Measurement Equipment Research Articles

Study of the State Primary Measurement Standard of the Unit of Phase Shift Angle Between Two Voltages

Phase measurements are necessary for determining main parameters of the oscillatory process in complex electrical networks. Most often, it is precisely the phase shift angle (PSA) between two oscillatory processes of the same frequency that is measured. An essential indicator of the quality of electrical energy is the coefficient of asymmetry in a three-phase electrical network, which depends on the load of consumers in this network. This indicator is affected by a short circuit between two phase voltages. Phase measurement standards, phase meters, and phase converters are included in the measuring equipment for phase measurements. They are widely used in such fields as radiolocation, radio navigation, non-destructive testing, radio engineering, telecommunications, acoustics, metallurgy, machine and aircraft industry, space industry, as well as in scientific research and defence. The State Measurement Standard of Ukraine of the PSA unit between two voltages in the frequency range from 0.01 Hz to 10 MHz is maintained at the State Enterprise “UKRMETRTESTSTANDARD”, Kyiv. It provides metrological traceability of phases measured in the country. The main components of the standard were calibrated at the PTB, the National Metrology Institute of Germany. In Ukraine, numerous measurement standards and measurement instruments for phase measurements (more than 500.000 units) are used, in particular, phase calibrators, phase meters, phase shifters, synchronoscopes etc. Regular study of metrological characteristics of the DETU 09-07-11 measurement standard is conducted both in the main (from 5 Hz to 200 kHz) and in the extended (from 0.01 Hz to 10 MHz) frequency range. The PSA values obtained as a result of the research in the main frequency range do not exceed 0.001° (which is maximum according to measurements at all calibration points 0.00015°), and in the extended frequency range – 0.01° (which is maximum according to measurements at all calibration points 0.0053°). To eliminate the systematic measurement uncertainty component of the phase measurement standard, a special calibration is regularly performed using a set of resistive and capacitive phase bridges.

Vibration disturbance compensation in in situ confocal microscopy.

In situ microscopic measurement, conducted within the natural environment of a material or device, offers precise observations directly at the sample location, mitigating potential damage or deformation during transport. However, the inherent vibration of microscopic measurement equipment can introduce blurring and distortion to images, compromising measurement accuracy. This study proposes employing an acceleration sensor to detect microprobe vibrations and subsequently calculates three-dimensional coordinate displacements to compensate for measurement discrepancies. This approach can diminish the adverse effects of vibration on measurement outcomes within the order of hundreds of nanometers. Experimental results demonstrated the efficacy of this method in mitigating vibration artifact stripes or irregularities with a displacement amplitude I = sinc2[a(z - b)] ranging from ∼0.2 to 5.2 μm and a frequency spanning ∼7.9-18.8 Hz. Moreover, the lateral resolution of the probe attained 212 nm. Notably, the measurement error associated with the standard step height was decreased from 2.32 to 0.03 μm.

Virtual reality for training on measuring human exposure to electromagnetic fields around cellular base stations

AbstractAssessing of human exposure to electromagnetic field is one of the tasks of a telecommunication engineer. This activity has significant social interest, as the measured levels must comply with health safety limits. It is also an appealing area for students as it integrates concepts related to radiofrequency, antennas, and propagation, both theoretically and practically. We offer our students practical activities for measuring field levels, using test and measurement equipment. Additionally, we have developed a virtual reality tool to enhance our students' skills in this area, which is presented in this paper. We compare the learning outcomes of two separate groups of students to validate the performance of this new tool. The first group attended a lesson with theoretical content and then performed outdoor measurements. The second group had the added virtual reality experience before using the test equipment. Quantitative results show an improvement in the assimilation of the concepts, and qualitative feedback from the users confirms the effectiveness of this approach.

