Operational Philosophy Research Articles

A Review of Electrolytic In-Process Dressing (ELID) Grinding

ELID Grinding, since its introduction over two decades ago, has helped in material removal of hard and difficult-to-cut engineering materials. A gist of the important research milestones on the process has been organized in this report. The hybrid process of ELID Grinding has a simultaneous electrolytic reaction and grinding action. Electrolysis takes place between the conductive anodic wheel and highly conductive cathode in presence of a special electrolyte. The resulting anodic oxide wears off easily to allow efficient grinding. The different parameters involved in electrolysis complicate the mechanism of grinding and makes it significantly different from conventional grinding. Different variants of the process have also been reported, though the basic philosophy of operation is the same as basic ELID. Several authors have also suggested mathematical explanations, among other fundamental studies, that provide further insight. The basic components of the process, machine tool, power supply, grinding wheel, electrode and electrolytes, have also undergone several modifications and developments to deliver better results and suit specific purposes. The process has been successfully applied in stock removal operations for hard and brittle ceramic materials with low grinding forces compared to conventional grinding. Fine finishing of almost all kinds of hard and brittle materials, ranging from hardened steels, BK7 glass, mono-crystalline silicon, silicon carbide, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride etc, has been successfully carried out, to provide high quality surfaces with low sub-surface damage. Finally, discussions on the different stages of evolution of the process have been put forward as a conclusion to the report.

Decision Environments: Lessons Learned From Implementation and Future Direction

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 112215, "Evolution of Decision Environments: Lessons Learned From Global Implementations and Future Direction of Decision Environments," by Michael Hauser, SPE, Chevron, and Helen Gilman, SAIC, prepared for the 2008 SPE Intelligent Energy Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, 25-27 February. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Chevron and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) are implementing asset-decision environments (ADEs) across business units as part of Chevron's i-field initiative. Decision and collaboration environments address challenges associated with response to real-time data, scarcity of experienced resources, and integration of and collaboration between disciplines and locations. Practical lessons learned on how to design an ADE are presented to address problems and deliver value, and still remain flexible to developments in the future. Introduction This digital-oilfield initiative was launched in late 2002 with a vision of transforming the way assets are managed and operated by integrating new technologies, new work processes, and new ways of working. The integrated field is an operational transformation philosophy that drives enhanced and optimized operating processes with these common attributes.Manage by exception (focus on highest value)Improve collaboration across distance and functionRemove people from harm's wayStandardize and centralize analysis and decision makingUse real- or right-time data in decision making An assessment process to engage assets and business units was developed that identifies an asset's key issues and makes recommendations on how to resolve those issues and add value. Early assessments, carried out in 2003 and 2004, recognized some common issues associated with different groups not able to access the same data at the same time, the need to collaborate across disciplines and locations, and how to make best use of scarce expert resources. The concept of the ADE was developed in 2004 in response to these needs. ADEs at Chevron. The definition of an ADE is intentionally general, allowing several types of decision environments to be included. An ADE is a real-time operating environment in which people can manage and execute business processes by use of collaborative decision making across part or all of an asset or business unit. Fig. 1 shows how an ADE, or collaborative environment, spans the office and field, and may include experts from other locations or other organizations. It may be a physical operation room, a virtual environment, or a hybrid of both. An ADE is not defined by its physical properties; rather, it is thought of in terms of the activities and processes that it enables and facilitates.

NEWater—multi safety barrier approach for indirect potable use

Singapore, a small island city-state depends on four sources, namely local catchment, imported water from Malaysia, desalinated water, and NEWater, to provide for its daily water consumption of about 1.36 million m3 per day. NEWater, a high grade reclaimed water, is key in achieving water sustainability through the multiplying effect of water reuse. In addition to being used for direct non-potable use (DNU) in wafer fabrication processes and other industrial processes, NEWater is being injected into surface reservoirs for indirect potable use (IPU). To ensure the safety of NEWater for IPU, PUB has adopted a multi barrier safety approach. The multi safety barrier approach starts from source and extends to taps in households in stages, namely source control; greater than 85% of wastewater from domestic source; comprehensive secondary wastewater treatment; microfiltration (MF) process, reverse osmosis (RO) process and ultra-violet (UV) disinfection in NEWater production; natural attenuation in surface reservoirs; as well as conventional water treatment process of coagulation, flocculation, sand filtration and disinfection. The approach is further enhanced by a comprehensive water quality monitoring programme that includes emerging contaminants of concern and a strict operating philosophy. The water quality test results are in turn reviewed by experts from local universities as well as overseas experts of international standing. Over the years of operations, NEWater has been found to be well within WHO Drinking Water Guidelines and USEPA Drinking Water Standards and each safety barrier has a significant role to play in ensuring the safety of NEWater for IPU.

