Operational Engineering Research Articles

Safety Analysis for Aircraft One Engine Inoperation during Departure

No advisory circular and regulations had been provided for the EOSID of basic RNP1 for departure procedure. However, for the aircraft safety and benefit of airlines, the problem needs to be solved before the basic RNP1 procedure would be used. This paper put a method try to solve the problem based on the RNP AR procedure wind condition and RNP APCH turning design rules. This method had been verified by the ground and flight validation. The test results indicate that the method satisfied the safety flight operation level.

Hearing loss among operating engineers in American construction industry

Occupational noise exposure and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among construction workers has long been recognized as a problem in the United States, yet little is known about the prevalence of NIHL among American construction workers. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of hearing loss among operating engineers (OEs) who operate heavy construction machinery. As a part of hearing protection intervention, an audiometric test was conducted for both ears at frequencies 0.5 through 8 kHz in the soundproof booth. Prior to the audiometric test, a paper-pencil pre-hearing test questionnaire was administered and an otoscopic examination was completed. Prevalence of hearing loss was determined based on hearing threshold levels (HTLs) in the worst ear with a low fence of 25 dB. A total of 623 workers were included in the analysis and they were predominantly middle-aged Caucasian males (mean age = 43 years, Caucasian = 90%, male = 92%). Over 60% of OEs showed hearing loss in the noise-sensitive higher frequencies of 4 and 6 kHz. The rate of hearing loss was particularly higher among workers who reported longer years of working in the construction industry. Workers showed significantly poorer hearing in the left ear, and a typical characteristic of NIHL, a V-notch at 4 or 6 kHz, was not shown in this population. Thirty-eight percent reported ringing/buzzing in the ear and 62% indicated having problems in understanding what people say in loud noise. Average reported use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) was 48% of the time they were required to be used. Significant inverse relationship was found between higher frequency (4-6 kHz) hearing loss and use of HPDs (r =-0.134, p < 0.001). Workers using HPDs more had significantly better hearing than those who did not. The study demonstrated a significant NIHL problem and low use of HPDs in OEs. An effective hearing conservation program, including a periodic audiometric testing and hearing protection intervention, for this study population should be in place.

Respiratory symptoms and lung function in workers in heavy and highway construction: a cross-sectional study.

Occupational exposures for workers in heavy and highway (HH) construction include cement-containing dusts and diesel exhaust (DE). To investigate possible health effects, respiratory symptoms and lung function were examined in laborers, tunnel workers (TW), and operating engineers (OE) in HH and tunnel construction. The principal outcome of interest was airways disease. Subjects were recruited through their unions. Medical and occupational histories and flow-volume loops were obtained. Based on self-report, asthma and chronic bronchitis were categorized as (1) physician-diagnosed or (2) for asthma, undiagnosed likely, and (3) for chronic bronchitis, symptomatic. Trade and time in the union were used as surrogates of exposure. Prevalence of asthma and chronic bronchitis, lung function outcome, and relationships with exposure variables were examined. Data were obtained on 389 workers: 186 laborers, 45 TWs, and 158 OEs. Prevalence of asthma was 13 and 11.4% for laborers (including TW) and OEs, respectively, and of symptomatic chronic bronchitis, 6.5 and 1.9%, respectively. Odds ratios (OR) for undiagnosed asthma likely were significantly elevated in TWs compared to OEs, and marginally elevated for chronic bronchitis. Inverse relationships were observed between time in the union, and risk for asthma and chronic bronchitis. Asthma (physician-diagnosed or undiagnosed likely) predicted lower FEV(1). Current cigarette use was associated with chronic bronchitis but not asthma. TWs, laborers, and OEs in HH construction are at increased risk for asthma. TWs also appear to be at increased risk for chronic bronchitis. Our data suggest that symptomatic workers are self-selecting out of their trade. Asthma was associated with lower lung function in those affected.

The New Engineer Paradigm and the Emergence of Investigative Engineering

Summary How is engineering practiced in the petroleum practiced in the petroleum engineering discipline? A new engineering paradigm that defines and distinguishes between three overlapping regions-operational, design, and investigative engineering-will help us understand. It introduces the concept of investigative engineering, the key to new engineering breakthroughs and innovations. Here, we investigate the impact of investigative engineering on the petroleum engineering discipline and discuss the roles of the university educator, company organizations and structures, and the individual engineer. Two postulates are proposed. First, most engineers receive inadequate training in investigative engineering at the university level, so that they resist the concept later in their career. Second, most companies are structured to operate in the domain of operational and design engineering, with little or no emphasis on investigative engineering. This paper identifies characteristics necessary to achieve success in the investigative-engineering endeavor and proposes organizational structures that proposes organizational structures that will encourage investigative engineering in the corporate environment. Introduction How can universities and companies revitalize the engineering professional to meet the challenges and changes that will occur during the next decade? Is it possible to make engineers more productive, innovative, and effective in maximizing the company's profits? What tools do engineers need to do profits? What tools do engineers need to do their jobs? How should they be trained and supervised? And finally, what type of organizational structure will optimize engineers' skills? What about the engineers themselves? What should be their roles in the future? Can an engineer build a life-long career path around technical leadership? And what about technical obsolescence-what can be done to keep the 10- and 15-year experienced engineer up to date, motivated, and challenged? To address these questions, one must investigate the way that companies, especially energy companies, use engineers' abilities and practice engineering. This identifies new ways in which engineering can be practiced and defines the characteristics of the engineer of the future. This work is based primarily on my nearly 24 years of experience as a practicing engineer and as a technical supervisor and manager of both operations and research. It also draws from a 6-year in-depth study of engineering practices. My active involvement in SPE, which has provided me with many long and penetrating conversations with other engineers about the practice of engineering and their personal views of themselves as engineers, has strongly influenced this work. The detailed basis and background for all the concepts presented are too lengthy to be explained here. Those readers interested in obtaining more background should explore Refs. 1 through 7. Many of the concepts are completely new and may be provocative, and to that end, I do not expect across-the-board agreement. I do not pretend to have all the answers and to know all the details. I am a student of this technology and can give only my cumulative insights at this point in time. Current Engineering Paradigm First of all, what does "paradigm" mean? This is a relatively new word in engineering that has drawn a great deal of interest and attention, as well as multiple definitions. In my opinion, the best definition comes from Fritjof Capra, a physicist at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, and Jay Ogilvy, director of research for the Values and Lifestyles Program at SRI Intl. They define paradigm as "a constellation of concepts, paradigm as "a constellation of concepts, values, perceptions, and practices shared by a community, which forms a particular vision of reality and collective mood that is the basis of the way the community organizes itself." In short, it is a model for describing how a selected group of people work together. In our case, the engineering community in general and the petroleum engineering community in specific are of interest. The community is made up of engineers, supervisors, and managers, including all upper managers who affect engineering practices. Fig. 1 depicts how the community organizes itself. Engineering generally can be divided into three major areas:accounting, administrative, and assembly-line engineering, defined as operational engineering (OE);design engineering (DE); andinvestigative engineering (IE). OE comprises all accounting, administrative, and assembly-line engineering tasks that can be reduced to a step-by-step procedure with known rules, procedures, procedure with known rules, procedures, calculations, reports, and practices. Examples of these tasks are material-balance calculations; decline-curve analyses; many economics calculations; basic pressure-transient analyses; hydraulics pressure-transient analyses; hydraulics calculations; cementing volumetrics; and generation of various intercompany forms, forms for agencies, morning reports, and other periodical reports. DE comprises all engineering tasks that pertain to designing any practice, system, structure, or set of equipment, no matter how complex. JPT P. 788