Use Of Equipment Research Articles

Protective clothing and equipment for use in hazardous situations and in training – main principles on risk assessm

Protective clothing and equipment for use in hazardous situations and in training – main principles on risk assessm

Experimental Study of the Stress State of a Polymer Composite in a State of Compression

Long-term operation of the supporting surfaces of large-sized parts, in particular tubular units of thermal power plants, leads to the destruction of the contact surfaces. Moisture penetrates into the formed discontinuities, and the vibrations present in the equipment in use rapidly increase the gap, reaching values of 10–15 mm. The authors of this article proposed the application of a composite layer of multimetal 1018 material without performing additional preparatory operations, ensuring the mandatory penetration of the material into the body of the supporting surface. This depth provides additional stability by maintaining boundary conditions. To determine the rational thickness of the composite layer, mathematical modeling of static loading of samples with different thicknesses in a wide range of values (from 2 mm to 12 mm) was performed. It was determined that the effective implementation of the developed technology was possible due to an increase in the load-bearing capacity of the composite material by creating additional grooves, or artificially creating grooves by welding, in the body of the part with a depth of 2.5–3 mm. The optimal excess of the composite was 1.0–1.5 mm. The proposed technology increases the stability of the composite layer up to three times and allows restoration without the use of mechanical treatment. The increase in the maximum stress values was 770 MPa, compared to the standard technology of 205 MPa.

Development of a New Tool to Combine the Promotion of Patient Mobility With Safe Patient Handling Equipment: The Johns Hopkins Safe Patient Handling Mobility (JH-SPHM) Guide.

Promoting safe patient mobility for providers and patients is a safety priority in the hospital setting. Safe patient handling equipment aids safe mobility but can also deter active movement by the patient if used inappropriately. Nurses need guidance to choose equipment that ensures their safety and that of the patients while promoting active mobility and preventing workplace-related injury. Using a modified Delphi approach with a diverse group of experts, we created the Johns Hopkins Safe Patient Handling Mobility (JH-SPHM) Guide. This diverse group of 10 experts consisted of nurses, nurse leaders, physical and occupational therapists, safe patient handling committee representatives, and a fall prevention committee leader. The application of the tool was then tested in the hospital environment by two physical therapists. Consensus was reached for safe patient handling (SPH) equipment recommendations at each level of the Johns Hopkins Mobility Goal Calculator (JH-Mobility Goal Calculator). Expert SPH equipment recommendations were then added to JH-Mobility Goal Calculator levels to create the JH-Safe Patient Handling Mobility Guide. JH-Safe Patient Handling Mobility Guide equipment suggestions were compared with equipment recommendations from physical therapists revealing strong agreement (n = 125, 88%). The newly created JH-Safe Patient Handling Mobility Guide provides appropriate safe patient-handling equipment recommendations to help accomplish patients' daily mobility goals. The Johns Hopkins Safe Patient Handling Mobility Guide simultaneously facilitates patient mobility and optimizes safety for nursing staff through recommendations for safe patient handling equipment for use with hospitalized patients.

Method in Selecting Vehicles for Interventions and Surveillance of Navigation Safety at Sea

Selecting a vehicle to monitor navigational safety is an important goal, especially in search and rescue operations. It depends on the criteria set and the type of equipment in use. The study aimed to select the optimal vehicle according to the optimal criterion. In the decision-making, the AHP method was used to analyze and rank the selection criteria and vehicle types. As the most important criterion, the results point to reliability in different weather conditions and the SAR vessel as the first choice for interventions and monitoring navigational safety in Croatia. In the selection process, the AHP methodology pointed directly to the significant inconsistency of the expert group and indirectly to the need for more careful selection of members, additional training, and a broader selection of criteria and equipment.

Quantitative classification of equipment protection level in concept of zone classification with downtime of protective measures

Handling flammable materials has a risk that can create explosive atmosphere. Such locations are classified as hazardous area, depending on the frequency and volume of explosive atmospheres. General electrical equipment is prohibited in the hazardous area and explosion protected equipment is used. These are the spatial isolation of ignition sources within the fire triangle, but even time isolation can prevent explosion hazards as well. It is proposed a method to classify zones from the calculation of downtime of protective measures based on failure rates and repair times of protective measures related to ventilation in explosive gas atmospheres with the Functional Safety under the time isolation concept. On the other hand, according to International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in Explosive Atmospheres, explosion protected equipment was also classified as an Equipment Protection Level, "EPL". The EPL should be selected according to the risk of the hazardous area. However, in IEC60079–14:2013, users can choose any EPL according to their risk assessment. In this paper, we clarify the quantitative risk difference of EPLs with expansion the idea of classifying hazardous area from the downtime of protective measures and introduce a means to quantitatively classify the EPL of equipment in an explosive gas atmosphere.

