-level ALIF without rhBMP2 (0.20 cases per 100 000 patients) was more than twice of the incidence of single-level ALIF with rhBMP2 (0.09 cases per 100 000 patients). The average rate of single-level ALIF with rhBMP2 utilization is highest in West (41.4%), followed by Midwest (33.3%), South (26.5%) and Northeast (22.2%). The highest incidence of single-level ALIF with rhBMP2 was observed in the group aged less than 65 years (compared with any other age groups, P level ALIF increased from 2006 to 2009, but decreased in 2010 and 2011. The Northeast region had the lowest incidence of rhBMP2 utilization. The group aged less than 65 years trended to have the higher incidence of single-level ALIF with rhBMP2 utilization.

Cold recovery during regasification of LNG part one: Cold utilization far from the regasification facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

La Rocca, Vincenzo

2010-01-01

The paper deals with cold recovery during LNG regasification. The applications analyzed pertain to the use in deep freezing agro food industry and in space air conditioning facilities in commercial sector (Supermarkets and Hypermarkets) of cold recovered from the regasification process. A modular LNG regasification unit is proposed having the regasification capacity of 2 BCM/year of gas and it is based on use of a Power Cycle working with Ethane, this unit allows operation of cold energy transfer, contained in LNG to be regasified, in a range of temperatures suitable for multipurpose use of cold, reducing regasification process irreversibility. Some electric energy is produced by the Power Cycle, but the purpose of the modular unit is to deliver cold suitable for industrial and commercial use in the proper temperature range utilizing Carbon dioxide as secondary fluid to transfer cold from regasification site to far end users. The subject is divided in two papers: this paper deals with facilities delivering cold released during LNG regasification and related pipeline facilities to transfer cold at far end users while the other paper pertains to analysis of end users applications. Results of a detailed thermodynamic and economic analysis demonstrate the suitability of the proposal.

Local government and utility firms’ debts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marko Primorac

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The global financial crisis has affected the Croatian local public sector. In such circumstances, local government units’ debts and borrowing should be approached with caution. The highly interwoven financial operations of local government units and their utilities indicate the need for analysis of consolidated financial statements of local governments and utility companies in order to gain an insight into the real financial “health” of local units. Accordingly, the main aim of this paper is to analyze the size and the structure of the consolidated (local government and utility companies local public debt in Croatia. Accordingly, the paper presents the financial position of local government units supplemented with information on the financial operations of utility companies, with particular emphasis on the size and structure of their liabilities and gross and net debt. Although the current Budget Law does not require formal preparation of consolidated financial statements by local governments and their utility firms, consolidation is stipulated by International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS. The application of IPSAS regulations would be helpful in determining overall direct and indirect exposure of local government units arising from the financial operations of their utilities.

Google Home: smart speaker as environmental control unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Noda, Kenichiro

2017-08-23

Environmental Control Units (ECU) are devices or a system that allows a person to control appliances in their home or work environment. Such system can be utilized by clients with physical and/or functional disability to enhance their ability to control their environment, to promote independence and improve their quality of life. Over the last several years, there have been an emergence of several inexpensive, commercially-available, voice activated smart speakers into the market such as Google Home and Amazon Echo. These smart speakers are equipped with far field microphone that supports voice recognition, and allows for complete hand-free operation for various purposes, including for playing music, for information retrieval, and most importantly, for environmental control. Clients with disability could utilize these features to turn the unit into a simple ECU that is completely voice activated and wirelessly connected to appliances. Smart speakers, with their ease of setup, low cost and versatility, may be a more affordable and accessible alternative to the traditional ECU. Implications for Rehabilitation Environmental Control Units (ECU) enable independence for physically and functionally disabled clients, and reduce burden and frequency of demands on carers. Traditional ECU can be costly and may require clients to learn specialized skills to use. Smart speakers have the potential to be used as a new-age ECU by overcoming these barriers, and can be used by a wider range of clients.

NASA's Commercial Communication Technology Program

Science.gov (United States)

Bagwell, James W.

1998-01-01

Various issues associated with "NASA's Commercial Communication Technology Program" are presented in viewgraph form. Specific topics include: 1) Coordination/Integration of government program; 2) Achievement of seamless interoperable satellite and terrestrial networks; 3) Establishment of program to enhance Satcom professional and technical workforce; 4) Precompetitive technology development; and 5) Effective utilization of spectrum and orbit assets.

Short- and longer-term health-care resource utilization and costs associated with acute ischemic stroke

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johnson BH

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Barbara H Johnson,1 Machaon M Bonafede,1 Crystal Watson2 1Outcomes Research, Truven Health Analytics, Cambridge, MA, USA; 2Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA Objectives: The mean lifetime cost of ischemic stroke is approximately $140,048 in the United States, placing stroke among the top 10 most costly conditions among Medicare beneficiaries. The objective of this study was to describe the health-care resource utilization and costs in the year following hospitalization for acute ischemic stroke (AIS.Methods: This retrospective claims analysis quantifies utilization and costs following inpatient admission for AIS among the commercially insured and Medicare beneficiaries in the Truven Health databases. Patients who were 18 years or older and continuously enrolled for 12 months before and after an AIS event occurring (index between January 2009 and December 2012 were identified. Patients with AIS in the year preindex were excluded. Demographic and clinical characteristics were evaluated at admission and in the preindex, respectively. Direct costs, readmissions, and inpatient length of stay (LOS were described in the year postindex.Results: The eligible populations comprised 20,314 commercially insured patients and 31,037 Medicare beneficiaries. Average all-cause costs were $61,354 and $44,929 (commercial and Medicare, respectively in the first year after the AIS. Approximately 50%–55% of total 12-month costs were incurred between day 31 and day 365 following the incident AIS. One quarter (24.6% of commercially insured patients and 38.8% of Medicare beneficiaries were readmitted within 30 days with 16.6% and 71.7% (commercial and Medicare, respectively of those having a principal diagnosis of AIS. The average AIS-related readmission length of stay was nearly three times that of the initial hospitalization for both commercially insured patients (3.8 vs 10.8 days and Medicare beneficiaries (4.0 vs 10.8 days

Critical Factors Influencing Viability of Wave Energy Converters in Off-Grid Luxury Resorts and Small Utilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aksel Botne Sandberg

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper examines technical and non-technical factors that are critical to the viability of commercialization of wave energy converters in off-grid luxury resorts and small utilities. Critical factors are found by investigating Levelized Cost of Energy, and using the tools PESTEL and Porter’s five competitive forces. Identified factors are then applied on three business cases to investigate their impact on viability. The results show that one of the main challenges facing off-grid commercialization is the few wave energy converter units installed per location, negating the economy of scale that large wave energy farms count on to achieve competitive cost levels. In addition, factors like current cost of energy, available wave resources, distance from shore, infrastructure, supply chain logistics, and electricity demand are found to be deciding factors for viability. Despite these challenges, it is found that there are potentially viable off-grid business cases for commercialization of wave energy converters.

Health care access and utilization among children of single working and nonworking mothers in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, Tainya C; Arheart, Kristopher L; Muennig, Peter; Fleming, Lora E; Caban-Martinez, Alberto J; Dietz, Noella; Lee, David J

2011-01-01

To examine indicators of health care access and utilization among children of working and nonworking single mothers in the United States, the authors used data on unmarried women participating in the 1997-2008 National Health Interview Survey who financially supported children under 18 years of age (n = 21,842). Stratified by maternal employment, the analyses assessed health care access and utilization for all children. Outcome variables included delayed care, unmet care, lack of prescription medication, no usual place of care, no well-child visit, and no doctor's visit. The analyses reveal that maternal employment status was not associated with health care access and utilization. The strongest predictors of low access/utilization included no health insurance and intermittent health insurance in the previous 12 months, relative to those with continuous private health insurance coverage (odds ratio ranges 3.2-13.5 and 1.3-10.3, respectively). Children with continuous public health insurance compared favorably with those having continuous private health insurance on three of six access/utilization indicators (odds ratio range 0.63-0.85). As these results show, health care access and utilization for the children of single mothers are not optimal. Passage of the U.S. Healthcare Reform Bill (HR 3590) will probably increase the number of children with health insurance and improve these indicators.

Utilizing Commercial Hardware and Open Source Computer Vision Software to Perform Motion Capture for Reduced Gravity Flight

Science.gov (United States)

Humphreys, Brad; Bellisario, Brian; Gallo, Christopher; Thompson, William K.; Lewandowski, Beth

2016-01-01

Long duration space travel to Mars or to an asteroid will expose astronauts to extended periods of reduced gravity. Since gravity is not present to aid loading, astronauts will use resistive and aerobic exercise regimes for the duration of the space flight to minimize the loss of bone density, muscle mass and aerobic capacity that occurs during exposure to a reduced gravity environment. Unlike the International Space Station (ISS), the area available for an exercise device in the next generation of spacecraft is limited. Therefore, compact resistance exercise device prototypes are being developed. The NASA Digital Astronaut Project (DAP) is supporting the Advanced Exercise Concepts (AEC) Project, Exercise Physiology and Countermeasures (ExPC) project and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) funded researchers by developing computational models of exercising with these new advanced exercise device concepts. To perform validation of these models and to support the Advanced Exercise Concepts Project, several candidate devices have been flown onboard NASAs Reduced Gravity Aircraft. In terrestrial laboratories, researchers typically have available to them motion capture systems for the measurement of subject kinematics. Onboard the parabolic flight aircraft it is not practical to utilize the traditional motion capture systems due to the large working volume they require and their relatively high replacement cost if damaged. To support measuring kinematics on board parabolic aircraft, a motion capture system is being developed utilizing open source computer vision code with commercial off the shelf (COTS) video camera hardware. While the systems accuracy is lower than lab setups, it provides a means to produce quantitative comparison motion capture kinematic data. Additionally, data such as required exercise volume for small spaces such as the Orion capsule can be determined. METHODS: OpenCV is an open source computer vision library that provides the

State-Level Comparison of Processes and Timelines for Distributed Photovoltaic Interconnection in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ardani, K. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Davidson, C. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Margolis, R. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Nobler, E. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2015-01-01

This report presents results from an analysis of distributed photovoltaic (PV) interconnection and deployment processes in the United States. Using data from more than 30,000 residential (up to 10 kilowatts) and small commercial (10-50 kilowatts) PV systems, installed from 2012 to 2014, we assess the range in project completion timelines nationally (across 87 utilities in 16 states) and in five states with active solar markets (Arizona, California, New Jersey, New York, and Colorado).

Transport behaviour of commercially available 100-Omega standard resistors

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Schumacher, B

2001-04-01

Full Text Available Several types of commercial 100-Omega resistors can be used with the cryogenic current comparator to maintain the resistance unit, derived from the Quantized Hall Effect (QHE), and to disseminate this unit to laboratory resistance standards. Up...

Shipping cask demand associated with United States Government storage of commercial spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daling, P.M.; Engel, R.L.

1983-05-01

There were primarily two objectives of this study. The first was to develop estimates of the shipping cask fleet size that will be needed in the United States in the near future. These estimates were compared with current US spent fuel cask fleet size to determine its adequacy to provide the transportation services. The second objective was to develop estimates of the transportation costs associated with future movements of spent fuel. The results of this study were based on assumptions that were made prior to passage of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 which authorizes the Department of Energy (DOE) to provide Federal Interim Storage of spent fuel from commercial reactors. The Act requires that the DOE is responsible for transportation of the fuel, although private industry is to provide these services. This paper examined the impacts of various spent fuel management strategies on spent fuel transportation hardware requirements and transportation costs. Conclusions related to optimization of the spent fuel transportation system can be drawn from the results of this study. The conclusions can be affected by changing the given set of assumptions used in this analysis. 3 tables

SCALE-4 Analysis of LaSalle Unit 1 BWR Commercial Reactor Critical Configurations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gauld, I.C.

2000-01-01

Five commercial reactor criticals (CRCs) for the LaSalle Unit 1 boiling-water reactor have been analyzed using KENO V.a, the Monte Carlo criticality code of the SCALE 4 code system. The irradiated fuel assembly isotopics for the criticality analyses were provided by the Waste Package Design team at the Yucca Mountain Project in the US, who performed the depletion calculations using the SAS2H sequence of SCALE 4. The reactor critical measurements involved two beginning-of-cycle and three middle-of-cycle configurations. The CRCs involved relatively low-cycle burnups, and therefore contained a relatively high gadolinium poison content in the reactor assemblies. This report summarizes the data and methods used in analyzing the critical configurations and assesses the sensitivity of the results to some of the modeling approximations used to represent the gadolinium poison distribution within the assemblies. The KENO V.a calculations, performed using the SCALE 44GROUPNDF5 ENDF/B-V cross-section library, yield predicted k eff values within about 1% Δk/k relative to reactor measurements for the five CRCs using general 8-pin and 9-pin heterogeneous gadolinium poison pin assembly models

Understanding health-care access and utilization disparities among Latino children in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Langellier, Brent A; Chen, Jie; Vargas-Bustamante, Arturo; Inkelas, Moira; Ortega, Alexander N

2016-06-01

It is important to understand the source of health-care disparities between Latinos and other children in the United States. We examine parent-reported health-care access and utilization among Latino, White, and Black children (≤17 years old) in the United States in the 2006-2011 National Health Interview Survey. Using Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition, we portion health-care disparities into two parts (1) those attributable to differences in the levels of sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., income) and (2) those attributable to differences in group-specific regression coefficients that measure the health-care 'return' Latino, White, and Black children receive on these characteristics. In the United States, Latino children are less likely than Whites to have a usual source of care, receive at least one preventive care visit, and visit a doctor, and are more likely to have delayed care. The return on sociodemographic characteristics explains 20-30% of the disparity between Latino and White children in the usual source of care, delayed care, and doctor visits and 40-50% of the disparity between Latinos and Blacks in emergency department use and preventive care. Much of the health-care disadvantage experienced by Latino children would persist if Latinos had the sociodemographic characteristics as Whites and Blacks. © The Author(s) 2014.

Commercial implementation of food irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welt, M.A.

1985-01-01

Recent positive developments in regulatory matters involving food irradiation appear to be opening the door to commercial implementation of the technology. Experience gained over five years in operating multi-purpose food irradiation facilities in the United States have demonstrated the technical and economic feasibility of the radiation preservation of food for a wide variety of purposes. Public education regarding food irradiation has been intensified especially with the growing favorable involvement of food trade associations, the USDA, and the American Medical Association. After 41 years of development effort, food irradiation will become a commercial reality in 1985. (author)

Safety And Promotion in the Federal Aviation Administration- Enabling Safe and Successful Commercial Space Transportation

Science.gov (United States)

Repcheck, Randall J.

2010-09-01

The United States Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation(AST) authorizes the launch and reentry of expendable and reusable launch vehicles and the operation of launch and reentry sites by United States citizens or within the United States. It authorizes these activities consistent with public health and safety, the safety of property, and the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States. In addition to its safety role, AST has the role to encourage, facilitate, and promote commercial space launches and reentries by the private sector. AST’s promotional role includes, among other things, the development of information of interest to industry, the sharing of information of interest through a variety of methods, and serving as an advocate for Commercial Space Transportation within the United States government. This dual safety and promotion role is viewed by some as conflicting. AST views these two roles as complementary, and important for the current state of commercial space transportation. This paper discusses how maintaining a sound safety decision-making process, maintaining a strong safety culture, and taking steps to avoid complacency can together enable safe and successful commercial space transportation.

Integrating Solar Heating into an Air Handling Unit to Minimize Energy Consumption

OpenAIRE

Wilson, Scott A

2010-01-01

The purpose of this project was to test a method of integrating solar heating with a small commercial air handling unit (AHU). In order to accomplish this a heat exchanger was placed in the reheat position of the AHU and piped to the solar heating system. This heat exchanger is used to supplement or replace the existing electric reheat. This method was chosen for its ability to utilize solar energy on a more year round basis when compared to a traditional heating system. It allows solar h...

32 CFR 552.60 - Supervision of on-post commercial activities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... unit will not be given to commercial enterprises or individuals engaged in commercial solicitation... clients initially by methods such as advertising, direct mail, and telephone. (2) Commanders will provide... device, scheme, or artifice, including misleading advertising and sales literature. (9) Any oral or...

76 FR 13000 - Transfer of Commercial First-Class Mail Parcels to Competitive Product List

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-09

...: On February 24, 2011, the United States Postal Service[supreg] filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission a Request of the United States Postal Service to transfer commercial First-Class Mail Parcels from... POSTAL SERVICE Transfer of Commercial First-Class Mail Parcels to Competitive Product List AGENCY...

Guide to commercially available wind machines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1978-04-03

Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECS) commercially available in the United States are described. The terms used to describe these wind systems are defined and their significance discussed. Lists of manufacturers and distributors, subsystem components and suppliers, and references are provided.

Commercialization and business development of grid-connected PV at SMUD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osborn, D.E.

1998-01-01

SMUD has completed its first 5 year, 6 MW PV commercialization effort based on the sustained, orderly development of the utility PV market. SMUD has begun a 5 year, 10 MW program designed to complete a process that will result in PV being at a market competitive price by 2002 and as a sustainable business opportunity for SMUD. As part of this effort, by the end of 1997, SMUD had installed over 450 PV systems totaling 6 MW. These included over 420 residential rooftop systems as well as commercial buildings, parking lots and substation systems. Under its new Business Plan, SMUD has signed contracts for an additional 10 MW of PV systems for 1998 through 2002 with cost decreasing to less than $3/W. As part of its new competitive business strategy responding to changes the utility industry is undergoing, SMUD has incorporated PV as a key business opportunity. SMUD has established partnerships with its customers through the PV Pioneer green pricing program, with DOE and UPVG through TEAM-UP and Million Solar Roofs to advance PV commercialization and to develop rooftops as PV power plant sites and with other utilities through its PV Partnership program

Utility-Scale Solar 2013: An empirical analysis of project cost, performance, and pricing trends in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bolinger, Mark [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Weaver, Samantha [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2014-09-17

Other than the SEGS I-IX parabolic trough projects built in the 1980s, virtually no large-scale or "utility-scale" solar projects-defined here to include any ground-mounted photovoltaic ("PV"), concentrating photovoltaic ("CPV"), or concentrating solar power ("CSP" or solar thermal) project larger than 5 MW_AC-existed in the United States prior to 2007.

United States high-level radioactive waste management program: Current status and plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, J.

1992-01-01

The inventory of spent fuel in storage at reactor sites in the United States is approximately 20,000 metric tons heavy metal (MTHM). It is increasing at a rate of 1700 to 2100 MTHM per year. According to current projections, by the time the last license for the current generation of nuclear reactors expires, there will be an estimated total of 84,000 MTHm. No commercial reprocessing capacity exists or is planned in the US. Therefore, the continued storage of spent fuel is required. The majority of spent fuel remains in the spent fuel pools of the utilities that generated it. Three utilities are presently supplementing pool capacity with on-site dry storage technologies, and four others are planning dry storage. Commercial utilities are responsible for managing their spent fuel until the Federal waste management system, now under development, accepts spent fuel for storage and disposal. Federal legislation charges the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) within the US Department of Energy (DOE) with responsibility for developing a system to permanently dispose of spent fuel and high level radioactive waste in a manner that protects the health and safety of the public and the quality of the environment. We are developing a waste management system consisting for three components: a mined geologic repository, with a projected start date of 2010; a monitored retrievable storage facility (MRS), scheduled to begin waste acceptance in 1998; and a transportation system to support MRS and repository operations. This paper discusses the background and framework for the program, as well as the current status and plans for management of spent nuclear fuel at commercial utilities; the OCRWM's development of a permanent geologic repository, an MRS, and a transportation system; the OCRWM's safety approach; the OCRWM's program management initiatives; and the OCRWM's external relations activities

Class-Wide Access to a Commercial Step 1 Question Bank During Preclinical Organ-Based Modules: A Pilot Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Baños, James H; Pepin, Mark E; Van Wagoner, Nicholas

2018-03-01

The authors examined the usefulness of a commercially available Step 1 question bank as a formative academic support tool throughout organ-based modules in an integrated preclinical medical curriculum. The authors also determined the extent to which correlation between question bank utilization and academic metrics varied with Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores. In 2015, a cohort of 185 first-year medical students at University of Alabama School of Medicine were provided with 18-month full access to a commercially available Step 1 question bank of over 2,100 items throughout organ-based modules, although there were no requirements for use. Data on student use of the question bank were collected via an online administrative portal. Relationships between question bank utilization and academic outcomes including exams, module grades, and United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 were determined using multiple linear regression. MCAT scores and number of items attempted in the question bank significantly predicted all academic measures, with question bank utilization as the stronger predictor. The association between question bank utilization and academic outcome was stronger for individuals with lower MCAT scores. The findings elucidate a novel academic support mechanism that, for some programs, may help bridge the gap between holistic and mission-based admissions practices and a residency match process that places a premium on USMLE exam scores. Distributed formative use of USMLE Step 1 practice questions may be of value as an academic support tool that benefits all students, but particularly those entering with lower MCAT scores.

Open science versus commercialization: a modern research conflict?

Science.gov (United States)

Caulfield, Timothy; Harmon, Shawn He; Joly, Yann

2012-02-27

Efforts to improve research outcomes have resulted in genomic researchers being confronted with complex and seemingly contradictory instructions about how to perform their tasks. Over the past decade, there has been increasing pressure on university researchers to commercialize their work. Concurrently, they are encouraged to collaborate, share data and disseminate new knowledge quickly (that is, to adopt an open science model) in order to foster scientific progress, meet humanitarian goals, and to maximize the impact of their research. We present selected guidelines from three countries (Canada, United States, and United Kingdom) situated at the forefront of genomics to illustrate this potential policy conflict. Examining the innovation ecosystem and the messages conveyed by the different policies surveyed, we further investigate the inconsistencies between open science and commercialization policies. Commercialization and open science are not necessarily irreconcilable and could instead be envisioned as complementary elements of a more holistic innovation framework. Given the exploratory nature of our study, we wish to point out the need to gather additional evidence on the coexistence of open science and commercialization policies and on its impact, both positive and negative, on genomics academic research.

User Utility Oriented Queuing Model for Resource Allocation in Cloud Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhe Zhang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Resource allocation is one of the most important research topics in servers. In the cloud environment, there are massive hardware resources of different kinds, and many kinds of services are usually run on virtual machines of the cloud server. In addition, cloud environment is commercialized, and economical factor should also be considered. In order to deal with commercialization and virtualization of cloud environment, we proposed a user utility oriented queuing model for task scheduling. Firstly, we modeled task scheduling in cloud environment as an M/M/1 queuing system. Secondly, we classified the utility into time utility and cost utility and built a linear programming model to maximize total utility for both of them. Finally, we proposed a utility oriented algorithm to maximize the total utility. Massive experiments validate the effectiveness of our proposed model.

Commercial Crew Development Program Overview

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Richard W.

2011-01-01

NASA's Commercial Crew Development Program is designed to stimulate efforts within the private sector that will aid in the development and demonstration of safe, reliable, and cost-effective space transportation capabilities. With the goal of delivery cargo and eventually crew to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the International Space Station (ISS) the program is designed to foster the development of new spacecraft and launch vehicles in the commercial sector. Through Space Act Agreements (SAAs) in 2011 NASA provided $50M of funding to four partners; Blue Origin, The Boeing Company, Sierra Nevada Corporation, and SpaceX. Additional, NASA has signed two unfunded SAAs with ATK and United Space Alliance. This paper will give a brief summary of these SAAs. Additionally, a brief overview will be provided of the released version of the Commercial Crew Development Program plans and requirements documents.

Advanced commercial Tokamak optimization studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitley, R.H.; Berwald, D.H.; Gordon, J.D.

1985-01-01

Our recent studies have concentrated on developing optimal high beta (bean-shaped plasma) commercial tokamak configurations using TRW's Tokamak Reactor Systems Code (TRSC) with special emphasis on lower net electric power reactors that are more easily deployable. A wide range of issues were investigated in the search for the most economic configuration: fusion power, reactor size, wall load, magnet type, inboard blanket and shield thickness, plasma aspect ratio, and operational β value. The costs and configurations of both steady-state and pulsed reactors were also investigated. Optimal small and large reactor concepts were developed and compared by studying the cost of electricity from single units and from multiplexed units. Multiplexed units appear to have advantages because they share some plant equipment and have lower initial capital investment as compared to larger single units

Utilization of calcium carbonate particles from eggshell waste as coating pigments for ink-jet printing paper.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Sukjoon; Hsieh, Jeffery S; Zou, Peter; Kokoszka, John

2009-12-01

The effective treatment and utilization of biowaste have been emphasized in our society for environmental and economic concerns. Recently, the eggshell waste in the poultry industry has been highlighted because of its reclamation potential. This study presents an economical treatment process to recover useful bioproducts from eggshell waste and their utilization in commercial products. We developed the dissolved air floatation (DAF) separation unit, which successfully recovered 96% of eggshell membrane and 99% of eggshell calcium carbonate (ECC) particles from eggshell waste within 2 h of operation. The recovered ECC particles were utilized as coating pigments for ink-jet printing paper and their impact on the ink density and paper gloss were investigated. The addition of the ECC particles as coating pigments enhances the optical density of cyan, magenta and yellow inks while decreasing the black ink density and the gloss of the coated paper.

Blastocyst utilization rates after continuous culture in two commercial single-step media: a prospective randomized study with sibling oocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sfontouris, Ioannis A; Kolibianakis, Efstratios M; Lainas, George T; Venetis, Christos A; Petsas, George K; Tarlatzis, Basil C; Lainas, Tryfon G

2017-10-01

The aim of this study is to determine whether blastocyst utilization rates are different after continuous culture in two different commercial single-step media. This is a paired randomized controlled trial with sibling oocytes conducted in infertility patients, aged ≤40 years with ≥10 oocytes retrieved assigned to blastocyst culture and transfer. Retrieved oocytes were randomly allocated to continuous culture in either Sage one-step medium (Origio) or Continuous Single Culture (CSC) medium (Irvine Scientific) without medium renewal up to day 5 post oocyte retrieval. Main outcome measure was the proportion of embryos suitable for clinical use (utilization rate). A total of 502 oocytes from 33 women were randomly allocated to continuous culture in either Sage one-step medium (n = 250) or CSC medium (n = 252). Fertilization was performed by either in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and embryo transfers were performed on day 5. Two patients had all blastocysts frozen due to the occurrence of severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Fertilization and cleavage rates, as well as embryo quality on day 3, were similar in the two media. Blastocyst utilization rates (%, 95% CI) [55.4% (46.4-64.1) vs 54.7% (44.9-64.6), p = 0.717], blastocyst formation rates [53.6% (44.6-62.5) vs 51.9 (42.2-61.6), p = 0.755], and proportion of good quality blastocysts [36.8% (28.1-45.4) vs 36.1% (27.2-45.0), p = 0.850] were similar in Sage one-step and CSC media, respectively. Continuous culture of embryos in Sage one-step and CSC media is associated with similar blastocyst development and utilization rates. Both single-step media appear to provide adequate support during in vitro preimplantation embryo development. Whether these observations are also valid for other continuous single medium protocols remains to be determined. NCT02302638.

Clinical Characteristics, Health Care Utilization and Costs Among Men with Primary or Secondary Hypogonadism in a US Commercially Insured Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Grabner, Michael; Bodhani, Amit; Khandelwal, Nikhil; Palli, Swetha; Bonine, Nicole; Khera, Mohit

2017-01-01

Hypogonadism is broadly associated with increases in chronic comorbid conditions and health care costs. Little is known about the specific impact of primary and secondary hypogonadism on health care costs. To characterize the health care cost and utilization burden of primary and secondary hypogonadism in a population of US men with commercial insurance. Newly diagnosed patients with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes associated with specific medical conditions known to have a high prevalence of testosterone deficiency (ie, relating to primary or secondary hypogonadism) or who had fills for testosterone replacement therapy from January 1, 2007 through April 30, 2013 were identified in administrative claims data from the HealthCore Integrated Research Database. A cohort of patients without hypogonadism was matched on demographics and comorbidities. The matched hypogonadism and non-hypogonadism cohorts (n = 5,777 in each cohort) were compared during a 12-month follow-up period. Direct health care expenditures and utilization were assessed for all causes and for hypogonadism-related claims. Costs included out-of-pocket patient expenditures and those paid by the insurer. Hypogonadism and matched non-hypogonadism cohorts were similar in demographics (mean age = 50 years) and diagnosed comorbid conditions in the 12 months preceding the index date. In the year after the index date, mean all-cause expenditures for patients with hypogonadism increased by 62% (from $5,425 to $8,813) compared with 25% for the matched controls (from $4,786 to $5,992; P groups). Approximately 16% of total mean costs ($1,377), primarily outpatient and pharmacy costs, were identifiable as related to hypogonadism. These data from a population of US men with commercial insurance coverage showed a greater resource use burden for patients with primary and secondary hypogonadism compared with similar patients without hypogonadism. Additional

Clinical utility of dabigatran in United Arab Emirates

Science.gov (United States)

Shehab, Abdulla; Elnour, Asim A.; Sadik, Adel; Mandil, Mahmoud Abu; AlShamsi, Ali; Suwaidi, Aesha Al; Bhagavathula, AkshayaSrikanth; Erkekoglu, Pinar; Hamad, Farah; Nuaimi, Saif K. Al

2015-01-01

Objectives: To provide early data regarding clinical utility of dabigatran in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: This was an ethics approved retrospective cross sectional study. We retrieved a total of 76 patients who were using dabigatran from September to December 2014 in the Cardiology Clinic at Al-Ain Hospital, Al-Ain, UAE. The primary analysis was designed to test the frequency of bleeding events (rate) with dabigatran 75, 110, and 150 mg. Results: The mean age ± standard deviation of cohort was 67.9 ± 1.5 years (range; 29-98 years), composed of males (52.6%) with mean age of 66.3 ± 1.7 years, and females (47.4%) with mean age of 69.6 ± 1.1 years. The highest age group was those between 61-80 years (60.5%). Most comprised the age strata of ≤75 years (73.7%). The main indication for dabigatran use was atrial fibrillation. The rate of bleeding with dabigatran was 18/76 (23.7%), and melena was the leading cause of bleeding 8/76 (10.7%). The hospitalization rate was 67.1%, dabigatran withdrawal rate was 0.01%, and mortality rate was 6.5%. The cohort had exhibited incidences of minor bleeding with one fatal major bleeding, high co-morbidities, admission, and readmission, which was not directly linked to dabigatran. We did not identify any relation of death due to dabigatran. Conclusion: Dabigatran is a suitable alternative to warfarin obviating the need for repetitive international normalized ratio monitoring, however, it may need plasma drug monitoring. PMID:26593161

Material degradation - a nuclear utility's view

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spekkens, P.

