Items Of Equipment Research Articles

Modeling of Pressure and Temperature Profiles for the Flow of CO2 through a Restriction

CO2 emissions due to massive industrialization have led to several environmental issues. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is one of the most important technologies that can be used to reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions worldwide. CCS projects mainly involve three processes: carbon capture, transportation, and storage. In the transportation process, the modeling of the flow in pipelines and the relationships between pressure, flow velocity, temperature, density, and phase stability are of significance. Orifice plates are a common tool used for flowrate measurements. Several standards provide the specifications and implementation approach for this type of equipment item in pipelines. In this study, flow through an orifice plate is simulated with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling software, namely ANSYS®, to obtain fluid pressure, velocity, and temperature profiles. Model geometry and fluid properties are defined that are suitable for making a comparison with ISO-5167 empirical correlations and a similar reference study, which are used to validate the simulation results. A mesh sensitivity analysis is conducted to ensure the correctness of the results. A reasonable agreement is found between the simulation results, empirical correlations, and previous studies. The Joule Thompson cooling effect is also considered in this work for high-pressure CO2 cases, and the plots showed good agreement with reference studies.

Recommended Essential Equipment for Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support Ground Ambulances 2020: A Joint Position Statement

In continued support of establishing and maintaining a foundation for standards of care, our organizations remain committed to periodic review and revision of this position statement. This latest revision was created based on a structured review of the National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines Version 2.2 in order to identify the equipment items necessary to deliver the care defined by those guidelines. In addition, in order to ensure congruity with national definitions of provider scope of practice, the list is differentiated into BLS and ALS levels of service utilizing the National Scope of Practice-defined levels of Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) as BLS, and Advanced EMT (AEMT) and Paramedic as ALS. Equipment items listed within each category were cross-checked against recommended scopes of practice for each level in order to ensure they were appropriately dichotomized to BLS or ALS levels of care. Some items may be considered optional at the local level as determined by agency-defined scope of practice and applicable clinical guidelines. In addition to the items included in this position statement our organizations agree that all EMS service programs should carry equipment and supplies in quantities as determined by the medical director and appropriate to the agency’s level of care and available certified EMS personnel and as established in the agency’s approved protocols.

Impact of a Serious Game (Escape COVID-19) on the Intention to Change COVID-19 Control Practices Among Employees of Long-term Care Facilities: Web-Based Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundMost residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are at high risk of complications and death following SARS-CoV-2 infection. In these facilities, viral transmission can be facilitated by shortages of human and material resources, which can lead to suboptimal application of infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures. To improve the dissemination of COVID-19 IPC guidelines, we developed a serious game called “Escape COVID-19” using Nicholson’s RECIPE for meaningful gamification, as engaging serious games have the potential to induce behavioral change.ObjectiveAs the probability of executing an action is strongly linked to the intention of performing it, the objective of this study was to determine whether LTCF employees were willing to change their IPC practices after playing “Escape COVID-19.”MethodsThis was a web-based, triple-blind, randomized controlled trial, which took place between November 5 and December 4, 2020. The health authorities of Geneva, Switzerland, asked the managers of all LTCFs under their jurisdiction to forward information regarding the study to all their employees, regardless of professional status. Participants were unaware that they would be randomly allocated to one of two different study paths upon registration. In the control group, participants filled in a first questionnaire designed to gather demographic data and assess baseline knowledge before accessing regular online IPC guidelines. They then answered a second questionnaire, which assessed their willingness to change their IPC practices and identified the reasons underlying their decision. They were then granted access to the serious game. Conversely, the serious game group played “Escape COVID-19” after answering the first questionnaire but before answering the second one. This group accessed the control material after answering the second set of questions. There was no time limit. The primary outcome was the proportion of LTCF employees willing to change their IPC practices. Secondary outcomes included the factors underlying participants’ decisions, the domains these changes would affect, changes in the use of protective equipment items, and attrition at each stage of the study.ResultsA total of 295 answer sets were analyzed. Willingness to change behavior was higher in the serious game group (82% [119/145] versus 56% [84/150]; P<.001), with an odds ratio of 3.86 (95% CI 2.18-6.81; P<.001) after adjusting for professional category and baseline knowledge, using a mixed effects logistic regression model with LTCF as a random effect. For more than two-thirds (142/203) of the participants, the feeling of playing an important role against the epidemic was the most important factor explaining their willingness to change behavior. Most of the participants unwilling to change their behavior answered that they were already applying all the guidelines.ConclusionsThe serious game “Escape COVID-19” was more successful than standard IPC material in convincing LTCF employees to adopt COVID-19–safe IPC behavior.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.2196/25595