Six-Sigma project selection using national quality award criteria and Delphi fuzzy multiple criteria decision-making method

Six-Sigma is a tactical tool of significant value in achieving operational excellence. The project selection decision, under a resources constraint, is the early stage of implementation for a Six-Sigma intervention. The project selection decision is challenging due to its fuzzy group decision-making aspect inherent to the problem. The present study proposes to adopt national quality award criteria as the Six-Sigma project selection criteria, and proposes a hierarchical criteria evaluation process. The strategic criteria are evaluated by the management team using a Delphi fuzzy multiple criteria decision-making method. Then, the tactical sub-criteria which contain additional operational issues are evaluated by the Six-Sigma Champion. The proposed methodology is successfully applied in solving the project selection problem deriving from a component manufacturer. The empirical outcomes are promising. Moreover, the results show that the higher a project’s priority is, the greater the financial gains will be on completion of the project. Accordingly, the proposed methodology can prioritize the financial gain – which is the key performance indicator for a Six-Sigma project. Additionally, the quality status of the case company has been significantly improved through implementation of the Six-Sigma project. The systematic evaluation process also influences employees to adopt an analytical operations philosophy. Moreover, the commercial objectives of the company are brought into focus by the proposed methodology.

Operations Management in Automated Semiconductor Manufacturing With Integrated Targeting, Near Real-Time Scheduling, and Dispatching

To help address the need for manufacturing cycle time reduction, Intel has adopted an integrated operations management approach that consists of three key components: targeting, near real-time scheduling, and dispatching. These components work in conjunction to maximize fab efficiency. Combined with fully automated execution, this approach allows Intel to implement a coordinated operational management philosophy at its fabrication facilities. OPSched was developed at Intel to fulfill the requirements of the integrated approach. We look at why this approach is suitable for automated semiconductor manufacturing based on the implementation of the OPSched system at Intel's high-volume manufacturing facilities and the results achieved.

Operating experiences with Corex and blast furnace at JSW Steel Ltd

JSW Steel Ltd is an integrated steel plant of 3·8 mtpa capacity, with two Corex and two blast furnace (BF) units for producing hot metal. It has started its integrated steel plant operation with Corex ironmaking technology and then synergised with the conventional BF ironmaking during plant expansion. Both these ironmaking furnaces are unique in nature, and have different operation philosophies. The performances of these units depend on the raw material charged, operational philosophies, maintenance, etc., and have their own advantages and disadvantages. This paper brings out the comparison between these ironmaking processes through the usage of raw material inputs, plant operation, maintenance, quality of hot metal and byproducts. This paper also highlights the benefits due to synergistic combination of Corex and BF in an integrated steel plant.

Augmentation rhinoplasty with silicone prostheses

Augmentation rhinoplasty using silicone prostheses is a procedure that has gained wide acceptance, particularly in Asia, but has been met with resistance among Western surgeons. Much of the reluctance to employ this method is related to misconceptions regarding planning and executation of the operation. The basic principles of nasal augmentation stressing operative philosophy as well as technical principles that contribute to safe and esthetically pleasing results are presented.

Home Technologies, Inc.: Merging Corporate Learning Centers (a)

Ted Colby, the newly appointed director of the Home Technologies, Inc.s (HTI) learning center, is crafting a plan for the integration of the two learning centers, which come with different operating philosophies, assets, and practices. Colbys goal is to create a single department suitable for the new entity, HTI. In the (A) case, students are challenged to critique Colbys early integration concerns and decisions. In the (B) case, students have the opportunity to evaluate the integration progress and evolving situation about a year after the (A) case. Colby has been able to execute some of his changes for positive results, but other plans have been stalled or pushed back, and uncertainty over the future of HTIs corporate financial performance is proving problematic.

The Role of Moral Philosophies, Operational Criteria and Operational Strategies in Determining Equitable Allocation of Resources for Leisure Services in the United States

This paper revises an earlier taxonomy of equity models that was published in this journal in 1988. This revised taxonomy consists of three elements. First, it extends the original taxonomy by proposing a set of moral philosophies, positioning them as antecedents of the operational strategies that determine equity outcomes. Six are identified: Rawlsian, egalitarianism, benefit principle, utilitarianism, libertarianism and paternal professionalism. It is suggested that communitarianism offers a philosophical basis for reconciling some of the antithetical perspectives embedded in these six moral philosophies. A second element in the taxonomy suggests the operational criterion flowing from each of the moral philosophies when it is adapted as the basis for policy decisions regarding the allocation of resources to leisure services. The third element identifies 14 operational strategies that determine equity outcomes. Their linkage to operational criteria and moral philosophies is shown. Potential equity consequences and implications of the operational strategies are illustrated and compared by use of a scenario relating the allocation of resources to park land acquisition.