An inexpensive way to introduce students to gamma spectroscopy

This paper presents two ways to introduce the student to some basic experimental concepts of gamma spectroscopy, without the use of expensive professional measurement equipment. For one, the complete experiment was simulated through several computer programs. Using this simulation, students are tasked with performing all the operations that must be performed in a real experimental setup, to obtain the spectrum of gamma radiation, as the expected result. For the second approach, equipment has been designed that looks and functions like real experimental equipment, and students can use it to perform completely identical procedures in the measurement process as with the real one. The central part of each component of a system designed in this way is a programmable microcontroller, set to perform a function analogous to that of the actual components. By working in these two ways, with a virtual experiment or a setup designed to fully imitate real measurement equipment, students can be introduced to the field of gamma spectroscopy and acquire a routine that can be repeated in real experiments. The main advantage of these two described methods is that they only require small investments.

Modeling and Identification of Electromechanical Actuators for the ILR-33 AMBER Rocket

The aim of the work was to develop a method for modeling, testing, and identifying electromechanical actuators for rocket applications. Works were performed using a prototype solution designed for the ILR-33 AMBER suborbital rocket, developed by Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation. A set of physical relationships was used to create system’s mathematical model, including Kirchhoff’s laws, Newton’s laws, and nonlinear friction models. System’s tests were then performed. A new method of results analysis was applied herein to gather unknown parameters for the model and to confirm an elevated level of convergence between both model and experiment in all cases analyzed. The identification approach proved itself to be effective and useful. A complex approach concerning modeling, testing and identification of such actuators was explained for the first time in this paper. The methods presented herein can be applied in other disciplines, wherever electromechanical actuator systems are used, and where their proper identification is necessary to ensure system reliability and safety. Presented solutions are simple to implement, and the test stands do not require expensive measurement equipment. The results obtained permit to create a high fidelity model at a reasonably low computational cost.

Real‐Time Model Predictive Control of Air‐Conditioners Through IoT—Results From an Experimental Setup in a Tropical Climate

ABSTRACTThere is an increasing demand for air‐conditioners (ACs) to maintain a comfortable indoor environment for all types and sizes of buildings including commercial, industrial, and office spaces. Such ACs are mostly operated by traditional ON–OFF controllers to maintain a temperature setpoint. Extensive control engineering knowledge resulting from experiments on actual buildings is needed before the wide application of an advanced control methods, such as model predictive control (MPC), which are more effective and energy‐efficient than the traditional controllers. Simulation studies on the application of control may provide promising results, but the corresponding experimental validations may prove otherwise. User‐friendly experimental setups to investigate the performance of real‐time advanced control on an actual building and its HVAC system is scarce. This paper details the design, implementation and testing of a user‐friendly, remote and autonomous test bed to acquire measured data through an IoT platform, and to control ACs in real time through MATLAB Thingspeak. Measurement and data acquisition equipment are installed in a two‐zone concrete building in Mauritius. MPC of the indoor air temperature achieved an AC temperature setpoint tracking RMSE which was 0.7°C lower than that achieved by the built‐in ON/OFF AC control. The test bed also revealed that portable air‐conditioners are not very efficient, given that the maximum cooling efficiency achieved in this work was only 60%. It also provided valuable insights based on the experiments carried out, in terms of improvements to sensing and data acquisition. Control engineers can implement such a test bed for the development and application of advanced controllers as per their needs and applications.

Practice of blood pressure self-monitoring and associated factors among hypertensive patients on follow-up visits at hospitals, West Shoa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2022…An institution-based cross-sectional study

