Inspection Results Research Articles

DIRECT CONTACT RESISTANCE MEASUREMENT DURING THERMOELECTRIC TESTING

he article analyzes the influence of the contact resistance of the electrodes on the inspection result. It is shown that as the value of the measuring resistor increases, the permissible value of the contact resistance of the electrodes with the test sample increases. An indirect method for monitoring contact resistance has been proposed, which consists of passing a stable high-frequency current through the contact resistance and measuring the voltage across this resistance. The variation of relative voltage across the measuring resistor with respect to the total contact resistance has been graphed. The maximum allowable contact resistance has been determined to ensure that the measured thermoelectric EMF differs from the true value by no more than 10%. The proposed method allows to measure contact resistance directly in the process of monitoring thermoelectromotive force.

Justification for the creation of intelligent programs for early diagnosis, lung cancer phenotyping and treatment effectiveness assessment

BACKGROUND. Ordinary DICOM viewers used in practical medicine (Vitrea, EFilm, K-Pacs, etc.) allow only densitometric researches, which does not give a complete picture of the histological structure of the investigated tissues. Digital software processing of computed tomography (CT) data helps to investigate in detail the morphofunctional state of tissues and formations. OBJECTIVE. In view of the digital software processing of CT data, to justify the possibility of creating intelligent programs based on convolutional neural networks for early diagnostics, phenotyping and control of efficiency of lung cancer treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The retrospective analysis of the data of 23 patients who were on treatment at the SI “National scientific center of phthisiology, pulmonology and allergology named after F.G. Yanovsky of the NAMS of Ukraine”. On the eve of operative treatment the patients underwent a full complex of inspections, including a CT scan. Digital software processing of CT data was conducted taking into account the results of immunohistochemical and pathistological inspections of removed tumours using the Dragonfly program. RESULTS. Differences in the histograms of various immunohistochemical forms of lung cancer have been revealed, that allows to create intelligent systems based on convolutional neural networks. It will help to conduct early diagnostics, phenotyping and control of efficiency of the personalized treatment of patients with lung cancer.

PENGARUH OPINI AUDIT BPK DAN BELANJA MODAL TERHADAP KINERJA KEUANGAN PEMERINTAH DAERAH

This study analyzes the Effect of BPK Audit Opinion and Capital Expenditure on Local Government Financial Performance in West Java Province Cities and Regencies in 2018- 2021. This type of research uses quantitative research methods. The population and sample in this study were 108 cities and districts with a period of 4 years. The population and samples are West Java cities and regencies located in the Directorate General of Financial Balance, Ministry of Finance and the Financial Audit Agency which publishes the results of budget realization reports and inspection results. Retrieved from https://jabar.bpk.go.id and https://djpk.keimeinkeiui.go.id websites. The data analysis technique uses panel data regression analysis using Eviews 9.0 software. The results showed that the BPK Audit Opinion had a negative effect on the financial performance of local governments, while Capital Expenditure had a positive effect on the financial performance of local governments.

Research on the Production Capacity Evaluation of Prefabricated Component Manufacturing Enterprises

Due to the industrialization of the construction sector, enterprises that manufacture prefabricated components are developing rapidly. Because the production capacity of each enterprise varies immensely, the upstream enterprises are unable to match the component manufacturing enterprises that are suitable for the supply target. With respect to the product capacity, scientific and accurate evaluations are crucial. The authors preliminarily determined factors that impact the production capacity of components and considered a literature review and the inspection results of component manufacturing enterprises. By performing a thorough investigation and analysis, they constructed the index system for evaluating the production capacity of enterprises that manufacture prefabricated components, and each index was interpreted. To determine the weight of the evaluation index, an analytic hierarchy process was utilized; furthermore, the characteristics of each grade were described, and a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model was built. Moreover, to empirically analyze the built model, the authors selected a construction company and analyzed 127 questionnaires filled in by employees at all the organizational levels related to PCT production and to 34 evaluation results of experts from standard quota research institutions in various provinces. The results of the two methods revealed the following: This enterprise level is the “Reinforcement level” (level 3). The evaluation results are consistent with the empirical results of the model established herein, which verifies its feasibility.