Dynamic Positioning Control of Large Ships in Rough Sea Based on an Improved Closed-Loop Gain Shaping Algorithm

In order to solve the problem of the dynamic positioning control of large ships in rough sea and to meet the need for fixed-point operations, this paper proposes a dynamic positioning controller that can effectively achieve large ships’ fixed-point control during Level 9 sea states (wind force Beaufort No. 10). To achieve a better control effect, a large ship’s forward motion is decoupled to establish a mathematical model of the headwind stationary state. Meanwhile, the closed-loop gain shaping algorithm is combined with the exact feedback linearization algorithm to design the speed controller and the course-keeping controller. This effectively solves the problem of strong external interferences impacting the control system in rough seas and guarantees the comprehensive index of robustness performance. In this paper, three large ships—the “Mariner”, “Taian kou”, and “Galaxy”—are selected as the research objects for simulation research and the final fixing error is less than 10 m. It is proven that the method is safe, feasible, practical, and effective, and provides technical support for the design and development of intelligent marine equipment for use in rough seas.

Розвиток інтелектуальних транспортних систем

The purpose of the article is to develop a refined methodology for the general design of a container terminal. The difference between the given design methodology and the existing ones is that a decision is proposed to change its throughput (annual container flow passing through it), without changing the dimensions of the container yard and the way containers are stored, that is, for the same capacity of the container yard. Such cases occur, for example, when it is necessary to reconstruct a container terminal. Cargo terminals for containers are a specific field of logistics and cargo delivery system, where cargo is processed in consolidated transport modules - containers.
 Considered the main stages of designing a container terminal as a complex stochastic technical system: setting the task (it should be a single one); selection and determination of elements of technological zones and the structure of the container terminal, as various connections between system elements; analysis of system functioning (including its modeling); account of interaction of the system with the environment; consideration of the results of the container transport and technological system and operation. It is determined that this general methodology can be used during the creation or analysis of any other transformation of a technical or social system that receives a stream of some objects with one set of parameters, processes it through its structure and outputs them from other parameters. This method of formalizing the functioning of the container terminal can be used for its calculations, modeling, research and optimization. In the processes of interaction with environmental systems, the container terminal passes from one state to another, which is characterized by the types and volume of technological operations that must be performed at a certain moment, cargo that must be stored, delivered to and from the terminal, assembled, sorted, business employee processes, forklifts, cranes and other equipment in use. The functioning of the container terminal (part of the warehouse system) as a procedure of transitions from one state to another can be represented in the form of a graph or transition probability matrix.

Удосконалення методики проєктування контейнерного терміналу

The purpose of the article is to develop a refined methodology for the general design of a container terminal. The difference between the proposed design methodology and the existing ones is that a solution is proposed to change its throughput (annual container flow passing through it), without changing the dimensions of the container yard and the way containers are stored, that is, with the same capacity of the container yard. Such cases occur, for example, when it is necessary to reconstruct a container terminal. Cargo terminals for containers are a specific area of logistics and cargo delivery systems, where cargo is processed in consolidated transport modules – containers. The main stages of analyzing or projecting a warehouse as a complex stochastic technical system should be considered: objective setting (it should be single); selection and determination of elements of technological areas and warehouse structure, as various connections between system elements; analyzing of system functioning (including its simulation); consideration of system interaction with surrounding environment; consideration of results of the warehouse system performance, and operation. It is interesting to point out that this general methodology can be used while creating or analyzing any other transformation of technical or social system, which receives a flow of some objects with one set of parameters, processes it through its structure, and gives them out with other values of parameters. 
 This method of formalizing the functioning of the container terminal can be used for its calculations, modeling, research and optimization. In the processes of interaction with environmental systems, the container terminal passes from one state to another, which are characterized by the types and volume of technological operations that must be performed at the moment, cargo that must be stored, delivered to and from the terminal, assembled, sorted, business employee processes, forklifts, cranes and other equipment in use. The functioning of the container terminal (part of the warehouse system) as a procedure of transitions from one state to another can be represented in the form of a graph or transition probability matrix.