2007-01-01

Degradation of nuclear plant materials has been responsible for major costs and unit outage time. As such, nuclear utilities are important end users of the information produced by R and D on material degradation. This plenary describes the significance of material degradation for the nuclear utilities, and how utilities use information about material degradation in their short, medium and long term planning activities. Utilities invest in R and D programs to assist them in their business objective of operating safely, reliably and cost competitively. Material degradation impacts all three of these business drivers. Utilities make decisions on life cycle planning, unit refurbishment and 'new build' projects on the basis of their understanding of the behaviour of a variety of materials in a broad range of environments. The R and D being carried out today will determine the future business success of the nuclear utilities. The R and D program needs to be broadly based to include a range of materials, environments and time-frames, particularly any new materials proposed for use in new units. The R and D community needs to help the utility managers make choices that will result in an optimized materials R and D program

Impact of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stal) in Mid-Atlantic tree fruit orchards in the United States: case studies of commercial management

Science.gov (United States)

Four commercial orchards in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States were surveyed weekly in 2010 and 2011 for the presence of brown marmorated stink bug and the injury caused to both apple and peaches. Among tested sampling techniques, baited pyramid traps yielded the most brown marmorated sti...

Predictors of Donor Heart Utilization for Transplantation in United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Trivedi, Jaimin R; Cheng, Allen; Gallo, Michele; Schumer, Erin M; Massey, H Todd; Slaughter, Mark S

2017-06-01

Optimum use of donor organs can increase the reach of the transplantation therapy to more patients on waiting list. The heart transplantation (HTx) has remained stagnant in United States over the past decade at approximately 2,500 HTx annually. With the use of the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) deceased donor database (DCD) we aimed to evaluate donor factors predicting donor heart utilization. UNOS DCD was queried from 2005 to 2014 to identify total number of donors who had at least one of their organs donated. We then generated a multivariate logistic regression model using various demographic and clinical donor factors to predict donor heart use for HTx. Donor hearts not recovered due to consent or family issues or recovered for nontransplantation reasons were excluded from the analysis. During the study period there were 80,782 donors of which 23,606 (29%) were used for HTx, and 38,877 transplants (48%) were not used after obtaining consent because of poor organ function (37%), donor medical history (13%), and organ refused by all programs (5%). Of all, 22,791 donors with complete data were used for logistic regression (13,389 HTx, 9,402 no-HTx) which showed significant predictors of donor heart use for HTx. From this model we assigned probability of donor heart use and identified 3,070 donors with HTx-eligible unused hearts for reasons of poor organ function (28%), organ refused by all programs (15%), and recipient not located (9%). An objective system based on donor factors can predict donor heart use for HTx and may help increase availability of hearts for transplantation from existing donor pool. Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Practical constraints on fuel management a utility perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grier, C.A.

1986-01-01

The practical and potential constraints of performing fuel management at a large utility are reviewed. Based on approximately six years of experience in performing fuel management the constraints due to commercial, technical, utility system, design methods, and personnel and computer resources are discussed in detail

75 FR 69630 - Impact of Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention on Commercial Activities Involving...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-15

... Biotechnology,'' calls for the President to certify to Congress on an annual basis that ``the legitimate commercial activities and interests of chemical, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical firms in the United States... commercial activities and interests of chemical, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical firms in the United States...

A Retrofit Tool for Improving Energy Efficiency of Commercial Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levine, Mark; Feng, Wei; Ke, Jing; Hong, Tianzhen; Zhou, Nan

2013-06-06

Existing buildings will dominate energy use in commercial buildings in the United States for three decades or longer and even in China for the about two decades. Retrofitting these buildings to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy use is thus critical to achieving the target of reducing energy use in the buildings sector. However there are few evaluation tools that can quickly identify and evaluate energy savings and cost effectiveness of energy conservation measures (ECMs) for retrofits, especially for buildings in China. This paper discusses methods used to develop such a tool and demonstrates an application of the tool for a retrofit analysis. The tool builds on a building performance database with pre-calculated energy consumption of ECMs for selected commercial prototype buildings using the EnergyPlus program. The tool allows users to evaluate individual ECMs or a package of ECMs. It covers building envelope, lighting and daylighting, HVAC, plug loads, service hot water, and renewable energy. The prototype building can be customized to represent an actual building with some limitations. Energy consumption from utility bills can be entered into the tool to compare and calibrate the energy use of the prototype building. The tool currently can evaluate energy savings and payback of ECMs for shopping malls in China. We have used the tool to assess energy and cost savings for retrofit of the prototype shopping mall in Shanghai. Future work on the tool will simplify its use and expand it to cover other commercial building types and other countries.

CASH 2021: Commercial access and space habitation

Science.gov (United States)

Aldrin, Andrew; Amara, Adam; Aris, Lodewijk; Baierl, Nida; Beatty, Patrick; Beaulieu, Catherine; Behnke, Torsten; Castegini, Roberta; Chauhan, Amitabh; Cojanis, Philip; Dayawansa, Pelawa; Diop, Marie; Eito, Kinya; Engle, Steve; Ferretti, Stefano; Gassama, Hamet; Genova, Bojana; Goulding, Colin; Janjua, Jameel; Jansaeng, Thidarat; Jousset, Frédéric; Kopik, Anatoly; Laurin, Catherine; Leggatt, Jason; Li, Hengnian; Mezzadri, Monica; Miura, Amane; Nolet, Simon; Ogami, Satoshi; Patry, Johanne; Patten, Laryssa; Payerne, Cyril; Peer, Guy; Prampolini, Marco; Rheaume, Caroline; Saary, Joan; Spehar, Daniela; Sufi, Atiya; Sun, Baosheng; Thompson, J. Barry; Thomson, Ward; Trautner, Roland; Tursunmuratov, Murat; Venet, Vrata; Wilems, Elizabeth; Wilson, Helen; Wittwer, Karl; Wokke, Frank; Wu, Yansheng; Zhou, Shaobin; Zilioli, Ilaria

2002-07-01

Issues about commercialization of space have been a growing concern in the past decade for the space community. This paper focuses on the work from a team of 51 students attending the Summer Session Program of the International Space University in Bremen, Germany. CASH 2021 (Commercial Access and Space Habitation) documents a plan that identifies commercial opportunities for space utilization that will extend human presence in space, and will chart the way forward for the next 20 years. The group selected four commercial sectors that show the most promise for the future: tourism, entertainment, space system service, assembly and debris removal, and research and development/production. The content of this document presents the results of their research. Historical activities in each of the commercial sectors are reviewed along with the current market situation. To provide a coherent background for future commercialization possibilities a scenario has been developed. This scenario includes a postulated upon ideal future and includes social, political and economic factors that may affect the space industry over the timeline of the study. The study also presents a roadmap, within the limited optimistic scenario developed, for the successful commercialization of space leading to future human presence in space. A broad range of commercially viable opportunities, not only within the current limits of the International Space Station, but also among the many new developments that are expected by 2021 are discussed.

Comparison of Overridden Medication-related Clinical Decision Support in the Intensive Care Unit between a Commercial System and a Legacy System.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Adrian; Wright, Adam; Seger, Diane L; Amato, Mary G; Fiskio, Julie M; Bates, David

2017-08-23

Electronic health records (EHRs) with clinical decision support (CDS) have shown to be effective at improving patient safety. Despite this, alerts delivered as part of CDS are overridden frequently, which is of concern in the critical care population as this group may have an increased risk of harm. Our organization recently transitioned from an internally-developed EHR to a commercial system. Data comparing various EHR systems, especially after transitions between EHRs, are needed to identify areas for improvement. To compare the two systems and identify areas for potential improvement with the new commercial system at a single institution. Overridden medication-related CDS alerts were included from October to December of the systems' respective years (legacy, 2011; commercial, 2015), restricted to three intensive care units. The two systems were compared with regards to CDS presentation and override rates for four types of CDS: drug-allergy, drug-drug interaction (DDI), geriatric and renal alerts. A post hoc analysis to evaluate for adverse drug events (ADEs) potentially resulting from overridden alerts was performed for 'contraindicated' DDIs via chart review. There was a significant increase in provider exposure to alerts and alert overrides in the commercial system (commercial: n=5,535; legacy: n=1,030). Rates of overrides were higher for the allergy and DDI alerts (pcommercial system. Geriatric and renal alerts were significantly different in incidence and presentation between the two systems. No ADEs were identified in an analysis of 43 overridden contraindicated DDI alerts. The vendor system had much higher rates of both alerts and overrides, although we did not find evidence of harm in a review of DDIs which were overridden. We propose recommendations for improving our current system which may be helpful to other similar institutions; improving both alert presentation and the underlying knowledge base appear important.

50 CFR 35.5 - Commercial enterprises, roads, motor vehicles, motorized equipment, motorboats, aircraft...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Commercial enterprises, roads, motor... Rules § 35.5 Commercial enterprises, roads, motor vehicles, motorized equipment, motorboats, aircraft... private rights, there shall be no commercial enterprise and no permanent road within a wilderness unit...

Quality electric motor repair: A guidebook for electric utilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schueler, V.; Douglass, J.

1995-08-01

This guidebook provides utilities with a resource for better understanding and developing their roles in relation to electric motor repair shops and the industrial and commercial utility customers that use them. The guidebook includes information and tools that utilities can use to raise the quality of electric motor repair practices in their service territories.

A space exploration strategy that promotes international and commercial participation

Science.gov (United States)

Arney, Dale C.; Wilhite, Alan W.; Chai, Patrick R.; Jones, Christopher A.

2014-01-01

NASA has created a plan to implement the Flexible Path strategy, which utilizes a heavy lift launch vehicle to deliver crew and cargo to orbit. In this plan, NASA would develop much of the transportation architecture (launch vehicle, crew capsule, and in-space propulsion), leaving the other in-space elements open to commercial and international partnerships. This paper presents a space exploration strategy that reverses that philosophy, where commercial and international launch vehicles provide launch services. Utilizing a propellant depot to aggregate propellant on orbit, smaller launch vehicles are capable of delivering all of the mass necessary for space exploration. This strategy has benefits to the architecture in terms of cost, schedule, and reliability.

Effect of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising on Statin Use in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Hsien-Yen; Murimi, Irene; Daubresse, Matthew; Qato, Dima M; Emery, Sherry L; Alexander, G Caleb

2017-08-01

The value of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs is widely debated, as is the effect of DTCA on prescription sales and health care utilization. We examined the association between DTCA intensity for statin medications and prescription sales and cholesterol-related health care utilization. We conducted an ecological study for 75 designated market areas from 2005 to 2009 in the United States using linked data regarding televised DTCA volume, non-DTCA marketing and promotion, retail, mail order and long-term care prescription drug sales, prescription drug and ambulatory care health care utilization, and contextual factors such as health care density and socioeconomic status. Main outcomes and measures were volume of sales, number of dispensed prescriptions, and high cholesterol-related outpatient visits. Analyses were conducted in 2016. The intensity of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin ad exposures per household varied substantially across designated market areas. After adjustment for socioeconomic, demographic, and clinical characteristics, each 100-unit increase in advertisement viewership was associated with a 2.22% [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.30%-4.19%] increase in statin sales. Similar patterns were observed between DTCA and statin dispensing among the commercially insured. DTCA was associated with increases in high cholesterol-related outpatient visits among adults 18-45 years of age (3.15% increase in visits per 100-unit increase in viewership, 95% CI, 0.98%-5.37%) but not among those 46-65 years of age (0.51%, 95% CI, -1.49% to 2.55%). DTCA for statins is associated with increases in statin utilization and hyperlipidemia-related outpatient visits, especially for young adults.

Haphazard commercialization: a potential threat to sustainable commercial development in metropolitan cities? The case of Lahore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nadeem, O.; Hameed, R.

2005-01-01

The demand of urban space for commercial development due to unprecedented population growth has surpassed the planned supply delivered by planning agencies in metropolitan cities of Pakistan. As a corollary to that, conversion of residential land use into various types of commercial activities has sprung up particularly along major roads of planned residential areas and arterial roads of cities. These conversions have proceeded, both with and without official consent, largely in a haphazard manner without following a coherent strategy. This has resulted in acute parking problems, reduction in traffic capacity of roads and resultant increase in congestion, energy use, air and noise pollution, and burden on utility services. Permitting conversion of land use in a haphazard manner seems not only a departure from planning principles but also jeopardizing the spatial structure of cities causing serious environmental repercussions. This paper presents evidence to the above observations through a detailed study of the environmental impact of commercial development in Lahore. The study is based on detailed land use, socio-economic, traffic, and parking surveys in carefully selected sample of three major housing schemes variously located in Lahore. The paper argues that weak development control, out-dated master plan, and inappropriate commercialization policies of the Government have lead to unsustainable pattern of commercial development even in planned residential areas. The findings of the study call for formulation of environmentally friendly commercialization policy. This will also involve redefining basic land use allocation standards and improvements in the design considerations so as to promote sustainable development of commercial areas in metropolitan cities. (author)

Review of inter-utility trade in electricity: Analyses of submissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-04-01

In November 1992, Canada's National Energy Board released two discussion papers describing its review of inter-utility trade in electricity. The review was undertaken to report on measures that could be taken to enhance interprovincial trade in electricity by encouraging greater cooperation among utilities in systems planning and development, and by enabling buyers and sellers of electricity to obtain commercial access to available transmission capacity through intermediate provinces for wheeling purposes. Interested parties were invited to comment on the papers and 42 responses were received from Canadian utilities, provincial governments, regulatory agencies, and others. These responses are summarized and analyzed, providing an indication of how future policy initiatives on electricity trade might be received. Most submitters agreed that there is a need to enable commercial access to available transmission capacity through intermediate provinces for wheeling purposes. Of the seven options described in the discussion papers that would enable buyers and sellers of electricity to gain commercial access to transmission grids, the status quo was preferred by those utilities and provinces that have direct access to export markets by virtue of their geographic location. Those utilities and provinces that do not have such direct access tend to support, as a last resort, mandated solutions to disputes concerning electricity trade. 78 figs

X-rays utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rebigan, F.

1979-03-01

The modality of X-ray utilization in different activities and economy is given. One presents firstly quantities and units used in radiation dosimetry and other fields. One gives the generation of X-rays, their properties as well as the elements of radiation protection. The utilization characteristics of these radiations in different fields are finally given. (author)

Thermal Unit Commitment Scheduling Problem in Utility System by Tabu Search Embedded Genetic Algorithm Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Christober Asir Rajan

2008-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to find the generation scheduling such that the total operating cost can be minimized, when subjected to a variety of constraints. This also means that it is desirable to find the optimal unit commitment in the power system for the next H hours. A 66-bus utility power system in India demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach; extensive studies have also been performed for different IEEE test systems consist of 24, 57 and 175 buses. Numerical results are shown comparing the cost solutions and computation time obtained by different intelligence and conventional methods.

AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF SPORTS UTILITY VEHICLES IN THE UNITED STATES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davis, S.C.

2000-08-16

During the 1990s, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) became the fastest growing segment of the auto industry, especially those in the medium-size category. In 1999, SUV sales reached almost 19% of the total light vehicle market and the mix of SUVs on the road, as measured by registration data, was about 8.7%. This immense popularity has been called by some a passing fad--vehicle purchases based on the SUV ''image''. But the continued yearly increases in SUV sales seem to indicate a more permanent trend. Additional explanations for SUV popularity include the general economic well being in the United States, a perception of safety, and ''utility''. Generally larger and heavier than the typical automobile, SUVs require more fuel per mile to operate and produce greater amounts of pollutants. They are also driven further annually than are automobiles of the same vintage, a fact that exacerbates the fuel-use and emission problems. Although buyers believe that SUVs are safer than automobiles which they are in some cases, SUVs are more prone to roll-overs than are automobiles. In addition, SUVs, with their higher bumpers and greater weight, may be a threat to other vehicles on the highway, especially in side-impact crashes. With sales projected to grow to over 3 million units per year beginning in 2001, SUVs show no sign of decreasing in popularity. These vehicles are used primarily for general mobility, rather than off-road activities. An emphasis on better fuel economy and improved emissions control could address environmental and oil dependency concerns. In fact, recently, two vehicle manufacturers announced intentions of improving the fuel economy of their SUVs in the next few years. Also, tests simulating crashes involving automobiles and SUVs could provide valuable data for identifying potential safety design issues. It is clear that automobiles and SUVs will be sharing the highways for years to come.

Utility FGD Survey, January--December 1989

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hance, S.L.; McKibben, R.S.; Jones, F.M. (IT Corp., Cincinnati, OH (United States))

1992-03-01

The Utility flue gas desulfurization (FGD) Survey report, which is generated by a computerized data base management system, represents a survey of operational and planned domestic utility flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems. It summarizes information contributed by the utility industry, system and equipment suppliers, system designers, research organizations, and regulatory agencies. The data cover system design, fuel characteristics, operating history, and actual system performance. Also included is a unit-by-unit discussion of problems and solutions associated with the boilers, scrubbers, and FGD systems. The development status (operational, under construction, or in the planning stages), system supplier, process, waste disposal practice, and regulatory class are tabulated alphabetically by utility company.

Utilizing Commercial Real Estate Owner and Investor Data to Analyze the Financial Performance of Energy Efficient, High-Performance Office Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cloutier, Deborah [JDM Associates, Falls Church, VA (United States); Hosseini, Farshid [JDM Associates, Falls Church, VA (United States); White, Andrew [JDM Associates, Falls Church, VA (United States)

2017-05-01

Evidence has shown that owning and operating energy-efficient, high-performance, “green” properties results in multiple benefits including lower utility bills, higher rents, improved occupancy, and greater net operating income. However, it is difficult to isolate and control moderating factors to identify the specific drivers behind improved financial performance and value to investors that results from sustainability in real estate. DOE is interested in facilitating deeper investigation of the correlation between energy efficiency and financial performance, reducing data acquisition and matching challenges, and developing a stronger understanding of how sustainable design and energy efficiency impact value. DOE commissioned this pilot study to test the logistical and empirical procedures required to establish a Commercial Real Estate Data Aggregation & Trends Analysis lab, determine the potential benefits available through the lab, and contribute to the existing body of evidence in this field.

Study on commercial HTGR hydrogen production system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishihara, Tetsuo

2000-07-01

The Japanese energy demand in 2030 will increase up to 117% in comparison with one in 2000. We have to avoid a large consumption of fossil fuel that induces a large CO 2 emission from viewpoint of global warming. Furthermore new energy resources expected to resolve global warming have difficulty to be introduced more because of their low energy density. As a result, nuclear power still has a possibility of large introduction to meet the increasing energy demand. On the other hand, in Japan, 40% of fossil fuels in the primary energy are utilized for power generation, and the remaining are utilized as a heat source. New clean energy is required to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and hydrogen is expected as a alternative energy resource. Prediction of potential hydrogen demand in Japan is carried out and it is clarified that the demand will potentially increase up to 4% of total primary energy in 2050. In present, steam reforming method is the most economical among hydrogen generation processes and the cost of hydrogen production is about 7 to 8 yen/m 3 in Europe and the United States and about 13 yen/m 3 in Japan. JAERI has proposed for using the HTGR whose maximum core outlet temperature is at 950degC as a heat source in the steam reforming to reduced the consumption of fossil fuels and resulting CO 2 emission. Based on the survey of the production rate and the required thermal energy in conventional industry, it is clarified that a hydrogen production system by the steam reforming is the best process for the commercial HTGR nuclear heat utilization. The HTGR steam reforming system and other candidate nuclear heat utilization systems are considered from viewpoint of system layout and economy. From the results, the hydrogen production cost in the HTGR stream reforming system is expected to be about 13.5 yen/m 3 if the cost of nuclear heat of the HTGR is the same as one of the LWR. (author)

Drug utilization study in a burn care unit of a tertiary care hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santoshkumar R Jeevangi

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate drug utilization and associated costs for the treatment of patients admitted in burn care unit of a tertiary care hospital. Methods: A prospective cross sectional study was conducted for a period of 15 months at Basaweshwara Teaching and General Hospital (BTGH, Gulbarga and the data collected was analyzed for various drug use indicators. Results: A total of 100 prescriptions were collected with 44% belonging to males and 56% to females. The average number of drugs per prescription ranged from 4.5 to 9.5. 9.5% of generics and 92% of essential drugs were prescribed. The opioid analgesics and sedatives were prescribed to all the patients who were admitted in burn care unit. The (Defined daily dose DDD/1 000/day for amikacin (359 was the highest followed by diclofenac sodium (156, pantoprazole (144, diazepam (130, ceftazidime (124, tramadol (115, ceftriaxone (84 and for paracetamol (4 which was the lowest. Conclusions: Significant amount of the money was spent on procurement of drugs. Most of the money was spent on prescribed antibiotics. The prescription of generic drugs should be promoted, for cost effective treatment. Hence the results of the present study indicate that there is a considerable scope for improvement in the prescription pattern.

United States uranium enrichment policies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, R.W.

1977-01-01

ERDA's uranium enrichment program policies governing the manner in which ERDA's enrichment complex is being operated and expanded to meet customer requirements for separative work, research and development activities directed at providing technology alternatives for future enrichment capacity, and establishing the framework for additional domestic uranium enrichment capacity to meet the domestic and foreign nuclear industry's growing demand for enrichment services are considered. The ERDA enrichment complex consists of three gaseous diffusion plants located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Paducah, Kentucky; and Portsmouth, Ohio. Today, these plants provide uranium enrichment services for commercial nuclear power generation. These enrichment services are provided under contracts between the Government and the utility customers. ERDA's program involves a major pilot plant cascade, and pursues an advanced isotope separation technique for the late 1980's. That the United States must develop additional domestic uranium enrichment capacity is discussed

Emergency operating instruction improvements at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Units 2 and 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trillo, M.W.; Smith, B.H.

1989-01-01

In late 1987, San Onofre nuclear generating station (SONGS) began an extensive upgrade of the units 2 and 3 emergency operating instructions (EOIs). The original intent of this program was to incorporate revised generic guidance and to correct problems that were identified by operators. While this program was in progress, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) conducted a series of audits of emergency operating procedure (EOP) development and maintenance programs as 16 commercial nuclear facilities in the United States. These audits included four stations with Combustion Engineering-designed nuclear steam supply systems. (One of these audits included a review of preupgrade SONGS units 2 and 3 EOIs.) Significant industrywide comments resulted from these audits. The NRC has stated its intent to continue the review and audit of EOIs and the associated maintenance programs at all US commercial nuclear facilities. The units 2 and 3 EOI upgrade program developed procedural improvements and procedural program maintenance improvements that address many of the existing audit comments that have been received by the industry. Other resulting improvements may be useful in minimizing NRC comments in future such audits. Specific improvements are discussed. The upgrade program resulted in benefits that were not originally anticipated. The results of this program can be of significant use by other utilities in addressing the industrywide concerns that have been raised in recent NRC audits of EOP development and maintenance programs

Residential, Commercial, and Utility-Scale Photovoltaic (PV) System Prices in the United States: Current Drivers and Cost-Reduction Opportunities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goodrich, A.; James, T.; Woodhouse, M.

2012-02-01

The price of photovoltaic (PV) systems in the United States (i.e., the cost to the system owner) has dropped precipitously in recent years, led by substantial reductions in global PV module prices. However, system cost reductions are not necessarily realized or realized in a timely manner by many customers. Many reasons exist for the apparent disconnects between installation costs, component prices, and system prices; most notable is the impact of fair market value considerations on system prices. To guide policy and research and development strategy decisions, it is necessary to develop a granular perspective on the factors that underlie PV system prices and to eliminate subjective pricing parameters. This report's analysis of the overnight capital costs (cash purchase) paid for PV systems attempts to establish an objective methodology that most closely approximates the book value of PV system assets.

The commercial prospects for tidal stream power

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-07-01

The prospects for obtaining energy from tidal currents were examined in 1993 when it was concluded that, although the UK resource is large, the unit cost of energy would be relatively high. Interest has continued, however, and in December 2000 the Energy Technology Support Unit (ETSU), on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), commissioned Binnie Black and Veatch (BBV) to re-examine these prospects from a commercial point of view. (author)

Research on Memetic Phenomena in Commercial Advertisements

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

张丽

2015-01-01

Meme plays an important role in the development of advertisement as a unit of culture.Its replication and transmission provide an effective means for creating advertisements and a new way for us to analyze advertising language.Two ways including memetic genotype and memetic phenotype for memes to be replicated and transmitted in the advertising language are analyzed.Then,how to successfully create commercial advertisements is explored.Finally,it is concluded that the concise,familiar,popular and original memes can contribute to successful commercial advertisements.

Imperatives for using plutonium in commercial power reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandquist, G.M.; Kunze, J.F.

1995-01-01

The use of reprocessed or newly produced plutonium as a fissile fuel in commercial nuclear reactors in the US has been actively suppressed by the current US Administration. Yet, many other advanced nations have already adopted mixed oxide fuels which are manufactured from a mixture of plutonium and natural uranium compounds. These nations have successfully proven the use of such nuclear fuel in their commercial power reactors for many years. The full consequence of the restrictive nuclear policy in the US will greatly limit the lifetime of the nuclear fuel resources in the US from a nominal potential of 100 centuries or more of potential energy supply to about 50 years or less at economical prices for uranium. This paper addresses both the imperatives and the potential and the perceived hazards of plutonium utilization and examines the consequences of government policy regarding utilization of nuclear power

Radiation damage in commercial optical fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertolotti, M.; Franceschini, F.A.; Serra, A.

1978-01-01

Experimental results obtained by exposure of commercial optical fibers to 60 Co γ-ray irradiation, are reported. The possibility of utilizing these fibers as far as a total dose of 6000 rad in the light spectrum is shown. It is also shown that it is possible to obtain total recovery of irradiated fibers by annealing at 500 0 C. (author)

Commercial production of specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals from biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McChesney, J.D. [Univ. of Mississippi, University, MS (United States)

1993-12-31

The chemical substances utilized in consumer products, and for pharmaceutical and agricultural uses are generally referred to as specialty chemicals. These may be flavor or fragrance substances, intermediates for synthesis of drugs or agrochemicals or the drugs or agrochemicals themselves, insecticides or insect pheromones or antifeedants, plant growth regulators, etc. These are in contrast to chemicals which are utilized in large quantities for fuels or preparation of plastics, lubricants, etc., which are usually referred to as industrial chemicals. The specific utilization of specialty chemicals is associated with a specific important physiochemical or biological property. They may possess unique properties as lubricants or waxes or have a very desirable biological activity such as a drug, agrochemical or perfume ingredient. These unique properties convey significant economic value to the specific specialty chemical. The economic commercial production of specialty chemicals commonly requires the isolation of a precursor or the specialty chemical itself from a natural source. The discovery, development and commercialization of specialty chemicals is presented and reviewed. The economic and sustainable production of specialty chemicals is discussed.

Progress in the U.S. nuclear utility industry 1979-1989

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1989-07-01

March 28, 1979 changed the course of the commercial U.S. nuclear utility industry. An accident at Three Mile Island Nuclear Station Unit 2 in Middletown, Pennsylvania damaged the reactor's fuel core, as well as the industry's reputation and confidence. In the months after the event, the president of the United States, the nuclear industry, the public, government regulators and the media sought answers to many questions. Among the most important were, how and why did the accident happen? The President's Commission on the Accident at TMI, the Kemeny Commission, was formed to address these questions. Four major causes were identified by the commission: - inadequate or inappropriate operator training; - mechanical problems and faulty instrumentation; - poor control room design; - communication failures at the facility and in information exchange within the industry. Of even greater importance was another question: How could another such accident be prevented? A look at the industry's progress in the 10 years since the TMI accident shows this question has been vigorously addressed and that corrective actions have been taken.