THE EFFECT OF IMPLEMENTING PERTAMINA SAFETY APPROVAL (PSA) AND SAFETY TRAINING ON WORK SAFETY MEDIATED BY SAFETY CULTURE ON PT PERTAMINA INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING SHIP FLEET

Pertamina Safety Approval (PSA)is a document that is shown when the ship has met the standards and criteria of the vetting inspection results. The aim of the research is to determine the effect of implementing Pertamina Safety Approval (PSA) and safety training on work safety mediated by safety culture on PT's fleet of ships. Pertamina International Shipping. Method presearch with an explanatory quantitative approach. The number of samples is 90respondents who have a PSA and are on board in 2022. The analysis tools used are SPSS and SEMPLS. The research results show that there is a direct and indirect influence between the implementation of Pertamina Safety Approval (PSA) and safety training on work safety mediated by safety culture on PT's fleet of ships. Pertamina International Shipping.

The structural and optical properties of PVA/CMC copolymer cured by UV irradiation for different times

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) blend films with equal amounts (0.25 g) of both polymers were prepared through a simple and low-cost comparative casting method. Then, the PVA/CMC blend films were exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation for varied time intervals (1, 12, 26, 32, 40 and 48 h). The UV-irradiation effect on the physical properties of as-prepared films, including the structure, morphology, composite and optical properties (transmittance, absorbance and band gap (E g)), was examined. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy images showed that UV irradiation had a strong effect on the shape of PVA/CMC blend films. The X-ray diffraction patterns showed various crystalline qualities in the microstructure of as-synthesized samples. The Fourier transform infrared spectra showed that the UV-irradiation time and CMC film had a positive impact on the blend polymer structure since covalent connections were formed between CMC and PVA. Furthermore, the analysis results of optical inspections showed that the absorbance of the PVA/CMC films improved with an increment in irradiation time from 1 to 40 h. Important tuning of the E g values of blend films was realized. It showed a slight increase from 4.64 to 4.84 eV with increasing irradiation time from 1 to 40 h. The E g value (3.21 eV), however, displayed an inverted behavior due to an increased irradiation time of 48 h. This reduction could be ascribed to the creation of defects inside the blend band gap. Finally, the physical property modification of PVA/CMC blend film using UV irradiation made it an amazing contender in the optoelectronic field.

Failures and performance of different aged PV modules operated under northern Algerian climate conditions: Analysis, assessment, and recommended solutions

This paper analyzes, assesses, and compares the failures and performance of various PV module types deployed at six PV installations located in different regions of northern Algeria, under Mediterranean climatic conditions. Qualitative data has been considered by selecting the best and worst-performing PV module samples for each of the six PV module types, along with other PV samples exhibiting specific permanent failures. Subsequently, the following IEC 61215 inspections were conducted: visual failures inspection, electrical performance inspection, thermal failures inspection, and insulation failures inspection. The results of these failure inspections indicate that different types of PV modules exhibit varying performance. Interestingly, the disparities are more pronounced between the PV module types than among the PV module samples within the same PV module type. This gap is at least ten times higher in terms of yearly degradation rates. However, some of the PV module types with high failure occurrence, severity, and exposure duration exhibit high performance compared to other types that have low failure occurrence, severity, and exposure duration. Meanwhile, there is no obvious and clear correlation between the different PV inspections, especially for PV module types. Thus, our analysis of the obtained results leads us to conclude that the significant disparity in failures and performance among the tested PV module types is primarily attributable to differences in their quality rather than the influence of local climate conditions or working conditions. Out of the six PV module types, only one will meet the 25-year warranty provided by the manufacturer, providing valuable insights into the prevalence of poor-quality PV modules in PV installations and those available in Algeria. Finally, a list of recommended solutions has been proposed to the Algerian government and other countries facing similar challenges to integrate into their national infrastructures and frameworks (quality, technical, qualification, and policies). These solutions aim to ensure the high quality, performance, and long lifespan of PV modules and PV installations.