Numerical Evaluation of Sodium Droplet Swarm Combustion and Its Modeling Optimization

Because of its superior thermal-hydraulic qualities, liquid sodium has been applied to a variety of industries, including energy storage, solar energy, sodium-cooled fast reactors, and aerospace. However, fires brought on by sodium leaks at high pressure can have major thermodynamic repercussions and put employees and equipment in use at risk directly or indirectly. As a result, a realistic and accurate forecast of the combustion behavior of sodium droplet swarm can offer technical backing for the use of liquid sodium in engineering as well as a way of sodium fire prevention and control. Spray dynamics (droplet settling, droplet particle size distribution, etc.), combustion kinetics (premixed combustion, gas phase combustion, etc.), sodium aerosol diffusion, and other specialized phenomena all contribute to the complex process of sodium droplet swarm combustion. The NACOM code created by Brookhaven National Laboratory for sodium droplet swarm combustion is utilized in this paper as a framework. The code is first validated using the benchmark of the sodium droplet swarm combustion tests carried out by prestigious institutions. The validation results demonstrate that the code’s drag model, droplet combustion model, and heat transfer model are to blame for the significantly overestimated thermodynamic effects of sodium droplet swarm combustion. NACOM is subsequently developed twice for the authors’ previously developed vapor-liquid two-layer-structure drag model, chemical kinetic combustion model, and suitable heat transfer coefficient. It is then thoroughly assessed for the separate-effects tests and integral-effects test. The evaluation results demonstrate that the optimized drag model accelerates the settling of sodium droplets due to the consideration of the sodium-vapor drag reduction effect, reducing the thermodynamic effects of liquid sodium combustion; the optimized premixed combustion model can accurately predict the low-temperature sodium droplet swarm combustion conditions, resolving the issue of serious misvaluation of the original version of NACOM. The associated research findings can serve as valuable resources and tools for deeper comprehension of the combustion effects and mechanisms of sodium droplet swarm under various operating settings (such as leakage rate and oxygen concentration).

Validation of Linear and Nonlinear Gait Variability Measures Derived From a Smartphone System Compared to a Gold-Standard Footswitch System During Overground Walking.

Smartphones, with embedded accelerometers, may be a viable method to monitor gait variability in the free-living environment. However, measurements estimated using smartphones must first be compared to known quantities to ensure validity. This study assessed the validity and reliability of smartphone-derived gait measures compared to a gold-standard footswitch system during overground walking. Seventeen adults completed three 8-minute overground walking trials during 3 separate visits. The stride time series was calculated as the time difference between consecutive right heel contact events within the footswitch and smartphone-accelerometry signals. Linear (average stride time, stride time standard deviation, and stride time coefficient of variation) and nonlinear (fractal scaling index, approximate entropy, and sample entropy) measures were calculated for each stride time series. Bland-Altman plots with 95% limits of agreement assessed agreement between systems. Intraclass correlation coefficients assessed reliability across visits. Bland-Altman plots revealed acceptable limits of agreement for all measures. Intraclass correlation coefficients revealed good-to-excellent reliability for both systems, except for fractal scaling index, which was moderate. The smartphone system is a valid method and performs similarly to gold-standard research equipment. These findings suggest the development and implementation of an inexpensive, easy-to-use, and ubiquitous telehealth instrument that may replace traditional laboratory equipment for use in the free-living environment.

Analysis of the effect of mammography allocation on women's health indicators

The early detection of breast cancer enables more effective forms of treatment. However, widespread access to its main screening tool, mammography, remains a challenge for the Brazilian public health system. This study aimed to analyze the effect of allocating mammography equipment on women's health indicators. In 2013, of the 4,557 municipalities that lacked the equipment, 260 received it up to 2019. The main hypothesis of this study suggests that receiving the mammography device would show a heterogeneous effect between locations and that such receival would depend on observable (propensity score matching) and non-observable variables (fixed effects model). Results indicate that the Brazilian municipalities that had mammography equipment in use from 2014 onward increased their number of exams without short-term effects to diagnoses and deaths due to malignant breast neoplasia. In addition to equipment, a more complex structure involving other factors (such as access to consultations, qualified professionals, waiting time, etc.) is important to improve women's health indicators in the analyzed municipalities.

Worn Power Transformers Influence on the Rural Electrical Networks Electrical Supply Reliability

The energy supply of agricultural enterprises is characterized by a number of significant problems, the solution of which has been an urgent task for several decades. Characteristic problems are widely known and considered in the scientific and educational literature: the location of agricultural objects on a large territory, their remoteness from central substations, remoteness from the road network, which makes it difficult for emergency teams to access in case of accidents, a high degree of operation of substation equipment and air lines At the same time, the re-equipment of the park of technological equipment of agricultural enterprises makes it necessary to look at the quality of energy supply in a new way - the microprocessor technology used in modern agricultural production makes high demands on the reliability of energy supply. Also, the issue related to emergency modes in the energy supply system, which lead to millions of losses due to product spoilage due to the termination of the technological process, does not lose its relevance. As you know, the energy supply system should be a model of high reliability, but upon inspection, the situation looks a little different: due to various reasons (including both the power deficit and the wear and tear of the equipment in use), the energy supply does not always meet the expectations of consumers in terms of the quality of the services provided. In the case of interruptions in the energy supply of enterprises (including agricultural ones), interruptions in the energy supply cause much more serious consequences, related to spoilage and underproduction of products and millions of losses.