Progress in the U.S. nuclear utility industry 1979-1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

March 28, 1979 changed the course of the commercial U.S. nuclear utility industry. An accident at Three Mile Island Nuclear Station Unit 2 in Middletown, Pennsylvania damaged the reactor's fuel core, as well as the industry's reputation and confidence. In the months after the event, the president of the United States, the nuclear industry, the public, government regulators and the media sought answers to many questions. Among the most important were, how and why did the accident happen? The President's Commission on the Accident at TMI, the Kemeny Commission, was formed to address these questions. Four major causes were identified by the commission: - inadequate or inappropriate operator training; - mechanical problems and faulty instrumentation; - poor control room design; - communication failures at the facility and in information exchange within the industry. Of even greater importance was another question: How could another such accident be prevented? A look at the industry's progress in the 10 years since the TMI accident shows this question has been vigorously addressed and that corrective actions have been taken

Commercial Building Energy Saver: An energy retrofit analysis toolkit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Tianzhen; Piette, Mary Ann; Chen, Yixing; Lee, Sang Hoon; Taylor-Lange, Sarah C.; Zhang, Rongpeng; Sun, Kaiyu; Price, Phillip

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Commercial Building Energy Saver is a powerful toolkit for energy retrofit analysis. • CBES provides benchmarking, load shape analysis, and model-based retrofit assessment. • CBES covers 7 building types, 6 vintages, 16 climates, and 100 energy measures. • CBES includes a web app, API, and a database of energy efficiency performance. • CBES API can be extended and integrated with third party energy software tools. - Abstract: Small commercial buildings in the United States consume 47% of the total primary energy of the buildings sector. Retrofitting small and medium commercial buildings poses a huge challenge for owners because they usually lack the expertise and resources to identify and evaluate cost-effective energy retrofit strategies. This paper presents the Commercial Building Energy Saver (CBES), an energy retrofit analysis toolkit, which calculates the energy use of a building, identifies and evaluates retrofit measures in terms of energy savings, energy cost savings and payback. The CBES Toolkit includes a web app (APP) for end users and the CBES Application Programming Interface (API) for integrating CBES with other energy software tools. The toolkit provides a rich set of features including: (1) Energy Benchmarking providing an Energy Star score, (2) Load Shape Analysis to identify potential building operation improvements, (3) Preliminary Retrofit Analysis which uses a custom developed pre-simulated database and, (4) Detailed Retrofit Analysis which utilizes real-time EnergyPlus simulations. CBES includes 100 configurable energy conservation measures (ECMs) that encompass IAQ, technical performance and cost data, for assessing 7 different prototype buildings in 16 climate zones in California and 6 vintages. A case study of a small office building demonstrates the use of the toolkit for retrofit analysis. The development of CBES provides a new contribution to the field by providing a straightforward and uncomplicated decision

Utility FGD survey, January--December 1988

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hance, S.L.; McKibben, R.S.; Jones, F.M. (IT Corp., Cincinnati, OH (United States))

1991-09-01

The Utility FGD Survey report, which is generated by a computerized data base management system, represents a survey of operational and planned domestic utility flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems. It summarizes information contributed by the utility industry, system and equipment suppliers, systems designers, research organizations, and regulatory agencies. The data cover system design, fuel characteristics, operating history, and actual system performance. Also included is a unit-by-unit discussion of problems and solutions associated with the boilers, scrubbers, and FGD systems. The development status (operational, under construction, or in the planning stages), system supplier, process, waste disposal practice, and regulatory class are tabulated alphabetically by utility company. Simplified process flow diagrams of FGD systems, definitions, and a glossary of terms are attached to the report. Current data for domestic FGD systems show systems in operation, systems under construction, and systems planned. The current total FGD-controlled capacity in the United States is 67,091 MW.

Utility FGD survey, January--December 1988

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hance, S.L.; McKibben, R.S.; Jones, F.M. (IT Corp., Cincinnati, OH (United States))

1991-09-01

The Utility FGD Survey report, which is generated by a computerized data base management system, represents a survey of operational and planned domestic utility flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems. It summarizes information contributed by the utility industry, system and equipment suppliers, system designers, research organizations, and regulatory agencies. The data cover system design, fuel characteristics, operating history, and actual system performance. Also included is a unit-by-unit discussion of problems and solutions associated with the boilers, scrubbers, and FGD systems. The development status (operational, under construction, or in the planning stages), system supplier, process, waste disposal practice, and regulatory class are tabulated alphabetically by utility company. Simplified process flow diagrams of FGD systems, definitions, and a glossary of terms are attached to the report. Current data for domestic FGD systems show systems in operation, systems under construction, and systems planned. The current total FGD-controlled capacity in the United States is 67,091 MW.

Simulation and optimization of an industrial PSA unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barg C.

2000-01-01

Full Text Available The Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA units have been used as a low cost alternative to the usual gas separation processes. Its largest commercial application is for hydrogen purification systems. Several studies have been made about the simulation of pressure swing adsorption units, but there are only few reports on the optimization of such processes. The objective of this study is to simulate and optimize an industrial PSA unit for hydrogen purification. This unit consists of six beds, each of them have three layers of different kinds of adsorbents. The main impurities are methane, carbon monoxide and sulfidric gas. The product stream has 99.99% purity in hydrogen, and the recovery is around 90%. A mathematical model for a commercial PSA unit is developed. The cycle time and the pressure swing steps are optimized. All the features concerning with complex commercial processes are considered.

Exploring Demand Charge Savings from Commercial Solar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Darghouth, Naim [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Barbose, Galen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Mills, Andrew [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Wiser, Ryan [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Gagnon, Pieter [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bird, Lori [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-07-31

Commercial retail electricity rates commonly include a demand charge component, based on some measure of the customer’s peak demand. Customer-sited solar PV can potentially reduce demand charges, but the magnitude of these savings can be difficult to predict, given variations in demand charge designs, customer loads, and PV generation profiles. Moreover, depending on the circumstances, demand charges from solar may or may not align well with associated utility cost savings. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are collaborating in a series of studies to understand how solar PV can reduce demand charge levels for a variety of customer types and demand charges designs. Previous work focused on residential customs with solar. This study, instead, focuses on commercial customers and seeks to understand the extent and conditions under which rooftop can solar reduce commercial demand charges. To answer these questions, we simulate demand charge savings for a broad range of commercial customer types, demand charge designs, locations, and PV system characteristics. This particular analysis does not include storage, but a subsequent analysis in this series will evaluate demand charge savings for commercial customers with solar and storage.

Commercial application of bacterial heap leaching in Ganzhou uranium mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Jian; Fan Baotuan; Meng Yunsheng; Xiao Jinfeng; Chen Sencai; Wu Jinjing; Liu Chengwu; Wu Yichang; Zeng Ruilong

2003-01-01

In this paper the situation of commercial application on bacterial heap leaching in Ganzhou Uranium Mine is introduced, and the construction of biomembrane oxidizing tank, regeneration and recycled utilization of barren solution are summarized. Total five heaps, 18436 t, uranium ore are leached by bacteria during the half of a year. The result is consistent with that of commercial experiment. The technology of bacterial heap leaching is more perfected

Commercial nuclear power 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

This report presents historical data on commercial nuclear power in the United States, with projections of domestic nuclear capacity and generation through the year 2020. The report also gives country-specific projections of nuclear capacity and generation through the year 2010 for other countries in the world outside centrally planned economic areas (WOCA). Information is also presented regarding operable reactors and those under construction in countries with centrally planned economies. 39 tabs

Determination of fluorate pesticides concentration in commercial formulas by Fluorine-19 low resolution NMR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colnago, Luiz A.; Vaz, Carlos M.P.

1997-01-01

The utilization of herbicides in the agriculture has been becoming a practice more and more controlled by national and international laws, as these compounds are highly toxic and used in large amounts. Therefore, it is necessary to establish accurate, low cost, and fast analytical chemical procedures for the correct determination of commercial composition of herbicides. This work evaluated the utilization of low resolution nuclear magnetic resonance for the quantitative chemical analysis of trifluraline herbicide in commercial formulas. Results are presented

United States v. Caronia: The increasing strength of commercial free speech and potential new emphasis on classifying off-label promotion as "false and misleading".

Science.gov (United States)

Scheineson, Marc J; Cuevas, Guillermo

2013-01-01

The authority of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prohibit off-label promotion of drug products suffered another serious setback in United States v. Caronia. Viewing a legal system where physicians can prescribe prescription pharmaceuticals for unapproved uses legally in their practice of medicine, the Federal appeals court affirmed the commercial free speech rights of manufacturers to use truthful, non-misleading speech about lawfully marketed products. As a result of this case, and others upon which the decision is based, FDA is likely to challenge manufacturer promotion more carefully, and only if it can demonstrate that claims are not truthful, but are false or misleading, or otherwise deprive the prescriber of adequate directions for use.

Utilization of head CT during injury visits to United States emergency departments: 2012-2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Brian J; Borczuk, Pierre; Zachrison, Kori S; Goldstein, Joshua N; Berlyand, Yosef; Raja, Ali S

2018-05-18

Studies have shown increasing utilization of head computed tomography (CT) imaging of emergency department (ED) patients presenting with an injury-related visit. Multiple initiatives, including the Choosing Wisely™ campaign and evidence-based clinical decision support based on validated decision rules, have targeted head CT use in patients with injuries. Therefore, we investigated national trends in the use of head CT during injury-related ED visits from 2012 to 2015. This was a secondary analysis of data from the annual United States (U.S.) National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 2012 to 2015. The study population was defined as injury-related ED visits, and we sought to determine the percentage in which a head CT was ordered and, secondarily, to determine both the diagnostic yield of clinically significant intracranial findings and hospital characteristics associated with increased head CT utilization. Between 2012 and 2015, 12.25% (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.48-13.02%) of injury-related visits received at least one head CT. Overall head CT utilization showed an increased trend during the study period (2012: 11.7%, 2015: 13.23%, p = 0.09), but the results were not statistically significant. The diagnostic yield of head CT for a significant intracranial injury over the period of four years was 7.4% (9.68% in 2012 vs. 7.67% in 2015, p = 0.23). Head CT use along with diagnostic yield has remained stable from 2012 to 2015 among patients presenting to the ED for an injury-related visit. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Commercial solutions [for dry spent fuel storage casks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howe, W.F.; Pennington, C.W.; Hobbs, J.; Lee, W.; Thomas, B.D.; Dibert, D.J.

1996-01-01

In the aftermath of the termination of the DOE's MPC (Multi-Purpose Canister) programme, commercial suppliers are coming forward with new or updated systems to meet utility needs. Leading vendors describe the advantages of their systems for dry spent fuel storage and transport. (Author)

Technology data characterizing refrigeration in commercial buildings: Application to end-use forecasting with COMMEND 4.0

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sezgen, O.; Koomey, J.G.

1995-12-01

In the United States, energy consumption is increasing most rapidly in the commercial sector. Consequently, the commercial sector is becoming an increasingly important target for state and federal energy policies and also for utility-sponsored demand side management (DSM) programs. The rapid growth in commercial-sector energy consumption also makes it important for analysts working on energy policy and DSM issues to have access to energy end-use forecasting models that include more detailed representations of energy-using technologies in the commercial sector. These new forecasting models disaggregate energy consumption not only by fuel type, end use, and building type, but also by specific technology. The disaggregation of the refrigeration end use in terms of specific technologies, however, is complicated by several factors. First, the number of configurations of refrigeration cases and systems is quite large. Also, energy use is a complex function of the refrigeration-case properties and the refrigeration-system properties. The Electric Power Research Institute`s (EPRI`s) Commercial End-Use Planning System (COMMEND 4.0) and the associated data development presented in this report attempt to address the above complications and create a consistent forecasting framework. Expanding end-use forecasting models so that they address individual technology options requires characterization of the present floorstock in terms of service requirements, energy technologies used, and cost-efficiency attributes of the energy technologies that consumers may choose for new buildings and retrofits. This report describes the process by which we collected refrigeration technology data. The data were generated for COMMEND 4.0 but are also generally applicable to other end-use forecasting frameworks for the commercial sector.

Laboratory protocols for testing the efficacy of commercial pit latrine ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

additive products. Protocols were developed and tested on a range of different commercial products sold for their ability to control the rate of accumulation of pit latrine contents. The effect of commercial additives on mass loss from VIP sludge in. 300 g honey jars was compared to mass loss from similar units subjected to no ...

The Commercial Energy Consumer: About Whom Are We Speaking?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Payne, Christopher

2006-05-12

Who are commercial sector customers, and how do they make decisions about energy consumption and energy efficiency investment? The energy policy field has not done a thorough job of describing energy consumption in the commercial sector. First, the discussion of the commercial sector itself is dominated by discussion of large businesses/buildings. Second, discussion of this portion of the commercial sectors consumption behavior is driven primarily by theory, with very little field data collected on the way commercial sector decision-makers describe their own options, choices, and reasons for taking action. These limitations artificially constrain energy policy options. This paper reviews the extant literature on commercial sector energy consumption behavior and identifies gaps in our knowledge. In particular, it argues that the primary energy policy model of commercial sector energy consumption is a top-down model that uses macro-level investment data to make conclusions about commercial behavior. Missing from the discussion is a model of consumption behavior that builds up to a theoretical framework informed by the micro-level data provided by commercial decision-makers themselves. Such a bottom-up model could enhance the effectiveness of commercial sector energy policy. In particular, translation of some behavioral models from the residential sector to the commercial sector may offer new opportunities for policies to change commercial energy consumption behavior. Utility bill consumption feedback is considered as one example of a policy option that may be applicable to both the residential and small commercial sector.

Commercialization of fuels from Pinyon-Juniper biomass in Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morris, G.P.

1994-01-01

This study analyzes and defines energy applications and markets that could stimulate the commercial use of Eastern Nevada's Pinyon-Juniper resources. The commercialization potential for producing energy from Pinyon-Juniper biomass is analyzed by examining the resource base and resource availability for a commercial harvesting and processing operation. The study considered the spectrum of available equipment and technology for carrying out harvesting and processing operations, investigated the markets that might be able to use energy products derived from Pinyon-Juniper biomass, analyzed the costs of harvesting, processing, and transporting Pinyon-Juniper fuels, and set forth a plan for developing the commercial potential of these resources. The emerging residential pellet-fuels market is a promising entry market for the commercialization of an energy from Pinyon-Juniper biomass industry in Eastern Nevada, although there are serious technical issues that may render Pinyon-Juniper biomass an unsuitable feedstock for the manufacture of pellet fuels. These issues could be investigated at a moderate cost in order to determine whether to proceed with development efforts in this direction. In the longer term, one or two biomass-fired power plants in the size range of 5-10 MW could provide a stable and predictable market for the production and utilization of fuels derived from local Pinyon-Juniper biomass resources, and would provide valuable economic and environmental benefits to the region. Municipal utility ownership of such facilities could help to enhance the economic benefits of the investments by qualifying them for federal energy credits and tax-free financing

Coke gasification costs, economics, and commercial applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jahnke, F.C.; Falsetti, J.S.; Wilson, R.F.

1996-01-01

The disposition of petroleum coke remains a problem for modern high conversion refineries. Market uncertainty and the price for coke can prevent the implementation of otherwise attractive projects. The commercially proven Texaco Gasification Process remains an excellent option for clean, cost effective coke disposition as demonstrated by the new coke gasification units coming on-line and under design. Previous papers, have discussed the coke market and general economics of coke gasification. This paper updates the current market situation and economics, and provide more details on cost and performance based on recent studies for commercial plants

Utilization of Volatile Organic Compounds as an Alternative for Destructive Abatement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satu Ojala

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The treatment of volatile organic compounds (VOC emissions is a necessity of today. The catalytic treatment has already proven to be environmentally and economically sound technology for the total oxidation of the VOCs. However, in certain cases, it may also become economical to utilize these emissions in some profitable way. Currently, the most common way to utilize the VOC emissions is their use in energy production. However, interesting possibilities are arising from the usage of VOCs in hydrogen and syngas production. Production of chemicals from VOC emissions is still mainly at the research stage. However, few commercial examples exist. This review will summarize the commercially existing VOC utilization possibilities, present the utilization applications that are in the research stage and introduce some novel ideas related to the catalytic utilization possibilities of the VOC emissions. In general, there exist a vast number of possibilities for VOC utilization via different catalytic processes, which creates also a good research potential for the future.

Dealing with the difficult utility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keats, D.E.; Sundquist, M.J.; Cross, J.P.

1991-01-01

STS HydroPower, Ltd. (STS) is an independent hydroelectric power developer involved in the full scope of hydroelectric activities. This includes the permitting, design, financing, turbine design and manufacturing, site construction and operation of small to mid-sized hydroelectric sites across the United States. At the present time, STS owns and operates nine sites in four states with a combined capacity of 20 megawatts. In dealing with the implementation of these sites, STS has dealt with five different utilities. In addition, in pursuing additional development opportunities throughout the United States, STS has had contact with numerous other utilities. During this time it would be fair to conclude that each of these utilities has exhibited its own personality with respect to dealing with independent developers. To the credit of the utility industry, the majority of these utilities have been helpful and supportive of independent projects, but a small number of utilities have approached projects from an initial and continuing adversarial position. The purpose of this paper is to examine those options and procedures available to the developer when a utility is encountered with a negative predisposition

Logging utilization in Idaho: Current and past trends

Science.gov (United States)

Eric A. Simmons; Todd A. Morgan; Erik C. Berg; Stanley J. Zarnoch; Steven W. Hayes; Mike T. Thompson

2014-01-01

A study of commercial timber-harvesting activities in Idaho was conducted during 2008 and 2011 to characterize current tree utilization, logging operations, and changes from previous Idaho logging utilization studies. A two-stage simple random sampling design was used to select sites and felled trees for measurement within active logging sites. Thirty-three logging...

AP600 level of automation: United States utility perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bekkerman, A.Y.

1997-01-01

Design of the AP600 advanced nuclear plant man-machine interface system (M-MIS) is guided by the applicable requirements from the Utility Requirements Document (URD). However, the URD has left certain aspects of the M-MIS to be determined by the designer working together with utilities sponsoring the work. This is particularly true in the case of the level of automation to be designed into the M-MIS. Based on experience from currently operating plants, utilities have specified the identity and roles of personnel in the control room, which has led to establishing a number of level of automation issues for the AP600. The key role of automated computerized procedures in the AP600 automation has been determined and resolved. 5 refs

Radioactive waste management and decommissioning in The United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raymont, J.M.

2005-01-01

With their missions and access to disposal sites changing over the last decade, radioactive waste management and decommissioning practice in the U.S. commercial and federal nuclear markets has evolved to keep pace. This paper reviews the changes that have occurred and the differing waste management practices that have resulted depending on whether a nuclear facility is situated on federally owned or privately owned property in the United States, confirming that the cost of disposal generally dictates waste management and decommissioning practices. Of the 123 utility-owned licensed commercial reactors in U.S., 19 are undergoing decomissioning, with the balance of 104 reactors focusing on plant life extension, power upgrades, and power generation. As a result, almost all of the approximately dollar 400 million in annual expenditures on waste processing and disposal comes from waste generated from operations. In contrast, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), under its Environmental Management (EM) program, is focused on decommissioning the facilities, tanks, and ground contamination resulting from 50-years of Cold War activities and spending about dollar 7 billion a year on these activities. Other than spent fuel, U.S. federal law precludes disposal of commercial nuclear power plant radioactive wastes at DOE disposal sites. In contrast to the commercial disposal market, which must go through extensive public hearings and decision-making, the DOE has a much freer hand in siting new disposal capacity on federal land. As a result, the DOE has ample disposal capacity, 'routinely' opens new disposal sites, and enjoys disposal pricing well below the commercial market. Waste composition, volume, and activity levels drive disposal costs, which is the key life cycle parameter in determining radioactive waste management practice. Differences in these parameters drive the differences in how radioactive waste management practice is performed in the commercial and DOE markets

LARGE-SCALE MECURY CONTROL TECHNOLOGY TESTING FOR LIGNITE-FIRED UTILITIES-OXIDATION SYSTEMS FOR WET FGD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michael J. Holmes; Steven A. Benson; Jeffrey S. Thompson

2004-03-01

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) is conducting a consortium-based effort directed toward resolving the mercury (Hg) control issues facing the lignite industry. Specifically, the EERC team--the EERC, EPRI, URS, ADA-ES, Babcock & Wilcox, the North Dakota Industrial Commission, SaskPower, and the Mercury Task Force, which includes Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Otter Tail Power Company, Great River Energy, Texas Utilities (TXU), Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., Minnkota Power Cooperative, BNI Coal Ltd., Dakota Westmoreland Corporation, and the North American Coal Company--has undertaken a project to significantly and cost-effectively oxidize elemental mercury in lignite combustion gases, followed by capture in a wet scrubber. This approach will be applicable to virtually every lignite utility in the United States and Canada and potentially impact subbituminous utilities. The oxidation process is proven at the pilot-scale and in short-term full-scale tests. Additional optimization is continuing on oxidation technologies, and this project focuses on longer-term full-scale testing. The lignite industry has been proactive in advancing the understanding of and identifying control options for Hg in lignite combustion flue gases. Approximately 1 year ago, the EERC and EPRI began a series of Hg-related discussions with the Mercury Task Force as well as utilities firing Texas and Saskatchewan lignites. This project is one of three being undertaken by the consortium to perform large-scale Hg control technology testing to address the specific needs and challenges to be met in controlling Hg from lignite-fired power plants. This project involves Hg oxidation upstream of a system equipped with an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) followed by wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD). The team involved in conducting the technical aspects of the project includes the EERC, Babcock & Wilcox, URS, and ADA-ES. The host sites include Minnkota Power Cooperative Milton R. Young

Forest habitat conservation in Africa using commercially important insects.

Science.gov (United States)

Raina, Suresh Kumar; Kioko, Esther; Zethner, Ole; Wren, Susie

2011-01-01

African forests, which host some of the world's richest biodiversity, are rapidly diminishing. The loss of flora and fauna includes economically and socially important insects. Honey bees and silk moths, grouped under commercial insects, are the source for insect-based enterprises that provide income to forest-edge communities to manage the ecosystem. However, to date, research output does not adequately quantify the impact of such enterprises on buffering forest ecosystems and communities from climate change effects. Although diseases/pests of honey bees and silk moths in Africa have risen to epidemic levels, there is a dearth of practical research that can be utilized in developing effective control mechanisms that support the proliferation of these commercial insects as pollinators of agricultural and forest ecosystems. This review highlights the critical role of commercial insects within the environmental complexity of African forest ecosystems, in modern agroindustry, and with respect to its potential contribution to poverty alleviation and pollination services. It identifies significant research gaps that exist in understanding how insects can be utilized as ecosystem health indicators and nurtured as integral tools for important socioeconomic and industrial gains.

An international investigation into O red blood cell unit administration in hospitals: the GRoup O Utilization Patterns (GROUP) study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeller, Michelle P; Barty, Rebecca; Aandahl, Astrid; Apelseth, Torunn O; Callum, Jeannie; Dunbar, Nancy M; Elahie, Allahna; Garritsen, Henk; Hancock, Helen; Kutner, José Mauro; Manukian, Belinda; Mizuta, Shuichi; Okuda, Makoto; Pagano, Monica B; Pogłód, Ryszard; Rushford, Kylie; Selleng, Kathleen; Sørensen, Claess Henning; Sprogøe, Ulrik; Staves, Julie; Weiland, Thorsten; Wendel, Silvano; Wood, Erica M; van de Watering, Leo; van Wordragen-Vlaswinkel, Maria; Ziman, Alyssa; Jan Zwaginga, Jaap; Murphy, Michael F; Heddle, Nancy M; Yazer, Mark H

2017-10-01

Transfusion of group O blood to non-O recipients, or transfusion of D- blood to D+ recipients, can result in shortages of group O or D- blood, respectively. This study investigated RBC utilization patterns at hospitals around the world and explored the context and policies that guide ABO blood group and D type selection practices. This was a retrospective study on transfusion data from the 2013 calendar year. This study included a survey component that asked about hospital RBC selection and transfusion practices and a data collection component where participants submitted information on RBC unit disposition including blood group and D type of unit and recipient. Units administered to recipients of unknown ABO or D group were excluded. Thirty-eight hospitals in 11 countries responded to the survey, 30 of which provided specific RBC unit disposition data. Overall, 11.1% (21,235/191,397) of group O units were transfused to non-O recipients; 22.6% (8777/38,911) of group O D- RBC units were transfused to O D+ recipients, and 43.2% (16,800/38,911) of group O D- RBC units were transfused to recipients that were not group O D-. Disposition of units and hospital transfusion policy varied within and across hospitals of different sizes, with transfusion of group O D- units to non-group O D- patients ranging from 0% to 33%. A significant proportion of group O and D- RBC units were transfused to compatible, nonidentical recipients, although the frequency of this practice varied across sites. © 2017 AABB.

Design of hydraulic recuperation unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jandourek Pavel

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This article deals with design and measurement of hydraulic recuperation unit. Recuperation unit consist of radial turbine and axial pump, which are coupled on the same shaft. Speed of shaft with impellers are 6000 1/min. For economic reasons, is design of recuperation unit performed using commercially manufactured propellers.

An analysis of commercial railroad congestion and its resultant impact on fort-to-port transportation efforts

OpenAIRE

Hillis, Shaun A.

1999-01-01

The United States Army is heavily-dependent upon commercial railroad transportation assets for the movement of cargo and equipment from Continental United States (CONUS) installations to Seaports of Embarkation during unit mobilizations. With the withdrawal of forces from overseas installations, this dependence upon commercial rail assets nas grown dramatically in the past few years. Due to a series of consolidations and mergers, the CONUS rail infrastructure has reached full capacity and is ...

Space Commercialization and the Development of Space Law

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Zhao

2017-05-01

Shortly after the launch of the first manmade satellite in 1957, the United Nations (UN) took the lead in formulating international rules governing space activities. The five international conventions (i.e., the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the 1968 Rescue Agreement, the 1972 Liability Convention, the 1975 Registration Convention, and the 1979 Moon Agreement) within the UN framework constitute the nucleus of space law; laying a solid legal foundation for securing the smooth development of space activities over the next few decades. Outer space was soon found to be a place with abundant opportunities for commercialization: with telecommunications services the first and most successful commercial application followed by remote sensing and global navigation services. In the last decade, the rapid development of space technologies brought space tourism and space mining to the forefront as well. With more and more commercial activities taking place on a daily basis from the 1980s on, existing space law faces severe challenges. The five conventions, which were enacted at a time when space was monopolized by two superpowers—the United States and the former Soviet Union—also failed to take into account the commercial aspect of space activities. Although there are urgent needs for new rules to deal with the ongoing trend of space commercialization, the international society faces difficulties in adopting new rules due to diversified national interests. As a result, it adjusts legislative strategies by enacting soft laws. In view of the difficulty in adopting binding rules at the international level, states are encouraged to enact their own national space legislation providing sufficient guidance for their domestic space commercial activities. It is expected that the development of soft laws and national space legislation will be the mainstream regulatory activities in the space field for the foreseeable future.

Cost analysis of a commercial pyroprocess facility on the basis of a conceptual design in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, S.K.; Ko, W.I.; Youn, S.R.; Gao, Ruxing

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Pyroprocess facility’s direct cost was calculated based on the conceptual design. • The unit cost of pyroprocess was calculated as $781/kgHM. • The unit cost was increased by 3%, considering labor allocation standards. • The operating and maintenance cost was identified as a main cost driver. - Abstract: This study postulated a commercial pyroprocess facility (KAPF+: Korea Advanced Pyroprocess Facility Plus) with a processing capacity of 400 tons/year as a cost object, and utilized an engineering cost estimation method based on a conceptual design to present the results of the total cost and unit cost estimation. According to the calculation results, the total cost and unit cost were calculated with k$779,386 and $781/kgHM, respectively. Moreover, the key cost driver was manifested as the operating and maintenance costs. In particular, equipment replacement cost was identified as an important cost driver. In addition, for an increasingly accurate cost estimation, the calculation results and allocation method of the indirect cost were reanalyzed. Finally the pyroprocess unit cost increased $5 when calculated the indirect cost using the labor time as the allocation standard. Meanwhile, the pyroprocess unit cost increased $22 as a result of allocating the indirect cost using the uniform labor cost as the cost allocation standard. Accordingly, an indirect cost allocation standard was manifested as the factor that exerts a significant effect on the pyroprocess unit cost

Mixed waste: An alternative solution. The utility perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seizert, R.D.

1988-01-01

The issue of mixed waste is one of significant interest to the utility industry. The interest is focused on the current regulatory scheme of dual regulation. A fundamental concern of the commercial nuclear utilities resulting from dual regulation is that there are currently no facilities in the US to dispose of mixed low-level radioactive and hazardous waste. The lack of available sites renders mixed waste an orphan, requiring generators of such material to store the waste on-site. This in turn causes commercial nuclear power plants to be subjected to the full gamut of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulation in addition to the existing Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations. Superimposing dual regulatory schemes will have impacts which extend far beyond the mere management of mixed waste. Certainly the burdens, complexities and costs of complying with the overlapping regulatory schemes will not have a commensurate increase in protection from the real risks being addressed. For these reasons, the commercial nuclear utility industry is working toward an alternative solution which will protect the public health and the environment from all hazards of mixed waste and will minimize the impacts on both the regulators and the regulated community

An assessment of the energetic flows in a commercial PEM fuel-cell system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jovan, Vladimir; Perne, Matija; Petrovcic, Janko

2010-01-01

Some primary issues have not yet been fully investigated on the way towards the commercialization of fuel-cell-based systems (FCS), e.g., their actual efficiency, reliability, safety, degradation, maintainability, etc. This article deals with an estimation of the real energetic flows and the corresponding electrical efficiency of a commercial proton-exchange-membrane fuel-cell hydrogen-fed generator set (PEMFCS). The fuel-cell power system considered here is planned to be the source of both electrical and thermal energy in a mobile dwelling container unit with in-built fuel-cell-based cogeneration system, and for the design of a cogeneration unit the actual amount of disposable energy from the PEMFC unit should be estimated. The assessment of the actual energetic flows, the disposable energy and the consequent electrical efficiency of the case-study PEMFCS is carried out using commercial technical data for the PEMFCS.