Proposed Array-Based Deep Space Network for NASA

The current assets of the deep space network (DSN) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), especially the 70-m antennas, are aging and becoming less reliable. Furthermore, they are expensive to operate and difficult to upgrade for operation at Ka-band (321 GHz is shorthand for the allocated 31.8-32.3 GHz. GHz). Replacing them with comparable monolithic large antennas would be expensive. On the other hand, implementation of similar high-sensitivity assets can be achieved economically using an array-based architecture, where sensitivity is measured by G/T, the ratio of antenna gain to system temperature. An array-based architecture would also provide flexibility in operations and allow for easy addition of more G/T whenever required. Therefore, an array-based plan of the next-generation DSN for NASA has been proposed. The DSN array would provide more flexible downlink capability compared to the current DSN for robust telemetry, tracking and command services to the space missions of NASA and its international partners in a cost-effective way. Instead of using the array as an element of the DSN and relying on the existing concept of operation, we explore a broader departure in establishing a more modern concept of operations to reduce the operations costs. This paper presents the array-based architecture for the next-generation DSN. It includes system block diagram, operations philosophy, user's view of operations, operations management, and logistics like maintenance philosophy and anomaly analysis and reporting. To develop the various required technologies and understand the logistics of building the array-based low-cost system, a breadboard array of three antennas has been built. This paper briefly describes the breadboard array system and its performance.

Out of this world: Doing things the Semco way

AbstractThe Brazilian company Semco may be one of the world's most unusual workplaces. Instead of a mission statement, business plan, and long‐term budget, it has relied on democratic processes and employee autonomy to produce a two‐decade record of enviable growth and profits. Its cardinal operating philosophy? Harness the wisdom of the people. Employees control their work hours, location, and pay to achieve the work/life balance they need, and participate in all decisions, including what businesses Semco should pursue. By continually asking why, they avoid the trap of fixed assumptions, opening the organization to learning and the discovery of new approaches and opportunities. © 2006 Hewitt Associates.

Francis bacon's behavioral psychology

Francis Bacon offers two accounts of the nature and function of the human mind: one is a medical-physical account of the composition and operation of spirits specific to human beings, the other is a behavioral account of the character and activities of individual persons. The medical-physical account is a run-of-the-mill version of the late Renaissance model of elemental constituents and humoral temperaments. The other, less well-known, behavioral account represents an unusual position in early modern philosophy. This theory espouses a form of behavioral psychology according to which (a) supposed mental properties are "hidden forms" best described in dispositional terms, (b) the true character of an individual can be discovered in his observable behavior, and (c) an "informed" understanding of these properties permits the prediction and control of human behavior. Both of Bacon's theories of human nature fall under his general notion of systematic science: his medical-physical theory of vital spirits is theoretical natural philosophy and his behavioral theory of disposition and expression is operative natural philosophy. Because natural philosophy as a whole is "the inquiry of causes and the production of effects," knowledge of human nature falls under the same two-part definition. It is an inquisition of forms that pertains to the patterns of minute motions in the vital spirits and the production of effects that pertains both to the way these hidden motions produce behavioral effects and to the way in which a skillful agent is able to produce desired effects in other persons' behavior.

Compensation of professional sport coaches in South Africa

For the purpose of this paper compensation is regarded as the HRM practice that deals with every type of reward that individuals receive for performing organizational tasks. The determination and management of compensation was once relatively straightforward (Despres & Hiltrop, 1995). It focused on individuals, hierarchies and the division of labour. The building blocks of compensation systems were jobs, pay scales and grades while control and secrecy were principle operating philosophies (Zobal, 1998). However, increasingly competitive business environments are forcing many sport organizations to move away from traditional compensation strategies to improve organizational performance (Appelbaum & Mackenzie, 1996).

Hydrogen inventories in the vacuum pumping systems of ITER

The ITER in-vessel hydrogen inventory is highly dynamic and determined by a broad range of parameters. Moreover, it is of prime importance to allocate the inventory as accurately as possible. Two essential control issues have to be met. The basic safety approach is to limit the amount of hydrogen such that the resulting pressure in case of an explosion accident is compatible to the design criteria of the vacuum vessel. This requirement drives the operational philosophy and the design of the cryogenic pumps which are connected to the vessel. The administrative limitation of the tritium inventory is another essential requirement on reactor operation. This paper illustrates how hydrogen inventory control issues are reflected by the operational schemes of the vacuum pumping systems. Latest results include the release characteristics of hydrogens and tritium during normal regeneration of the cryopumps and under off-normal events. The different semi-permanent contributions to the overall tritium inventory are discussed. The forepumping systems reduce the in-vessel inventory and act as interface to the tritium plant. A typical example of an integral pump-out curve is discussed. It is shown that sufficient safety margin is included in the ITER vacuum pumping design.

