Equipment Performance Monitoring Research Articles

AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance and Interpretation of Diagnostic Ultrasound of the Thyroid and Extracranial Head and Neck.

AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance and Interpretation of Diagnostic Ultrasound of the Thyroid and Extracranial Head and Neck.

ASSESSMENT OF BUILDING MAINTENANCE PRACTICE IN UNIVERSITY OF JOS, NIGERIA

The research was aimed at assessing the building maintenance practice in university of Jos, with a view of improving the maintenance practice in the university, for efficiency and effective performance of the university buildings. The study adopt a quantitative research approach. The research used a close-ended questionnaire instrument to collect pertinent information and or/data. A total of one hundred and eleven (111) questionnaire was administered to the responded, out of which, ninety two (92) was retrieved and adopted for the study. The research used simple random sampling to arrive at the sampling size. The research data was analyzed descriptively using SPSS. The findings show that the maintenance practices in university of Jos are; preventive maintenance, plan maintenance, corrective maintenance, emergency maintenance, avoidance maintenance, as well as scheduled maintenance are all practice in university of Jos. Condition base maintenance, unplanned maintenance as well as, and predictable maintenance and running maintenance are not practiced at the University of Jos. Base on the findings from the above research, the study hereby recommended that; Unplanned maintenance should be incorporated in the maintenance practice of the university to enable part of the buildings and or its components get repairs or fix when it breaks down. Running maintenance should be as well slated among the maintenance practices in universities, as it helps maintenance staff to carry out maintenance when the need arises to restore deteriorating surfaces and or wall in the university buildings in enhances its efficiency and performance. Condition-based maintenance should also be incorporated among maintenance practices in the university in other to enable the maintenance personnel of the university conduct monitoring of equipment performance in the building and or assets management with visual inspections, scheduled tests as well as sensor devices to determine the most efficient time to perform maintenance. Predictable maintenance practice (PdM) also should be included on the types of maintenance practices in the university. Since it’s a techniques that uses data analysis tools and techniques to detect anomalies, it would assist the maintenance professionals in maintenance operation and possible detect defects.

Mixed Reality-based chemical reactor visualization

A multi-tubular reactor for butadiene synthesis was developed, visualized using Microsoft HoloLens2, and built to allow immersive human interaction. Fluid analysis is particularly important in reactor design, including heat generation, temperature distribution, and mole fraction of reactants and products. Flow analysis is mostly executed with CFD tools like Open FOAM and ANSYS Fluent. Post processing software visualizes the CFD findings. However, the post-processing software is focused on the engineer, which lacks user-friendliness for the user who actually builds the reactor [Matthias Berger and Verina Cristie, 2015]. Contemporary technologies like virtual reality and mixed reality were applied to improve this. Virtual reality is a technique that creates a virtual world in a three-dimensional digital environment that blocks out the actual world. Furthermore, mixed reality technology interacts with virtual things made in the real world, minimizing heterogeneity and creating a smart environment where reality and virtuality are united by maximizing immersion. So, using Unity 3D, a gaming engine, a multi-tube reactor was created in virtual reality. Menus, selection windows, and buttons are also implemented in C# to facilitate interaction. This VR was then deployed to Microsoft HoloLens2 via Visual Studio. The HoloLens2 is an un tethered wearable holographic computer that offers bidirectional video, speech, and MR composite communication [Guy Martin et al., 2019]. An integrated mixed reality system was finally created that instantly reflected mutual conversation. This approach can also be employed in distillation towers, heat exchangers, separators, pumps and other process equipment performance monitoring. Smart manufacturing and a digital twin termed future plant can be accomplished by observing the actual process and implementing an autonomous data interaction system.

The AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of an Ultrasound Examination of the Extracranial Cerebrovascular System.

The AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of an Ultrasound Examination of the Extracranial Cerebrovascular System.

The AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of an Ultrasound Examination of the Neonatal and Infant Spine.

The AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of an Ultrasound Examination of the Neonatal and Infant Spine.

The AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of an Ultrasound Examination of the Abdomen and/or Retroperitoneum.

The AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of an Ultrasound Examination of the Abdomen and/or Retroperitoneum.