78 FR 75910 - Impact of the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) on Legitimate Commercial...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-13

... (CWC) on Legitimate Commercial Chemical, Biotechnology, and Pharmaceutical Activities Involving... legitimate commercial activities and interests of chemical, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical firms are being... commercial activities and interests of chemical, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical firms in the United States...

Technology review of commercial food service equipment - final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rahbar, S; Krsikapa, S [Canadian Gas Research Inst., Don Mills, ON (Canada); Fisher, D; Nickel, J; Ardley, S; Zabrowski, D [Fisher Consultants (Canada); Barker, R F [ed.

1996-05-15

Technical information on commercial gas cooking appliances was presented. This second volume provided an appliance-by-appliance comprehensive assessment of the energy performance of commercial food service equipment. Energy assessments were made for the following categories of cooking equipment: fryers, griddles, broilers, ranges, Chinese ranges, ovens, steamers, steam kettles, and braising pans. Recommendations were made for improving the energy efficiency and overall performance of gas appliances to support of the Canadian gas utilities marketing and energy conservation initiatives. 71 refs., 37 tabs., 58 figs.

Residential and Light Commercial HVAC. Teacher Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephenson, David; Fulkerson, Dan, Ed.

This curriculum guide contains 18 units of instruction for a competency-based course in residential and light commercial heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC). Introductory materials include a competency profile and an instructional/task analysis that correlates job training with related information for this course. Each instructional…

Utilization of polymer enclosed intermediate class arresters to improve the performance of modern power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakich, J.D.; Lenk, D.W.; Koepfinger, J.L.

1992-01-01

This paper introduces the first commercially available polymer enclosed intermediate class metal oxide surge arrester. It describes the unique construction of the design, including reduced size, increased flexibility, a collared seal on the polymer housing and an open webbed fiberglass-epoxy module which houses the metal oxide disc elements. Performance advantages are discussed. These include improved short term contamination performance of the insulator-like polymer design when compared to multi-unit porcelain housed designs. Data will show that polymer housed open-webbed fiberglass module construction extends the pressure relief capability beyond that of typical porcelain enclosed designs. The capability of the polymer enclosed design to withstand repeated pressure relief tests, simulating system reclose on a failed arrester, is also discussed. This paper discusses the circumstances at one utility which has considered utilizing polymer enclosed intermediate class arresters to effectively upgrade their system protection capabilities

Network governance in electricity distribution: Public utility or commodity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuenneke, Rolf; Fens, Theo

2005-01-01

This paper addresses the question whether the operation and management of electricity distribution networks in a liberalized market environment evolves into a market driven commodity business or might be perceived as a genuine public utility task. A framework is developed to classify and compare different institutional arrangements according to the public utility model and the commodity model. These models are exemplified for the case of the Dutch electricity sector. It appears that the institutional organization of electricity distribution networks is at the crossroads of two very different institutional development paths. They develop towards commercial business if the system characteristics of the electricity sector remain basically unchanged to the traditional situation. If however innovative technological developments allow for a decentralization and decomposition of the electricity system, distribution networks might be operated as public utilities while other energy services are exploited commercially. (Author)

Understanding properties of commercial OSB products

Science.gov (United States)

Siqun Wang; Hongmei Gu; Trairat Neimsuwan

2004-01-01

Oriented strandboard (OSB) has gained increased market acceptance as a construction material in almost all geographical areas of Canada and United States. With its growing market, more and more research has been focused on the product’s manufacturing and performance. Commercial OSB products in U.S. and Canada are produced from different manufacturers with different...

Prospects for commercial fusion power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dean, S.O.

1993-01-01

There are a number of issues associated with whether or not, and when, fusion will become commercial. One of the largest factors is cost of development. Development is being delayed by the need to work with other countries to share these costs. Other aspects have to do with the capital costs of the reactors themselves. The ITER reactor may cost 6-7 billion dollars, which is a sizeable investment for a test reactor. The safety and environmental aspects of fusion are other factors which have delayed commercialization. Public acceptance of this form of nuclear power and the licensing and regulatory procedures must be resolved before electric utilities are willing to invest heavily in fusion. The Department of Energy has developed a plan as part of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, wherein a first demonstration power plant will be operating around the year 2025. Much of the ongoing effort is directed toward reducing the size and cost of Tokamak reactors. While Tokamaks are not the only game in town, it is the primary thrust of the world effort and it is the technology which is expected to lead into the first generation of commercial fusion reactors

Advanced commercial tokamak study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomson, S.L.; Dabiri, A.E.; Keeton, D.C.; Brown, T.G.; Bussell, G.T.

1985-12-01

Advanced commercial tokamak studies were performed by the Fusion Engineering Design Center (FEDC) as a participant in the Tokamak Power Systems Studies (TPSS) project coordinated by the Office of Fusion Energy. The FEDC studies addressed the issues of tokamak reactor cost, size, and complexity. A scoping study model was developed to determine the effect of beta on tokamak economics, and it was found that a competitive cost of electricity could be achieved at a beta of 10 to 15%. The implications of operating at a beta of up to 25% were also addressed. It was found that the economics of fusion, like those of fission, improve as unit size increases. However, small units were found to be competitive as elements of a multiplex plant, provided that unit cost and maintenance time reductions are realized for the small units. The modular tokamak configuration combined several new approaches to develop a less complex and lower cost reactor. The modular design combines the toroidal field coil with the reactor structure, locates the primary vacuum boundary at the reactor cell wall, and uses a vertical assembly and maintenance approach. 12 refs., 19 figs

What a utility expects from its supplier organizations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winitsky, H.B.

1986-01-01

The suppliers of its goods and services are a most important resource of the utility industry. The unique and mutually beneficial technical relationship between utilities and their suppliers has been and continues to be a major contributor to the power industry's viability, vitality and growth, and thus to America's standard of living. The commercial and legal aspects of this relationship have been changing. This paper addresses the principles of: reasonably allocating and responsibility and accountability for ''the products'' provided to utilities including nuclear utilities; equitable risk-sharing as a prime requirement of utility procurement decision making; and the present and future relationship of the unique supplier/utility partnership as influenced and shaped by these requirements

Perspectives for utilization of the experience from the electrical equipment modernization of Kozloduy NPP units 5 and 6 in case of construction of new NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogdanov, D.

2005-01-01

In 2005 a governmental decision for continue the project for construction of Belene NPP was adopted. In case of start of this significant project in short terms, a good option will be to utilize the already achieved experience by the modernization program of units 5 and 6 of Kozloduy NPP. The process of construction of new NPP is associated with significant amount of engineering, civil construction works, equipment order and delivery, installation works, testing and commissioning activities. It is vital necessity to have optimal technology, strict organization for project implementation and excellent documentation. From technical point of view the experience from the modernization of units 5 and 6 of Kozloduy NPP will be very important in case of utilization of similar types of WWER 1000 units. According to the 'Feasibility study for construction of Belene NPP', the most favorable option is to accomplish the already partially constructed Unit 1 on the basis of upgraded WWER B-320 design - WWER 1000 B-392, in order to fulfill IEC 331-3A, IEC 332-3A, and of US NRC Regulatory Guide 1.70 and to construct the second unit on the basis of ASE WWER/1000 B-466. However, for any type of unit selected, the achieved experience will be an important basis. This article is focused mostly on the modernization aspects of some electrical systems of Kozloduy NPP

An overview of commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plummer, T.L.; Morreale, B.J.

1991-01-01

The primary objective of low-level radioactive (LLW) waste management is to safely dispose of LLW while protecting the health of the public and the quality of the environment. LLW in the United States is generated through both Department of Energy (DOE) and commercial activities. In this paper, waste from commercial activities will be referred to as ''commercial LLW.'' The DOE waste will not be discussed in this paper. Commercial LLW is waste that is generated by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) designated licensees or Agreement States. Commercial LLW is generated by nuclear power reactors, hospitals, universities, and manufacturers. This paper will give an overview of the current disposal technologies planned by selected States' for disposing of their LLW and the processes by which those selections were made. 3 refs

U. S. Utility Leadership in Requirements For Passive Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jcng H.; Layman, William H.

1991-01-01

Utility leadership from both U.S. utilities and international utilities, is a key element in the U. S. Advanced Light Water Reactor Program. International utilities have played a very import Design reviews by the utilities participating in the ALRR Program will ensure that all of the utility requirements are met while design work is being carried out. Our mission is to achieve NRC certification of designs that reflect the needs of the utilities and we believe that this will play an important role in the resurgence of nuclear plant construction in the United States. As stated in the Nuclear Power Oversight Committee's Strategic Plan For Building New Nuclear Power Plants : 'The extensive operating experience with today's light water reactors (LWRs), and the promise shown in recent technical developments, leads the industry to the conclusion that the next nuclear plants ordered in the United States will be advanced light water reactors (A LWRs). Two types are under development : units of large output (1300 MW) called 'evolutionary' A LWRs and units of mid-size output (600 MW) called 'Passive' A LWRs. The term 'passive' refers to the safety features which depend more on natural processes such as gravity and buoyancy than on powered equipment such as pumps

Analysis in the Utility of Commercial Wargaming Simulation Software for Army Organizational Leadership Development

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Macintyre, Kerry

2000-01-01

... analysis, operational test and evaluation, and campaign development. The intent of this monograph was to determine if commercial wargame simulations could be used to develop the organizational leadership abilities of Army officers...

Awareness and utilization of emergency contraception among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

students were aware of emergency contraception, and 211 (71.5%) had utilized them. Among those who had .... Maiduguri has been a centre of learning and commercial activity since the .... magazines, television and movies.[31] In particular ...

Impacts of Commercial Building Controls on Energy Savings and Peak Load Reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernandez, Nicholas E.P. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Katipamula, Srinivas [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Wang, Weimin [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Xie, YuLong [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Zhao, Mingjie [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Corbin, Charles D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2017-05-30

Commercial buildings in the United States use about 18 Quadrillion British thermal units (Quads) of primary energy annually . Studies have shown that as much as 30% of building energy consumption can be avoided by using more accurate sensing, using existing controls better, and deploying advanced controls; hence, the motivation for the work described in this report. Studies also have shown that 10% to 20% of the commercial building peak load can be temporarily managed/curtailed to provide grid services. Although many studies have indicated significant potential for reducing the energy consumption in commercial buildings, very few have documented the actual savings. The studies that did so only provided savings at the whole building level, which makes it difficult to assess the savings potential of each individual measure deployed.

Commercial waste treatment R and D needs in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burkholder, H.C.

1982-05-01

The mission of the commercial waste treatment program is to establish treatment technology for safe and efficient management of high-level and transuranic wastes from reprocessing and fuel fabrication and special wastes from other fuel cycle activities. The four functional objectives that must be achieved to fulfill the mission are: (1) define waste product and treatment process performance requirements; (2) specify adequately safe waste products and verify their performance; (3) specify adequately efficient treatment processes and equipment and verify their performance; (4) solve existing waste treatment problems using verified products and processes. Although commercial waste treatment technology is in many respects highly advanced, there remains a number of areas where significant research and development is needed. These are: (1) technically-based performance requirements for both waste products and treatment processes; (2) pilot-scale radioactive demonstration of liquid-fed ceramic melting process and equipment for borosilicate glass; (3) non-glass TRU waste product and treatment process development; (4) waste product performance testing and predictive modeling; (5) quality verification for treatment processes

Annunciation - building product team capabilities to support utility operational improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doucet, R.; Brown, R.; Trask, D.; Leger, R.; Mitchel, G.; Judd, R.; Davey, E.

2003-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe an AECL initiative to enhance the capabilities to assist utilities with undertaking annunciation improvement. This initiative was undertaken to complement a recent annunciation product upgrade, and in anticipation of developing commercial opportunities to assist Canadian and foreign utilities with control room annunciation improvement. Utilities are relying more and more on external engineering product and service providers to meet their plant support needs as they reduce in-house staffing to lower ongoing support costs. This evolving commercial environment places new demands on product and service providers, and provides new opportunities for increasing the proportion of product and service provider participation in plant improvement projects. This paper outlines recent AECL experience in the annunciation product area. The paper discusses the rationale for product support capability improvement, discusses the approaches undertaken, describes lessons learned, and outlines a proposed utility support model for assisting with future annunciation improvements. (author)

Commercial Speech Protection and Alcoholic Beverage Advertising.

Science.gov (United States)

Greer, Sue

An examination of the laws governing commercial speech protection and alcoholic beverage advertisements, this document details the legal precedents for and implications of banning such advertising. An introduction looks at the current amount of alcohol consumed in the United States and the recent campaigns to have alcoholic beverage ads banned.…

What is the impact of commercial test preparation courses on medical examination performance?

Science.gov (United States)

McGaghie, William C; Downing, Steven M; Kubilius, Ramune

2004-01-01

Commercial test preparation courses are part of the fabric of U.S. medical education. They are also big business with 2,000 sales for 1 firm listed at nearly $250 million. This article systematically reviews and evaluates research published in peer-reviewed journals and in the "grey literature" that addresses the impact of commercial test preparation courses on standardized, undergraduate medical examinations. Thirteen computerized English language databases were searched using 29 search terms and search concepts from their onset to October 1, 2002. Also manually searched was medical education conference proceedings and publications after the end date; and medical education journal editors were contacted about articles accepted for publication, but not yet in print, that were deemed pertinent to this review. Studies that met three criteria were selected: (a) a commercial test preparation course or service was an educational intervention, (b) the outcome variable was one of several standardized medical examinations, and (c) results are published in a peer-reviewed journal or another outlet that insures scholarly scrutiny. The criteria were applied and data extracted by consensus of 2 reviewers. The search identified 11 empirical studies, of which 10 (8 journal articles, 2 unpublished reports) are included in this review. Qualitative data synthesis and tabular presentation of research methods and outcomes are used. The articles and unpublished reports reveal that current research lacks control and rigor; the incremental validity of the commercial courses on medical examination performance, if any, is extremely small; and evidence in support of the courses is weak or nonexistent; almost no details are given about the form and conduct of the commercial test preparation courses; studies are confined to courses in preparation for the Medical College Admission Test, the former National Board of Medical Examiners Part 1, and the United States Medical Licensing Examination

Commercial Skills Test Information Management System final report and self-sustainability plan : [technology brief].

Science.gov (United States)

2014-04-01

The Commercial Skills Test Information Management System (CSTIMS) was developed to address the fraudulent issuance of commercial drivers licenses (CDLs) across the United States. CSTIMS was developed as a Web-based, software-as-a-service system to...

Cost-effectiveness, feed utilization and body composition of african ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Cost-effectiveness, feed utilization and body composition of african sharptooth catfish ( Clarias gariepinus , Burchell 1822) fingerlings fed locally formulated and commercial pelleted diets in tarpaulin tanks.

SPECIAL ISSUES REGARDING THE MEDIATION PROCESS IN THE COMMERCIAL FIELD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SEPTIMIU STOICA

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the research subject to this paper is to find proper solutions for the increase of the volume and efficiency in the field of commercial mediation. Starting from practical remarks, after an analysis of the substance, a new concept is suggested to be included and put into operation, namely the special commercial mediation, and a plead is made for its use in the current activity of alternative dispute resolution. The first major objective of this paper is to demonstrate once again the need and utility of mediation in the commercial field, insisting though on its remarkable specific nature. The second objective is, starting from the outlined differences between the commercial mediation and the classical mediation, to define and to conceptualize the special commercial mediation, as a separate branch of mediation. The third objective of this paper is to draw the regime of the newly defined category of commercial mediation from a regulatory point of view, of the implementation structure and techniques as foreseen.

Management of commercial high-level nuclear waste in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mann, S.A.

1981-01-01

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (Act), enacted by the 97th Congress in December and signed into law on Jan 7, 1983, by President Reagan, brings a whole new perspective to the nation's nuclear waste management effort. An elaborate set of near-term requirements and actions have to be accomplished within the first 180 days of this Act. As an initial step, Secretary of Energy Donald P. Hodel has established a Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) project office. The director of the NWPA project office, Robert L. Morgan, is responsible for the department's initial activities to implement the Act until the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, established by Section 304 of the Act, is activated. The Act requires major efforts in two primary areas: disposal and storage of spent fuel and high-level waste. Efforts in the former area are to be financed by fees collected from utilities and placed into a Nuclear Waste Fund for disposal services. The Act provides for federal storage of up to 1900 tons of spent fuel for those utilities that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) determines cannot reasonably provide sufficient additional on-site storage. This federal storage is to be financed through utility-user fees that are placed into an Interim Storage Fund. The Act also provides for cooperative research, development, and demonstration activities at utility sites and federal sites. These activities are to be jointly funded by the utilities and the federal government. Lastly, there are generic research and development (RandD) activities in the spent fuel area that are funded from general appropriations. Mandated milestones have been established by the Act in the areas of gologic repository, fund management, monitored retrievable storage, and spent fuel storage

A case study of utility PV economics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wenger, H.; Hoff, T.; Osborn, D.E.

1997-01-01

This paper presents selected results from a detailed study of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) applications within the service area of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. The intent is to better understand the economics and markets for grid-connected PV systems in a utility setting. Research results include: Benefits calculations for utility-owned PV systems at transmission and distribution voltages; How the QuickScreen software package can help utilities investigate the viability of distributed PV; Energy production and capacity credit estimates for fixed and tracking PV systems; Economics and rate impacts of net metering residential PV systems; Market potential estimates for residential rooftop PV systems; and Viability and timing of grid-connected PV commercialization paths

Utility bill comprehension in the commercial and industrialsector: results of field research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Payne, Christopher T.

2000-06-02

This paper presents the results of interviews conducted with 44 business people in 10 states to examine the use of the utility bill as an information mechanism for providing businesses with the relationship between energy consumption and cost. Our results indicate that there are significant barriers to the use of the utility bill as an information tool for energy consumers. Furthermore, we found significant variations among respondents in the information desired from the bill, and differences in decision-making criteria for investments aimed at reducing energy consumption and for those aimed at other forms of waste minimization. These results call into question the applicability of standard market theories in the purchase of energy by most businesses.

Terms, Trends, and Insights: PV Project Finance in the United States, 2017

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feldman, David J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Schwabe, Paul D [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-10-23

This brief is a compilation of data points and market insights that reflect the state of the project finance market for solar photovoltaic (PV) assets in the United States as of the third quarter of 2017. This information can generally be used as a simplified benchmark of the costs associated with securing financing for solar PV as well as the cost of the financing itself (i.e., the cost of capital). This work represents the second DOE sponsored effort to benchmark financing costs across the residential, commercial, and utility-scale PV markets, as part of its larger effort to benchmark the components of PV system costs.

Nuclear fuel utilization in Kozloduy NPP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boyadzhiev, Z; Kharalampieva, Ts; Pejchinov, Ts [Kombinat Atomna Energetika, Kozloduj (Bulgaria)

1994-12-31

An assessment of fuel utilization in Kozloduy NPP units 1-6 is made on the basis of operational data obtained for a total of 62 fuel cycles. Basic characteristics of core loading and operation conditions are given. SPPS-1 and BIPR-7 codes are used to calculate assembly-wise power distributions for different full power days of a given cycle and unit. The data are compared with the measured values of these quantities. The analysis performed shows that the core loading option chosen has led to efficient fuel utilization without violation of the nuclear safety criteria. For WWER-440 (Units 1 - 4) this is expressed in effective reduction of the reactor vessel irradiation, maintaining the design duration of the fuel cycles at a reduced number of assemblies by a factor 5 - 5-10%, utilizing fuel with higher enrichment and implementing the 4-year fuel cycle. For WWER-1000 the improvements lead to: adoption of the 3-year fuel cycle utilizing fuel with 4.4% initial enrichment, implementation of improved fuel with a new type of absorbers and more effective low-leakage core loading patterns. 10 tabs., 6 figs., 7 refs.

Transitional Home Care program utilizing the Integrated Practice Unit concept (THC-IPU: Effectiveness in improving acute hospital utilization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lian Leng Low

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Organizing care into integrated practice units (IPUs around conditions and patient segments has been proposed to increase value. We organized transitional care into an IPU (THC-IPU for a patient segment of functionally dependent patients with limited community ambulation. Methods: 1,166 eligible patients were approached for enrolment into THC-IPU. THC-IPU patients received a comprehensive assessment within two weeks of discharge; medication reconciliation; education using standardized action plans and a dedicated nurse case manager for up to 90 days after discharge. Patients who rejected enrolment into THC-IPU received usual post-discharge care planned by their attending hospital physician, and formed the control group. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with at least one unscheduled readmission within 30 days after discharge. Results: We found a statistically significant reduction in 30-day readmissions and emergency department visits in patients on THC-IPU care compared to usual care, even after adjusting for confounders. Conclusion: Delivering transitional care to patients with functional dependence in the form of home visits and organized into an IPU reduced acute hospital utilization in this patient segment. Extending the program into the pre-hospital discharge phase to include discharge planning can have incremental effectiveness in reducing avoidable hospital readmissions.

Graphic Communications--Commercial Photography. Ohio's Competency Analysis Profile.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Vocational Instructional Materials Lab.

This Ohio Competency Analysis Profile (OCAP), derived from a modified Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) process, is a current comprehensive and verified employer competency program list for graphic communications--commercial photography. Each unit (with or without subunits) contains competencies and competency builders that identify the…

An evaluation of the utility and limitations of counting motor unit action potentials in the surface electromyogram

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Ping; Zev Rymer, William

2004-12-01

The number of motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) appearing in the surface electromyogram (EMG) signal is directly related to motor unit recruitment and firing rates and therefore offers potentially valuable information about the level of activation of the motoneuron pool. In this paper, based on morphological features of the surface MUAPs, we try to estimate the number of MUAPs present in the surface EMG by counting the negative peaks in the signal. Several signal processing procedures are applied to the surface EMG to facilitate this peak counting process. The MUAP number estimation performance by this approach is first illustrated using the surface EMG simulations. Then, by evaluating the peak counting results from the EMG records detected by a very selective surface electrode, at different contraction levels of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscles, the utility and limitations of such direct peak counts for MUAP number estimation in surface EMG are further explored.

Utility customer issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Downey, W.H.

1997-01-01

Customer issues affected by the restructuring of the $250 billion US electric power industry were discussed. In the past the industry's vertically integrated utilities conducted their business in protected geographic markets. With deregulation and greater competition, that industry structure will change. This presentation highlighted the strategies that Unicom is using to react to the restructuring of the electric power industry. The underlying principle is for the utility to reinvent itself to change its market orientation and focus on customer services, such as reliability, responsiveness, custom tailored solutions, and guaranteed savings over time. Attempting to become total energy providers and delivering integrated solutions to meet the needs of large industrial and commercial consumers, intensive market research, improved service and installation, and sophisticated customer retention initiatives will also have to be high on the agenda

Review of US utility demand-side bidding programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldman, C.A.; Kito, M.S.

1995-01-01

In this study, we review utility experiences with demand-side management (DSM) bidding programs. Since 1987, about 35 US utilities have signed long-term contracts with developers of DSM resources (ie energy service companies and customers) to provide a quantity of demand and energy savings at specified prices. Total resource costs range between 5.4 and 8 cents/kWh for DSM bidding programs where complete information on program costs is available. Almost all DSM bidding programs have been cost-effective compared with the utility's own supply-side alternatives, although there is substantial disagreement regarding the value of these programs compared with the utility's own DSM programs. In most bidding programs, payments to bidders account for between 70 and 90% of total program costs. Variation in winning bid prices is influenced primarily by DSM bid ceiling prices, differences in the mix of measures and markets targeted by developers, and the degree of performance risk borne by the DSM developer. Bids targeting residential customers averaged 6.2 cents/kWh compared with about 5.0 cents/kWh for commercial/industrial bids. We also compared the costs of acquiring lighting savings in DSM bidding contracts with a sample of 20 utility sponsored commercial/industrial lighting programs. We found that, on average total resource costs were slightly higher in bidding programs (6.1 vs 5.6 cents/kWh), although ratepayers bear significantly less performance risk in bidding programs compared with traditional utility-sponsored DSM programs. (author)

How utilities respond to radwaste needs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strauss, S.D.

1987-01-01

Slow progress is being made toward regionalization of waste disposal, some states working toward regional compacts while others choose to go it alone. More promising is the reduction of radwaste volumes discharged from nuclear stations. More and more utilities are contracting with private companies for LLW processing. While such services are provided predominantly by mobile units at plant sites, one fixed installation already offers processing of dry waste and two others await final regulatory approval. Both developments are detailed. This article also includes an analysis of the design, performances comparison between slagging combustors (SC) and the FBC boiler. Comparisons are also made for SC technology to FBC for 250-MW unit and of utility-unit conversion costs

Absorption cycle commercial refrigerator using wood burning cook stove; Geladeira de absorcao acionada por fogao a lenha

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pereira, Jose Tomaz Vieira; Martins, Gilberto [Universidade Estadual de Campinas, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica. Dept. de Energia

1991-12-31

The current utilization of wood burning cook stoves in Brazil and the socio-economical profile of their users were surveyed. A traditional heavy-mass wood-burning cook stove was studied as a thermal equipment. Simple changes in the geometry of the combustion chamber were suggested to improve the cooking efficiency. A closed two-phase thermosyphon using water as working fluid was designed, built and connected between the combustion chamber of the cook stove and a depressurized absorption refrigeration system to determine the heat flux and the temperature level. A commercial refrigerator unit, using the absorption cycle, was coupled with the wood stove through the thermosyphon. The overall results of the coupling point to successful country-side applications. (author) 12 refs., 9 figs., 4 tabs.

Nuclear fuel financing by USA investor-owned utilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cave, W.F.

1981-01-01

Investor-owned utilities in the USA currently have almost 60 nuclear plants in commercial operation and an additional 90 plants under construction or awaiting operating licenses. To understand the specific techniques implemented to finance nuclear fuel and the advantages which they provide to individual companies, the total financing needs of the industry, the traditional pattern which utility external financing has taken, and the varied financial and regulatory bodies whose often conflicting objectives management must attempt to reconcile, must be understood. The aim of this paper is to aid such an understanding. The subject is discussed under the following headings: industry background; regulation and rating agencies; management objectives; financing structure; advantages (low financing cost; regulatory treatment; freer nature of agreement; access to commercial paper market; appropriate financing time-span; rating benefits; accounting treatment); conclusions. (U.K.)

Final Technical Report: Commercial Advanced Lighting Control (ALC) Demonstration and Deployment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnold, Gabe [Efficiency Forward, Inc. / DesignLights Consortium

2018-02-05

that has already been deployed in five US states, and new rebates offered for the technology that have been deployed by a dozen utilities across the US. Widespread adoption of ALC technology in commercial buildings would provide tremendous benefits. The current market penetration of ALC systems is estimated at <0.1% in commercial buildings. If ALC systems were installed in all commercial buildings, approximately 1,051 TBtu of energy could be saved. This would translate into customer cost savings of approximately $10.7 billion annually.

Sodium monitoring in commercially processed and restaurant foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahuja, Jaspreet K C; Pehrsson, Pamela R; Haytowitz, David B; Wasswa-Kintu, Shirley; Nickle, Melissa; Showell, Bethany; Thomas, Robin; Roseland, Janet; Williams, Juhi; Khan, Mona; Nguyen, Quynhanh; Hoy, Kathy; Martin, Carrie; Rhodes, Donna; Moshfegh, Alanna; Gillespie, Cathleen; Gunn, Janelle; Merritt, Robert; Cogswell, Mary

2015-03-01

Most sodium in the US diet comes from commercially processed and restaurant foods. Sodium reduction in these foods is key to several recent public health efforts. The objective was to provide an overview of a program led by the USDA, in partnership with other government agencies, to monitor sodium contents in commercially processed and restaurant foods in the United States. We also present comparisons of nutrients generated under the program to older data. We track ∼125 commercially processed and restaurant food items ("sentinel foods") annually using information from food manufacturers and periodically by nationwide sampling and laboratory analyses. In addition, we monitor >1100 other commercially processed and restaurant food items, termed "priority-2 foods" (P2Fs) biennially by using information from food manufacturers. These foods serve as indicators for assessing changes in the sodium content of commercially processed and restaurant foods in the United States. We sampled all sentinel foods nationwide and reviewed all P2Fs in 2010-2013 to determine baseline sodium concentrations. We updated sodium values for 73 sentinel foods and 551 P2Fs in the USDA's National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (releases 23-26). Sodium values changed by at least 10% for 43 of the sentinel foods, which, for 31 foods, including commonly consumed foods such as bread, tomato catsup, and potato chips, the newer sodium values were lower. Changes in the concentrations of related nutrients (total and saturated fat, total sugar, potassium, or dietary fiber) that were recommended by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans for reduced or increased consumption accompanied sodium reduction. The results of sodium reduction efforts, based on resampling of the sentinel foods or re-review of P2Fs, will become available beginning in 2015. This monitoring program tracks sodium reduction efforts, improves food composition databases, and strengthens national nutrition monitoring. © 2015

Commercial applications

Science.gov (United States)

The near term (one to five year) needs of domestic and foreign commercial suppliers of radiochemicals and radiopharmaceuticals for electromagnetically separated stable isotopes are assessed. Only isotopes purchased to make products for sale and profit are considered. Radiopharmaceuticals produced from enriched stable isotopes supplied by the Calutron facility at ORNL are used in about 600,000 medical procedures each year in the United States. A temporary or permanent disruption of the supply of stable isotopes to the domestic radiopharmaceutical industry could curtail, if not eliminate, the use of such diagnostic procedures as the thallium heart scan, the gallium cancer scan, the gallium abscess scan, and the low radiation dose thyroid scan. An alternative source of enriched stable isotopes exist in the USSR. Alternative starting materials could, in theory, eventually be developed for both the thallium and gallium scans. The development of a new technology for these purposes, however, would take at least five years and would be expensive. Hence, any disruption of the supply of enriched isotopes from ORNL and the resulting unavailability of critical nuclear medicine procedures would have a dramatic negative effect on the level of health care in the United States.