Structural and Economic Approach to the Selection of Peak Regulating Capacities at Thermal Power Plants

The output of power unit No 2 of the Belarusian NPP to the level of neutron power development of 100 % of the nominal level has changed the structure of generation of the Unified Energy System (UES) of Belarus. At the current loads of the inter-heating period of 2023, the share of a nuclear power plant with two power units operating at full capacity in the daily generation structure of the Republic is about 50 %. In order to balance the UES of Belarus during the operation of two power units of a nuclear power plant at night, the application of adjustment regulatory measures that exceed the available capabilities is required. The almost complete use of the adjusting range of the CHP will forcibly cause, on a larger scale, to the shutdown of the blocks during the load failures at night, followed by the start-up from the non-cooled and hot statuses. These operating modes of generating equipment are inevitable in the current conditions of the electricity market, which has led to the emergence of most complex tasks to assess the economic and technical efficiency of involving or another equipment of power plants in such modes. The paper proposes an approach to solving the problem of achieving an effective combination of reliability and efficiency of energy systems on the example of gas turbines and CCGT power units. A generalized desirability function has been obtained, which includes a number of parameters for choosing a rational relationship and mutual influence between the reliability and efficiency of electricity production with the participation of thermal power plant equipment in regulating the daily load schedule. The proposed mathematical model is an effective means of analyzing the suitability of equipment for use in the required operating modes.

Research and Analysis of Leakage Detection of Chemical Equipment Based on Infrared Technology

This paper introduces the application of infrared thermal imaging detection technology in LDAR detection, then the various components of the chemical equipment are detected by infrared photography, and the leakage situation is analyzed. The following conclusions are drawn: The bolt preload of the flange connection is not balanced, which is easy to cause partial leakage. A large number of test data show that the larger the flange size, the greater the leakage. Because of the lack of effective non-destructive testing methods for nozzle fillet welds, infrared testing technology can be adopted for important equipment in use, which can find penetrating buried defects and reduce the risk of equipment use.

Availability of complementary resources and equipment for use in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections

Background and Objectives: Recently, complementary resources and equipment have emerged to improve prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Our aim is to verify availability and use of different resources/equipment by infection controllers. Methods: We conducted a survey with infection controllers from the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by invitation using a social media group, in August 2022. Nine different resources and equipment were evaluated. Categorical and continuous variables were evaluated by the chi-square test and Mann–Whitney U test, respectively. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: One hundred and eight persons answered the questionnaire. The mean age was 42.8 years (SD +/- 8.5 years) and 53 (49.1%) reported most of their workload in public hospitals, 45 (41.7%) in private hospitals and 10 (9.2%) reported the same workload in public and private hospitals. Sixty-there percent reported teaching activities in their institutions. There was no correlation between the existence of teaching activities and hospital profile (p=0.42). The most common resource available was molecular biology (PCR) for microbiological samples research for 73 (67.6%) participants. The second resource most available was applications (Apps) for HAIs prevention and control for 33 (30.6%), 19 (17.6%) reported no availability of resource/equipment technology. Conclusion: Molecular biology (PCR) for microbiological samples research was the most common resource available for infection controllers of an important state of Brazil.

Development of new methodological approaches to the design of special machinery and equipment, taking into account risks in the field of occupational safety and the influence of the human factor (on the example of investment projects for the development of forests)

The article discusses the development of a melodic approach to the design of equipment for use in logging processes (for example, in the implementation of investment projects for the development of forests). The authors have developed and presented an approach to the design of modern equipment and special equipment, which includes all stages: from the organization of research to development, design, construction and production. The proposed approach is based on the results of an assessment of occupational risks for the conditions in which the equipment and equipment will be used, and the influence of the human factor is proposed to be taken into account through a structured process of interaction, receiving feedback on the operation of equipment, which allows obtaining additional data on the parameters of equipment (nodes, working bodies, aggregates, etc.) and, on on this basis, allowing to reduce to the minimum the probability of injury, and also taking into account the peculiarities of the influence of human behavior (human factor) on the process and result of work.

Simultaneous Data Collection of fMRI and fNIRS Measurements Using a Whole-Head Optode Array and Short-Distance Channels.