THE METHODS OF THE SORBED QUANTITY OF THE DIFFUSION COEFFICIENTS AND POLYMERS LIQUID AREAS

The article presents the application of a method for assessing the qualitative state of bridges based on the use of qualimetry methods. The proposed approach considers a wide range of parameters that affect the functioning and reliability of road bridges. The method involves the use of a qualimetric model that allows systematizing and structuring of information about the physical condition of individual bridge elements and functional indicators. The weighting of the parameters was determined using expert and estimated methods, which increased the accuracy and objectivity of the assessment. The development of a qualitative condition model includes the following stages: identification of bridge elements, determination of assessment parameters, development of a qualimetric model, determination of weighting coefficients for each criterion, analysis of the results of a specific object inspection, and determination of the overall operational condition of the bridge. The results of the study show that the proposed methodology can be effectively used to assess the condition of bridges, providing a sufficiently high accuracy and completeness of the assessment. This contributes to improving the safety and reliability of bridge structures, reducing accidents and optimizing their maintenance costs. The proposed assessment method has prospects for implementation in the practice of bridge condition management and can be further applied in the system of monitoring the condition of transport facilities.

Automated Foreign Object Detection for Carbon Fiber Laminates Using High-Resolution Ultrasound Testing.

Carbon fiber laminates have become popular in the manufacturing industry for their many desirable properties, like good vibration damping, high strength-to-weight ratio, toughness, high dimensional stability, and low coefficient of thermal expansion. During the manufacturing process, undesirable foreign objects, such as peel-ply strips, gloving material, and Kapton film, can be introduced into the part which can lead to a localized weakness. These manufacturing defects can function as stress concentration points and oftentimes cause a premature catastrophic failure. In this study, a method using high-resolution pulse-echo ultrasound testing is employed for the detection and quantification of the dimensions of foreign object debris (FOD) embedded within carbon fiber laminates. This research presents a method to create high-resolution C-scans using an out of immersion tank portable housing ultrasound scanning system, with similar capabilities to that of a full immersion system. From the full-waveform dataset, we extract the FOD depth and planar dimensions with an automatic edge detection technique. Results from several carbon fiber laminates are investigated with embedded foreign objects that are often considered undetectable. Results are presented for FOD identification for two different shapes: circles with diameters ranging from 7.62 mm to 12.7 mm, and 3-4-5 triangles with hypotenuses ranging from 7.6 mm to 12.7 mm. CT imaging is used to confirm proper FOD placement and that the FOD was not damaged or altered during manufacturing. Of importance for the ultrasound inspection results, in every single case studied, the FOD is detected, the layer depth is properly identified, and the typical error is less than 1.5 mm for the primary dimension.

Validation of a low-cost lead hazard screening kit for the home environment.

The main sources of lead exposure for children occur in the home environment, yet no low-cost analytical methods exist to screen homes for lead hazards. Previously, an inexpensive (~$20), quantitative lead screening kit was developed in which residents collect soil, paint, and dust samples that are returned to a laboratory for lead analysis using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). This screening kit was initially validated in 2020; it was determined that in situ and ex situ XRF lead measurements on the same samples exhibited strong sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. As a follow-up to the initial validation, an implementation study and further statistical analyses were conducted. Correlation analysis using the results from nearly 400 screening kits identified an overall lack of correlation between sample types, reinforcing the utility of all eight sample locations. Principal component analysis searched for underlying correlations in sample types and provided evidence that both interior and exterior paint are major sources of lead hazards for Indiana homes. The implementation study compared the results of the government-standard lead inspection and risk assessment (LIRA) and the lead screening kit in 107 Indiana homes. In the United States, the LIRA is a thorough inspection of paint, dust, and soil that is usually state mandated in response to a child's elevated blood level and is used to identify where remediation efforts should be focused. The lead screening kit and LIRA agreed on the presence of lead in 79 of the 107 homes tested (74%). Discrepancies in agreement are likely the result of differences in the sample location and number of samples collected by each method. Overall, these results suggest that the lead screening kit is an acceptable resource that could be used to expand the services health departments provide for lead prevention. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:1504-1513. © 2024 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Crack monitoring for municipal sewer pipes using DFOST