IntroductionBlood pressure self-monitoring is patients' regular use of personal blood pressure measurement equipment to measure their blood pressure outside of a clinical environment. Inadequate blood pressure self-monitoring remains a significant problem faced by healthcare providers and populations in the prevention of Hypertension. This study is to assess the practice of blood pressure self-monitoring and associated factors among hypertensive patients on follow-up visits at Hospitals, West Shoa zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2022. MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional quantitative study supported by a qualitative study was carried out on 412 hypertensive patients from September 01–30/09/2022. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data, and a simple random sampling technique was employed to select the study participants. Data were entered into a computer using the Kobo toolbox and exported to Statical package of social science Version 26 for analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis was run to assess the association between the dependent and independent variables and Variables with P- value < 0.25 were entered into a multivariate logistic regression to control the effects of potential confounding factors. P-value of <0.05 was taken as a cutoff point to declare a statistically significant association between independent and dependent variables. ResultThe proportion of blood pressure self-monitoring practice among hypertensive patients on follow-up visits at hospitals in the West Shoa zone was 19.6 %. Educational level [AOR=7.49, 95 %CI (3.00, 8.67)], income [AOR=3.14, 95 %CI (1.21, 8.13)], co-morbidities [AOR=5.55, 95 %CI (2.74, 11.24)], recommendation toward self-monitoring [AOR=2.40, 95 %CI (1.15, 5.03)] and awareness of self-monitoring [AOR=8.54, 95 %CI (3.54, 10.60)] were factors significantly associated with blood pressure self-monitoring practice. Conclusion and RecommendationThe proportion of blood pressure self-monitoring among hypertensive patients on follow-up visits at hospitals in the West Shoa zone was low. The practice of blood pressure self-monitoring needs to be deliberated by health education programs and recommended to minimize hypertension complications.

Assessment of the reliability of at-home caregiver-collected anthropometric measurements.

Anthropometric measurements provide valuable information about infant growth patterns and can help identify nutrition, growth, and developmental concerns. With the increasing use of telehealth and decentralized clinical trial approaches, there is potential for caregivers to collect anthropometric measurements at home via teleconference with healthcare providers (HCPs) to monitor infant growth, which indirectly reflects health status. This study aimed to evaluate whether telehealth-guided caregivers can utilize standardized methods and home-use measurement equipment to collect reliable anthropometric measurements compared to HCPs and study nurses. The study compared the weight, length, and head circumference measurements collected by caregivers (n = 8 pairs), pediatric HCPs (n = 7), and study nurses (n = 4), who served as the gold standard comparator group. Four silicone dolls with varied anthropometrics were used as surrogates for human infants. Caregiver inter- and intra-observer technical errors of measurement (TEMs) were all equal to or below the maximum allowed error (MAE). For HCPs, only intra-observer TEM for length and inter-observer TEM for HC and length were within the MAE. There was no evidence of bias for either caregiver or HCP measurements compared to the gold standard. Coefficients of reliability (R) were greater than 0.96 for all measurements. Preliminary results from this study demonstrate that telehealth-guided caregivers can capture accurate and reliable anthropometric measurements compared to HCPs. The results suggest that remote measurement collection allows for more frequent monitoring while reducing the burden on patients and caregivers in primary care and clinical trials such as infant formula growth monitoring studies.

Abstract P319: Organizational Determinants to Hypertension Management: A Qualitative Examination at Two Academic Learning Health Systems

Background: Hypertension management is a national priority. However, hypertension control rates are suboptimal and vary across clinics, even among those in the same health system and geographic region. Objective: To identify organizational barriers and facilitators that impact hypertension management at the provider- and clinic-level. Design: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with primary care providers (N=25) and patients with uncontrolled hypertension (N=22). Participants were recruited from thirteen family and internal medicine clinics across two academic learning health systems. Participants: Twenty-five providers and twenty-two patients were recruited from clinics across North Carolina and Kansas. Approach: Interviews were analyzed using both inductive and deductive coding methodologies. A health equity framework scaffolded interview guide design and codebook development, with thematic analysis employed to categorize emergent themes across the four framework domains. Key Results: Participants discussed organizational and clinic-level barriers and facilitators that impact hypertension management, with health systems’ resource centralization being frequently mentioned. Some participants lauded centralized interventions for improving patient access and increasing touchpoints, while others lamented reductions in their clinic’s staffing to accommodate centralized workflows. Insufficient in-clinic staffing and blood pressure (BP) measurement equipment, limited exam rooms, short appointment duration, and hurried clinic environments were all mentioned as challenges to hypertension management, particularly as they hindered adherence to BP recheck policies. Appointment availability was mentioned as a barrier, however providers referenced clinics’ use of virtual and/or nurse-specific visits as a mechanism to increase patient access. Multiple providers noted that tasks central to hypertension management, like BP telemonitoring and MyChart correspondence, go unaccounted for on their schedules and can lead to unpaid work, which they linked with increased stress and burnout. Conclusions: Primary care clinics experience multiple interrelated organizational barriers to effective hypertension management. Future studies should examine the impact of different clinic staffing models, including multidisciplinary care teams, telemedicine, and remote BP monitoring, on BP outcomes in diverse primary care settings.

