Refurbishment Program Research Articles

Microstructural evolution and diffusion mechanism of MCrAlY coated nickel-based superalloy turbine blades after serviced for 47,000 h

The large-sized industrial gas turbine blades exhibit non-uniform microstructural degradation in various parts due to ultra-long term service in high-temperature and high-pressure environments. Determination of degradation behavior at critical locations is important for the safety of gas turbine and blades refurbishment program. The microstructure characterization on the surface and interface of MCrAlY coated Ni-based superalloy blades have been studied. The microstructure evolution near the coating/ substrate interface was studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the difference in degradation of the main precipitates at several locations were quantified. Surface oxidation and interfacial diffusion were analyzed through energy dispersive spectrum (EDS) and electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) to clarify the influence of elemental diffusion on microstructure. The results indicated that regional microstructure evolution influenced by the spatial structural characteristics of the blades. The migration of Ni, Al, Cr, and Co dominated the diffusion mechanism during service, and reconstructed the microstructure of the coating/substrate interface and surface.

Case study: The refurbishment of Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory

By 2017 Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory was in a poor state of repair and in need of significant investment to bring it up to modern standards. It provided neither a suitable working environment for the ex-service men and women who worked in the building, nor was it fully accessible for visitors. Prior to this date a full range of options had been considered for the future of the factory, including potential relocation to another site outside of the city. The Grade C listing of the building in 2019 focused attention on the opportunities for improvement rather than demolition and a scope of works was put in place to refurbish the building. This case study describes the refurbishment programme and the scale of works which were required to bring it up to standard. It includes a particular focus on asbestos removal, replacement of roof coverings and rooflights, upgrading rainwater goods, repairs to walls and accessibility improvements to allow the building to meet the needs of both employees and visitors.

Integrated failure analysis using machine learning predictive system for smart management of medical equipment maintenance

The study aims to develop the failure analysis predictive models, which prognosticate first failure event (FFE), failure-to-year ratio (FYR), and failure rectification group (FRG). The construction of predictive models involved nineteen categories of 13,350 units of medical equipment. We proposed thirteen novel features in assessing medical equipment failures. The failure analysis predictive models were categorised into several classes for training and testing the developed models. There was seven supervised machine learning classifiers and performance metrics applied in the experiment. The experiment demonstrates that Support Vector Machine is the best classifier for the FFE predictive model, which achieves an accuracy of 96.9% after hyperparameter optimisation. Furthermore, Decision Tree is the best classifier for FYR, with an accuracy of 83.9%. Meanwhile, the comparative analysis for FRG discovered that Artificial Neural Network achieved the highest accuracy among others with 76.7% accuracy after the hyperparameter optimisation process. Findings from this study indicate that this failure analysis predictive model functions as a main instrument for conducting predictive maintenance in the direction of smart maintenance practices. Through the developed predictive systems, timely maintenance of medical equipment can be performed. This will also assist healthcare service providers in initiating the remanufacturing and refurbishment programme, ensuring efficient medical care delivery. The suggested framework of machine learning-assisted failure analysis for medical equipment maintenance management may provide clinical engineers with guidance for managing the strategic maintenance management for medical equipment.

Development of a novel Passive Fire Protection system – Humidur Char

Passive Fire Protection (PFP) is a key risk reduction measure used to protect people on hazardous facilities by maintaining structural integrity in the event of a fire scenario. Epoxy intumescent PFP products currently available in industry, have high-cost surface preparation requirements, need specialist craft labour and are multi-coat systems. With PFP refurbishment projects planned for major offshore and onshore facilities, Woodside Technology embarked on a program to develop a new PFP with the following attributes: single coat, simple and versatile application; reduced surface preparation; and comply with all relevant fire and corrosion testing criteria. Woodside engaged Acotec NV, Belgium to develop a new PFP which incorporated the proven surface-tolerant and corrosion-resistance properties of Humidur FP. Throughout 2019, over 100 candidate formulations were tested for strength, intumescent and thermal insulation properties with the highest performing product being selected for fire and corrosion testing. A comprehensive international test program was completed and the new PFP, Humidur Char, is now available. It has been third-party certified by DNV as meeting all performance requirements of the latest international fire test standards and design verification reports are in place for all heritage Woodside assets. Third-party verified NORMS have been developed to compare application of Humidur Char with an equivalent epoxy PFP system widely used in the industry and showed that Humidur Char could be applied up to 5 times faster. Feedback from the offshore refurbishment program confirms the use of Humidur Char has resulted in a 30% reduction in execution hours when compared to the previously used product. Similar significant cost reductions are expected for the onshore PFP program.