The distributed fiber optic sensing technique (DFOST) provides an effective solution for long-term deformation monitoring of sewer pipelines under operation conditions due to occurrence of cracks. However, optical fibers attached on the pipeline wall might fail to capture all cracks as they are usually highly spatially scattered, resulting in misjudgment of pipe structural conditions. To address this challenge, this paper presents a novel deployment approach of distributed fiber optic monitoring system for pipeline cracks. First, the working principle of optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) is explained. Second, the production of concrete pipe specimens with different optical fiber sensors deployment schemes is shown in detail. Finally, a comprehensive analyse of the results of visual inspection and fibre optic monitoring is completed. To evaluate the performance of this approach, experimental data from various cases were considered. The conclusion of this paper provides theoretical and empirical support for the application of distributed fiber optic sensors for pipeline cracks monitoring.

Comparative study on microstructure and properties of HR-2 anti-hydrogen steel weld joints with different section shapes by vacuum electron beam welding

The forming, microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of three kinds of vacuum electron beam welded joints with different shapes were studied. The results of X-ray inspection of the joints showed that the three shapes of welded joints could meet the requirements of the quality inspection. The results of microstructure characterization show that the worm or bone-like δ-ferrite appears in the upper and lower regions of the funnel-shaped and bell-shaped joints, while only a small amount of δ-ferrite appears in the local regions of the nail-shaped joints. The test results of mechanical properties show that the micro-hardness of the weld center in the three kinds of shaped joints is the lowest. All the specimens fracture in the weld, and the bell-shaped weld presents the highest impact energy and bending load. Funnel-shaped weld shows the worst corrosion resistance due to the element segregation of the weld. Thus, the bell-shaped joint exhibits the best comprehensive performance.

Analize Die Casting process and Structure of HDF 12 Material for Lower Arm

Steel is part of raw material for manufacturing process making a product. Ferro Casting Ductile is part of manufacturing process from iron ore to be metal part using casting process. Die casting is a part of manufacturing process especially in automotive industries for engine of vehicle production process. this research will be focus on casting process, Ferro Casting Ductile (FCD). In this research using material steel HDF 12 Material, in this process production Magnesium, Pig Iron, Scrap, Silicon, Carburizer, Inoculant and Slagtol. Manufacturing process is melting process of all raw material using temperature (melting point) at 1100 - 1400 ºC. When Specimen finish to process production will be analyze using spicrometer and SM machine for check of characteristic material and structure for crack issue. The result show that after casting process, the HDF12 have composition rate iron (Fe) content, namely 93.37% and also carbon (C) 3.82% and silicon (Si) 2.31% after check using. As visual check after die casting, lower arm is there no any crack, flash, flow mark finding by visual check inspection result. SEM Measurement check result until 300μm the result show that no any finding crack issue and result of Tensile strength of material Lower Arm upper limit is 433Kgf/cm2 and lower limit is 420 Kgf/cm and Elongation is 32%.