A multi-platform information management system of total life cycle for medical equipment

Objective: To establish a total life cycle information management system for medical equipment based on our hospital’s actual situation. Methods: Per the definition of the total life cycle for the particular item of medical equipment, the function modules were designed and distributed according to different staff postings and then implemented on the WeChat public account-a series of API and services to develop custom features, a mobile app, and a computer web browser. Results: After implementation, the system can cover a series of management stages of the entire life cycle for medical equipment and the information exchanged among various stages. The relevant staff in different posts can operate the medical equipment management information on any of the three platforms. Conclusion: The improvement and efficiency aid staff in various settings in managing medical equipment and medical behaviors and patient safety is increased.

Modeling pressure relief devices mounted on a common inlet manifold

AbstractLarge equipment items, such as distillation column systems, compressors, or major pressure vessels, are commonly protected by multiple pressure relief devices mounted on a common inlet manifold. In selecting this type of design, the potential exists to inadvertently overlook the flow characteristics associated with such a common inlet manifold. The methodology discussed in this paper should effectively model flow through multiple pressure relief devices mounted on common inlet manifolds. This approach ensures accurate representation of flow through each pressure relief device while avoiding the potential pitfalls of taking shortcuts by only analyzing flow through one device.

A Cost-Effective Analysis of 3D Printing Applications in Occupational Therapy Practice

Background: Emerging research supports 3D printing can provide customizable, low-cost, and replicable items for application in occupational therapy, but more research is necessary to inform occupational therapists on why and how 3D printing would be applicable and feasible in practice. Method: This study is a cost-effective analysis aimed to identify practical considerations of a selection of 3D printed items in comparison to commercially available items. Ten items of adaptive equipment were downloaded from open-sourced 3D printing design websites and printed. The estimated cost of material was calculated and each print time was recorded. Items with comparable design and function were selected from a thorough internet search for analysis and comparison to the 3D printed items. Results: The results demonstrate that each 3D printed item had a positive benefit in terms of material cost and print time compared to the cost and shipping time of each comparable item. Conclusion: The 3D printed items were the more cost-effective for all items, but most significantly for niche designs with fewer available commercial alternatives. 3D printing successfully replicated commonly used adaptive equipment for a comparable cost, while allowing for customization and the ability to provide the item in-house to clients.

The SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, a step towards recognizing the speciality of critical care nursing in France.

The SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, a step towards recognizing the speciality of critical care nursing in France.

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic-induced PPE and single-use plastic waste generation scenario.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has demonstrated both positive and negative effects on the environment. Major concerns over personal hygiene, mandated and ease in lockdown actions and slackening of some policy measures have led to a massive surge in the use of disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) and other single-use plastic items. This generated an enormous amount of plastic waste from both healthcare and household units, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Apart from the healthcare workers, the general public have become accustomed to using PPE. These habits are threatening the land and marine environment with immense loads of plastic waste, due to improper disposal practices across the world, especially in developing nations. Contaminated PPE has already made its way to the oceans which will inevitably produce plastic particles alongside other pathogen-driven diseases. This study provided an estimation-based approach in quantifying the amount of contaminated plastic waste that can be expected daily from the massive usage of PPE (e.g. facemasks) because of the countrywide mandated regulations on PPE usage. The situation of Bangladesh has been analysed and projections revealed that a total of 3.4 billion pieces of single-use facemask, hand sanitizer bottles, hand gloves and disposable polyethylene bags will be produced monthly, which will give rise to 472.30 t of disposable plastic waste per day. The equations provided for the quantification of waste from used single-use plastic and PPE can be used for other countries for rough estimations. Then, the discussed recommendations will help concerned authorities and policy makers to design effective response plans. Sustainable plastic waste management for the current and post-pandemic period can be imagined and acted upon.