Optimal trade-in and refurbishment strategies for durable goods

Many manufacturers in the automobile industry accommodate the huge number of used cars by offering trade-in programs. In addition, some manufacturers have begun considering product refurbishment, a policy that is widely adopted in the electronics industry. Therefore, we are motivated to explore the reasons behind different practices in the automobile industry. We propose an analytical framework to identify when a manufacturer facing strategic consumers should offer trade-in (and refurbishment) programs. For that purpose, we analyze and compare the results of three models: no program, trade-in program only, and trade-in and refurbishment programs. This study establishes that the manufacturer can always increase his profit by improving the quality of new products and reducing the quality depreciation rate. Yet when the manufacturer does not (resp., does) offer a refurbishment program, his profit must (resp., need not) decrease with any increase in the production cost of new products. Finally, the manufacturer prefers to offer (a) trade-in programs only when the production cost of new products is low, (b) both trade-in and refurbishment programs when that cost is moderate, and (c) neither program when the cost to produce new products is high. Our numerical study reveals more management implications for the manufacturer’s preferred decision.

Ground penetrating radar inspection of a large concrete spillway: A case-study using SFCW GPR at a hydroelectric dam

Hydroelectric dams are subject to aging and degradation. The concrete structure under investigation here had visible signs of spalling, cracking, and erosion, but it was unclear how damaged the spillway was below the surface. The asset owners wanted to identify delamination and voids 60 cm or larger so they could mitigate the effects. While most ground penetrating radar (GPR) inspections conducted on dams have been completedusing low frequency ranges between 16 MHz and 500 MHz, these frequencies may overlook small, but critical defects. Our study is the first to use a small hand-held sized stepped frequency continuous wave (SFCW) GPR to acquire information at frequencies ranging up to 4 GHz to evaluate its effectiveness on such a large asset. The two main questions we aimed to answer are: (1) how will a small GPR unit perform on a large, irregular concrete surface, and (2) could the higher frequencies provide more detailed images of small cracks and defects. The study provided useful results in real-time which supported a repair and refurbishment program. The high frequency system allowed for detailed visualization and measurement of reflections events consistent with expectations for delamination and voids. The investigation also identified other non-critical defects that can be targeted for ongoing monitoring programs.

The impact of a refurbishment programme on older people living in sheltered housing

Purpose This paper aims to explore residents' perceptions of a refurbishment programme to sheltered housing schemes and its impact on their well-being. Design/methodology/approach The methodology draws upon a realist evaluation framework. Four participatory appraisals (PAs) and 19 interviews with residents were conducted in the sheltered housing schemes. Ages of participants ranged from 50 to 99 years. Findings Two categories of residents were identified: healthy active older adults and older frail adults (or over 85+). Residents said their social and emotional well-being improved from the provision of indoor and outdoor communal areas. Older frail residents only accessed the new communal spaces when staff took them in their wheelchairs. The physical changes increased opportunities for social connections for residents. Conservatories and sensory gardens were most popular. Residents felt that structured activities in the new spaces and digital training would improve their social activities. Research limitations/implications The participatory methods spanned over an hour, and some residents felt too tired to complete the full session. Practical implications A practical limitation was that some sensory rooms were not fully completed at the time of the evaluation. Originality/value This paper adds the following: Perceptions of residents of a refurbishment programme in sheltered housing and the impact on their well-being. Perceptions of residents about social activities after a refurbishment programme. Perceptions of residents about the impact of physical changes to their sheltered housing schemes and impact on their internal accessibility to the improvements.