Leveraging ChatGPT for Sustainability: A Framework for SMEs to Align with UN Sustainable Development Goals and tackle sustainable development challenges

Abstract The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outline a global agenda for sustainable development, but need more detailed implementation guidelines for businesses, particularly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Given their limited resources, SMEs face significant challenges in adopting sustainability practices aligned with the SDGs. This study explores the potential of ChatGPT, a large language model, to assist SMEs in overcoming these challenges. The research introduces a ChatGPT-aided framework through a novel methodological approach to help SMEs develop sustainability roadmaps, engage stakeholders, and identify key sustainability goals, risks, opportunities, and Key Process Indicators (KPIs). The case study of an SME in the electronic measurement equipment industry is used to validate the framework. The findings, corroborated by a Focus Group with the participation of academics and SME top managers, demonstrate the framework’s potential to enhance SME sustainability practices, contributing to academic discourse and offering practical insights that will inform and empower industry stakeholders. Furthermore, several actions are presented to respond to concerns about the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated recommendations. Finally, future research should seek to validate the proposed framework across a broader range of industries and SME contexts and assess this methodology’s application with organisations other than SMEs.

Aerodynamic Characterization of a Hypersonic Projectile Using Acceleration-Based Measurements and Numerical Methods

Armor-piercing fin-stabilized projectiles stand out by their exceptionally high slenderness ratios and ground-level flight at super- and hypersonic speeds. As space constraints limit the integration of measurement equipment into such slender test models, nonintrusive measurement techniques become favorable. The present analysis demonstrates a renewed approach to the free-flight technique, which sets models into unconstrained flight through the test section. It enabled the evaluation of the quasi-steady drag, lift, and pitching moment characteristics, and, to some extent, also the dynamic pitch damping characteristics. An alternative to the free-flight technique is the free-oscillation technique, which limits the motion to a rotation around the center of gravity. The free-oscillation technique allowed a higher-fidelity analysis of the static and dynamic pitching moments. Both methods were based on the analysis of the accelerations derived from trajectory tracking. This acceleration-based approach enabled the evaluation of the highly nonlinear characteristics. The high slenderness of the investigated projectile leads to a significant contribution of the viscous forces to the overall drag. These viscous forces are sensitive to the laminar-turbulent boundary-layer state, as well as the thermal boundary conditions. The application of a high-resolution schlieren system enabled the assessment of the local laminar-turbulent boundary-layer state, while the use of low- and high-enthalpy testing facilities enabled the assessment of the aerothermal influence. Steady-state Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations, which included laminar-turbulent transition modeling, were employed to replicate the results of the experimental efforts.

Development of Crack Measurement Equipment for Rubber Specimens through Image Processing

Development of Crack Measurement Equipment for Rubber Specimens through Image Processing

An active protection method based on superimposed phase currents for active distribution systems

To enhance the fault current amplitude of active distribution systems during the weak fault period and decrease the influence of the measurement equipment noise, this paper proposes an active protection method based on superimposed phase currents for active distribution systems. This method is shown as follows. First, the reference value of the filter inductor current of each distributed generator (DG) is set as different values when the fault intensity of the active distribution system changes. Second, the superimposed phase current in each relay is obtained by subtracting each sample of phase current from its corresponding sample of phase current in the previous cycle. Third, the fundamental phase angle of the superimposed phase current is extracted. This is because the fundamental current component of the superimposed current cannot be affected by the active control strategy, which is proved in this paper in detail. Meanwhile, the feature direction is built by fundamental phase angles at both ends of the line to detect faulty zone. Finally, the proposed protection method has been validated in a modified IEEE 13-bus test system, and the test results prove the effectiveness of the proposed active protection method that can enhance the faulty feature to detect faults.