Культура саков Семиречья: современное состояние и актуальные задачи исследований

Purpose. The article describes the history and analysis of the main issues in the study of archaeological sites of the Saka period in Semirechye. They are presented by three main types on this territory: burial and memorial complexes, settlements and hoards. The first type of monuments includes numerous burial mounds, where the elite burials of “royal” type and ordinary burials are located. Both social groups are combined by the unity of funeral rites, and the main differences are the complexity of architecture, memorial practices, and richness of burial equipment in the “royal” type burial mounds. The second category of monuments is presented by the settlements that are mostly small in size. The constructions like half dugouts were discovered on them, which gave a rich ceramic material. The third type of monuments of the Saka period in Semirechye includes numerous hoards of bronze items. Some of them are represented by the cult objects (sacrificial tables, lamps and cauldrons) that mark the places of worship. A significant percentage of the hoards contain items of weapons, horse equipment and household purposes and, apparently, serve as offerings to the spirits. However, despite the considerable progress in the study of the Saka monuments of the Semirechye Region, the main problem is their cultural attribution at this time. Some researchers suggest that the independent Saka archaeological culture was formed and developed on the territory of Semirechye in the Early Iron Age, while others believe that the Saka monuments of this region belong to the broader historical and cultural community that also covers the neighboring regions of Kyrgyzstan and Xinjiang. Results Another important issue in the study of the Saka sites of Semirechye is to clarify the chronology of burial and memorial complexes. Up to now, the significant database of radiocarbon dates has been accumulated, which allows us to consider the chronological positions of a wide range of monuments in a new way. It was of great importance to obtain such dates from several burials of Karatuma necropolis, which showed that it belonged to the Saka period, since burial monuments of this appearance are traditionally dated back to the Wusun period. Conclusion. The necessity of solution of these problems is an urgent task for further research of burial and settlement objects of the Saka period in this region.

Software for Static Equipment Budgeting of China’s Petrochemical Industry

We developed software by using Python language to reduce the manual work in the petrochemical budgeting process. Budget forms automatically generated by the software are based on the acquisition cost of items of static equipment and their installation fees. The software is also able to generate an Excel file that can be imported into the petrochemical aggregation software. This article explains the logic of the software based on the static equipment workflow in the current project. It provides development ideas to solve the problem of manually inputting equipment installation indexes, avoid confusion of equipment prices in the traditional estimate preparation process, and improve the work efficiency in the future.