The effects of thermal insulation on the interior noise level during the day. A case study of a 1960 block of flats located in downtown Bucharest

The issues related to the propagation of outside noise to the occupied spaces are more frequent, especially in urban areas where different types of noises are present (constructions, traffic, etc.). It is medically proven that noise has negative effects on health: anxiety, lower intellectual performances, stress, fatigue or higher blood pressure. With the national refurbishment program of old buildings the constructors are insulating and replace old wood frame windows with more energy efficient ones. Despite the clear benefits in terms of energy reduction there are still some questions about the sound insulation of the facades. If the windows replacement is done in a wrong way the situation can be aggravated as air and noise can overpass. In this paper using experimental measurements it is evaluated the impact of thermal refurbishment of an apartment on the acoustic comfort. The data showed that the windows represent the weak part of the facade and incorrect mounting severely affected the indoor sound pressure level.

Policy implementation and energy-saving strategies for the residential sector: The case of the Greek Energy Refurbishment program

The building sector constitutes one of the largest energy consumers in the European Union and apparently in Greece. The construction history in Greece appears a unique profile that needs to be thoroughly examined in order to evaluate the current built environment and the distinctive characteristics of the buildings. The majority of the building stock is more than 30 years old with insufficient thermal protection, thus space heating is the major energy-consuming activity. A number of programs, initiatives and actions were raised to serve the need of energy saving in both public and private sectors. In this study, an overview of the program entitled Energy Refurbishment of Residences (in Greek Exoikonomisi Kat’ Oikon) is presented, along with a review and assessment of its results. The conclusions are critically useful in order to trace the possible weaknesses and improve, wherever this is possible, the program, given that a follow-up action is planned in the near future.

Plant Life Extension programs - useful resources for preservation and amplification of Nuclear Power Plants efficiency

"Plant Life Management (PLIM) is now usually taken to mean those many activities which are to do with the normal operational management of a nuclear power plant to maintain its 'good condition' and to enable operators or Owner(s) to meet the plant's intended amortisation period, operational life or design operational life. That is, it is to do with existing planned Plant Operational or Service Life assurance and not necessarily to do ith meeting an additional period or extended operation time in excess of that intended at the design or evaluation stage, which is usually known as Plant Life Extension (PLEX). The paper presents considerations regarding the ageing management of the NPP’s key components, Plant Life Management (PLIM), refurbishment as activity strictly necessary for Plant Life Extension, and the Romanian refurbishment program as part of PLIM from Cernavoda CANDU NPP. "

Reactivity Initiated Accident transient testing on irradiated fuel rods in PWR conditions: The CABRI International Program

The CABRI International Program (CIP) tests irradiated UO2 or MOX fuels submitted to Reactivity Initiated Accidents (RIA) representative power pulses in prototypical PWR thermal-hydraulic conditions. CIP is managed by The Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) within a OECD/NEA framework. Experiments are conducted in the CABRI reactor operated by CEA.For CIP, CABRI benefits from a new pressurized water loop. An important refurbishment program enhanced the facility safety and upgraded the experimental equipment such as the non-destructive examination bench IRIS and the Hodoscope on-line fuel motion monitoring system. Specific test devices with appropriate innovative instrumentation follow the test rod behavior during the transient.The successful first test in the pressurized water loop demonstrated the CABRI capability to perform fully instrumented RIA tests in PWR conditions and to provide highly valuable results for RIA phenomena modelling (boiling crisis, post-failure events), for code validation, and for assessing PWR safety criteria.

An application of fuzzy multiple-attribute decision making model based onsimple additive weighting with triangular fuzzy numbers to distribute the decenthomes for impoverished families

The Aceh government through a social housing refurbishment program has periodically provided decent homes for impoverished families in the last three years. However, the selection process of decent homes’ recipient is currently still using assessments based on the personal judgment of a decision maker so the process becomes subjectivity and fuzziness. In order to overcome this problem, a fuzzy Multi-Attribute Decision Making (FMADM) technique can offer a solution. In this research, we apply an FMADM model based on Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) with triangular fuzzy numbers to express the fuzziness of decision making information and criteria weight. After normalizing the fuzzy decision making and criteria weight matrices, the alternative ranking process uses SAW to evaluate those two matrices where all criteria weight elements are crisp values converted from the triangular fuzzy numbers using Defuzzification of Minkowski. Furthermore, we demonstrated this model by showing a numerical example to a case study of the decent homes distribution of impoverished families in Aceh. The result shows that the model can be applied to this case study.