Development of automatic arc sag measurement equipment for tensioned line tightening construction on overhead transmission lines

Due to the low degree of automation of the existing arc droop measurement device, the tension line digital twin system is not yet able to simulate the change of arc droop in the actual engineering situation in a high degree of real time. To this end, a kind of arc droop automatic measuring equipment applicable to the working condition of tension frame line tightening construction is developed. In terms of hardware, firstly, the STC microcontroller is used to control the motor to achieve free movement of the equipment on the wire. Secondly, the Beidou positioning module is used to collect the spatial coordinates of each point on the wire, thereby obtaining the spatial attitude of the wire and calculating the final sag. Finally, LoRa technology with long transmission distance and low power consumption is selected for wireless transmission of controlled data and collected data. The software system of the device is equipped with the motor's action logic, which cooperates with the hardware to respond to the control commands issued by the terminal. The developed arc droop measurement equipment has been successfully applied in the project, compared with the traditional arc droop observation construction method construction efficiency increased by 28%, the difference between the observation file arc droop and the design arc droop after erection of the line is 1.96%. Digital simulation and remote guidance of arc sag variations by the digital twin system for tension racking lines was realized while ensuring the engineering requirements.

Nighttime measurement errors in the runway visual range and optimization of runway lighting systems

Considering that existing theories consider runway lights as markers, neglecting their roles as lighting devices that increase sky background luminance and thus affect runway visual range (RVR) measurements, the actual values of sky background luminance observed by pilots during take-off are calculated and compared with the instrumental RVR measurements in this paper. The RVR measurement errors due to the installation positions of these devices are subsequently analysed. Furthermore, the impacts of different runway light types and positions on sky background luminance are explored, leading to the proposal of an optimized runway lighting scheme. The results show that the representation of sky background luminance sensor data in RVR measurement systems for nighttime airport runways is limited. A deviation of over 90% exists between the sky background luminance of the runway entrance and the RVR measurement equipment location, resulting in a relative error in RVR measurements of over 18%. The centreline and entrance lights contribute significantly to the total sky background luminance. Lights closer to the observer contribute more luminance. In the second proposed scheme, modifying the lighting range to 600 m yields the highest RVR improvement, with an optimization magnitude of over 5% across all visibility ranges.

Measurement dynamics and data treatment in fire testing

Fire testing is and will remain of paramount importance in helping industry, regulators and all other fire safety stakeholders to achieve a safer world. For this to happen, test data must be stable and reliable, regardless of the test facility that produced the data, its various operators, the measurement equipment used, and so on. The instruments and sensors used to measure heat release, smoke production and mass loss rate are susceptible to mechanical and/or electrical disturbances and all have their own dynamic behaviour. This leads to a variation in the test results. A scatter that is only due to the measurement.This paper examines the time and frequency domain behaviour of various measurement components and hardware & software filters in use today. It proposes an instrument-independent method of eliminating noise and other interference, describes a method of adjusting the response time of the various input signals to a common value applicable to all test institutes, and proposes a method of accurately synchronising these signals in time.The result is unambiguous qualitative measurement data that can be confidently compared with data from other sample sets or between different laboratories and researchers. It improves the stability and reproducibility of test results leading to a more stable classification of materials.

A multi-nudge-based behavioural insight into ward nurses' respiratory rate measurement: An observational study.

This study observed changes in respiratory rate measurement (RRM) and identified barriers and challenges in clinical practice that influence healthcare worker behaviour, aiming to improve RRM in a hospital setting. An observational study was conducted. We observed and analysed changes in the behaviour of healthcare workers at a hospital where multi-nudges were introduced to improve RRM. We checked respiration rate using electronic data and discovered that the original measurement rates were low. Measurement rates rapidly increased after posters were added. Barriers such as time constraints and measurement equipment were also noted. RRM was found to be effective in promoting behavioural economics in medical settings. The results show that incorporating behavioural science principles into medical interventions has the potential to positively change behaviour. By increasing nurses' awareness of respiratory rate measurement and addressing barriers to it, the measurement rate of respiratory rate can also increase, leading to more accurate patient evaluations and triage. WHAT PROBLEM DID THE STUDY ADDRESS?: The proportion of respiratory rate measurements leading to rapid response system (RRS) calls was low. WHAT WERE THE MAIN FINDINGS?: The study observed that a multi-nudge approach effectively changes the behaviour of ward nurses, resulting in enhanced quality of medical care. WHERE AND ON WHOM WILL THE RESEARCH HAVE AN IMPACT?: This research can serve as a valuable reference for leaders promoting healthcare quality projects, by offering a method to encourage behavioural change. This study complied with the EQUATOR guidelines and its reporting adheres to the STROBE checklist. No patient or public contribution.