Archaeological traces of Ancient Hungarians in Slovenian territory

Only a few artefacts that can be related to the presence of ancient Hungarians in the territory of present-day Slovenia have been discovered so far. These finds encompass items of equestrian equipment, as well as weapons, and a single item of attire set or jewellery: iron stirrups of various forms, parts of belt sets and straps, a chain with heart-shaped pendants, arrowheads and possibly the remains of an arrow quiver. They originate from various types of findspot: hilltop sites, settlements, cemeteries and a river. The prevailing type, however, is hilltops (Gradišče above Trebenče, Ljubična above Zbelovska Gora, Gradišče above Bašelj, Veliki Gradec near Drežnica, and Zidani Gaber above Mihovo). In the majority of cases the finds were discovered with metal detectors and therefore come without precise location data or stratigraphic contexts. Iron stirrups discovered at Tabor, above Tomaj, and in the Ljubljanica river, as well as a belt buckle from Zgornji Breg, in Ptuj, are also chance finds. In rare cases, finds of ancient- Hungarian character have been discovered in systematically-investigated sites, such as Ajdna above Potoki, Tonovcov Grad near Kobarid, and Pristava in Bled. Arrowheads from debris or charred layers in these settlements likely testify to ancient-Hungarian invaders. Ancient-Hungarian burials in Slovenian territory have not been unambiguously confirmed yet. Only two graves of the Ptuj Castle cemetery have been purportedly ascribed to them. The artefacts collected from Slovenian sites have been studied predominantly from the typological perspective and dated on the basis of comparable sites and artefacts from neighbouring regions, especially from graves in the Carpathian Basin. Their presence at Slovenian sites can be explained by frequent incursions of ancient Hungarians to the West between the end of the 9th century and the middle of the 10th, which also crossed the territory of present-day Slovenia and are reported in historical sources. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that some of these items came to the findspots as a consequence of more peaceful contacts with ancient Hungarians whose area of settlement was not too far away.

СОВЕРШЕНСТВОВАНИЕ ТЕХНИЧЕСКОГО СЕРВИСА С ПРИМЕНЕНИЕМ ВИЗУАЛИЗАЦИИ

Recently, many agricultural organizations have been renewing their fleet of agricultural machinery to increase productivity, replacing old equipment with new ones. The operation of new equipment requires an appropriate level of training of tractor drivers and engineers. Information support and appropriate simulators make it possible to solve this problem for the agro-industrial and economic complexes of the country. Information support consists in the timely issuance of reliable information at different stages during the maintenance of agricultural machinery. This direction is relevant, little studied and requires comprehensive theoretical and practical study. The following persons are involved in the process of visual inspection: the PPO manager, the machine operator responsible for the machine or the chief engineer. The process of visual inspection begins in the driver's cab, regardless of the type of self-propelled equipment. During the visual inspection of the equipment, the movement of the PPO manager is carried out counterclockwise, accompanied by the person responsible for the machine. During the visual inspection process, the PPO manager inspects a limited list of part names. Visual inspection involves assessing the condition of parts without the use of profile tools and disassembly of machine systems. Due to the fact that maintenance is performed in this way, time is saved, and the quality of operations will be at a sufficiently high level. To organize maintenance in augmented reality glasses for each item of equipment, if necessary, a separate application is created for the convenience of the machine operator in working with the interface. The developed system helps the machine operator, engineering engineer, as well as the service department, using an interactive application, to quickly find information about the correct connection of electrical equipment, the necessary tire pressure for certain types of work, follow the established sequence and tightening torque of nuts, wheel fastenings and other operations.

Применение алгоритма обнаружения изменения сигнала в системе контроля гидроамортизаторов

During nuclear power plant (NPP) operation, the reactor plant main equipment can show displacements when subjected to the effect of various external and internal loads. These displacements are mainly caused by thermal expansion of the metal and seismic loads. To cope with these phenomena, the reactor plant components that are most susceptible to these types of loads are fastened with hydraulic shock absorbers (HSAs) to limit their displacements under the effect of seismic or accident dynamic loads, as well as to ensure thermal displacements in increasing or decreasing the power unit output. For monitoring the HSA operation and indirectly monitoring the displacements of the reactor plant equipment items fastened with hydraulic shock absorbers, the dedicated hydraulic shock absorber monitoring system (HSAMS) is used, which is equipped with linear displacement sensors installed directly on the HSAs. If the displacements go beyond the predetermined limits, the HSAMs algorithms produce an appropriate alarm. The information from the HSAMS is also used by the automated residual lifetime monitoring system (ARLMS) to calculate the steam generator connection pipe displacement criteria parameters. However, during the operation of a number of NPP power units, a problem associated with numerous failures of the HSAMS linear displacement sensors has been faced. These failures manifested themselves in that the sensor signals went beyond the valid range or frozen under the effect of external influencing factors. As a result, the HSAMS and ARLMS operation was complicated by a large number of unreliable measurements and the functions of these systems were not performed in a proper way. To solve this problem, it has been proposed to use an algorithm for tracking signal changes, which can improve the credibility of HSAMS indications by determining unreliable data in the online mode and by performing statistical processing of the already available array of indications.