Utility involvement in uranium exploration and development - a growing trend

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, R.P.; Riedel, D.W.

1980-01-01

Nuclear power commitments by United States utilities at the beginning of 1979 represent 137,000 MW(e) of capacity from 147 nuclear units scheduled for operation by 1985 plus an additional 52,000 MW(e) from 48 units scheduled beyond 1985. Including the minority owners there are over 100 independent electric utilities in the United States of America with some financial commitment to these 195 nuclear power plants. United States uranium requirements to the year 2000 have been projected at 35 to 40% of the world requirements (exclusive of centrally planned economies). Also United States uranium resources represent a substantial fraction of present estimated world resources. Thus, decisions by US electric utilities regarding their financial involvement in uranium exploration and development can be expected to have a large impact on the development of the world-wide uranium industry. Unlike the situation in most countries with large commitments to nuclear power, the US government is not directly involved financially in uranium exploration and development except in a supportive role to the industry as a whole. Investment decisions by US utilities and US mining companies are based on their individual perceptions of the risks and benefits to be gained. Public attitudes towards nuclear power and public regulatory commission treatment of utility expenditures for resource development vary throughout the country. Thus, US utilities have shown a wide range of responses in formulating their uranium procurement strategies. About half the utilities with nuclear commitments are at present involved financially in uranium exploration and development. This paper traces the development of this trend and elaborates on the types of financial involvement and the factors that affect a utility's selection of its overall uranium procurement strategy

Optimization and Performance Study of Select Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technologies for Commercial Buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Kamal, Rajeev

Buildings contribute a significant part to the electricity demand profile and peak demand for the electrical utilities. The addition of renewable energy generation adds additional variability and uncertainty to the power system. Demand side management in the buildings can help improve the demand profile for the utilities by shifting some of the demand from peak to off-peak times. Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning contribute around 45% to the overall demand of a building. This research studies two strategies for reducing the peak as well as shifting some demand from peak to off-peak periods in commercial buildings: 1. Use of gas heat pumps in place of electric heat pumps, and 2. Shifting demand for air conditioning from peak to off-peak by thermal energy storage in chilled water and ice. The first part of this study evaluates the field performance of gas engine-driven heat pumps (GEHP) tested in a commercial building in Florida. Four GEHP units of 8 Tons of Refrigeration (TR) capacity each providing air-conditioning to seven thermal zones in a commercial building, were instrumented for measuring their performance. The operation of these GEHPs was recorded for ten months, analyzed and compared with prior results reported in the literature. The instantaneous COPunit of these systems varied from 0.1 to 1.4 during typical summer week operation. The COP was low because the gas engines for the heat pumps were being used for loads that were much lower than design capacity which resulted in much lower efficiencies than expected. The performance of equivalent electric heat pump was simulated from a building energy model developed to mimic the measured building loads. An economic comparison of GEHPs and conventional electrical heat pumps was done based on the measured and simulated results. The average performance of the GEHP units was estimated to lie between those of EER-9.2 and EER-11.8 systems. The performance of GEHP systems suffers due to lower efficiency at

Initial startup and operations of Yonggwang Units 3 and 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collier, T.J.; Chari, D.R.; Kiraly, F.

1996-01-01

A significant milestone in the nuclear power industry was achieved in 1995, when Yonggwang (YGN) Units 3 and 4 were accepted into in commercial operation by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO). YGN Unit 3 was accepted into commercial operation on March 31, 1995, the original date established during project initiation. YGN Unit 4 was accepted into operation on January 1, 1996, 3 months ahead of schedule. Each YGN unit produces approximately 1,050 Mwe and supplies approximately ten percent of the total electric power demand in the Republic of Korea (ROK). The overall plant efficiency is approximately 37% which is at least 1% higher than most nuclear units. Since achieving commercial operation, YGN Unit 3 has operated at essentially full power which has resulted in an annual performance rate in excess of 85%. YGN Unit 3 is the first of six pressurized water reactors which are currently under design and construction in the ROK and serves as the reference design for the Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plant program. Both YGN Units 3 and 4 include a System 800 Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS). The NSSS is rated at 2,815 Mwth and is the ABB-CE standard design. The design includes numerous advanced design features which enhance plant safety, performance and operability. A well executed startup test program was successfully completed on both units prior to commercial operation. A summary of the YGN NSSS design features, the startup test program and selected test results demonstrating the performance of those features are presented in this paper

Utility systems operation: Optimisation-based decision making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velasco-Garcia, Patricia; Varbanov, Petar Sabev; Arellano-Garcia, Harvey; Wozny, Guenter

2011-01-01

Utility systems provide heat and power to industrial sites. The importance of operating these systems in an optimal way has increased significantly due to the unstable and in the long term rising prices of fossil fuels as well as the need for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions. This paper presents an analysis of the problem for supporting operator decision making under conditions of variable steam demands from the production processes on an industrial site. An optimisation model has been developed, where besides for running the utility system, also the costs associated with starting-up the operating units have been modelled. The illustrative case study shows that accounting for the shut-downs and start-ups of utility operating units can bring significant cost savings. - Highlights: → Optimisation methodology for decision making on running utility systems. → Accounting for varying steam demands. → Optimal operating specifications when a demand change occurs. → Operating costs include start-up costs of boilers and other units. → Validated on a real-life case study. Up to 20% cost savings are possible.

A study on the establishment of safety assessment guidelines of commercial grade item dedication in digitalized safety systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, H. S.; Kim, B. R.; Oh, S. H.

1999-01-01

Because of obsolescing the components used in safety related systems of nuclear power plants, decreasing the number of suppliers qualified for the nuclear QA program and increasing maintenance costs of them, utilities have been considering to use commercial grade digital computers as an alternative for resolving such issues. However, commercial digital computers use the embedded pre-existing software, including operating system software, which are not developed by using nuclear grade QA program. Thus, it is necessary for utilities to establish processes for dedicating digital commercial grade items. A regulatory body also needs guidance to evaluate the digital commercial products properly. This paper surveyed the regulations and their regulatory guides, which establish the requirements for commercial grade items dedication, industry standards and guidances applicable to safety related systems. This paper provides some guidelines to be applied in evaluating the safety of digital upgrades and new digital plant protection systems in Korea

Estimated Value of Service Reliability for Electric Utility Customers in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sullivan, M.J.; Mercurio, Matthew; Schellenberg, Josh

2009-06-01

Information on the value of reliable electricity service can be used to assess the economic efficiency of investments in generation, transmission and distribution systems, to strategically target investments to customer segments that receive the most benefit from system improvements, and to numerically quantify the risk associated with different operating, planning and investment strategies. This paper summarizes research designed to provide estimates of the value of service reliability for electricity customers in the US. These estimates were obtained by analyzing the results from 28 customer value of service reliability studies conducted by 10 major US electric utilities over the 16 year period from 1989 to 2005. Because these studies used nearly identical interruption cost estimation or willingness-to-pay/accept methods it was possible to integrate their results into a single meta-database describing the value of electric service reliability observed in all of them. Once the datasets from the various studies were combined, a two-part regression model was used to estimate customer damage functions that can be generally applied to calculate customer interruption costs per event by season, time of day, day of week, and geographical regions within the US for industrial, commercial, and residential customers. Estimated interruption costs for different types of customers and of different duration are provided. Finally, additional research and development designed to expand the usefulness of this powerful database and analysis are suggested.

Industry activities to resolve utility procurement issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosch, F.

1993-01-01

There are several industry organizations which are active in assisting the utilities in their equipment procurement enhancement. They include the Nuclear Management Resources Council (NUMARC), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and the Nuclear Procurement Issues Committee (NUPIC). The products include the NUMARC Procurement Initiatives, EPRI procurement related guidelines and databases, and NUPIC joint audits and commercial grade surveys. The industry procurement activities and products are reviewed, and their use by utilities to enhance their procurement process is related. 1 fig

Natural gas in the 21st century. Part 3. Multi-utility as survival strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krikke, R.E.

2000-01-01

The products energy becomes commercially attractive if value is added, e.g. by transferring it into a multi-utility. The marketing manager of a Dutch public utility (Essent) is interviewed about the opportunities and threats for energy companies which embrace the multi-utility concept

Use of continuous mercury monitors at coal-fired utilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laudal, Dennis L.; Thompson, Jeffrey S.; Pavlish, John H. [Energy and Environmental Research Center, PO Box 9018, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9018 (United States); Brickett, Lynn A. [U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory, PO Box 10940 MS 922-273C, Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940 (United States); Chu, Paul [EPRI, 3412 Hillview Avenue, PO Box 10412, Palo Alto, CA 94303 (United States)

2004-06-15

In December 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a notice of its determination that regulation of coal-fired utilities for mercury is appropriate and necessary as part of the hazardous air pollutant emission regulation for electric utility steam-generating units. To aid in the determination of mercury emissions from these sources, on-line mercury semicontinuous emission monitors (Hg SCEMs) have been developed and tested in recent years. Although Hg SCEMs have shown promise during these previous tests, rigorous field or long-term testing has not been done. In the past year, commercially available and prototype Hg SCEMs have been used by the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) and others at several power plants. As part of the EERC work, Hg SCEMs were operated at a range of conditions and locations. In addition, the Hg SCEMs were operated for up to 1 month. The use of Hg SCEMs at these plants allowed for near-real-time data to be collected under changing plant conditions, as well as during normal ranges of operating conditions. Mercury emission data were obtained from different plants with different configurations. The plant configurations incorporated various pollution control technologies, including selective catalytic reduction (SCR), selective noncatalytic reduction, ammonium sulfate injection for flue gas conditioning, and flue gas desulfurization (FGD). The particulate control devices included electrostatic precipitators (ESPs), a fabric filter (FF), and a venturi scrubber. The testing at these sites included the operation of Hg SCEMs before and after particulate control devices, in wet and dry stack conditions, and at high temperatures (343 C). The results from these field measurements have provided data that have been evaluated to determine the reliability, variability, biases, and overall capability of Hg SCEMs for monitoring mercury at coal-fired utilities. Even under the best conditions, operation of Hg SCEMs is by no

Office Rental Determinants in WUSE Commercial District of Abuja ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper examines the determinants of office rents in Wuse commercial district of Abuja, Nigeria. Primary and secondary data were utilized for the study. Primary data obtained for the study include office rental levels and office space data in the study area for the period between 2001 and 2012. Secondary data obtained ...

End-use energy consumption estimates for U.S. commercial buildings, 1992

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belzer, D.B.; Wrench, L.E.

1997-03-01

An accurate picture of how energy is used in the nation`s stock of commercial buildings can serve a variety of program planning and policy needs of the US Department of Energy, utilities, and other groups seeking to improve the efficiency of energy use in the building sector. This report describes an estimation of energy consumption by end use based upon data from the 1992 Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS). The methodology used in the study combines elements of engineering simulations and statistical analysis to estimate end-use intensities for heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting, refrigeration, hot water, cooking, and miscellaneous equipment. Statistical Adjusted Engineering (SAE) models were estimated by building type. The nonlinear SAE models used variables such as building size, vintage, climate region, weekly operating hours, and employee density to adjust the engineering model predicted loads to the observed consumption (based upon utility billing information). End-use consumption by fuel was estimated for each of the 6,751 buildings in the 1992 CBECS. The report displays the summary results for 11 separate building types as well as for the total US commercial building stock. 4 figs., 15 tabs.

RTNS-II utilization plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zwilsky, Klaus M.

1978-09-01

This plan describes a general program for the effective utilization of this resource by the fusion materials community. Because its flux is low relative to levels expected in commercial fusion reactors, the RINS-II is not expected to produce data of direct engineering significance (with some exceptions). Rather, it will be used chiefly to aid in the development of models of high energy neutron effects. Such models are needed in projecting engineering data obtained in high flux fission reactors to the fusion environment. Fission reactors, because of their relatively soft neutron spectra, cannot produce the high ratio of transmutations to displacements (except in an important special case) or the high energy recoil atoms appropriate to fusion reactors utilizing the D-T reaction.

TRANSATLANTIC COMMERCIAL RELATIONSHIP IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CURRENT FINANCIAL CRISIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irina Elena Gentimir

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper makes an analysis of the commercial and financial relationship between EU27 and United States of America. Traditionally, USA and EU27 are the most powerful forces in the world. Today, the relationship between these two partners continues to dominate and to influence globally. The transatlantic relation consists, mainly, of the commercial exchanges and the investment flows. The objective of this paper is to highlight the evolution and the changes occurred in the commercial exchanges and the investment flows between this two powers in the context of the economic crisis constraints.

50 CFR 20.91 - Commercial use of feathers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Commercial use of feathers. 20.91 Section 20.91 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.... Any person may possess, purchase, sell, barter, or transport for the making of fishing flies, bed...

Decadal analysis of deceased organ donation in Spain and the United States linking an increased donation rate and the utilization of older donors.

Science.gov (United States)

Halldorson, Jeff; Roberts, John Paul

2013-09-01

After the foundation of the National Transplant Organization, Spanish rates of deceased donor donation rapidly outpaced US growth over the decade from 1989 to 1999. An analysis of the following decade, 1999-2009, demonstrated a markedly flattened growth curve for Spanish deceased donor organ procurement, which increased only 2.4% from 33.6 to 34.4 donors per million population (pmp). In comparison, over the same decade in the United States, the rate of deceased donation increased from 20.9 to 26.3 donors pmp (25.8%). An age group comparison demonstrated a much higher donation rate among older donors in Spain. For example, the number of donors older than 70 years increased from 3.8 to 8.8 pmp (a 132% increase), and they now constitute 25.4% of all Spanish organ donors. In contrast, the number of US donors older than 70 years increased from 1.0 to 1.3 pmp, and they constitute only 4.4% of total deceased donors. Over the same decade, the number of younger donors (15-30 years old) decreased from 6.6 to 2.5 pmp (a 62% decrease) in Spain, and this contrasted with a slightly increased US donation rate for the same age subgroup (a 15.5% increase from 5.8 to 6.7 pmp). Although older donors were more rarely used in the United States, growth in donation over the 2 decades (1989-2009) was strongly associated with the utilization of donors aged 65 or older (P < 0.01). United Network for Organ Sharing regions demonstrated significant differences in utilization rates for older donors. In conclusion, strategies aimed toward achieving US donation rates equivalent to the Spanish benchmark should target improved utilization rates for older donors in the United States instead of emulating elements of the Spanish organ procurement system. © 2013 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Commercialization of the modular modeling system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartells, P.S.

1987-01-01

The Modular Modeling System (MMS) was developed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to provide an efficient, economical, and user-friendly computer code for use in the analysis of the dynamic performance of nuclear and fossil power plants. The MMS has been under development since 1978 and is now ready for general release to the industry. To most effectively transfer the MSS technology on a worldwide basis, EPRI has licensed the Babcock and Wilcox Company (B and W) to act as the MMS code coordinator and commercial licensing agent. B and W is responsible for promoting the use of MMS and assisting users in the effective utilization of this new analysis tool. The history behind the commercialization of the MMS and the mechanism by which the MMS technology will be effectively transferred to provide for a self-sustaining and technically current analysis tool are outlined

Stem cell research funding policies and dynamic innovation: a survey of open access and commercialization requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

Lévesque, Maroussia; Kim, Jihyun Rosel; Isasi, Rosario; Knoppers, Bartha Maria; Plomer, Aurora; Joly, Yann

2014-08-01

This article compares and contrasts the pressures of both open access data sharing and commercialization policies in the context of publicly funded embryonic stem cell research (SCR). First, normative guidelines of international SCR organizations were examined. We then examined SCR funding guidelines and the project evaluation criteria of major funding organizations in the EU, the United Kingdom (UK), Spain, Canada and the United States. Our survey of policies revealed subtle pressures to commercialize research that include: increased funding availability for commercialization opportunities, assistance for obtaining intellectual property rights (IPRs) and legislation mandating commercialization. In lieu of open access models, funders are increasingly opting for limited sharing models or "protected commons" models that make the research available to researchers within the same region or those receiving the same funding. Meanwhile, there still is need for funding agencies to clarify and standardize terms such as "non-profit organizations" and "for-profit research," as more universities are pursuing for-profit or commercial opportunities.

United States Commercial Shipbuilding Productivity: An International View

Science.gov (United States)

1990-12-01

produced, U.S. shipbuilders would have ranked 36th. The U.S. output is just above Malaysia (2758 GT), Peru (3136 GT) and Chile (3372 GT), but below...2 6,172 0.05 35 GREECE 4 5,219 0.04 36 UNITED STATES 10 4,078 0.03 37 CHILE 8 3,372 0.03 38 PERU 7 3,136 0.02 39 MALAYSIA 2 2,758 0.02 40 THAILAND 2...Korean shipbuilders’ rank second behind Japan in total GT produced. Collectively, the three major yards, Hyundai Heavy Industries (HH I), Samsung , and

Commercial Biomass Syngas Fermentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James Daniell

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The use of gas fermentation for the production of low carbon biofuels such as ethanol or butanol from lignocellulosic biomass is an area currently undergoing intensive research and development, with the first commercial units expected to commence operation in the near future. In this process, biomass is first converted into carbon monoxide (CO and hydrogen (H2-rich synthesis gas (syngas via gasification, and subsequently fermented to hydrocarbons by acetogenic bacteria. Several studies have been performed over the last few years to optimise both biomass gasification and syngas fermentation with significant progress being reported in both areas. While challenges associated with the scale-up and operation of this novel process remain, this strategy offers numerous advantages compared with established fermentation and purely thermochemical approaches to biofuel production in terms of feedstock flexibility and production cost. In recent times, metabolic engineering and synthetic biology techniques have been applied to gas fermenting organisms, paving the way for gases to be used as the feedstock for the commercial production of increasingly energy dense fuels and more valuable chemicals.

MARS and its applications at Northeast Utilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalil, Y.F.; Raines, J.C.

1992-01-01

The MAAP Accident Response System (MARS) for Northeast Utilities Millstone Unit 1 (MP-1) has been jointly developed by Northeast Utilities (NU) and Fauske ampersand Associates, Inc. (FAI). Millstone Unit 1 is a 2011-MW(thermal) boiling water reactor (BWR)/3 with a Mark-I containment. MARS/MP1 is user-friendly computer software that is structured to provide Northeast Utilities management and engineering staff with key insights during actual or simulated accidents. Times to core uncovery, vessel failure, and containment failure are among the figures of merit that can be obtained from this system. MARS/MP1 can predict future conditions of the MP-1 plant based on current plant data and their trends (time-dependent plant data). The objective of this paper is to present the research and development effort of the MARS/MP1 software at Northeast Utilities

Implications of the accident at Chernobyl for safety regulation of commercial nuclear power plants in the United States: Volume 1, Main report: Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-04-01

This report was prepared by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff to assess the implications of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant as they relate to reactor safety regulation for commercial nuclear power plants in the United States. The facts used in this assessment have been drawn from the US fact-finding report (NUREG-1250) and its sources. The general conclusions of the document are that there are generic lessons to be learned but that no changes in regulations are needed due to the substantial differences in the design, safety features and operation of US plants as compared to those in the USSR. Given these general conclusions, further consideration of certain specific areas is recommended by the report. These include: administrative controls over reactor regulation, reactivity accidents, accidents at low or zero power, multi-unit protection, fires, containment, emergency planning, severe accident phenomena, and graphite-moderated reactors

76 FR 15039 - Commercial Space Transportation Grants Program

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-18

... infrastructure system, which supports the National Space Policy and Congressional intent. Begun in 2010, the... funding for Commercial Space Transportation infrastructure projects. It must be noted that with the FY... deadline, pursuant to 49 United States Code (U.S.C.) Chapter 703 (to be recodified at 51 U.S.C. Chapter 511...

Geothermal Resource Utilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lienau, Paul J.

1998-01-03

Man has utilized the natural heat of the earth for centuries. Worldwide direct use of geothermal currently amounts to about 7,000 MWt, as compared to 1,500 MWe, now being used for the generation of electricity. Since the early 1970s, dwindling domestic reservoirs of oil and gas, continued price escalation of oil on the world market and environmental concerns associated with coal and nuclear energy have created a growing interest in the use of geothermal energy in the United States. The Department of Energy goals for hydrothermal resources utilization in the United States, expressed in barrels of oil equivalent, is 50 to 90 million bbl/yr by 1985 and 350 to 900 million bbl/yr by the year 2000. This relatively clean and highly versatile resource is now being used in a multitude of diverse applications (e.g., space heating and cooling, vegetable dehydration, agriculture, aquaculture, light manufacturing), and other applications requiring a reliable and economic source of heat.

Utility of Ambulance Data for Real-Time Syndromic Surveillance: A Pilot in the West Midlands Region, United Kingdom.

Science.gov (United States)

Todkill, Dan; Loveridge, Paul; Elliot, Alex J; Morbey, Roger A; Edeghere, Obaghe; Rayment-Bishop, Tracy; Rayment-Bishop, Chris; Thornes, John E; Smith, Gillian

2017-12-01

Introduction The Public Health England (PHE; United Kingdom) Real-Time Syndromic Surveillance Team (ReSST) currently operates four national syndromic surveillance systems, including an emergency department system. A system based on ambulance data might provide an additional measure of the "severe" end of the clinical disease spectrum. This report describes the findings and lessons learned from the development and preliminary assessment of a pilot syndromic surveillance system using ambulance data from the West Midlands (WM) region in England. Hypothesis/Problem Is an Ambulance Data Syndromic Surveillance System (ADSSS) feasible and of utility in enhancing the existing suite of PHE syndromic surveillance systems? An ADSSS was designed, implemented, and a pilot conducted from September 1, 2015 through March 1, 2016. Surveillance cases were defined as calls to the West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) regarding patients who were assigned any of 11 specified chief presenting complaints (CPCs) during the pilot period. The WMAS collected anonymized data on cases and transferred the dataset daily to ReSST, which contained anonymized information on patients' demographics, partial postcode of patients' location, and CPC. The 11 CPCs covered a broad range of syndromes. The dataset was analyzed descriptively each week to determine trends and key epidemiological characteristics of patients, and an automated statistical algorithm was employed daily to detect higher than expected number of calls. A preliminary assessment was undertaken to assess the feasibility, utility (including quality of key indicators), and timeliness of the system for syndromic surveillance purposes. Lessons learned and challenges were identified and recorded during the design and implementation of the system. The pilot ADSSS collected 207,331 records of individual ambulance calls (daily mean=1,133; range=923-1,350). The ADSSS was found to be timely in detecting seasonal changes in patterns of respiratory

Electric utility fuel choice behavior in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joskow, P.L.; Mishkin, F.S.

1977-10-01

Electric utility fuel choice behavior is analyzed by a conditional logit model to determine the effects of changing oil prices of five plants. Three of the plants faced favorable expected coal prices and, like many areas of the country, were insensitive to changing oil prices. This was not the case at the New England plant, however, where relatively small price increases would decrease the likelihood of choosing oil as an alternative fuel for new plants. The modeling of utility behavior in fuel decisions is felt to be applicable to other industries where a continuum of decision possibilities does not reasonably characterize choice alternatives. New behavior models are urged in order to obtain better predictions of the effects of a changing economic environment. 10 references.

INDIRECT AND EXPEDITE ASSESSMENT OF Ilex paraguariensis COMMERCIAL YIELD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivar Wendling

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Commercial biomass production is one of the main indicators for selecting erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis progenies and clones. Traditional techniques to obtain such information depend on the harvesting of trees and there are some limitations involved, such as high cost and reduced convenience. Thus, in our research we evaluated the efficiency of indirect methods through commercial biomass estimation and score of productivity according to the different provenances, gender and morphotypes. In a provenances and progenies trial installed in 1997, two methodologies of visual analysis were evaluated in August 2015 (two years after the last harvest. For that reason, five expert evaluators determined, for each plant, an estimate of the commercial biomass (kg, and a grade, based on a score of productivity (0-10. In order to assess the productivity using traditional techniques, all plants were pruned and their commercial biomass (leaves and fine branches smaller than 7 mm diameter were harvested and weighed (kg.plant-1. The evaluations were performed in a randomized-block experiment with five repetitions, seven different provenances and 126 progenies, totaling 5,292 evaluated plants. The methods utilized were effective to estimate the commercial biomass. The evaluators showed accuracy, expressing efficiently the largest productivity obtained when comparing the means of provenances, plants gender and morphotypes. The highest correlations were observed in the general analysis of the means, and the estimation of commercial biomass was considered the best methodology for estimating the commercial biomass assessed in adult erva-mate plants.

Evaluation of the lateral dynamics of complex articulated commercial vehicles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Besselink, I.J.M.; Isiklar, G.; Pinxteren, van T.E.L.; Nijmeijer, H.

2008-01-01

By increasing the overall length and weight of commercial vehicles, the transport efficiency and road utilization will be improved and the C02 emissions can be reduced by some 30%. Over the past years experiments are carried out in the Netherlands with special vehicle combinations having an overall

Strategies toward the commercialization PZC-based Tc-99m generator in the Philippines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borras, Ma. Teresa L.; Sombrito, Elvira Z.; Dela Rosa, Alumanda M.; Osorio, Rizalina G.; Bulos, Adelina DM.

2007-01-01

Technetium-99m ( 99m Tc) is the most widely used radioisotope in nuclear medicine. It accounts for more than 80% of the total demand for radioisotopes. Alone or conjugated with other ligands, it is very useful in the imaging and scanning of various organs such as the brain, lungs, kidneys, liver, thyroid and bone and in the diagnosis of metabolic disorders. It is imported to the country as 99 Mo- 99m Tc generators. These commercial generators use fission molybdenum adsorbed onto alumina column. A Draft Business Plan for the Production of PZC 99 Mo- 99m Tc Generator in the Philippines was presented during the FNCA 2005 Workshop on the Utilization of Research Reactors, August 08-12, 2005. The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) proposed in the draft business plan, the commercial production of PZC generator through the establishment of a facility for the in-house production of 99 Mo- 99m Tc generators. The radioisotope laboratory of the Irradiation Services Unit will be renovated to house the PZC based 99 Mo- 99m Tc generator experiment/production facility. Since the research reactor is on extended shutdown, the supply of 99 Mo will be sourced out from neighboring countries. Information dissemination and promotions will be made in order to bring this PZC based 99 Mo- 99m Tc generator to the nuclear medicine users. (author)

Widespread Rotavirus H in Commercially Raised Pigs, United States

Science.gov (United States)

Rossow, Kurt; Culhane, Marie; Goyal, Sagar; Collins, Jim; Matthijnssens, Jelle; Nelson, Martha; Ciarlet, Max

2014-01-01

We investigated the presence in US pigs of rotavirus H (RVH), identified in pigs in Japan and Brazil. From 204 samples collected during 2006–2009, we identified RVH in 15% of fecal samples from 10 US states, suggesting that RVH has circulated in the United States since 2002, but probably longer. PMID:24960190

Utilization of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for testicular cancer in the United States: Results from the National Cancer Database (1998-2011).