Performance Evaluation of Overcurrent Relay and Ground Fault Relay Coordination in Distribution Feeder

Reliable and sustainable electrical distribution systems require effective protection measures against internal and external disturbances, especially short-circuit disturbances, to avoid damage to the equipment. Overcurrent relays (OCR) and ground fault relays (GFR) play an important role in the safety of the distribution network. To improve performance, evaluation of relay coordination is essential. During the short circuit, the nearest relay to the fault point is activated first and the backup relay is activated if the fault current exceeds the adjustment of the main relay. Coordination ensures that timely signaling is sent to interrupt the circuit. Inspection of the OCR relay revealed that it did not comply with the IEC 60255 standard and consequently adjusted the classification time to 0.402 seconds. Similarly, the results of the GFR relay inspection did not meet the standards and required an adjustment of the evaluation time to 0.492 seconds. Resolving these deviations is crucial to maintaining the reliability and compliance of the distribution network with industry standards, ensuring that the protection relays respond quickly and effectively to disturbances, thereby preventing possible damage to equipment

Automatic flaw detection in sectoral scans using machine learning

Phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) requires highly trained and qualified personnel to interpret and analyze images. It takes a solid understanding of wave propagation physics to comprehend the generated images. As such, the inspector's judgment and level of experience have a significant impact on the analysis's outcome. In addition, the procedure is prone to error and laborious. AI had shown to be effective in computer vision in a variety of classification and detection tasks. Regarding PAUT, studies have also demonstrated that machine learning may be able to identify defects with a level of accuracy that is on par or even superior to that of trained and qualified inspectors. Nonetheless, the use of computer vision in PAUT remains very limited. The primary cause of this is the challenge accessing large databases of labelled inspections. In fact, a considerable amount of training data is required for machine learning. While it is easy to access sizeable, labelled databases of MRI scans or photographs for instance, that is not the case in PAUT because inspection results are usually confidential. In this project, a large database was generated using mock-ups commonly used to train and evaluate inspectors. The different defects contained in these mock-ups were used to train a machine learning model. The data was acquired with several different probes centered at different frequencies. Each acquisition was performed using Full Matrix Capture (FMC). The post-processing of the data contained in the FMC allows to compute any sectoral scan from its focal laws. As a result, a comprehensive database composed of hundreds of thousands of sectoral scans was generated from these few FMC acquisitions. The completeness of this database facilitated robust training of a defect detection model for PAUT sectoral scans. The evaluation of the model demonstrated its ability to generalize even to defect types it had never been trained on. Furthermore, the detection performance remained consistent even in high noise conditions where the Contrast-to-Noise Ratio (CNR) was very low.

A spectral assessment for instant preliminary evaluation of structures after seismic events

This article introduces a simple, efficient spectral-based approach for rapid preliminary seismic assessment of earthquake-affected structures. Performance is validated using data from three highly earthquake-affected structures in New Zealand, where visual inspection with subjective outcomes missed damage, resulting in inaccurate and delayed decisions with significant social and economic losses. The three structures considered include (1) the instrumented Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) building; (2) the un-instrumented Queensgate Mall (QM) Complex; and (3) the un-instrumented Canterbury Television (CTV) building. This study uses these cases to highlight the importance of structural health monitoring (SHM) instrumentation and reliable quantified post-earthquake assessment methods in earthquake-prone areas, where each damaging earthquake and subsequent further-damaging aftershocks demand continuous monitoring to continuously assess damage and life safety risk. The simple, low-cost spectral analyses in this study clearly show the existence of damage and deterioration not fully discovered with standard visual inspection methods. This outcome highlights the importance of sensor networks and SHM instrumentation so quantitative, post-event analysis can rapidly augment and target further, more subjective visual inspection results.

Evaluation of typical rail defects by induction thermography: experimental results and procedure for data analysis during high-speed laboratory testing

ABSTRACT Rail inspection via non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques is a critical area of research in the railway industry, significantly affecting transport safety and security. Conventional NDT methods face limitations in on-site applications, with emerging techniques improving defect detectability and inspection speed. Recent advances have highlighted infrared thermography, particularly induction thermography, as a promising alternative due to its non-contact, full-field capabilities for detecting both surface and subsurface rail defects. This study explores induction thermography in detecting key defects such as transversal cracks and head checks in different rail tracks. Novel approaches and procedure for data reconstruction that enhance the thermographic inspection results and allow for dynamic testing conditions are proposed. Additionally, the potential for high-speed on-site applications was investigated, utilizing infrared mirrors and optimally shaped coils. Various test parameters, including geometrical resolution, excitation power, and inspection speed up to 20 km/h, were systematically examined.