Off-wing fleet maintenance study of a CFM56-3B turbofan engine: the propulsive engine of Boeing 737-300 civil aircraft.

An off wing fleet maintenance study of the CFM56-3B Turbofan engine that propels the Boeing 737-300 aircraft is presented. The engine performance and deteriorating behavior was modeled with a view to estimate the creep life consumption and operating severity. The predicted severity factor of each degradation was similar to the trend observed by the maintenance, repair and overhauling (MRO) with 0 - 3.1% difference. The combine degradation severity factor of the engine operating at both saline and desert mission areas was 6.4% and 7.5% respectively when compared with compressor fouling or turbine erosion cases. The creep life obtained was 2.5% lower. Combine degradation resulted in high severity factor of 5% emission development index (EDI) and the cost of complete replacement of a damaged blade was USD 256 per flight hour (FH). However, for the isolated cases of degradation, the severity factor was 3% EDI lower and the cost of refurbishing a damage blade was USD 81/FH. This indicates that a refurbishment program can be considered for CFM56-3B engines operating in condition of low severity and replacement program for engines operating in condition of high severity. Keywords : Turbofan engine, Severity factor, Degradation

Path-dependent institutional change to collective land rights: The collective entrenched in urbanizing Guangzhou

ABSTRACTEconomic reform brings about socioeconomic and organizational changes, which give rise to institutional change as a result. Collective land rights are undergoing continuing institutional change in the context of dynamic, bottom-up, rural change and consequent problematic spatial fragmentation, ecological deterioration, exclusiveness of migrants, and land underutilization in the Pearl River Delta region. The implementation of the Renewal and Refurbishment Program in Panyu, a district in Guangzhou, reveals that the collective land use right, owned by the villages, has constituted an effective holding power to bargain for institutional change to the collective land rights in favor of the rural collective. As a result, path-dependent institutional change to the collective land rights leads to the collective entrenched in the urbanizing metropolis.

Risk-based corrosion assessment and refurbishment of marine structures

This paper outlines a holistic, risk-based approach to managing the service life of existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) marine structures in Western Australia. The structures have been in service since 1989 (LNG) and 1995 (LPG) and are nearing the end of their original design life. The objective of this approach is to extend the design life for an additional 20 years to 2040. The risk-based assessment (RBA) process is composed of three main steps undertaken in sequence to identify and quantify refurbishment requirements for the timeframe. A two-campaign approach was considered, the first being in 2019 (Phase 1) and the second in 2030 (Phase 2). The RBA process combines innovative and conventional inspection techniques with a detailed desktop structural assessment of the remaining life of the structures’ individual components to enable an informed decision to be made on the refurbishment requirements for each campaign. The results of the stepped RBA process demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach to define and manage a refurbishment program that achieves the required extended service life of the structures to 2040. The RBA process enabled the first campaign’s scope to be minimised through detailed analysis and calculation of residual design life of each critical member, deferring most of the refurbishment scope to the second campaign in 2030. The study has recommended implementation of a corrosion rate trial to verify the assumed corrosion rates for the jetty structures. Environmental monitoring stations and test coupons installed on the jetty for a five-year period will confirm the actual deterioration rates specific to the jetty structures. Confirmation of actual deterioration rates may reduce uncertainty in the values over those currently assumed in the study and positively affect the identified Phase 2 refurbishment scope.

Strategies for an urban renewal in Rome: Massimina Co_Goal

The paper presents a research project about the regeneration of an informal neighbourhood in Rome. To address the complexity of the regeneration process, the project relies on a combined top down/bottom up strategy. The project envisions the implementation of a Public Call to promote a set of retrofitting actions for a defined number of private houses to be involved in a co-financed refurbishment program. Main goal of the Public Call is to foster the transition towards sustainable development, transforming the existing district into a low energy district and developing new community services implemented and managed by a local community company.