COMPETITIVENESS OF THE TEXTILE AND CLOTHING INDUSTRY IN BULGARIA AFTER THE EU ACCESSION AND IN TIMES OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the changes in Bulgaria’s competitiveness in the textile and clothing (T&amp;C) industry after the European Union accession and in times of the coronavirus pandemic covering the period 2007-2020. In methodological terms the study uses various indicators including production value, employment, labour productivity, relative trade balance, revealed comparative advantage index, among others. Wherever possible the analysis is done in a comparative perspective benchmarking the performance of the sector in Bulgaria with that in Romania. The results show that the Bulgarian T&amp;C industry has undergone a significant transformation in the last two decades increasing its productivity but being subject to significant jobs downsizing. While still competitive on the European market, with rising wages and production costs, the comparative advantages of the industry are gradually eroding. The coronavirus pandemic has hit the apparel subsector very hard while some textile producers which managed to shift their production to personal protective equipment items managed it successfully. However, this is a temporary solution. The T&amp;C industry in Bulgaria is confronted with significant long-term challenges such as the green and the digital transformation, and the how it deals with them will determine the prospects of the sector.

Резервы тепловой оптимизации объектов НИУ «МЭИ»

A set of activities on surveying the energy performance of eight large facilities of the National Research University Moscow Power Engineering Institute (NRU MPEI) was accomplished. In view of quite significant amounts of electricity and heat consumed by the NRU MPEI, a number of objectives were set forth on evaluating the NRU MPEI facilities’ general energy efficiency, analyzing the climatic characteristics of the facilities location places, revealing inefficient use of energy resources, and determining the priority areas for achieving a more efficient use of them. The current situation existing at each facility was examined, the thermal performance characteristics of the buildings were analyzed in general, the thermal parameters of enclosing structures were calculated, and energy balances were drawn up. With the aid of infrared imaging, losses were evaluated, and the places of maximum heat leaks in the cold season of a year were identified. The analytical survey was supplemented with field measurements of the necessary parameters of the buildings and heat carriers. An important feature of the study was that it involved evaluating the climatic characteristics of the facilities location places. Thus, a change in the design temperature and a considerable variation in humidity influence the condition of the structure. The number of temperature transitions through the zero degree point tends to grow. The alterations of frost to rain has an adverse effect on the condition of facilities. The analysis results have shown that the climatic characteristics that existed at the time the major part of the MPEI buildings were constructed have changed significantly over time. In the course of the study, a number of measures were developed and suggested that take into account the differences and characteristics of each building, as well as the state of their engineering systems. Since the engineering equipment items of the structures are in a different state, the energy saving measures for each of them are also different. Application of the comprehensive approach helps match the obtained data with the readings of water and heat metering instruments, and with the infrared images of enclosing structures. The selected technical measures are necessarily complemented by a set of measures to economically and morally stimulate the saving of all types of energy resources.

The Hull Grundy collection in the Museum of Medicine and Health, University of Manchester

Abstract Anne Hull Grundy and her husband, John, were prolific antique collectors, remembered for their generous donations of fine and decorative arts to several major museums. Less well known is their collection of over 200 items broadly related to medical topics and donated to the University of Manchester Museum of Medicine and Health (mmh) between 1978 and 1983. The donation includes items of equipment in silver, a collection of commemorative medals and a set of framed prints, all linked to medicine and medical history. This paper describes the Hull Grundy collection and its place in the history of the museum. Short biographical sketches of Anne and John Hull Grundy and a brief history of the mmh, are followed by an account of the artefacts in the collection. The role of donors and donations in defining the nature of a ‘medical history museum’, and its potential use for social history and the medical humanities are also discussed.