The struggle for funding: sponsorship, competition and pacification

This essay analyzes the interaction between an artists' cooperative and a state arts funding bureaucracy over a fifteen-year period. Given the divergent aims, operational philosophies and internal structures, it is not surprising that their viewpoints differed, and that they frequently failed to appreciate each other's position. Likewise, the kinds of documents they produced, and the extent to which they have been preserved, differ, sometimes quite radically. Taken separately, the document collections tell largely separate stories, even where they deal with the same events. The conflict is frequently worst where the documents are dealing with the same events because, fundamentally, the conflict was over who would control cultural production and provision, and what means would best deliver it. While these perspectives cannot be unified, aspects of them can be described and considered. The following account gives more attention to the artists' co-op, partly because it was the first of the organizations to concern itself with experimental film, and partly because this conflict, and the co-op's activities before it, are rarely written about and sometimes poorly understood.

Methodology for determination of economic connection capacity for renewable generator connections to distribution networks optimised by active power flow management

Increased penetration of renewable energy in line with current national targets will necessitate the implementation of new operational management arrangements for the control of distribution networks. The traditional distribution network and accompanying operational philosophy is incapable of accommodating large amounts of distributed renewable energy generation. These existing distribution networks were designed to operate passively and deliver unidirectional power flows to dispersed customers. Changing the mode of operation to ‘active network management’ will allow increased connection of distributed generation, while also avoiding the need for expensive reinforcement of circuits and providing adequate network security for the distribution network operator. A method for actively managing power flows associated with the connection of multiple renewable generators to the distribution network is introduced. The accompanying benefits in terms of exploitable distribution network capacity are demonstrated through the determination of an economic ‘cutoff’ point for new connections, thus maximising the utilisation of the existing distribution network capacity.

Influencing the national training agenda

A record of operative experience has always been a prerequisite for basic and higher surgical trainees. Although such records are usually examined during trainee assessments and hospital inspections, there has not hitherto been a systematic attempt to interrogate this data, which importantly

Public Health Education: Sources, Growth and Operational Philosophy

An historical overview of public health education: its sources, development and operational philosophy. The contributions of many disciplines, particularly social science, and key individuals such as Lewin are traced through the past half century. The emergence of health education as a "helping profession" and the expansion of its focus to broader "marketplaces" of change are highlighted. The state of the art today is reviewed and the functions of health educators described with emphasis on "obtaining people's participation" in programs to bring about change. Problems still existing, particularly professional training, are addressed.

Q&A with Tom Cochrane

Tom Cochrane, SPE, is Executive Vice President of Oil & Gas Operations at Cano Petroleum, an independent producer with properties in the midcontinent region of the U.S. that specializes in increasing production from proven fields using enhanced-recovery methods. Before joining Cano, Cochrane spent more than 15 years as an engineer with ExxonMobil. His expertise includes CO2 and waterflooding, the coordination of injection and production logging, volumetric calculations, and drill well candidate identification. He also has extensive experience in production forecasts and reserves estimates. Can you explain how the creation of Cano came about? In my opinion, Cano Petroleum was inevitable. Jeff Johnson, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, spent several years pitching lenders and investors on his concept for a company that would focus exclusively on mature basins. It took a couple of years, but he ultimately did find investors who shared the vision of his enhanced-oil-recovery concept. These investors were able to look beyond the short periods of time when the price of oil was low and instead focus on the fundamentals of supply and demand. Jeff was one of the first to see this possibility and build a company based on these fundamentals. What is Cano’s upstream expertise and its operating philosophy? Cano has significant upstream expertise. My background includes 16 years of experience in secondary and tertiary recovery, including production and reservoir engineering, field maintenance, and production supervision. Production Coordinator John Lacik has 30 years of oilfield experience, including environmental expertise and extensive knowledge of chemical flooding. Cano also has had the great fortune to find outstanding, experienced production supervisors such as Jayme Wollison and Mike Parrish to take care of our assets. We also work with engineering and geologic consultants who have many decades of experience. Our operating philosophy is to keep our people safe and uninjured and to protect the environment. We ensure that our decisions about equipment repairs and operating strategies appropriately position Cano to achieve the highest margins possible in the long term.

Joint Discussion 8: Large Telescopes and Virtual Observatory: Visions for the Future

AbstractVery Large scale telescopes and virtual observatories have in common to be global facilities, which will enable entirely new types of sciences and will require new technical and operational philosophies. Joint discussion 8 was built with a series of invited reviews to set the long term vision and challenges, and specific projects or technical topics were presented in the poster session which was also a very important part of the meeting. To keep track of all the contributions, these proceedings contain the abstracts of all papers, invited reviews and accepted contributed posters, with a few extended abstracts.