Dynamic Simulation in Deep Water Enhances Operations From Design to Production

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper OTC 30838, “Shell Appomattox Model-Based Operations From Design to Production: A Game Changer in Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Operation,” by Robert Tulalian, Shell, and Evan Keever and Ankur Rastogi, Kongsberg, prepared for the 2020 Offshore Technology Conference, originally scheduled to be held in Houston, 4–7 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Copyright 2020 Offshore Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission. The complete paper discusses how large operations such as Appomattox in the Gulf of Mexico’s deepwater Norphlet formation can use an integrated dynamic simulation-based solution throughout the project life cycle to aid in design verification, operator training, startup support, and real-time surveillance. The authors write that their recommendations and findings can be applied to similar project implementation efforts elsewhere in the industry. Introduction The Appomattox development spans Mississippi Canyon Blocks 348, 391, 392, and 393. Peak production rates are estimated to be approximately 175,000 BOE/D, with water injection planned for the future to support reservoir pressures. Appomattox includes a combined cycle steam system, using process waste heat to generate steam. This steam can be used to drive a generator, providing extra power for the facility. The Appomattox facility can be seen in Fig. 1. A multipurpose dynamic simulator (MPDS) was developed to address the inherent complexities of the Appomattox system, providing a high-fidelity integrated model that simulates both top-sides and subsea process conditions. This model was integrated with the Appomattox control system and deployed in a setup to mimic the offshore control room, creating a realistic training environment for operators. The MPDS was completed over 1 year before first oil, providing ample time for operator training and other use cases such as distributed-control-system (DCS) checkout and engineering studies. Because of the success of the MPDS, the operator applied the existing Appomattox model to the operation phase through the creation of a real-time surveillance system (RTS). Connecting the process model to the facility’s historian by open-platform communications (OPC) enables the RTS to serve as a virtual copy of the live facility, mimicking process conditions in real time. This enables the RTS to serve as a platform for useful surveillance applications such as virtual flow metering, blockage detection, and equipment-performance monitoring. Process Model Development Once the decision to build an MPDS was made, the project team determined which systems would be included in the scope of the model as well as what data would be used for input and validation. Because the MPDS would be used for both engineering and operations use, most systems were included in the scope and modeled at high fidelity to maximize potential benefits.

AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of Sonohysterography and Hysterosalpingo-Contrast Sonography.

AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of Sonohysterography and Hysterosalpingo-Contrast Sonography.

AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of Ultrasound Evaluations of the Prostate (and Surrounding Structures).

AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of Ultrasound Evaluations of the Prostate (and Surrounding Structures).

Study on the Development of I&C Equipment Performance Monitoring Program for Nuclear Power Plants

The equipment performance monitoring program is designed to provide guidance for monitoring the performance of equipment, with an aim to enable engineers to identify hidden hazards as early as possible and take corresponding corrective actions to achieve the purpose of equipment reliability management of nuclear power plant. The nuclear power plant realizes monitoring, control and protection of the whole plant through I&C equipment, by which to ensure the safe, reliable and economic operation of the nuclear power plant. In this paper, a set of performance monitoring program process special for I&C equipment of nuclear power plant is developed. And the RGL system (rod control system and rod position system) of a nuclear power plant is taken as an example to illustrate, analyze and summarize, which lays a foundation for nuclear power plant to carry out equipment reliability management.

Database Development for Equipment Performance Monitoring System in an Offshore Plant

Database Development for Equipment Performance Monitoring System in an Offshore Plant

PLC Batch Process Control Design and Implementation Fundamentals

Batch process control is typically used for repeated chemical reaction tasks. It starts with a measured liquid material filling operations followed by a controlled reaction leading to the discharge or transport of processed quantities of material. The input materials is contained in vessel reactor and subjected to a sequence of processing activities over a recipe predefined duration of time. Batch systems are designed to measure, process, and discharge a varying volume of liquid from drums, tanks, reactors, or other large storage vessel using a programmable logic controller (PLC). These systems are common in pharmaceutical, chemical packaging, Beverage processing, personal care product, biotech manufacturing, dairy processing, soap manufacturing, and food processing industries. This paper briefly discusses the fundamental techniques used in specifying, designing, and implementing a PLC batch process control [1, 2]. A simplified batch process is used to illustrate key issues in designing and implementing such systems. In addition to the structured PLC ladder design; more focus is given to safety requirements, redundancy, interlocking, input data validation, and safe operation. The Allen Bradley (AB) SLC 500 PLC along with the LogixPro simulator are used to illustrate the concepts discussed in this paper. Two pumps are used to bring in material during the tank filling and a third pump is used to drain processed product. The three pumps are equipped with flow meters providing pulses proportional to the actual flow rate through the individual pipes. The tank material is heated to a predefined temperature duration followed by mixing for a set time before discharge. Batch control systems provides automated process controls, typically and universally using PLC’s networked to HMI’s and other data storage, analysis, and assessment computers. The overall system perform several tasks including recipe development and download, production scheduling, batch management and execution, equipment performance monitoring, inventory, production history and tracking functionalities. Flexible batch control systems are designed to accommodate smaller batches of products with greater requirements / recipes variation, efficiently and quickly. In addition to providing process consistency, continuous batch process control quality improvements are attained through the automatic collection and analysis of real-time reliable and accurate event performance data [3, 4].

AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of Duplex Sonography of Native Renal Vessels

AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of Duplex Sonography of Native Renal Vessels

AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of an Ultrasound Examination of Solid-Organ Transplants.

AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of an Ultrasound Examination of Solid-Organ Transplants.

AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of Fetal Echocardiography.

AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of Fetal Echocardiography.

Design for improvement of sugar factory performance based on statistical thinking

The amount of sugar production is determined, among others, by the quality of sugar cane and the performance of sugar factory equipment. The quality of sugar cane as an agricultural product is influenced by the quality of sugar cane seeds, soil conditions and climate. The differences in the factors affect the quality of sugarcane production. Sugarcane milling is not based on the quality of sugarcane but on the arrival time to the factory. Under this condition, different sugarcane qualities will be milled together. As a consequence, it may not yield the optimal sugar production. In the sugar production process, equipment performance must always be monitored. Equipment failure will reduce the amount of sugar produced. Therefore, efforts to increase sugar production must consider both factors, namely the variation of input quality and monitoring of equipment performance. One approach in solving this problem is statistical thinking approach. The purpose of the paper is to design the performance improvement of sugar factory based on statistical thinking. The improving activity based on statistical thinking will concentrate on manufacturing process enhancement and problem breaking that rely on realizing and degrading variation. The study shows that the statistical thinking approach potentially able to increase sugar production using process enhancement framework and overcome factory equipment failure using problem breaking framework.

Evidence-based medical equipment management: a convenient implementation

Maintenance is a crucial subject in medical equipment life cycle management. Evidence-based maintenance consists of the continuous performance monitoring of equipment, starting from the evidence—the current state in terms of failure history—and improvement of its effectiveness by making the required changes. This process is very important for optimizing the use and allocation of the available resources by clinical engineering departments. Medical equipment maintenance is composed of two basic activities: scheduled maintenance and corrective maintenance. Both are needed for the management of the entire set of medical equipment in a hospital. Because the classification of maintenance service work orders reveals specific issues related to frequent problems and failures, specific codes have been applied to classify the corrective and scheduled maintenance work orders at Careggi University Hospital (Florence, Italy). In this study, a novel set of key performance indicators is also proposed for evaluating medical equipment maintenance performance. The purpose of this research is to combine these two evidence-based methods to assess every aspect of the maintenance process and provide an objective and standardized approach that will support and enhance clinical engineering activities. Starting from the evidence (i.e. failures), the results show that the combination of these two methods can provide a periodical cross-analysis of maintenance performance that indicates the most appropriate procedures.Graphical abstractThe left side shows a block diagram of the process needed to calculate the proposed set of KPIs, starting from technological, organizational and financial data. On the upper right it is shown an example of scheduled maintenance analysis for a specific class of equipment (legend in the article body). The bottom right part shows how the KPIs can be implemented in a business intelligence dashboard.

AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of Point-of-Care Ultrasound Examinations.

AIUM Practice Parameter for the Performance of Point-of-Care Ultrasound Examinations.

AIUM-ACR-ACOG-SMFM-SRU Practice Parameter for the Performance of Standard Diagnostic Obstetric Ultrasound Examinations.

AIUM-ACR-ACOG-SMFM-SRU Practice Parameter for the Performance of Standard Diagnostic Obstetric Ultrasound Examinations.

AIUM-ACR-SPR-SRU Practice Parameter for the Performance and Interpretation of a Diagnostic Ultrasound Examination of the Extracranial Head and Neck.

AIUM-ACR-SPR-SRU Practice Parameter for the Performance and Interpretation of a Diagnostic Ultrasound Examination of the Extracranial Head and Neck.