Resonant Modular Multilevel DC–DC Converters for Both High and Low Step-Ratio Connections in MVDC Distribution Systems

DC transformers based on power electronics are key items of equipment for medium voltage dc (MVDC) distribution systems. Both high and low step-ratio dc-dc conversions are required to interface dc links at different voltages to form an integrated dc distribution system. The transformer-coupled resonant modular multilevel dc-dc converter (RMMC) is well-suited to high step-ratio connection between an MVDC network and a low voltage dc network but it is not suitable in low step-ratio conversion for linking two MVDC networks with similar but not identical voltages. This article presents a circuit evolution of the high step-ratio transformer-coupled RMMC into its low step-ratio transformer-less RMMC counterpart. These two RMMCs share the same structure and the same resonant process within the resonant submodule stack giving rise to the same operational advantages. Also, the circuit design experience can be readily transferred from one to the other. From these two base RMMC circuits, a family of RMMCs with further configurations is elaborated that provide a wider variety of connection options for MVDC distribution systems. In this circuit family, each high step-ratio transformer-coupled RMMC has a low step-ratio transformer-less RMMC counterpart and one can be transformed into the other via the circuit evolution process presented. The theoretical analysis for both high and low step-ratio RMMCs has been verified through full-scale simulations of medium voltage examples and further verified through down-scaled experiments on laboratory prototypes.

Equipment and materials management

Equipment and materials management

3D Modelling of Construction Objects Based on the Integrated AutoCAD System

Wide implementation of computer modeling of three-dimensional construction objects allows us to solve many technical, logistical and design problems. The development of a detailed electronic three-dimensional plan is a valuable virtual base that allows you to create, display and use for engineering purposes models of various types of engineering, telecommunications and computer networks, plan their construction, modernization and replacement. Connecting external databases to the electronic model allows you get a full specification of buildings, networks and any other objects, display a time record of repairs, replacements, etc. in addition, the 3D model allows you to enter the color differentiation of objects, which can give additional information, for example, the allocation of dangerous equipment (fire, explosive, etc.) in red or other color on the three-dimensional plan of the building. AutoCAD was selected to build a 3D model of the branched multi-storey building of one of the buildings of a modern University, which allows you to get accurate 3D models, has the means of obtaining sections and sections, and also provides a fairly realistic visualization. To obtain a 3D model of the University buildings, all the work was divided into the following stages: building two-dimensional electronic plans of each floor; building three-dimensional models of each floor; combining floor models into a common 3D model of the building. Models of buildings were created on separate layers, which makes it easy to turn off a particular layer, and to study the internal structure of buildings. The 3D model has real dimensions and is easily scaled. Engineering networks and other equipment items can be attached to the model elements in the future, and other tasks will also be solved, such as the location of fire-fighting equipment, escape routes, emergency exits, etc. When creating 3D models, we used the color differentiation of objects. We describe a mechanism for programmatically selecting objects by color in the AutoCAD environment, as well as a program that implements this selection mechanism using a data file with sequential access as an external database.

Fundamentals of the procedure of a comparative analysis of the thermodynamic effectiveness for power generation facilities in a multigeneration complex with various combinations of their main equipment items

A problem is examined of improving the efficiency of power generation facilities during their operation in a multi-generation complex. The efficiency of operation is raised by proper distribution of additional power and heat generating capacities used to cover the consumers’ demand for additional (except for electricity and heat) utilities, among various main equipment items of generation facilities. In this case, electricity and heat generated with a higher efficiency is delivered to the consumers, and electricity and heat with no demand, which have also been generated with a higher efficiency, are utilized at the generation facility to produce other utilities (for example, hydrogen, compressed air, cold, etc.) that are centrally delivered to industrial and social facilities.