Measurement equipment and result analysis of B-H curve of current transformer core material under mixing frequency.

To examine the effect of mixed-frequency excitation conditions on the hysteresis and loss characteristics of ferromagnetic materials, this paper shows how to construct magnetic property test equipment for electrical steel using Epstein's square circle. Experiments were carried out to assess the hysteresis and loss properties of oriented silicon steel wafers under mixed-frequency sinusoidal operating conditions with different occupancy ratios. It used heterodyne extraction to investigate the effect of different occupancy ratios of industry and magnetization frequency on the hysteresis and loss characteristics of oriented silicon steel sheets.

Priority-based scheduling in residential energy management systems integrated with renewable sources using adaptive Salp swarm algorithm

With the remarkable growth and implementation of communication technology, sensors, and measurement equipment in the Smart Grid (SG) environment, demand side management (DSM) and demand response (DRs) can be easily implementable in residential energy systems integrated with renewable energy sources (RES). Looking at this perspective, this paper suggests an intelligent and dynamic load-priority-based scheduling optimal smart residential energy management system (REMS). The objectives to achieve through priority-based scheduling in the case of a residential energy management system are multi-focussed in terms of peak load reduction, consumer choice of consumption according to priority basis, and cost-effectiveness towards electricity price savings. The issues related to uncertainties with RES due to environmental dependency must be incorporated into the DSM. A single objective discrete formulation based on the Adaptive Salp Swarm Algorithm (ASSA) has been done on modelling and optimizing the crucial system parameters for scheduling, ideally the operation of residential appliances, along with the sources and prioritized-based loads available. System constraints, consumer priorities, energy source availability, uncertainties, and objectives are considered in the formulation to justify the approach that is feasible in real-time conditions. To enhance the search capabilities of SSA, the control parameters vary optimally in both the exploration and exploitation stages of searching. Comparative results with genetic algorithms (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and conventional SSA are presented in different cases, such as (1) traditional homes without REMS, (ii) smart homes with REMS (iii) smart homes using REMS with RES.

Laser-induced selective metallization directly preparing repairable superhydrophobic copper layer on polymers and single-droplet ethanol detection

Ethanol is widely used in life and ethanol solutions with different concentrations have different uses, so it is important to detect ethanol concentration. Currently, methods for judging ethanol concentration according to the wetting of droplets on the surface of materials are gradually emerging. However, there are still problems, such as the need for measurement equipment, poor accuracy, and cannot be reused. Herein, a novel strategy was proposed to prepare a superhydrophobic (water contact angle = 155.4°) and super-ethanophilic (ethanol contact angle = 5.2°) copper layer on polymer substrate by laser-induced selective metallization (LISM) and atmosphere-induced hydrophobicity, which can be used for single-drop ethanol detection. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Thermogravimetric analysis − Fourier transform infrared − gas chromatography − mass spectrometry showed that when the rough copper layer prepared by LISM was exposed to air, it spontaneously oxidized and adsorbed airborne volatile organic compounds gases to become a superhydrophobic copper layer. The superhydrophobic copper layer obtained by this strategy has good durability. In addition, the superhydrophobic copper layer has excellent repair ability. The ethanol detection array prepared based on this superhydrophobic copper layer can be used to perform single-droplet ethanol detection. The array does not require any equipment and only needs to read the number of droplets in the wetted grid in the 20–70 % ethanol solution concentration range, showing great potential in the field of ethanol detection.