Risk Assessment of Mamak Dam Based on The ICOLD Modification Method and Risk Index Method

The Mamak Dam has the risk of damage and the need for evacuation at an extreme downstream level. Risk considerations are based on the potential natural disasters of the dam, the impact of dam failure, design loads, and safety coefficients. The Risk Index method results in a score with parameters such as spillway capacity adequacy, safety factor adequacy against slopes, disaster factor (hazard), and all parameters analyzed to determine the Dam Safety Index (Idam). The drawback of the Risk Index method is neglecting downstream failure analysis. The ICOLD modification method for parameters is the same as the Risk Index method, but the ICOLD method considers downstream analysis. The modification involves adding parameters, such as the condition of the dam slope cover layer, based on the Mamak Dam Large Inspection results. In the Risk Index method, the Idam calculation value is 262.5. The total risk index value for Mamak Dam is 51.73, with a dam safety value of 92.337. In the ICOLD method, the Idam calculation value is 245, with a total risk index value for Mamak Dam of 48.28 and a Dam Safety value of 92.848. Meanwhile, using the Modified ICOLD method, the Idam calculation value is 245, with a total risk index value for Mamak Dam of 49.93 and a Dam Safety value of 92.603. Based on these results, the Dam Safety value with the Modified ICOLD method has decreased but still falls within the satisfactory classification (>75). Therefore, it can be concluded that Mamak Dam is currently at a safe level against normal loads and extraordinary loads (design floods and design earthquakes).

Data Driven and Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation Based Submarine Cable Health State Assessment

—Health state assessment is of great importance to ensure the safe and stable operation of submarine cables. Submarine cables have composite structural characteristics and work in complex and influential environments, which hinders manual inspection, arouses difficulties in maintenance, and causes challenges on health state assessment. To this end, a data driven and fuzzy synthetic evaluation based submarine cable health state assessment method is proposed in this paper. Firstly, following the technical guidelines of submarine cable health state assessment, dynamic submarine cable online monitoring data and static data including periodic preventive test and operation inspection results are integrated to build a three-layer index system. In addition, long and short-term memory (LSTM) neural network based ultra-short-term prediction models are built to obtain the predictions of online monitoring indices. On this basis, together with the static data, a fuzzy synthetic evaluation method is used to establish a two-stage state evaluation process to obtain the multi-period health states of submarine cables. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified with an actual submarine cable from an offshore platform in an oilfield of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

Improvement of Methods and Devices for Multi-Parameter High-Voltage Testing of Dielectric Coatings

Currently, the high voltage testing method is widely used to detect pinholes and porosity defects in dielectric coatings. However, most modern coatings also have requirements for the minimum allowable coating thickness. Conducting tolerance tests on the thickness of dielectric coatings concurrently along with monitoring integrity within a single technological process appears promising. Additionally, mitigating the impact of various interfering parameters is crucial. This paper conducts a theoretical and experimental examination of spark formation processes in both gas and dielectrics. This analysis takes place during the identification of both through and non-through defects in dielectric coatings on conductive substrates. The principles of selecting the test voltage for the investigated dielectric coatings, considering the need to detect both through defects and inadmissible thinning, are theoretically and experimentally justified. It is suggested to utilize a probabilistic approach for evaluating the detectability of the mentioned defects. It is demonstrated that, when the dielectric strength of the coating is known, it is feasible to identify both through and non-through defects in coatings with a calculated probability under a specified test voltage. The conditions of occurrence of partial discharges in the process of testing are investigated, and measures to suppress their influence on the inspection results are proposed. The influence of the substrate surface roughness on the magnitude of the breakdown voltage during testing is considered.