Science.gov (United States)

Hugen, Cory M; Hu, Brian; Jeldres, Claudio; Burton, Claire; Nichols, Craig R; Porter, Christopher R; Daneshmand, Siamak

2016-11-01

Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) for the treatment of testicular cancer is a relatively rare and complex operation that may contribute to differences in utilization. We sought to characterize the use of RPLND between different categories of cancer center facilities in the United States. The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with germ cell tumors treated at different types of cancer centers between 1998 and 2011. The proportion of patients who underwent RPLND was stratified by stage and histology and then compared between treatment facilities. RPLND utilization was then compared between facility types as a function of time. A total of 59,652 patients met inclusion criteria and 5,475 (9.2%) underwent RPLND. The proportion of patients treated with RPLND for non-seminomatous germ cell tumor (NSGCT) was significantly different between cancer center types for all stages (Pcancer centers. There was no difference in the proportion of RPLND utilization for stage II and III seminoma stratified by treatment facility. There was a significantly decreased trend in the utilization of RPLND for stage I (P = 0.032) NSGCT whereas utilization was increased for stage III NSGCT (P≤0.001) over the study period. The proportion of patients undergoing RPLND for NSGCT varies significantly by the type of cancer center and is used most often in academic cancer centers. Utilization of RPLND decreased for stage I NSGCT and increased for stage III NSGCTs during the study period. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Commercial applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1982-01-01

The objective of this paper is to assess the near term (one-to-five-year) needs of domestic and foreign commercial suppliers of radiochemicals and radiopharmaceuticals for electromagnetically separated stable isotopes. Only isotopes purchased to make products for sale and profit are considered in this assessment. Radiopharmaceuticals produced from enriched stable isotopes supplied by the Calutron facility at ORNL are used in about 600,000 medical procedures each year in the United States. A temporary or permanent disruption of the supply of stable isotopes to the domestic radiopharmaceutical industry could curtail, if not eliminate, the use of such diagnostic procedures as the thallium heart scan, the gallium cancer scan, the gallium abscess scan, and the low-radiation-dose thyroid scan. The word could in the preceding sentence is underlined because an alternative source of enriched stable isotopes does exist in the USSR. Alternative starting materials could, in theory, eventually be developed for both the thallium and gallium scans. The development of a new technology for these purposes, however, would take at least five years and would be expensive. Hence, any disruption of the supply of enriched isotopes from ORNL and the resulting unavailability of critical nuclear medicine procedures would have a dramatic negative effect on the level of health care in the United States

Review of Literature for Inputs to the National Water Savings Model and Spreadsheet Tool-Commercial/Institutional

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whitehead, Camilla Dunham; Melody, Moya; Lutz, James

2009-05-29

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) is developing a computer model and spreadsheet tool for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help estimate the water savings attributable to their WaterSense program. WaterSense has developed a labeling program for three types of plumbing fixtures commonly used in commercial and institutional settings: flushometer valve toilets, urinals, and pre-rinse spray valves. This National Water Savings-Commercial/Institutional (NWS-CI) model is patterned after the National Water Savings-Residential model, which was completed in 2008. Calculating the quantity of water and money saved through the WaterSense labeling program requires three primary inputs: (1) the quantity of a given product in use; (2) the frequency with which units of the product are replaced or are installed in new construction; and (3) the number of times or the duration the product is used in various settings. To obtain the information required for developing the NWS-CI model, LBNL reviewed various resources pertaining to the three WaterSense-labeled commercial/institutional products. The data gathered ranged from the number of commercial buildings in the United States to numbers of employees in various sectors of the economy and plumbing codes for commercial buildings. This document summarizes information obtained about the three products' attributes, quantities, and use in commercial and institutional settings that is needed to estimate how much water EPA's WaterSense program saves.

Commercial application of laser fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Booth, L.A.

1976-01-01

The fundamentals of laser-induced fusion, some laser-fusion reactor concepts, and attendant means of utilizing the thermonuclear energy for commercial electric power generation are discussed. Theoretical fusion-pellet microexplosion energy release characteristics are described and the effects of pellet design options on pellet-microexplosion characteristics are discussed. The results of analyses to assess the engineering feasibility of reactor cavities for which protection of cavity components is provided either by suitable ablative materials or by diversion of plasmas by magnetic fields are presented. Two conceptual laser-fusion electric generating stations, based on different laser-fusion reactor concepts, are described

Investigation of Subject perceptions of the Environment in Commercial kitchens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simone, Angela; Olesen, Bjarne W.

2012-01-01

In a country such as the United States, the largest employee sector is in the restaurant industry. This makes the commercial kitchens an important space that needs to be evaluated and consequently improved in terms of thermal comfort and indoor air quality conditions, for the wellbeing of the emp......In a country such as the United States, the largest employee sector is in the restaurant industry. This makes the commercial kitchens an important space that needs to be evaluated and consequently improved in terms of thermal comfort and indoor air quality conditions, for the wellbeing....... Today, no study on subjective feedback from kitchen employees has been reported. In the present paper, two types of survey were developed and tested in the field. The questions are based on the ISO 10551 standard and adapted to the kitchen environment. Answers dealing with the working conditions...

Geothermal energy in the western United States and Hawaii: Resources and projected electricity generation supplies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-09-01

Geothermal energy comes from the internal heat of the Earth, and has been continuously exploited for the production of electricity in the United States since 1960. Currently, geothermal power is one of the ready-to-use baseload electricity generating technologies that is competing in the western United States with fossil fuel, nuclear and hydroelectric generation technologies to provide utilities and their customers with a reliable and economic source of electric power. Furthermore, the development of domestic geothermal resources, as an alternative to fossil fuel combustion technologies, has a number of associated environmental benefits. This report serves two functions. First, it provides a description of geothermal technology and a progress report on the commercial status of geothermal electric power generation. Second, it addresses the question of how much electricity might be competitively produced from the geothermal resource base. 19 figs., 15 tabs

Research achievements and commercial interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garnett, H.M.

2001-01-01

ANSTO, in partnership with Australian and overseas organisations, continues to make significant contributions to selected fields of research and development. Major revenue for ANSTO is generated through sales of radiopharmaceuticals and radioisotopes for medical, industrial, environmental and research purposes and through neutron irradiation services. Further, ANSTO is actively trying to generate maximum value from its knowledge and know-how through protection and exploitation of its intellectual property. Strategic alliances have been developed to further the commercial utilisation of ANSTO know-how in, for example, delivery systems for tumour treatments, commercial waste remediation and applications of plasma implantation. The 2000-2001 financial year saw the establishment of an ANSTO business unit called Sulfide Solutions targeted at better management of environmental issues arising from mining operations. Overall, ANSTO's capacity to generate value from the application of its knowledge and know-how is being increasingly acknowledged, the organisation attaining credibility as an international leader in the application of nuclear science and technology in targeted areas

Utilization of a novel autologous killed tri-vaccine (serogroups B [Typhimurium], C [Mbandaka] and E [Orion]) for Salmonella control in commercial poultry breeders.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavic, Anthony; Groves, Peter J; Cox, Julian M

2010-02-01

An autologous killed trivalent vaccine (3x10(8) colony-forming units [CFU]), based on three Salmonella serovars (Typhimurium - serogroup B, Mbandaka - serogroup C, and Orion - serogroup E) prevalent in the flocks of Australian poultry companies, was developed using Salenvac techniques. At 20 weeks, hens vaccinated at 12 and 17 weeks as well as non-vaccinated hens were challenged (250 microl of 10(7) CFU) with autologous and heterologous serovars belonging to serogroup B (Typhimurium and Agona), serogroup C (Mbandaka and Infantis) and serogroup E (Orion and Zanzibar). Overall, vaccination resulted in a significant difference in carriage of Salmonella between non-vaccinated and vaccinated commercial Cobb hens (P 0.05) could be determined for serogroup E. All vaccinated flocks produced a significant antibody response (P<0.001) to the S. Typhimurium vaccine strain, measured using a S. Typhimurium enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Guildhay), which peaked at 20 weeks of age, with 39% of the hens positive. Maternal antibodies were detected in 16% of the yolks from eggs produced by these flocks. There was a significant difference after challenge with Salmonella (P <0.05) among 1-day-old chicks from vaccinated versus non-vaccinated parents, when challenged using 10(4) CFU but not when challenged with 10(8) CFU. The success of this trial resulted in the incorporation of this vaccine into a Salmonella control system in commercial broiler breeder production.

Trickle bed reactor model to simulate the performance of commercial diesel hydrotreating unit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

C. Murali; R.K. Voolapalli; N. Ravichander; D.T. Gokak; N.V. Choudary [Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd., Udyog Kendra (India). Corporate R& amp; D Centre

2007-05-15

A two phase mathematical model was developed to simulate the performance of bench scale and commercial hydrotreating reactors. Major hydrotreating reactions, namely, hydrodesulphurization, hydrodearomatization and olefins saturation were modeled. Experiments were carried out in a fixed bed reactor to study the effect of different process variables and these results were used for estimating kinetic parameters. Significant amount of feed vaporization (20-50%) was estimated under normal operating conditions of DHDS suggesting the importance of considering feed vaporization in DHDS modeling. The model was validated with plant operating data, under close to ultra low sulphur levels by correctly accounting for feed vaporization in heat balance relations and appropriate use of hydrodynamic correlations. The model could predict the product quality, reactor bed temperature profiles and chemical hydrogen consumption in commercial plant adequately. 14 refs., 7 figs., 6 tabs.

University commercialization policies and their implementation in the Netherlands and the United States

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leisyte, Liudvika

2011-01-01

The article explores how the US and Dutch governments have attempted to bolster research commercialization in their respective research systems and discusses the institutionalization of linkages between universities and industrial firms. First, the article shows how the institutional framework

The Program Administrator Cost of Saved Energy for Utility Customer-Funded Energy Efficiency Programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Billingsley, Megan A.; Hoffman, Ian M.; Stuart, Elizabeth; Schiller, Steven R.; Goldman, Charles A.; LaCommare, Kristina

2014-03-19

End-use energy efficiency is increasingly being relied upon as a resource for meeting electricity and natural gas utility system needs within the United States. There is a direct connection between the maturation of energy efficiency as a resource and the need for consistent, high-quality data and reporting of efficiency program costs and impacts. To support this effort, LBNL initiated the Cost of Saved Energy Project (CSE Project) and created a Demand-Side Management (DSM) Program Impacts Database to provide a resource for policy makers, regulators, and the efficiency industry as a whole. This study is the first technical report of the LBNL CSE Project and provides an overview of the project scope, approach, and initial findings, including: • Providing a proof of concept that the program-level cost and savings data can be collected, organized, and analyzed in a systematic fashion; • Presenting initial program, sector, and portfolio level results for the program administrator CSE for a recent time period (2009-2011); and • Encouraging state and regional entities to establish common reporting definitions and formats that would make the collection and comparison of CSE data more reliable. The LBNL DSM Program Impacts Database includes the program results reported to state regulators by more than 100 program administrators in 31 states, primarily for the years 2009–2011. In total, we have compiled cost and energy savings data on more than 1,700 programs over one or more program-years for a total of more than 4,000 program-years’ worth of data, providing a rich dataset for analyses. We use the information to report costs-per-unit of electricity and natural gas savings for utility customer-funded, end-use energy efficiency programs. The program administrator CSE values are presented at national, state, and regional levels by market sector (e.g., commercial, industrial, residential) and by program type (e.g., residential whole home programs, commercial new

Commercial Banks' Sectoral Credit Allocation and Growth of Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study set out to analyse the impact of commercial banks sectoral credit allocation on the growth index of Nigeria economy. Data for the study were obtained from secondary sources and analysed using econometric methods namely: ADF unit root test, Johansen Cointegration test; vector error correction model and ...

Solidification of commercial and defense low-level radioactive waste in polyethylene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franz, E.M.; Heiser, L.H.; Colombo, P.

1987-08-01

A process was developed for the solidification of salt wastes, incinerator ash and ion-exchange resins in polyethylene. Of the salt wastes, sodium sulfate and boric acid are representative of the wastes produced at commercial nuclear facilities while sodium nitrate in a typical high-volume waste generated at defense-related facilities. Ease of processibility and high loading efficiencies were obtained through the use of low-density polyethylene with melt indices ranging from 2.0 to 55.0 g/minute. The process utilized a commercially available single-screw extruder to incorporate the wastes into the polyethylene at about 120 0 C to produce a homogeneous mixture. Although present studies utilize dry wastes, wet wastes can also be processed using vented extruders of the type used commercially for the bitumen solidification process. Tests were performed on the waste forms to determine leachability and mechanical properties. To confirm the compatibility of polyethylene and nitrate salt waste at elevated temperatures, the self-ignition temperatures were measured and a differential scanning calorimeter was used to characterize the thermal behavior of oxidizing compounds contained in the simulated waste, as well as the real Savannah River Plant waste. No exothermic reactions were observed over the temperature range studied from 50 0 C to 400 0 C. 18 refs., 7 figs., 8 tabs

The decommissioning of commercial magnox gas cooled reactor power stations in the United Kingdom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holt, G.

1998-01-01

There are nine commercial Magnox gas-cooled reactor power stations in the United Kingdom. Three of these stations have been shutdown and are being decommissioning, and plans have also been prepared for the eventual decommissioning of the remaining operational stations. The preferred strategy for the decommissioning of the Magnox power stations has been identified as 'Safestore' in which the decommissioning activities are carried out in a number of steps separated by quiescent periods of care and maintenance. The final clearance of the site could be deferred for up to 135 years following station shutdown so as to obtain maximum benefit from radioactive decay. The first step in the decommissioning strategy is to defuel the reactors and transport all spent and new fuel off the site. This work has been completed at all three shutdown stations. Decommissioning work is continuing on the three sites and has involved activities such as dismantling, decontamination, recycling and disposal of some plant and structures, and the preparation of others for retention on the site for a period of care and maintenance. Significant experience has been gained in the practical application of decommissioning, with successful technologies and processes being identified for a wide range of activities. For example, large and small metallic and concrete structures, some with complex geometries, have been successfully decontaminated. Also, the reactors have been prepared for a long period of care and maintenance, with instrumentation and sampling systems having been installed to monitor their continuing integrity. All of this work has been done under careful safety, technical, and financial control. (author)

International Space Station (ISS) Plasma Contactor Unit (PCU) Utilization Plan Assessment Update

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez-Pellerano, Amri; Iannello, Christopher J.; Garrett, Henry B.; Ging, Andrew T.; Katz, Ira; Keith, R. Lloyd; Minow, Joseph I.; Willis, Emily M.; Schneider, Todd A.; Whittlesey, Edward J.;

Commercial disposal of High Integrity Containers (HICs) containing EPICOR-II prefilters from Three Mile Island

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McConnell, J.W. Jr.; Lynch, R.J.; Tyacke, M.J.

1985-09-01

This report describes the processes of loading, transporting, and commercially disposing of 45 High Integrity Containers (HICs), each containing an EPICOR-II prefilter. Also described are the improvements that were applied in the disposition of the 45 commercial EPICOR-II prefilters at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), versus those used for the demonstration unit. The significance of this effort was that the commercial disposal campaign involved the first-of-a-kind production use of a reinforced concrete HIC at the US Ecology, Inc. facility in the State of Washington. This allowed for safe disposal of high-specific-activity ion exchange material in EPICOR-II prefilters generated during the cleanup of the Unit-2 Auxiliary and Fuel Handling Building of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Station. 26 figs

Measuring Torque and Temperature in a Rotating Shaft Using Commercial SAW Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Diogo; Mendes, Joana C; Pereira, António B; Gégot, François; Alves, Luís N

2017-07-02

Real-time monitoring of torque in a rotating shaft is not easy to implement with technologies such as optic fiber sensors or strain gages. Surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors are wireless and passive and can be used to monitor strain in moving parts. Commercial solutions (sensors, antennas and interrogation unit) can easily be purchased from some companies; however, they are not customized and may not meet the specificity of the measurements. In order to evaluate the adequacy of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions, temperature and strain sensors fabricated by SENSeOR (Besançon, France) were mounted on a load cell. The sensors were calibrated using a thermal chamber and a universal testing machine. The load cell was then assembled together with a steel shaft that rotated at different speeds inside an oven. The commercial antennas were replaced with an RF (radio frequency) coupler and the sensors were interrogated with the commercial interrogation unit. The influence of rotation in the accuracy on the measurements, as well as the adequacy of the sensors structure, was evaluated. It can be concluded that SAW sensors can be used to measure temperature or torque in a rotating environment; however, some customization of the components is required in order to overcome the limitations posed by COTS sensing solutions.

A Framework for Assessing the Commercialization of Photovoltaic Power Generation

Science.gov (United States)

Yaqub, Mahdi

An effective framework does not currently exist with which to assess the viability of commercializing photovoltaic (PV) power generation in the US energy market. Adopting a new technology, such as utility-scale PV power generation, requires a commercialization assessment framework. The framework developed here assesses the economic viability of a set of alternatives of identified factors. Economic viability focuses on simulating the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) as a key performance measure to realize `grid parity', or the equivalence between the PV electricity prices and grid electricity prices for established energy technologies. Simulation results confirm that `grid parity' could be achieved without the current federal 30% investment tax credit (ITC) via a combination of three strategies: 1) using economies of scale to reduce the LCOE by 30% from its current value of 3.6 cents/kWh to 2.5 cents/kWh, 2) employing a longer power purchase agreement (PPA) over 30 years at a 4% interest rate, and 3) improving by 15% the "capacity factor", which is the ratio of the total annual generated energy to the full potential annual generation when the utility is continuously operating at its rated output. The lower than commercial-market interest rate of 4% that is needed to realize `grid parity' is intended to replace the current federal 30% ITC subsidy, which does not have a cash inflow to offset the outflow of subsidy payments. The 4% interest rate can be realized through two proposed finance plans: The first plan involves the implementation of carbon fees on polluting power plants to produce the capital needed to lower the utility PPA loan term interest rate from its current 7% to the necessary 4% rate. The second plan entails a proposed public debt finance plan. Under this plan, the US Government leverages its guarantee power to issue bonds and uses the proceeds to finance the construction and operation of PV power plants with PPA loan with a 4% interest rate for a

Utility-vendor partnerships for refurbishment projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Newman, G.; Hall, H. [Bruce Power, Tiverton, Ontario (Canada)

2012-07-01

closely with our Vendor community to ensure that our policies, programs and procedures are rigorous, transparent and well understood such that these requirements can be implemented in a timely and cost effective manner. At Bruce Power we value the skills and products that our Vendor community brings to our business and it is our intention to work carefully through this process to ensure that we collectively achieve the quality level required to ensure safe, reliable operation of our plants. In the context of Utility – Vendor Partnerships from a commercial perspective; Bruce Power has established a Vendor Performance Management System (VPMS) to support a structured approach to identify supplier strengths and weaknesses and to assist in the selection and management of our vendor base. Utilizing field initiated Station Condition Reports (SCR’s) and Non Conformance Reports (NCR’s) to establish good, average and substandard performance data points by commodity and contract, the VPMS facilitates data mining of performance information to establish a profile of how a supplier performs. SCR’s and NCR’s are backstopped by commercially generated SCAR Supplier Corrective Action Reports which allows Bruce Power to monitor vendor corrective actions.The VPMS approach permits Bruce Power to have a data based evaluation vs. an opinion based performance scorecard. Although in it’s preliminary stages this system will eventually help Bruce Power verify by commodity how vendors are performing which will in turn allow Bruce Power to enable an exit strategy for a poor performing vendor while strategically developing vendors to fill identified gaps. This capability will act as a cornerstone segment in our approach to Utility – Vendor Partnerships for Refurbishment by establishing performance data points on cost, quality and schedule delivery. Our success in being able to strategically apply this model will depend upon stable outage, generation and capital improvement plans as well

Utility-vendor partnerships for refurbishment projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newman, G.; Hall, H.

2012-01-01

closely with our Vendor community to ensure that our policies, programs and procedures are rigorous, transparent and well understood such that these requirements can be implemented in a timely and cost effective manner. At Bruce Power we value the skills and products that our Vendor community brings to our business and it is our intention to work carefully through this process to ensure that we collectively achieve the quality level required to ensure safe, reliable operation of our plants. In the context of Utility – Vendor Partnerships from a commercial perspective; Bruce Power has established a Vendor Performance Management System (VPMS) to support a structured approach to identify supplier strengths and weaknesses and to assist in the selection and management of our vendor base. Utilizing field initiated Station Condition Reports (SCR’s) and Non Conformance Reports (NCR’s) to establish good, average and substandard performance data points by commodity and contract, the VPMS facilitates data mining of performance information to establish a profile of how a supplier performs. SCR’s and NCR’s are backstopped by commercially generated SCAR Supplier Corrective Action Reports which allows Bruce Power to monitor vendor corrective actions.The VPMS approach permits Bruce Power to have a data based evaluation vs. an opinion based performance scorecard. Although in it’s preliminary stages this system will eventually help Bruce Power verify by commodity how vendors are performing which will in turn allow Bruce Power to enable an exit strategy for a poor performing vendor while strategically developing vendors to fill identified gaps. This capability will act as a cornerstone segment in our approach to Utility – Vendor Partnerships for Refurbishment by establishing performance data points on cost, quality and schedule delivery. Our success in being able to strategically apply this model will depend upon stable outage, generation and capital improvement plans as well

Active pore space utilization in nanoporous carbon-based supercapacitors: Effects of conductivity and pore accessibility

Science.gov (United States)

Seredych, Mykola; Koscinski, Mikolaj; Sliwinska-Bartkowiak, Malgorzata; Bandosz, Teresa J.

2012-12-01

Composites of commercial graphene and nanoporous sodium-salt-polymer-derived carbons were prepared with 5 or 20 weight% graphene. The materials were characterized using the adsorption of nitrogen, SEM/EDX, thermal analysis, Raman spectroscopy and potentiometric titration. The samples' conductivity was also measured. The performance of the carbon composites in energy storage was linked to their porosity and electronic conductivity. The small pores (<0.7) were found as very active for double layer capacitance. It was demonstrated that when double layer capacitance is a predominant mechanism of charge storage, the degree of the pore space utilization for that storage can be increased by increasing the conductivity of the carbons. That active pore space utilization is defined as gravimetric capacitance per unit pore volume in pores smaller than 0.7 nm. Its magnitude is affected by conductivity of the carbon materials. The functional groups, besides pseudocapacitive contribution, increased the wettability and thus the degree of the pore space utilization. Graphene phase, owing to its conductivity, also took part in an insitu increase of the small pore accessibility and thus the capacitance of the composites via enhancing an electron transfer to small pores and thus imposing the reduction of groups blocking the pores for electrolyte ions.

Time for commercializing non-food biofuel in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Qiang

2011-01-01

The booming automobile in China has added additional pressure on the country that needs to import almost 50% of its oil. Non-food-based biofuel is a viable fuel alternative for cars. China already has the required-foundation to commercialize non-food-based biofuel. Chinese crop straw and stock, energy crop, and woody biomass that could potentially be converted into energy are projected to be 700 million toe (ton of oil equivalent) in the near future. Meanwhile, Chinese food-based ethanol fuel industry ranks as the world's third after United States and Brazil. Several non-food-based ethanol plants are constructed or under constructed, one of which has been licensed. However, more efforts should be directed to commercializing non-food-based biofuel, including industrialized feedstock, strengthening key technology research, supporting private enterprise, and E10 upgrading to E20. The enormous increase in private ownership of car must compel China to commercialize biofuel. (author)

Commercial facilities in future cities and urban redevelopment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1988-07-01

The future trends of commercial facilities were clarified by interviewing the people concerned in the commercial facilities with large floor area and relatively large energy consumption per unit area such as office building, hospital, hotel, department store, restaurant, educational facilities, sports facilities and urban redevelopment. Since an intelligent building will basically employ the office automation, it is estimated that most of the commercial buildings constructed for the future redevelopment will be intelligent buildings. Hospitals will require the system maintaining the quality of life of individual patient. It is expected that high quality hotels focusing on a touch of high class will be constructed. Department stores will aim at the daily living industry. Future restaurants will need a definite concept. Universities will have to increase new sections according to new students and change in social conditions. It is expected that high quality businesses districts and living quarters in business-centered cities will be planned for urban redevelopment. (4 figs. 3 tabs.)

Commercial technologies from the SP-100 program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Truscello, V.C.; Fujita, T.; Mondt, J.F.

1995-01-01

For more than a decade, Jet Propulsion Labortory and Los Alamos have managed a multi-agency funded effort to develop a space reactor power system. This SP-100 Program has developed technologies required for space power systems that can be implemented in the industrial and commercial sectors to improve competitiveness in the global economy. Initial steps taken to transfer this technology from the laboratories to industrial and commercial entities within United States include: (1) identifying specific technologies having commercial potential; (2) distributing information describing the identified technologies and interacting with interested commercial and industrial entities to develop application-specific details and requirements; and (3) providing a technological data base that leads to transfer of technology or the forming of teaming arrangements to accomplish the transfer by tailoring the technology to meet application-specific requirements. SP-100 technologies having commercial potential encompass fabrication processes, devices, and components. Examples: a process for bonding refractory metals to graphite, a device to sense the position of an actuator and a component to enable rotating machines to operate without supplying lubrication (self-lubricating ball bearing). Shortly after the NASA Regional Technology Transfer Centers widely disseminated information covering SP-100 technologies, over one hundred expressions of interest were received, which indicate that there is a large potential benefit in transferring SP-100 technology. Interactions with industrial and commercial entities have identified a substantial need for creating teaming arrangements involving the interested entity and personnel from laboratories and their contractors, who have the knowledge and ability to tailor the technology to meet application-specific requirements. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

Evaluation of advanced technologies for residential appliances and residential and commercial lighting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turiel, I.; Atkinson, B.; Boghosian, S.; Chan, P.; Jennings, J.; Lutz, J.; McMahon, J.; Rosenquist, G.

1995-01-01

Section 127 of the Energy Policy Act requires that the Department of Energy (DOE) prepare a report to Congress on the potential for the development and commercialization of appliances that substantially exceed the present federal or state efficiency standards. Candidate high-efficiency appliances must meet several criteria including: the potential exists for substantial improvement (beyond the minimum established in law) of the appliance`s energy efficiency; electric, water, or gas utilities are prepared to support and promote the commercialization of such appliances; manufacturers are unlikely to undertake development and commercialization of such appliances on their own, or development and production would be substantially accelerated by support to manufacturers. This report describes options to improve the efficiency of residential appliances, including water heaters, clothes washers and dryers, refrigerator/freezers, dishwashers, space heating and cooling devices, as well as residential and commercial lighting products. Data from this report (particularly Appendix 1)were used to prepare the report to Congress mentioned previously. For the residential sector, national energy savings are calculated using the LBL Residential Energy Model. This model projects the number of households and appliance saturations over time. First, end-use consumption is calculated for a base case where models that only meet the standard replace existing models as these reach the end of their lifetime. Second, models with efficiencies equal to the technology under consideration replace existing models that reach the end of their lifetime. For the commercial sector, the COMMEND model was utilized to project national energy savings from new technologies. In this report, energy savings are shown for the period 1988 to 2015.

Food irradiation: outlook for commercialization in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giddings, G.G.

1985-01-01

An account is presented of the long-term and near-term outlooks for food irradiation in the United States, with particular reference to US regulatory status and to the problems of securing public acceptance of the process. Actions taken by international organizations to consider and determine whether irradiated food is wholesome are summarized. A table is included showing dose levels for various food applications. Political and sociological aspects are discussed. (U.K.)

Space Heaters, Computers, Cell Phone Chargers: How Plugged In AreCommercial Buildings?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez, Marla; Webber, Carrie; Brown, Richard; Busch, John; Pinckard, Margaret; Roberson, Judy

2007-02-28

Evidenceof electric plug loads in commercial buildings isvisible everyday: space heaters, portable fans, and the IT technician'stwo monitors connected to one PC. The Energy Information Administrationestimates that office and miscellaneous equipment together will consume2.18 quads in 2006, nearly 50 percent of U.S. commercial electricity use.Although the importance of commercial plug loads is documented, its verynature (diverse product types, products not installed when buildinginitially constructed, and products often hidden in closets) makes itdifficult to accurately count and categorize the end use.We auditedsixteen buildings in three cities (San Francisco, Atlanta, Pittsburgh)including office, medical and education building types. We inventoriedthe number and types of office and miscellaneous electric equipment aswell as estimated total energy consumption due to these product types. Intotal, we audited approximately 4,000 units of office equipment and 6,000units of miscellaneous equipment and covered a diverse range of productsranging from electric pencil sharpeners with a unit energy consumption(UEC) of 1 kWh/yr to a kiln with a UEC of 7,000 kWh/yr. Our paperpresents a summary of the density and type of plug load equipment foundas well as the estimated total energy consumption of the equipment.Additionally, we present equipment trends observed and provide insightsto how policy makers can target energy efficiency for this growing enduse.

A comparison of safety belt use between commercial and noncommercial light-vehicle occupants.

Science.gov (United States)

Eby, David W; Fordyce, Tiffani A; Vivoda, Jonathon M

2002-05-01

The purpose of this study was to conduct an observational survey of safety belt use to determine the use rate of commercial versus noncommercial light-vehicle occupants. Observations were conducted on front-outboard vehicle occupants in eligible commercial and noncommercial vehicles in Michigan (i.e.. passenger cars, vans/minivans, sport-utility vehicles, and pickup trucks). Commercial vehicles that did not fit into one of the four vehicle type categories, such as tractor-trailers, buses, or heavy trucks, were not included in the survey. The study found that the restraint use rate for commercial light-vehicle occupants was 55.8% statewide. The statewide safety belt use rate for commercial light-vehicles was significantly lower than the rate of 71.2% for noncommercial light-vehicles. The safety belt use rate for commercial vehicles was also significantly different as a function of region, vehicle type, seating position, age group, and road type. The results provide important preliminary data about safety belt use in commercial versus noncommercial light-vehicles and indicate that further effort is needed to promote safety belt use in the commercial light-vehicle occupant population. The study also suggests that additional research is required in order to develop effective programs that address low safety belt use in the commercial light-vehicle occupant population.

United Kingdom's experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drummond, S.M.