The Impact of Supply Chain Management in the Operations of a Passenger Rail Transport System: A Case Analysis of Passenger Rail Transport from 2009 to 2015

Abstract The article looks into the influence that supply chain management has in the operations of a passenger rail company in South Africa. The case analysis was based on desktop research on PRASA annual reports from 2009 to 2015 including the two Corporate Plans from 2015 to 2019. Successes and challenges encountered in the organisation will be analysed. Areas to be analysed include enhancement of technical skills, the refurbishment programme, patronage growth, customer satisfaction and passenger safety among others. The article covers the impact of supply chain management (SCM) on the general corporate performance; analyses the risks and disruptions derived from the various supply chain sources undermining supply chain performance; identified, shared and promoted the uptake of best practice in supply chain management.

Many-objective optimization and visual analytics reveal key trade-offs for London’s water supply

In this study, we link a water resource management simulator to multi-objective search to reveal the key trade-offs inherent in planning a real-world water resource system. We consider new supplies and demand management (conservation) options while seeking to elucidate the trade-offs between the best portfolios of schemes to satisfy projected water demands. Alternative system designs are evaluated using performance measures that minimize capital and operating costs and energy use while maximizing resilience, engineering and environmental metrics, subject to supply reliability constraints. Our analysis shows many-objective evolutionary optimization coupled with state-of-the art visual analytics can help planners discover more diverse water supply system designs and better understand their inherent trade-offs. The approach is used to explore future water supply options for the Thames water resource system (including London’s water supply). New supply options include a new reservoir, water transfers, artificial recharge, wastewater reuse and brackish groundwater desalination. Demand management options include leakage reduction, compulsory metering and seasonal tariffs. The Thames system’s Pareto approximate portfolios cluster into distinct groups of water supply options; for example implementing a pipe refurbishment program leads to higher capital costs but greater reliability. This study highlights that traditional least-cost reliability constrained design of water supply systems masks asset combinations whose benefits only become apparent when more planning objectives are considered.

From indicators to strategies: Key Performance Strategies for sustainable energy use in Portuguese school buildings

The increase of complexity in school buildings to ensure for users comfort and social and functional demands are changing energy consumption patterns. In the Portuguese context, a recent rise in energy consumption, after a major national refurbishment programme, confirms the need to improve energy management in schools in order to reduce their environmental impact. Besides building design and systems, users are also a determining factor impacting energy consumption in buildings. However, behavioural issues are still among the areas least covered by scientific literature.The present paper analyses the energy consumption patterns of eight Portuguese case-study schools, with a methodological approach that integrates quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The approach made it possible to link the energy consumption patterns of the schools (selected as Key Performance Indicators) with the user behaviour and management strategies. As a result, six Key Performance Strategies (KPS) were identified so as potentially to enhance the energy performance of school buildings through use and management. Some of the identified KPS can be implemented directly through school management policies to reduce energy use and enhance efficiency. Others can be incorporated in future building design strategies. Some have the potential for being hereafter integrated into the simulation models of buildings’ energy performance.

扬州市文峰塔勘探、测绘、修缮侧记

介绍了扬州市文峰塔的兴衰与历史变迁，通过勘探测绘，了解了塔身的结构与破损情况，为制定修缮方案提供了依据。修缮的指导思想是，以“不改变文物的原状”为原则，同时兼顾到使用方便、安全及风格协调等因素。在主要式样、构件尺寸、建筑特色、材料质地、工艺流程等不改变的情况下，对损坏、损毁的部件、部位进行修补、更换和复原，以恢复和保持原建筑的风格和结构调整，达到“修旧如旧”。The article describes the historical changes Wenfeng Tower, Yangzhou City. In order to explore the tower structure and breakage situation, an exploration and mapping of the Wenfeng Tower have been made. And this provides a basis for the development of the refurbishment program. The principle idea of the repair process is to keep the original structure and also to take using convenient, safety and harmony into consideration. By keeping the main style, scantlings, architectural features, materials, texture process unchanged, replacements and restoration to the damaged parts are made so as to restore and maintain the original style of the building and structural.