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a portable neuroimaging methodology, more robust to motion and more cost-effective than functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which makes it highly suitable for conducting naturalistic studies of brain function and for use with developmental and clinical populations. Both fNIRS and fMRI methodologies detect changes in cerebral blood oxygenation during functional brain activation, and prior studies have shown high spatial and temporal correspondence between the two signals. There is, however, no quantitative comparison of the two signals collected simultaneously from the same subjects with whole-head fNIRS coverage. This comparison is necessary to comprehensively validate area-level activations and functional connectivity against the fMRI gold standard, which in turn has the potential to facilitate comparisons of the two signals across the lifespan. We address this gap by describing a protocol for simultaneous data collection of fMRIand fNIRS signals that: i) provides whole-head fNIRS coverage; ii) includes short-distance measurements for regression of the non-cortical, systemic physiological signal; and iii) implements two different methods for optode-to-scalp co-registration of fNIRS measurements. fMRI and fNIRS data from three subjects are presented, and recommendations for adapting the protocol to test developmental and clinical populations are discussed. The current setup with adults allows scanning sessions for an average of approximately 40 min, which includes both functional and structural scans. The protocol outlines the steps required to adapt the fNIRS equipment for use in the magnetic resonance (MR) environment, provides recommendations for both data recording and optode-to-scalp co-registration, and discusses potential modifications of the protocol to fit the specifics of the available MR-safe fNIRS system. Representative subject-specific responses from a flashing-checkerboard task illustrate the feasibility of the protocol to measure whole-head fNIRS signals in the MR environment. This protocol will be particularly relevant for researchers interested in validating fNIRS signals against fMRI across the lifespan.

Collective protection measures - methods to ensure clean air

The review article deals with the current issue of collective protection, including collective protection against contamination. The division of collective protection means by purpose and basic equipment for use under conditions of contamination is presented. Based on NATO documents, functional and operational recommendations were formulated. Methods of protecting facilities from the penetration of contaminated air by sealing, dilution in vestibules and the creation of positive pressure support were characterized. Methods of ventilating facilities with respect to changing the composition and properties of air in confined spaces are presented, including determining the necessary amount of air to ventilate rooms to remove excess CO2, water vapor, heat and oxygen deficiency. Methods of supplying clean air to the facility by means of air filtration and regeneration are characterized.

Vehicle wheel positioning innovation on a machine for measuring the contact parameters between a tyre and the road

This article deals with the development and proposal to increase the application of equipment for measuring the adhesion force between the road and the road vehicle. The device enabling the adhesion force measurement of a rotating vehicle wheel is called a dynamic adhesor. The actual position of the vehicle wheel relative to the road-simulating cylinder is, in the present embodiment of the dynamic adhesor, by means of a bolted clamping joint and stops. This embodiment has limiting applications. the test must be aborted, if the position of the vehicle wheel relative to the rotating cylinder changes. Therefore, the adhesor has been upgraded. The upgrade consists of adding a hydraulic control to allow repositioning of the vehicle wheel online without interrupting the experiment, from a workstation outside the rotating parts area. Input load values were determined from the adherent desired operating parameters and from the load simulation in the MSC Adams software. Hydraulic cylinders were designed in accordance with the results of the maximum operating loads and installation space. The current construction was adapted and supplemented with new parts for the use of these hydraulic cylinders. The article only deals with the area of new key elements. The equipment's use has been expanded by improving the dynamic adhesor, for example, with the possibility of simulating the vehicle wheel's driving behaviour when the vehicle is propped up, and in this way, the equipment can also be used for any required research in regard to noise emitted from the tyre's road contact. As a result of innovation, the use of the unique tyre-testing equipment has been expanded, increasing the safety and environmental friendliness of road vehicles.

Industrial Ergonomics of Manufacturing Industries in South West Nigeria

The study was designed to appraise the industrial ergonomics of manufacturing industry in south west Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design the population for the study were foreman, fitter machinists and plant operator who are employee in the manufacturing industry in south west, Nigeria. Four research questions guided the study. The instrument used for data collection was tagged manufacturing industrial ergonomics (MIE) questionnaire. The trial test for determining the coefficient of internal consistency of MIE items with the use of the croubach alpha yielded a coefficient of 0.79. Mean and Standard Deviation (SD) was adopted in answering the research questions raised. The study indicated that the machines, instrument and equipment in use meet ergonomics requirement of employees, most controls in use meets standardized safety requirements. It was however observed that work environment needs improvement among other discoveries. Recommendations were made on modality to improve the ergonomics of the work place.