1994-01-01

This is a presentation of the United Kingdom's experience with power transmission open access. The topics of the presentation include the objectives of changing, commercial arrangements and economic drivers, long term effects, the effects of moving to a more competitive environment, and factors affecting open access such as political climate and market regulation

ARGE DFC - A European approach to MCFC commercialization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kraus, P.; Huppmann, G. [MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, Muenchen (Germany); Heiming, A. [Ruhgras AG, Dorsten (Germany)] [and others

1996-12-31

The largest European program for the commercialization of the molten carbonate fuel cell technology is carried out by the European Direct Fuel Cell Consortium (ARGE DFC). The consortium consists of the following companies: (1) MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH (Germany), within the DaimlerBenz Group responsible for off-road propulsion and decentralized energy systems. (2) Haldor Topsoe A/S (Denmark), a plant engineering company and specialist for catalytic processes (3) Elkraft A.m.b.A. (Denmark), one of the countries two utility companies (4) Ruhrgas AG (Germany), the largest German gas company (5) RWE AG (Germany), the largest German electrical utility company MTU acts as a consortium leader. The company shares a license and technology exchange agreement with Energy Research Corporation of Danbury, Connecticut.

Commercial Hy-Line W-36 pullet and laying hen venous blood gas and chemistry profiles utilizing the portable i-STAT®1 analyzer.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaal, T P; Arango, J; Wolc, A; Brady, J V; Fulton, J E; Rubinoff, I; Ehr, I J; Persia, M E; O'Sullivan, N P

2016-02-01

Venous blood gas and chemistry reference ranges were determined for commercial Hy-Line W-36 pullets and laying hens utilizing the portable i-STAT®1 analyzer and CG8+ cartridges. A total of 632 samples were analyzed from birds between 4 and 110 wk of age. Reference ranges were established for pullets (4 to 15 wk), first cycle laying hens (20 to 68 wk), and second cycle (post molt) laying hens (70 to 110 wk) for the following traits: sodium (Na mmol/L), potassium (K mmol/L), ionized calcium (iCa mmol/L), glucose (Glu mg/dl), hematocrit (Hct% Packed Cell Volume [PCV]), pH, partial pressure carbon dioxide (PCO2 mm Hg), partial pressure oxygen (PO2 mm Hg), total concentration carbon dioxide (TCO2 mmol/L), bicarbonate (HCO3 mmol/L), base excess (BE mmol/L), oxygen saturation (sO2%), and hemoglobin (Hb g/dl). Data were analyzed using ANOVA to investigate the effect of production status as categorized by bird age. Trait relationships were evaluated by linear correlation and their spectral decomposition. All traits differed significantly among pullets and mature laying hens in both first and second lay cycles. Levels for K, iCa, Hct, pH, TCO2, HCO3, BE, sO2, and Hb differed significantly between first cycle and second cycle laying hens. Many venous blood gas and chemistry parameters were significantly correlated. The first 3 eigenvalues explained ∼2/3 of total variation. The first 2 principal components (PC) explained 51% of the total variation and indicated acid-balance and relationship between blood O2 and CO2. The third PC explained 16% of variation and seems to be related to blood iCa. Establishing reference ranges for pullet and laying hen blood gas and chemistry with the i-STAT®1 handheld unit provides a mechanism to further investigate pullet and layer physiology, evaluate metabolic disturbances, and may potentially serve as a means to select breeder candidates with optimal blood gas or chemistry levels on-farm. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University

[Quality use of commercial laboratory for clinical testing services - considering laboratory's role].

Science.gov (United States)

Ogawa, Shinji

2014-12-01

The number of commercial laboratories for clinical testing in Japan run privately has decreased to about 30 companies, and their business is getting tougher. Branch Lab. and FMS businesses have not expanded recently due to the new reimbursement system which adds an additional sample management fee, becoming effective in 2010. This presentation gives an outline of each role for hospital and commercial laboratories, and their pros & cons considering the current medical situation. Commercial laboratories have investigated how to utilize ICT systems for sharing test information between hospitals and our facilities. It would be very helpful to clarify issues for each hospital. We will develop and create new values for clinical laboratory testing services and forge mutually beneficial relationships with medical institutions. (Review).

Commercial lumber

Science.gov (United States)

Kent A. McDonald; David E. Kretschmann

1999-01-01

In a broad sense, commercial lumber is any lumber that is bought or sold in the normal channels of commerce. Commercial lumber may be found in a variety of forms, species, and types, and in various commercial establishments, both wholesale and retail. Most commercial lumber is graded by standardized rules that make purchasing more or less uniform throughout the country...

Commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Richard J; English, Abigail

2015-08-01

This review describes the current state of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of adolescents in the United States and globally, the legal and health implications of this severe form of abuse, and the roles that pediatric and adolescent healthcare providers can play in addressing this issue. Although this form of exploitation and abuse is shrouded in secrecy, pediatric and adolescent healthcare providers are well positioned to respond when it arises. However, awareness and understanding of the issue are generally lacking among healthcare professionals, currently limiting their effectiveness in combating this problem. Although the empirical evidence base available to guide clinical care of victims of trafficking remains limited given the secretive nature of the abuse, important contributions to the multidisciplinary literature on this issue have been made in recent years, including the Institute of Medicine's landmark report in the United States. Commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of adolescents represent a human rights tragedy that remains inadequately addressed. As preeminent advocates for the health and well-being of adolescents, pediatric and adolescent healthcare providers can play a crucial role in advancing efforts not only to intervene but also to prevent further victimization of vulnerable youth.

Neutron diagnostics on TFTR utilizing the Campbelling technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

England, A.C.; Hendel, H.W.; Neischmidt, E.B.

1986-01-01

The authors report modified commercial neutron counting equipment installed on a tokamak fusion test reactor (TFTR) which utilizes the Campbelling theorem to monitor the neutron source strength at very high neutron count rates. Campbelling utilizes the large amplitude fluctuation from neutron events in the detectors to discriminate against small amplitude noise events. Source strengths yielding equivalent count rates a factor of five higher than possible in the conventional count rate mode have been obtained to date. The concept of Campbelling is discussed and the particular application to TFTR is illustrated

Case-study application of venture analysis: the integrated energy utility. Volume 3. Appendices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fein, E; Gordon, T J; King, R; Kropp, F G; Shuchman, H L; Stover, J; Hausz, W; Meyer, C

1978-11-01

The appendices for a case-study application of venture analysis for an integrated energy utility for commercialization are presented. The following are included and discussed: utility interviews; net social benefits - quantitative calculations; the financial analysis model; market penetration decision model; international district heating systems; political and regulatory environment; institutional impacts.

19 CFR 113.67 - Commercial gauger and commercial laboratory bond conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Commercial gauger and commercial laboratory bond... SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CUSTOMS BONDS Customs Bond Conditions § 113.67 Commercial gauger and commercial laboratory bond conditions. Commercial Gauger Bond Conditions (a) Commercial gauger bond...

The Application of Value Focused Thinking to Utilities Privatization Source Selection

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Duncan, J

2004-01-01

The Department of Defense's utility systems have suffered from under-funding and lack of technology investment, thereby creating a service gap between these DoD systems and systems operated by commercial providers...

Commercial nuclear waste repository in basalt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardy, M.P.; Patricio, J.G.; Heley, W.H.

1980-06-01

The Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) is an ongoing research and engineering effort being conducted by Rockwell Hanford Operations (Rockwell), which is under contract to the US Department of Energy. The objectives of this program are to assess the feasibility of and to provide the technology needed to design and construct a licensed commercial nuclear waste repository in the deep basalt formations underlying the Hanford Site. An extensive preconceptual design effort was undertaken during 1979 to develop a feasible concept that could serve as a reference design for both surface and underground facilities. The preconceptual design utilized existing technology to the greatest extent possible to offer a system design that could be utilized in establishing schedule and cost baseline data, recommend alternatives that require additional study, and develop basic design requirements that would allow evolution of the design process prior to the existence of legislated criteria. This paper provides a description of the concept developed for the subsurface aspects of this nuclear waste repository

Utilization of Cocoyam in Rural Households in Southwestern Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The variables that contributed positively to utilization level were producers of cocoyam, sources of cocoyam and cocoyam being brought home from journey while cosmopolitan, flexibility on food choice and decision makers on menu contributed negatively. Commercial processing of cocoyam to flour for baking, canned ...

Trends and regional variations in provision of contraception methods in a commercially insured population in the United States based on nationally proposed measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Law, A; Yu, J S; Wang, W; Lin, J; Lynen, R

2017-09-01

Three measures to assess the provision of effective contraception methods among reproductive-aged women have recently been endorsed for national public reporting. Based on these measures, this study examined real-world trends and regional variations of contraceptive provision in a commercially insured population in the United States. Women 15-44years old with continuous enrollment in each year from 2005 to 2014 were identified from a commercial claims database. In accordance with the proposed measures, percentages of women (a) provided most effective or moderately effective (MEME) methods of contraception and (b) provided a long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) method were calculated in two populations: women at risk for unintended pregnancy and women who had a live birth within 3 and 60days of delivery. During the 10-year period, the percentages of women at risk for unintended pregnancy provided MEME contraceptive methods increased among 15-20-year-olds (24.5%-35.9%) and 21-44-year-olds (26.2%-31.5%), and those provided a LARC method also increased among 15-20-year-olds (0.1%-2.4%) and 21-44-year-olds (0.8%-3.9%). Provision of LARC methods increased most in the North Central and West among both age groups of women. Provision of MEME contraceptives and LARC methods to women who had a live birth within 60days postpartum also increased across age groups and regions. This assessment indicates an overall trend of increasing provision of MEME contraceptive methods in the commercial sector, albeit with age group and regional variations. If implemented, these proposed measures may have impacts on health plan contraceptive access policy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Critical paths to coal utilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hill, G R

1977-01-01

The present dilemma of energy producers, converters, and policy decision makers is presented. The consequences of environmental control regulations, coupled with the need for conservation and energy, and of energy resources on the increased utilization of coal, are discussed. Several recent technical accomplishments that make possible increased utilization of coal for power generation are described. Groundwork is laid for discussion of the technical development that must occur if the United States is to retain its energy viability.

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles: Paving the Way to Commercial Success -

Science.gov (United States)

Continuum Magazine | NREL Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles: Paving the Way to Commercial Success Powered by a fuel cell system with light-weight, high-pressure hydrogen tanks, an electric motor, a nickel -metal-hydride battery, and a power-control unit, the Toyota fuel cell electric vehicle has zero tailpipe

SU-E-T-492: Implementing a Method for Brain Irradiation in Rats Utilizing a Commercially Available Radiosurgery Irradiator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cates, J; Drzymala, R

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to implement a method for accurate rat brain irradiation using the Gamma Knife Perfexion unit. The system needed to be repeatable, efficient, and dosimetrically and spatially accurate. Methods: A platform (“rat holder”) was made such that it is attachable to the Leskell Gamma Knife G Frame. The rat holder utilizes two ear bars contacting bony anatomy and a front tooth bar to secure the rat. The rat holder fits inside of the Leskell localizer box, which utilizes fiducial markers to register with the GammaPlan planning system. This method allows for accurate, repeatable setup.A cylindrical phantom was made so that film can be placed axially in the phantom. We then acquired CT image sets of the rat holder and localizer box with both a rat and the phantom. Three treatment plans were created: a plan on the rat CT dataset, a phantom plan with the same prescription dose as the rat plan, and a phantom plan with the same delivery time as the rat plan. Results: Film analysis from the phantom showed that our setup is spatially accurate and repeatable. It is also dosimetrically accurate, with an difference between predicted and measured dose of 2.9%. Film analysis with prescription dose equal between rat and phantom plans showed a difference of 3.8%, showing that our phantom is a good representation of the rat for dosimetry purposes, allowing for +/- 3mm diameter variation. Film analysis with treatment time equal showed an error of 2.6%, which means we can deliver a prescription dose within 3% accuracy. Conclusion: Our method for irradiation of rat brain has been shown to be repeatable, efficient, and accurate, both dosimetrically and spatially. We can treat a large number of rats efficiently while delivering prescription doses within 3% at millimeter level accuracy

Assessment of performance and utility of mortality prediction models in a single Indian mixed tertiary intensive care unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Sathe, Prachee M; Bapat, Sharda N

2014-01-01

To assess the performance and utility of two mortality prediction models viz. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) in a single Indian mixed tertiary intensive care unit (ICU). Secondary objectives were bench-marking and setting a base line for research. In this observational cohort, data needed for calculation of both scores were prospectively collected for all consecutive admissions to 28-bedded ICU in the year 2011. After excluding readmissions, discharges within 24 h and age <18 years, the records of 1543 patients were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. Both models overpredicted mortality in this cohort [standardized mortality ratio (SMR) 0.88 ± 0.05 and 0.95 ± 0.06 using APACHE II and SAPS II respectively]. Patterns of predicted mortality had strong association with true mortality (R (2) = 0.98 for APACHE II and R (2) = 0.99 for SAPS II). Both models performed poorly in formal Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit testing (Chi-square = 12.8 (P = 0.03) for APACHE II, Chi-square = 26.6 (P = 0.001) for SAPS II) but showed good discrimination (area under receiver operating characteristic curve 0.86 ± 0.013 SE (P < 0.001) and 0.83 ± 0.013 SE (P < 0.001) for APACHE II and SAPS II, respectively). There were wide variations in SMRs calculated for subgroups based on International Classification of Disease, 10(th) edition (standard deviation ± 0.27 for APACHE II and 0.30 for SAPS II). Lack of fit of data to the models and wide variation in SMRs in subgroups put a limitation on utility of these models as tools for assessing quality of care and comparing performances of different units without customization. Considering comparable performance and simplicity of use, efforts should be made to adapt SAPS II.

Formic Acid Manufacture: Carbon Dioxide Utilization Alternatives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Rumayor

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Carbon dioxide (CO2 utilization alternatives for manufacturing formic acid (FA such as electrochemical reduction (ER or homogeneous catalysis of CO2 and H2 could be efficient options for developing more environmentally-friendly production alternatives to FA fossil-dependant production. However, these alternatives are currently found at different technological readiness levels (TRLs, and some remaining technical challenges need to be overcome to achieve at least carbon-even FA compared to the commercial process, especially ER of CO2, which is still farther from its industrial application. The main technical limitations inherited by FA production by ER are the low FA concentration achieved and the high overpotentials required, which involve high consumptions of energy (ER cell and steam (distillation. In this study, a comparison in terms of carbon footprints (CF using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA tool was done to evaluate the potential technological challenges assuring the environmental competitiveness of the FA production by ER of CO2. The CF of the FA conventional production were used as a benchmark, as well as the CF of a simulated plant based on homogeneous catalysts of CO2 and H2 (found closer to be commercial. Renewable energy utilization as PV solar for the reaction is essential to achieve a carbon-even product; however, the CF benefits are still negligible due to the enormous contribution of the steam produced by natural gas (purification stage. Some ER reactor configurations, plus a recirculation mode, could achieve an even CF versus commercial process. It was demonstrated that the ER alternatives could lead to lower natural resources consumption (mainly, natural gas and heavy fuel oil compared to the commercial process, which is a noticeable advantage in environmental sustainability terms.

Managing Commercial Tree Species for Timber Production and Carbon Sequestration: Management Guidelines and Financial Returns

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gary D. Kronrad

2006-09-19

A carbon credit market is developing in the United States. Information is needed by buyers and sellers of carbon credits so that the market functions equitably and efficiently. Analyses have been conducted to determine the optimal forest management regime to employ for each of the major commercial tree species so that profitability of timber production only or the combination of timber production and carbon sequestration is maximized. Because the potential of a forest ecosystem to sequester carbon depends on the tree species, site quality and management regimes utilized, analyses have determined how to optimize carbon sequestration by determining how to optimally manage each species, given a range of site qualities, discount rates, prices of carbon credits and other economic variables. The effects of a carbon credit market on the method and profitability of forest management, the cost of sequestering carbon, the amount of carbon that can be sequestered, and the amount of timber products produced has been determined.

Economics and utilization of thorium in nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-05-01

Information on thorium utilization in power reactors is presented concerning the potential demand for nuclear power, the potential supply for nuclear power, economic performance of thorium under different recycle policies, ease of commercialization of the economically preferred cases, policy options to overcome institutional barriers, and policy options to overcome technological and regulatory barriers

Utility assessment: the market for the high temperature gas-cooled reactor and the incentives for its utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-09-01

The approach taken in this assessment is one in which the HTGR is evaluated from the perspective of its eventual users and operators - the utility industry. Section 2 of this report presents projections of future electrical and process heat energy demands in order to attempt to quantify the potential market for the HTGR. Section 3 provides an analysis of the effects of the HTGR on specific utility systems as well as extrapolated results on a national basis. Section 4 presents assessments of the various recognized incentives for HTGR commercialization. Sections 5, 6, and 7 present technical descriptions, and economic and market assessments of each of the three reference HTGR systems, namely the HTGR Steam Cycle, Gas Turbine, and Reformer

Commercial nuclear power: prospects for the United States and the world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

This analysis report presents the current status and outlook for commercial nuclear power reactors for all countries in the world outside centrally planned economic areas (WOCA). Information regarding operable reactors in countries with centrally planned economies is presented in an appendix. The report provides documentation of the US nuclear capacity and generation projections through 1995. Projections for US nuclear capacity and generation through 2020 are presented for various nuclear power supply scenarios. These long-term projections are provided in support of the Department of Energy's activities pertaining to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 and are used to produce the projections of fuel cycle requirements and spent fuel discharges

Markets: green utilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, Elisa

2006-01-01

Publicly owned utilities have consistently led the United States in the rate of customer participation in green power programmes. The US has about 2000 community and state-owned utilities, which serve 43 million customers and account for about 16.6% of kilowatt-hour sales to consumers. In all, public power is responsible for about 10% of the nation's installed electric capacity. Investor owned utilities account for 39%, with the remainder of the nation's power mostly from independent power generators. Although IOUs have almost four times as much electric capacity as public power, they edge out public power by only a small margin when it comes to renewable capacity. IOUs are responsible for 24,577.5 MW of renewable capacity, compared to the 21,338 MW installed by public power. The reasons discussed by the author range from small town advantage to clean and cheap power. (Author)

The effects of light curing units and environmental temperatures on C 000000000000 000000000000 000000000000 111111111111 000000000000 111111111111 000000000000 000000000000 000000000000 C conversion of commercial and experimental bonding agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Jafarzadeh-Kashi, Tahereh Sadat; Erfan, Mohmmad; Kalbasi, Salmeh; Ghadiri, Malihe; Rakhshan, Vahid

2014-10-01

Polymerization of bonding agents (BA) is a critical factor in determining the success of bonded restorations. We aimed to assess the effects of two light curing units and two temperatures on the extent of polymerization (EP) of a commercial BA and an experimental BA. Forty BA specimens were randomly divided into 8 subgroups of n = 5 to compare the polymerization of two BAs (experimental/Scotchbond) based on the variables: temperature (23/37 °C) and light-curing unit (quartz-tungsten-halogen/light-emitting diode). The EP (%) was measured using differential scanning calorimetry, and analyzed using the t-test, two- and three-way analyses of variance (ANOVA), and the Bonferroni test (α = 0.05). There were significant differences between the EP results between the two BAs (P = 0.012) and due to the different temperatures (P = 0.001), but not between the different light-curing units (P = 0.548). The interaction between BA and temperature was significant (P units had similar effects on the EP. The EP values were better when curing was performed at human body temperature.

77 FR 75145 - Impact of the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) on Commercial Activities...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-19

... interests of chemical, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical firms in the United States are not being... commercial activities and interests of chemical, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical firms in the United States... conditions to its ratification. Condition 9, titled ``Protection of Advanced Biotechnology,'' calls for the...

Land remote sensing commercialization: A status report

Science.gov (United States)

Bishop, W. P.; Heacock, E. L.

1984-01-01

The current offer by the United States Department of Commerce to transfer the U.S. land remote sensing program to the private sector is described. A Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued, soliciting offers from U.S. firms to provide a commercial land remote sensing satellite system. Proposals must address a complete system including satellite, communications, and ground data processing systems. Offerors are encouraged to propose to take over the Government LANDSAT system which consists of LANDSAT 4 and LANDSAT D'. Also required in proposals are the market development procedures and plans to ensure that commercialization is feasible and the business will become self-supporting at the earliest possible time. As a matter of Federal Policy, the solicitation is designed to protect both national security and foreign policy considerations. In keeping with these concerns, an offeror must be a U.S. Firm. Requirements for data quality, quantity, distribution and delivery are met by current operational procedures. It is the Government's desire that the Offeror be prepared to develop and operate follow-on systems without Government subsidies. However, to facilitate rapid commercialization, an offeror may elect to include in his proposal mechanisms for short term government financial assistance.

California commercial building energy benchmarking

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kinney, Satkartar; Piette, Mary Ann

2003-07-01

Building energy benchmarking is the comparison of whole-building energy use relative to a set of similar buildings. It provides a useful starting point for individual energy audits and for targeting buildings for energy-saving measures in multiple-site audits. Benchmarking is of interest and practical use to a number of groups. Energy service companies and performance contractors communicate energy savings potential with ''typical'' and ''best-practice'' benchmarks while control companies and utilities can provide direct tracking of energy use and combine data from multiple buildings. Benchmarking is also useful in the design stage of a new building or retrofit to determine if a design is relatively efficient. Energy managers and building owners have an ongoing interest in comparing energy performance to others. Large corporations, schools, and government agencies with numerous facilities also use benchmarking methods to compare their buildings to each other. The primary goal of Task 2.1.1 Web-based Benchmarking was the development of a web-based benchmarking tool, dubbed Cal-Arch, for benchmarking energy use in California commercial buildings. While there were several other benchmarking tools available to California consumers prior to the development of Cal-Arch, there were none that were based solely on California data. Most available benchmarking information, including the Energy Star performance rating, were developed using DOE's Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), which does not provide state-level data. Each database and tool has advantages as well as limitations, such as the number of buildings and the coverage by type, climate regions and end uses. There is considerable commercial interest in benchmarking because it provides an inexpensive method of screening buildings for tune-ups and retrofits. However, private companies who collect and manage consumption data are concerned that the

National estimates of healthcare utilization by individuals with hepatitis C virus infection in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Galbraith, James W; Donnelly, John P; Franco, Ricardo A; Overton, Edgar T; Rodgers, Joel B; Wang, Henry E

2014-09-15

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health problem in the United States. Although prior studies have evaluated the HCV-related healthcare burden, these studies examined a single treatment setting and did not account for the growing "baby boomer" population (individuals born during 1945-1965). Data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample were analyzed. We sought to characterize healthcare utilization by individuals infected with HCV in the United States, examining adult (≥18 years) outpatient, emergency department (ED), and inpatient visits among individuals with HCV diagnosis for the period 2001-2010. Key subgroups included persons born before 1945 (older), between 1945 and 1965 (baby boomer), and after 1965 (younger). Individuals with HCV infection were responsible for >2.3 million outpatient, 73 000 ED, and 475 000 inpatient visits annually. Persons in the baby boomer cohort accounted for 72.5%, 67.6%, and 70.7% of care episodes in these settings, respectively. Whereas the number of outpatient visits remained stable during the study period, inpatient admissions among HCV-infected baby boomers increased by >60%. Inpatient stays totaled 2.8 million days and cost >$15 billion annually. Nonwhites, uninsured individuals, and individuals receiving publicly funded health insurance were disproportionately affected in all healthcare settings. Individuals with HCV infection are large users of outpatient, ED, and inpatient health services. Resource use is highest and increasing in the baby boomer generation. These observations illuminate the public health burden of HCV infection in the United States. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Study of the impacts of regulations affecting the acceptance of Integrated Community Energy Systems: public utility, energy facility siting and municipal franchising regulatory programs in the United States. Preliminary background report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feurer, D.A.; Weaver, C.L.; Gallagher, K.C.; Hejna, D.; Rielley, K.J.

1980-01-01

This report is one of a series of preliminary reports describing the laws and regulatory programs of the United States and each of the 50 states affecting the siting and operation of energy generating facilities likely to be used in Integrated Community Energy Systems (ICES). Public utility regulatory statutes, energy facility siting programs, and municipal franchising authority are examined to identify how they may impact on the ability of an organization, whether or not it be a regulated utility, to construct and operate an ICES. This report describes laws and regulatory programs in the United States. Subsequent reports will (1) describe public utility rate regulatory procedures and practices as they might affect an ICES, (2) analyze each of the aforementioned regulatory programs to identify impediments to the development of ICES, and (3) recommend potential changes in legislation and regulatory practices and procedures to overcome such impediments.

In vitro evaluation of commercial probiotic products used for marine ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In vitro evaluation of commercial probiotic products used for marine shrimp cultivation in Thailand. ... Journal Home > Vol 10, No 22 (2011) > ... labels as regards the number and types of microorganisms and acceptability of the number of probiotic microorganisms at 10,sup>6 colony forming unit (CFU)/g in the products.

Silicon-Carbide Power MOSFET Performance in High Efficiency Boost Power Processing Unit for Extreme Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Ikpe, Stanley A.; Lauenstein, Jean-Marie; Carr, Gregory A.; Hunter, Don; Ludwig, Lawrence L.; Wood, William; Del Castillo, Linda Y.; Fitzpatrick, Fred; Chen, Yuan

2016-01-01

Silicon-Carbide device technology has generated much interest in recent years. With superior thermal performance, power ratings and potential switching frequencies over its Silicon counterpart, Silicon-Carbide offers a greater possibility for high powered switching applications in extreme environment. In particular, Silicon-Carbide Metal-Oxide- Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors' (MOSFETs) maturing process technology has produced a plethora of commercially available power dense, low on-state resistance devices capable of switching at high frequencies. A novel hard-switched power processing unit (PPU) is implemented utilizing Silicon-Carbide power devices. Accelerated life data is captured and assessed in conjunction with a damage accumulation model of gate oxide and drain-source junction lifetime to evaluate potential system performance at high temperature environments.

Phenotypic and metabolic traits of commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbosa, Catarina; Lage, Patrícia; Vilela, Alice; Mendes-Faia, Arlete; Mendes-Ferreira, Ana

2014-01-01

Currently, pursuing yeast strains that display both a high potential fitness for alcoholic fermentation and a favorable impact on quality is a major goal in the alcoholic beverage industry. This considerable industrial interest has led to many studies characterizing the phenotypic and metabolic traits of commercial yeast populations. In this study, 20 Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains from different geographical origins exhibited high phenotypic diversity when their response to nine biotechnologically relevant conditions was examined. Next, the fermentation fitness and metabolic traits of eight selected strains with a unique phenotypic profile were evaluated in a high-sugar synthetic medium under two nitrogen regimes. Although the strains exhibited significant differences in nitrogen requirements and utilization rates, a direct relationship between nitrogen consumption, specific growth rate, cell biomass, cell viability, acetic acid and glycerol formation was only observed under high-nitrogen conditions. In contrast, the strains produced more succinic acid under the low-nitrogen regime, and a direct relationship with the final cell biomass was established. Glucose and fructose utilization patterns depended on both yeast strain and nitrogen availability. For low-nitrogen fermentation, three strains did not fully degrade the fructose. This study validates phenotypic and metabolic diversity among commercial wine yeasts and contributes new findings on the relationship between nitrogen availability, yeast cell growth and sugar utilization. We suggest that measuring nitrogen during the stationary growth phase is important because yeast cells fermentative activity is not exclusively related to population size, as previously assumed, but it is also related to the quantity of nitrogen consumed during this growth phase.

A Commercialization Roadmap for Carbon-Negative Energy Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, D.

2016-12-01

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) envisages the need for large-scale deployment of net-negative CO2 emissions technologies by mid-century to meet stringent climate mitigation goals and yield a net drawdown of atmospheric carbon. Yet there are few commercial deployments of BECCS outside of niche markets, creating uncertainty about commercialization pathways and sustainability impacts at scale. This uncertainty is exacerbated by the absence of a strong policy framework, such as high carbon prices and research coordination. Here, we propose a strategy for the potential commercial deployment of BECCS. This roadmap proceeds via three steps: 1) via capture and utilization of biogenic CO2 from existing bioenergy facilities, notably ethanol fermentation, 2) via thermochemical co-conversion of biomass and fossil fuels, particularly coal, and 3) via dedicated, large-scale BECCS. Although biochemical conversion is a proven first market for BECCS, this trajectory alone is unlikely to drive commercialization of BECCS at the gigatonne scale. In contrast to biochemical conversion, thermochemical conversion of coal and biomass enables large-scale production of fuels and electricity with a wide range of carbon intensities, process efficiencies and process scales. Aside from systems integration, primarily technical barriers are involved in large-scale biomass logistics, gasification and gas cleaning. Key uncertainties around large-scale BECCS deployment are not limited to commercialization pathways; rather, they include physical constraints on biomass cultivation or CO2 storage, as well as social barriers, including public acceptance of new technologies and conceptions of renewable and fossil energy, which co-conversion systems confound. Despite sustainability risks, this commercialization strategy presents a pathway where energy suppliers, manufacturers and governments could transition from laggards to leaders in climate change mitigation efforts.

Alternative fusion concepts: engineering and utility considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gough, W.C.; Amherd, N.A.

1978-01-01

Alternative systems are described to be an integral part of the total fusion effort, making use of many developments of the mainline efforts but also contributing on a broad scale to improved understanding of fusion plasmas, technology and engineering. We hypothesize that the rationale for supporting alternative concepts will shift from physics related justifications to the perceived benefits for commercial use. Three principal factors are used to describe the commercialization potential of energy systems: technological risk, perceived benefit, and capital requirements. R and D can reduce the risk of a technology option, but perceived benefit and capital availability are largely governed by non-R and D elements. Hence, power station decision criteria as determined by electric-utility executives are presented, and a balance among the three commercialization factors described. An outline of past and on-going alternative concept reactor study endeavors is given and a suggestion for rapidly developing the physics base of the concepts is described

1997 State-by-State Assessment of Low-Level Radioactive Wastes Received at Commercial Disposal Sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuchs, R. L.

1998-01-01

Each year the National Low-Level Waste Management Program publishes a state-by-state assessment report. This report provides both national and state-specific disposal data on low-level radioactive waste commercially disposed in the United States. Data in this report are categorized according to disposal site, generator category, waste class, volumes, and radionuclide activity. Included in this report are tables showing the distribution of waste by state for 1997 and a comparison of waste volumes and radioactivity by state for 1993 through 1997; also included is a list of all commercial nuclear power reactors in the United States as of December 31, 1997

Buying Health: The Costs of Commercialization and an Alternative Philosophy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larry Churchill

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper argues that commercial forces have steadily encroached into our understanding of medicine and health in modern industrial societies. The impact on the delivery of personal medical services and on common ideas about food and nutrition is profound and largely deleterious to public health. A key component of commercialization is reductionism of medical services, health products and nutritional components into small, marketable units. This reductive force makes both medical services and nutritional components more costly and is corrosive to more holistic concepts of health. We compare commercial and holistic approaches to nutrition in detail and offer an alternative philosophy. Adopting this alternative will require sound public policies that rely less on marketing as a distribution system and that enfranchise individuals to be reflective on their use of medical services, their food and nutrition choices, and their larger health needs.

Commercialization of an electric propulsion unit for ecological ice resurfacers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giroux, M. [MG Service, L' Assomption, PQ (Canada); Sylvestre, P. [Environment Canada, Montreal, PQ (Canada)

2000-03-01

Community health departments (CHD) and the general public are greatly concerned about the air quality at indoor skating rinks. A solution now exists whereby municipalities can convert their internal combustion resurfacers to electricity, using a system proposed by MG Service. This electric propulsion unit was developed and designed by MG Service, in conjunction with the Centre d'experimentation des vehicules electriques du Quebec (CEVEQ) and TPR Inc., an engineering firm. The main advantage of this technology is the ease of integration into the chassis of conventional resurfacers currently in use throughout the various municipalities. The propulsion unit is battery-powered and designed to replace the internal combustion engine. As a result, it eliminates carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions, and more than meets the requirements set by health boards with regard to air quality at indoor skating rinks. Recyclable, maintenance-free and manufactured according to the standards set by the Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC), the gel-sealed batteries display great advantages. The cost effectiveness of the electric propulsion unit is more impressive when considering that electricity is clean and costs five times less than conventional fuels currently in use. Regular verifications and calibrations are not required and the maintenance is minimal. The ventilation requirements are also reduced, leading to savings in energy costs required for the aeration of the indoor skating rink. Finally, the elimination of tank rental and fuel costs represent an added benefit. A detailed description of the components is provided. Following a series of trials, the operators were impressed by the surface gripability, traction and manoeuvrability. The resurfacers also gave an impression of greater raw power and were very quiet and easy to use, resulting in better overall operation when compared to conventional resurfacers. 1 fig.

Success tree analysis on the technologies development for FBR commercialization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An, Shigehiro; Taniyama, Hiroshi; Nagai, Hiroshi.

1991-01-01

In order to obtain a secure energy supply in future, it is important to establish a system for plutonium utilization via the FBR which is superior to the uranium utilization system with respect to both safety and good economics. In spite of this obvious need, the commercialization of the FBR is facing delays. Although several factors, for example, improvement of LWR technologies, stable supply of low cost uranium, opposition to nuclear power, etc. are contributors, the primary reason for the delay is the unfavorable economics of the FBR itself. In this paper the key technologies leading to reduced FBR costs are identified and their development strategies are discussed. (author)

Energy Efficiency Potential in Existing Commercial Buildings: Review of Selected Recent Studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belzer, David B.

2009-04-03

This report reviews six recent studies (from 2002 through 2006) by states and utilities to assess the energy saving potential in existing commercial buildings. The studies cover all or portions of California, Connecticut, Vermont, Colorado, Illinois, and the Pacific Northwest. The studies clearly reveal that lighting remains the single largest and most cost effective end use that can be reduced to save energy. Overall the study indicated that with existing technologies and costs, a reasonable range of economic savings potential in existing commercial buildings is between 10 and 20 percent of current energy use. While not a focus of the study, an additional conclusion is that implementation of commercial building monitoring and controls would also play an important role in the nation’s efforts to improve energy efficiency of existing buildings.

Utilization of OR method toward realization of better fast breeder reactor cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiotani, Hiroki

2008-01-01

Fast Reactor Cycle Technology Development (FaCT) Project was now started aiming at commercialization of new nuclear power plants system. In parallel with development of component technology and technology demonstration by test, development of comprehensive evaluation method of the FBR cycle system is under way and scenario study, discounted cash flow (DCF) method, analytic hierarchy process (AHP), real option, supply chain management (SCM) and others are used. Since commercialized FBR cycle would request long-term and large-scale development contributed by so many participants, modeling of nuclear system and knowledge management are beneficial even for development of evaluation method and further utilization of OR technology is highly expected. Comprehensive evaluation methods now utilized or developing were overlooked from the standpoint of OR, 'Science of Better'. (T. Tanaka)

Private sector participation for the treatment of DOE and commercial radioactive mixed wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, T.L.; Steele, S.M.; Bohrer, H.A.; Garrison, T.W.; Owens, C.M.

1993-01-01

The ability of the US DOE to accept commercial low-level mixed waste (LLMW) for disposal has been identified as a technically feasible alternative in developing a strategy for managing commercial mixed waste. This document is an estimation of DOE's capabilities to assist the state compacts and the commercial sector with the difficult issues related to the treatment and disposal of LLMW. The first step in determining DOE's capabilities to assist the commercial sector and the state compacts in managing their LLMW is to establish how closely DOE's LLMW resembles the LLMW generated commercially. This report established that a large portion of the low-level mixed waste streams are common to both the DOE and private sectors. A united approach between the DOE and the host states and compacts to cooperatively manage the low-level mixed wastes (LLMW) would prove to be beneficial to all

Opportunities and barriers to pumped-hydro energy storage in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Chi-Jen; Jackson, Robert B.

2011-01-01

As concerns about global warming grow, societies are increasingly turning to the use of intermittent renewable energy resources, where energy storage becomes more and more important. Pumped-hydro energy storage (PHES) is the most established technology for utility-scale electricity storage. Although PHES has continued to be deployed globally, its development in the United States has largely been dormant since the 1990s. In recent years, however, there has been a revival of commercial interests in developing PHES facilities. In this paper we examine the historical development of PHES facilities in the United States, analyze case studies on the controversies of disputed projects, examine the challenges to and conflicting views of future development in the United States, and discuss new development activities and approaches. The main limiting factors for PHES appear to be environmental concerns and financial uncertainties rather than the availability of technically feasible sites. PHES developers are proposing innovative ways of addressing the environmental impacts, including the potential use of waste water in PHES applications. In some cases, a properly designed PHES system can even be used to improve water quality through aeration and other processes. Such new opportunities and the increasing need for greater energy storage may lead policymakers to reassess the potential of PHES in the United States, particularly for coupling with intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. (author)

An independent monitor unit calculation by commercial software as a part of a radiotherapy treatment planning system quality control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nechvil, K.; Mynarik, J.

2014-01-01

For the independent calculation of the monitored unit (MU) the commercial software RadCalc (Lifeline Software Inc., Tyler TX) was used as the choice of some available similar programs. The program was configured and used to verify the doses calculated by commercially accessible planning system Eclipse version 8.6.17 (Varian Medical System Inc., Palo Alto). This system is being used during the clinical running for the creation of the treatment plans. The results of each plan were compared to the dose phantom measurements by the ionization chamber at the same point in which the calculation were done (Eclipse, RadCalc) - in the izocentre. TPS is configured by the beam data (PDD and OAR). Those beam data were exported and afterwards the same data were imported to the program RadCalc. The consistent and independent data between TPS and RadCalc were gained by this process. The reference conditions were set the identical in RadCalc as in TPS, so the consistency between TPS and RadCalc output factors has been achieved (Collimator Scatter Factor: Sc, Phantom Scatter Factor: Sp). Those output factors were also measured by the ionizing chamber in the water phantom and compared with the TPS. Based on the clinical data of the response to the doses, ICRU recommends ensuring the ability of dosimetric systems to deliver the doses with accuracy of at least 5%. Many factors, such as layout of anatomic structures, positioning of a patient, factors related to an accelerator (a dose calibration and mechanic parameters) cause random and systematic failures in a dose delivery. The source of some problems can be also caused by the system databases and relating information transfer; and the TPS containing besides other things other dose calculation algorithms. (authors)

Efficient particle-in-cell simulation of auroral plasma phenomena using a CUDA enabled graphics processing unit

Science.gov (United States)

Sewell, Stephen

This thesis introduces a software framework that effectively utilizes low-cost commercially available Graphic Processing Units (GPUs) to simulate complex scientific plasma phenomena that are modeled using the Particle-In-Cell (PIC) paradigm. The software framework that was developed conforms to the Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA), a standard for general purpose graphic processing that was introduced by NVIDIA Corporation. This framework has been verified for correctness and applied to advance the state of understanding of the electromagnetic aspects of the development of the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis. For each phase of the PIC methodology, this research has identified one or more methods to exploit the problem's natural parallelism and effectively map it for execution on the graphic processing unit and its host processor. The sources of overhead that can reduce the effectiveness of parallelization for each of these methods have also been identified. One of the novel aspects of this research was the utilization of particle sorting during the grid interpolation phase. The final representation resulted in simulations that executed about 38 times faster than simulations that were run on a single-core general-purpose processing system. The scalability of this framework to larger problem sizes and future generation systems has also been investigated.

40 CFR 62.14525 - Can my combustion unit be exempt from this subpart?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

....2558. (o) Laboratory units. Units that burn samples of materials for the purpose of chemical or... POLLUTANTS Federal Plan Requirements for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units That... specified in this section and in § 62.14531. (a) Pathological waste incineration units. Incineration units...

Advanced Reactor Development in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giessing, D. F.; Griffith, J. D.; McGoff, D. J.; Rosen, Sol [U. S. Department of Energy, Texas (United States)

1990-04-15

In the United States, three technologies are employed for the new generation of advanced reactors. These technologies are Advanced Light Water Reactors (A LWRs) for the 1990s and beyond, the Modular High Temperature Gas Reactor (M HTGR) for commercial use after the turn of the century, and Liquid Metal Reactors (LWRs) to provide energy production and to convert reactor fission waste to a more manageable waste product. Each technology contributes to the energy solution. Light Water Reactors For The 1990s And Beyond--The U. S. Program The economic and national security of the United States requires a diversified energy supply base built primarily upon adequate, domestic resources that are relatively free from international pressures. Nuclear energy is a vital component of this supply and is essential to meet current and future national energy demands. It is a safe, economically continues to contribute to national energy stability, and strength. The Light Water Reactor (LWR) has been a major and successful contributor to the electrical generating needs of many nations throughout the world. It is being counted upon in the United States as a key to revitalizing nuclear energy option in the 1990s. In recent years, DOE joined with the industry to ensure the availability and future viability of the LWR option. This national program has the participation of the Nation's utility industry, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and several of the major reactor manufacturers and architect-engineers. Separate but coordinated parts of this program are managed by EPRI and DOE.

The antifungal efficiency of carbide lime slurry compared with the commercial lime efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Strigac, J.; Mikusinec, J.; Strigacova, J.; Stevulova, N.

2017-10-01

The article deals with studying the antifungal efficiency of carbide lime slurry compared to industrially manufactured commercial lime. Antifungal efficiency expressed as mould proofness properties was tested on the fungi using the procedure given in standard CSN 72 4310. A mixture of fungi Aspergillus niger, Chaetomium globosum, Penicillium funiculosum, Paecilomyces variotii and Gliocladium virens was utilized for testing. The scale for evaluating mould proofness properties according to CSN 72 4310 is from 0 to 5 in degree of fungi growth, where 0 means that no fungi growth occurs and the building products and materials possess fungistatic properties. The study confirms the fungistatic propeties of carbide lime slurry as well as industrially manufactured commercial lime. However, carbide lime slurry and industrially manufactured commercial lime possess no fungicidal effect.

BANKING SYSTEM STABILITY: COMMERCIAL AND CO-OPERATIVE BANKS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dumitru-Cristian OANEA

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Commercial banks and co-operative banks are credit institutions, but there are some differences between the main operations proceeded by each of them. Based on these specific characteristics, we want to identify the manner in which financial crisis affected their activity. As we all know, the financial crisis had a major impact in the United States, the “natal” country of the crisis, because great banks such as Lehman Brothers or Merrill Lynch have bankrupted. Even if the Romanian banking system was not affected by such catastrophic situations, surely the financial crisis had a significant impact on it. This topic is worth to be analysed, because we would be able to identify the risk differences between these two types of business: commercial banks versus co-operative banks.

Effect of Larval Density on Food Utilization Efficiency of Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Morales-Ramos, Juan A; Rojas, M Guadalupe

2015-10-01

Crowding conditions of larvae may have a significant impact on commercial production efficiency of some insects, such as Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Although larval densities are known to affect developmental time and growth in T. molitor, no reports were found on the effects of crowding on food utilization. The effect of larval density on food utilization efficiency of T. molitor larvae was studied by measuring efficiency of ingested food conversion (ECI), efficiency of digested food conversion (EDC), and mg of larval weight gain per gram of food consumed (LWGpFC) at increasing larval densities (12, 24, 36, 48, 50, 62, 74, and 96 larvae per dm(2)) over four consecutive 3-wk periods. Individual larval weight gain and food consumption were negatively impacted by larval density. Similarly, ECI, ECD, and LWGpFC were negatively impacted by larval density. Larval ageing, measured as four consecutive 3-wk periods, significantly and independently impacted ECI, ECD, and LWGpFC in a negative way. General linear model analysis showed that age had a higher impact than density on food utilization parameters of T. molitor larvae. Larval growth was determined to be responsible for the age effects, as measurements of larval mass density (in grams of larvae per dm(2)) had a significant impact on food utilization parameters across ages and density treatments (in number of larvae per dm(2)). The importance of mass versus numbers per unit of area as measurements of larval density and the implications of negative effects of density on food utilization for insect biomass production are discussed. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2015. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

The design of RFID convey or belt gate systems using an antenna control unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Chong Ryol; Lee, Seung Joon; Eom, Ki Hwan

2011-01-01

This paper proposes an efficient management system utilizing a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) antenna control unit which is moving along with the path of boxes of materials on the conveyor belt by manipulating a motor. The proposed antenna control unit, which is driven by a motor and is located on top of the gate, has an array structure of two antennas with parallel connection. The array structure helps improve the directivity of antenna beam pattern and the readable RFID distance due to its configuration. In the experiments, as the control unit follows moving materials, the reading time has been improved by almost three-fold compared to an RFID system employing conventional fixed antennas. The proposed system also has a recognition rate of over 99% without additional antennas for detecting the sides of a box of materials. The recognition rate meets the conditions recommended by the Electronic Product Code glbal network (EPC)global for commercializing the system, with three antennas at a 20 dBm power of reader and a conveyor belt speed of 3.17 m/s. This will enable a host of new RFID conveyor belt gate systems with increased performance.

The Design of RFID Conveyor Belt Gate Systems Using an Antenna Control Unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ki Hwan Eom

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes an efficient management system utilizing a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID antenna control unit which is moving along with the path of boxes of materials on the conveyor belt by manipulating a motor. The proposed antenna control unit, which is driven by a motor and is located on top of the gate, has an array structure of two antennas with parallel connection. The array structure helps improve the directivity of antenna beam pattern and the readable RFID distance due to its configuration. In the experiments, as the control unit follows moving materials, the reading time has been improved by almost three-fold compared to an RFID system employing conventional fixed antennas. The proposed system also has a recognition rate of over 99% without additional antennas for detecting the sides of a box of materials. The recognition rate meets the conditions recommended by the Electronic Product Code glbal network (EPCglobal for commercializing the system, with three antennas at a 20 dBm power of reader and a conveyor belt speed of 3.17 m/s. This will enable a host of new RFID conveyor belt gate systems with increased performance.

10. International commercial vehicle congress; 10. Internationale Fachtagung Nutzfahrzeuge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-07-01

Within the International Conference 'Commercial Vehicles' at 27th to 28th May, 2009 in Neu-Ulm (Federal Republic of Germany), the following lectures were held: (1) Innovation management and product development: 'Amway from the crisis' (U. Seiffert); (2) Where does the energy the diesel go? Or: How is the consumption-optimal truck arranged? (M. Hilgers); (3) Contribution of truck tires for future environmental challenges (C. Lerner); (4) Aerodynamics of commercial vehicles - often underestimated and the future nevertheless? (S. Kopp); (5) Fuel conservation by means of optimization of generation and processing of compressed air (C. Wilken, F. van Son); (6) In the pilot test - increased consumption by retarder? (U. Steininger et al.); (7) Driver information system and driver assistance system for an energy efficient planning and processing of transport of goods by means of trucks (D. Hillesheim et al.); (8) A systematic testing of vehicle functions from the view of the total vehicle (C. Hellberg); (9) Increase of the quality of diagnosis of complex, mechanotronic vehicle systems by means of model based diagnosis with on-board detection and off-board evaluation (M. Kokes et al.); (10) Utilization of a vehicle simulator for the evaluation of comfort of MKS simulations of heavy trucks (T. Ille et al.); (11) System simulation and testing in the trailer development (M. Wildhagen); (12) What types of challenges for the simulation are posed from the requirements for ESP in commercial vehicles, coming into effect from 2010? (H.-J. Witter, E. Schmidt); (13) A method for evaluating the fuel saving potential of different hybrid steering system configurations in heavy commercial vehicles (U. Wiesel et al.); (14) Benefits of a hybrid electric architecture on medium commercial vehicles (M. Aimo Boot, L. Consano); (15) Lithium ion batteries for hybrid busses and hybrid commercial vehicles - being ready for the broad mass? (P. Pichler, M. Kapaun); (16) Electric

Towards commercial fast breeder reactors the first 1200 MWe unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banal, M.; Carle, R.

The public probably thinks of these fast breeder reactors in terms of their rising unit capacity: RAPSODIE 20 MW (thermal), raised to 40 MW, PHENIX 25 MWe, and now 1200 MWe. However, the purposes of the project and the framework of construction have been fundamentally different in each case. Design parameters and the development program of the LMFBR are presented. (auth)

National plan for the accelerated commercialization of solar energy. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1979-09-01

After a brief profile of the Mid-American region and characterization of the residential and commercial markets and the industry of the region, a short description is given of a regional planning meeting held for the purpose of preparing input for the Mid-American section of the National Program for the Accelerated Commercialization of Solar Energy (NPAC) Implementation plans. For each of thirty-eight programs, the objective, rationale, task statement/description, evaluation measures, and implementor are given. The programs are in these areas: public education/awareness; education/training; legislative/regulatory; performance/analysis; design/planning;demonstrations; state interface; technology; information dissemination; legal and regulatory; analysis and assessment; and regional coordination. Two policy statements are included - one on cratering a solar society and the other recommending the expansion of the commercialization to encompass and include the concepts of utilization and popularization in the plan for the advancement of solar energy. (LEW)

40 CFR 60.2010 - Does this subpart apply to my incineration unit?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... incineration unit? 60.2010 Section 60.2010 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units for Which Construction Is Commenced After... Applicability § 60.2010 Does this subpart apply to my incineration unit? Yes, if your incineration unit meets...

Trends Analysis of rhBMP Utilization in Single-Level Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Lao, Lifeng; Cohen, Jeremiah R; Buser, Zorica; Brodke, Darrel S; Youssef, Jim A; Park, Jong-Beom; Yoon, S Tim; Wang, Jeffrey C; Meisel, Hans-Joerg

2017-10-01

Retrospective study. Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) has been widely used in spinal fusion surgery, but there is little information on rhBMP-2 utilization in single-level posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). The purpose of our study was to evaluate the trends and demographics of rhBMP-2 utilization in single-level PLIF. Patients who underwent single-level PLIF from 2005 to 2011 were identified by searching ICD-9 diagnosis and procedure codes in the PearlDiver Patient Records Database, a national database of orthopedic insurance records. The year of procedure, age, gender, and region of the United States were recorded for each patient. Results were reported for each variable as the incidence of procedures identified per 100 000 patients searched in the database. A total of 2735 patients had single-level PLIF. The average rate of single-level PLIF with rhBMP-2 maintained at a relatively stable level (28% to 31%) from 2005 to 2009, but decreased in 2010 (9.9%) and 2011 (11.8%). The overall incidence of single-level PLIF without rhBMP-2 (0.68 cases per 100 000 patients) was statistically higher ( P level PLIF with rhBMP-2 (0.21 cases per 100 000 patients). The average rate of single-level PLIF with rhBMP-2 utilization was the highest in West (30.1%), followed by Midwest (26.9%), South (20.5%), and Northeast (17.8%). The highest incidence of single-level PLIF with rhBMP-2 was observed in the age group level PLIF. There was a 3-fold increase in the rate of PLIF without rhBMP-2 compared to PLIF with rhBMP-2, with both procedures being mainly done in patients less than 65 years of age.

Physician discretion is safe and may lower stress test utilization in emergency department chest pain unit patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Napoli, Anthony M; Arrighi, James A; Siket, Matthew S; Gibbs, Frantz J

2012-03-01

Chest pain unit (CPU) observation with defined stress utilization protocols is a common management option for low-risk emergency department patients. We sought to evaluate the safety of a joint emergency medicine and cardiology staffed CPU. Prospective observational trial of consecutive patients admitted to an emergency department CPU was conducted. A standard 6-hour observation protocol was followed by cardiology consultation and stress utilization largely at their discretion. Included patients were at low/intermediate risk by the American Heart Association, had nondiagnostic electrocardiograms, and a normal initial troponin. Excluded patients were those with an acute comorbidity, age >75, and a history of coronary artery disease, or had a coexistent problem restricting 24-hour observation. Primary outcome was 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events-defined as death, nonfatal acute myocardial infarction, revascularization, or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. A total of 1063 patients were enrolled over 8 months. The mean age of the patients was 52.8 ± 11.8 years, and 51% (95% confidence interval [CI], 48-54) were female. The mean thrombolysis in myocardial infarction and Diamond & Forrester scores were 0.6% (95% CI, 0.51-0.62) and 33% (95% CI, 31-35), respectively. In all, 51% (95% CI, 48-54) received stress testing (52% nuclear stress, 39% stress echocardiogram, 5% exercise, 4% other). In all, 0.9% patients (n = 10, 95% CI, 0.4-1.5) were diagnosed with a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and 2.2% (n = 23, 95% CI, 1.3-3) with acute coronary syndrome. There was 1 (95% CI, 0%-0.3%) case of a 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events. The 51% stress test utilization rate was less than the range reported in previous CPU studies (P < 0.05). Joint emergency medicine and cardiology management of patients within a CPU protocol is safe, efficacious, and may safely reduce stress testing rates.

IAEA Safeguards: Cost/benefit analysis of commercial satellite imagery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, Christer

1999-03-01

A major milestone in the efforts to strengthen the Safeguards System was reached in May 1997 when the Board of Governors approved a 'Model Protocol Additional to Safeguards Agreements'. The Protocol provides the legal basis necessary to enhance the Agency's ability to detect undeclared nuclear material and activities by using information available from open sources to complement the declarations made by Member States. Commercially available high-resolution satellite data has emerged as one potential complementary open information source to support the traditional and extended Safeguard activities of IAEA. This document constitutes a first report from SSC Satellitbild giving the Agency tentative and initial estimates of the potential cost and time-savings possible with the new proposed technology. The initial cost/benefit simulation will be further finalised in the following 'Implementation Blueprint' study. The general foundation and starting point for the cost/benefit calculation is to simulate a new efficient and relatively small 'imagery unit' within the IAEA, capable of performing advanced image processing as a tool for various safeguards tasks. The image processing capacity is suggested to be task- and interpretation-oriented. The study was performed over a period of 1,5 weeks in late 1998, and is based upon interviews of IAEA staff, reviews of existing IAEA documentation as well as from SSC Satellitbild's long-standing experience of satellite imagery and field missions. The cost/benefit analysis is based on a spreadsheet simulation of five potential applications of commercial satellite imagery: Reference information; Confirmation of Agency acquired and Member State supplied data; Change detection and on-going monitoring; Assessing open source information available to the Agency; Detecting undeclared activities and undeclared sites. The study confirms that the proposed concept of a relatively small 'imagery unit' using high-resolution data will be a sound and

Managing the nuclear utility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, J.W. Jr.

1985-01-01

The Florida Power and Light Company (FP and L) is the fifth largest investor-owned utility in the country. The success of nuclear power generation at the St. Lucie Units 1 and 2 and Turkey Point Units 3 and 4 has resulted from a continuing management commitment to the nuclear program. The management of the power plants rely strongly on teamwork for most large projects and activities whether they entail plant operation, construction, or maintenance. Various examples of how teamwork has been used to realize the successful completion of projects or solutions to problems are given

Cost estimation of hydrogen and DME produced by nuclear heat utilization system. Joint research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiina, Yasuaki; Nishihara, Tetsuo

2003-09-01

Research of hydrogen energy has been performed in order to spread use of the hydrogen energy in 2020 or 2030. It will take, however, many years for the hydrogen energy to be used very easily like gasoline, diesel oil and city gas in all of countries. During the periods, low CO 2 release liquid fuels would be used together with hydrogen. Recently, di-methyl-either (DME) has been noticed as one of the substitute liquid fuels of petroleum. Such liquid fuels can be produced from the mixed gas such as hydrogen and carbon oxide which are produced by steam reforming hydrogen generation system by the use of nuclear heat. Therefore, the system would be one of the candidates of future system of nuclear heat utilization. In the present study, we focused on the production of hydrogen and DME. Economic evaluation was estimated for hydrogen and DME production in commercial and nuclear heat utilization plant. At first, heat and mass balance of each process in commercial plant of hydrogen production was estimated and commercial prices of each process were derived. Then, price was estimated when nuclear heat was used instead of required heat of commercial plant. Results showed that the production prices produced by nuclear heat were cheaper by 10% for hydrogen and 3% for DME. With the consideration of reduction effect of CO 2 release, utilization of nuclear heat would be more effective. (author)

Facility overview for commercial application of selected Rocky Flats facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-11-01

The purpose of this Facility Overview is to support the Rocky Flats Local Impacts Initiative's Request for Interest, to solicit interest from commercial corporations for utilizing buildings 865 and 883, and the equipment contained within each building, for a commercial venture. In the following sections, this document describes the Rocky Flats Site, the buildings available for lease, the equipment within these buildings, the site services available to a tenant, the human resources available to support operations in buildings 865 and 883, and the environmental condition of the buildings and property. In addition, a brief description is provided of the work performed to date to explore the potential products that might be manufactured in Buildings 865 and 883, and the markets for these products

A comparative study of antiplaque and antigingivitis effects of herbal mouthrinse containing tea tree oil, clove, and basil with commercially available essential oil mouthrinse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaila V. Kothiwale

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The relatively safe nature and cost-effectiveness of herbal extracts have led to a resurgent interest in their utility as therapeutic agents. Therefore, this prospective, double-blind, randomly controlled clinical trial was designed to compare the antiplaque and antigingivitis effects of newly formulated mouthrinse containing tea tree oil (TTO, clove, and basil with those of commercially available essential oil (EO mouthrinse. Materials and Methods: Forty patients were selected for a 21-day study period and randomly divided into two groups. The test group patients were given newly formulated herbal mouthrinse and the control group patients were given commercially available EO mouthrinse. The Plaque Index (PI, Gingival Index (GI, and Papillary Marginal Attachment (PMA Index were recorded at baseline, 14 days, and 21 days. The microbial colony forming units (CFU were assessed at baseline and 21 days. Results: Test group patients using herbal mouthrinse showed significant improvement in GI (0.16, PI (0.57, and PMA (0.02 scores. These improvements were comparable to those achieved with commercially available EO mouthrinse. However, the aerobic and anaerobic CFU of microbiota were reduced with the herbal mouthrinse (P = 0.0000. Conclusion: The newly formulated herbal mouthrinse and commercially available mouthrinse were beneficial clinically as antiplaque and antigingivitis agents. Newly formulated mouthrinses showed significant reduction in microbial CFU at 21 days. So, our findings support the regular use of herbal mouthrinse as an antiplaque, antigingivitis, and antimicrobial rinse for better efficacy.

United States Transportation Command Compliance with DoD Policy on the Use of Commercial Sealift

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Jolliffe, Richard B; Mehlman, Benjamin A; Lippolis, Susan J; Avers, Marc E; Brake, Chrispian M; Lyons, Amber M; Alvarez Torres, Zorayma; Groubert, Christopher S; Milner, Jillisa H

2007-01-01

.... The overall objective of the audit was to determine whether USTRANSCOM was complying with DoD policies in the use of commercial transport during wartime and whether those policies provide optimal...