Inspection Results Research Articles

Data Science to Determine Mechanical Properties of Low Carbon Steel During In-Process Inspections

Carbon steel is a widely used category of engineering metal, mainly due to its attractive mechanical and fabrication properties and low cost. The chemical composition, physical parameters, and mechanical properties of carbon steel are maintained as per the specified standards, and local steel should be complied with Sri Lankan Standard 375: 2009. Generally, the chemical composition is tested during melt stages, and mechanical properties are tested for finished products. Since it is necessary to ensure products comply with the standard, mechanical properties are tested during in-process inspections as well. When the results are not within the acceptable range, a considerable amount of production has to be rejected, causing a loss to the manufacturers. If the results of the in-process inspection are instant, it will help make suitable adjustments to process conditions and thereby prevent rejection of products, while reducing quality assurance costs, as well. Therefore, the objective of this study is to predict tensile properties with chemical composition, as input variables, to be used for in-process inspections. Forty mechanical test reports were collected from a steel manufacturing factory for 12 mm diameter, thermo-mechanically treated (TMT) steel bars. Each test report is of 15 samples from the respective batch, and consists of corresponding chemical composition and physical parameters. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to each batch, using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, to predict yield strength (YS), ultimate tensile strength (UTS), elongation at break (EB) with carbon equivalent value (CEQ) and percentage of Sulphur as inputs. Relationships between variables were not significant, even though those relationships can be used to predict tensile properties. The predictions may not be reliable, due to the limited conditions of the study and assumptions made. It is therefore recommended to apply multivariate regression analysis or Artificial Neural Network (ANN) techniques, with other chemical elements, process temperature and water flow rate etc. also as input variables. KEYWORDS: Chemical composition, In-process inspection, Low carbon steel, Multiple linear regression analysis, Tensile properties

Sources of Indoor Air Pollution in Schools in Kosovo

There is increasing scientific evidence of the adverse health effects of indoor exposure to a collective mixture of chemicals in children. People spend 80–90% of their time indoors, breathing air that is often even more polluted than the air outside. This study presents results of school inspection and sampling of selected chemical pollutants—formaldehyde, benzene, and nitrogen dioxide—in classrooms and outdoors in ten schools in Kosovo, conducted by the National Institute of Public Health and the WHO. Nitrogen dioxide and benzene were most affected by outdoor concentrations and were too high in at least one school (NO2: >80 µg/m3, benzene: 1–2 µg/m3). Formaldehyde was significantly higher indoors than outdoors and higher in newer schools than older ones, but overall levels were not alarming (maximum around 20 µg/m3). CO2 levels during class indicated insufficient ventilation. The temperatures were occasionally too high during the cold season. This not only results in unnecessary energy wastage but also too low relative humidity. Improvements in air circulation and temperature control, as well as the identification and elimination of certain sources of pollution would improve the health and learning of school children.

EyeGlove for Inspection and Measurement in Confined Environments

A novel wearable vision system is proposed in this article. The wearable system contains a vision glove (EyeGlove) and a wearable display unit, which assists operators with inspection and measurement in confined environments. Three microcameras and an artificial fiducial marker are integrated on the index and middle fingers of the EyeGlove with disjointed camera configurations. Operators can achieve complex camera configurations and movements by using their dexterous hands while wearing the EyeGlove. The wearable vision system distinguishes itself by having two different functions, of which the inspection function uses one or two cameras to inspect in confined environments. For the measurement function, all three cameras and the artificial marker are used to identify object dimensions. Two of the three cameras form a stereovision system with disjointed camera configurations and variable baselines. The third camera and the artificial marker are used to determine the variable baseline in real-time. Inspection and measurement results are presented by the wearable display unit onto a virtual display. To make the wearable vision system adapt to dark environments, three auxiliary LED lights are integrated adjoining the three cameras. Experiments are conducted in both bright and dark environments to verify the measurement accuracy with an average relative error ≤ 5.0%. Furthermore, experiments are also conducted in the confined turbine engine combustor to verify its potential application in industrial environments.

CARCASSES AND OFFAL CONDEMNATION AT KOM-ELNOUR ABATTOIR IN DAKAHLIA PROVINCE, EGYPT: MAJOR CAUSES AND ECONOMIC LOSS

An abattoir survey was conducted from October 2020 to September 2021 to identify the primary reasons for offal and carcass condemnation of slaughtered animals in Dakahlia province, Egypt, as well as to estimate their economic loss. During the survey, 643 animals (441 cattle, 178 buffalos, 19 camels, 4 sheep, and one goat) were submitted for antemortem and postmortem inspection. The results of both inspections were collected, analyzed, and the total economic loss was estimated by adding the condemnation of offal and carcasses over a twelve-month period. Retail prices for offal (liver, lung, heart, and tongue) and carcass prices per kg were obtained from local markets. Out of 643 animals slaughtered, 2 (0.31%) were totally condemned. In addition, postmortem inspection revealed that 217 (33.74%) livers, 158 (24.57%) lungs, 5 (0.78%) hearts, 14 (2.18%) heads, and 11(1.71%) tongues were condemned. Offal were condemned mainly due to pneumonia, fascioliasis, telangiectiasis, necrosis, and hydatidosis, whereas carcasses were rejected due to generalized tuberculosis. According to this study, the financial loss at the abattoir owing to carcass and organ condemnations was 244066 Egyptian Pounds over a twelve-month period (15746 USD). The incidence of meat rejection and subsequent financial loss was high compared to the amount of local revenue. The current study concluded that bacterial and parasitic diseases are still prevalent and cause significant economic damage in Dakahlia province, Egypt. This abattoir survey offered regional information on the principal reasons for carcass and organ condemnation in slaughtered animals, as well as an estimate of the direct economic consequences. Furthermore, the findings of the current work underlined the importance of developing an efficient monitoring system for meat condemnation and enforcing animal health strategies in Egypt.

Risk-based Regulation of Russian Universities: Risk Indicators and Their Use for State Control Purposes

The article is devoted to the identification and analysis of indicators of the risk of low-quality education in Russian universities. In 2021-2022, the approach to higher education inspections has changed significantly: accreditation monitoring has been introduced, it includes eight indicators. However, this monitoring was formed by the expert community, so the results of its testing in practice have yet to be analyzed. The purpose of this work is to identify risk factors for estimation the likelihood of violations of mandatory requirements by universities, and to develop recommendations for expanding the set of risk indicators included in accreditation monitoring. The main methods used in the work are methods of quantitative analysis, including econometric modeling. The novelty of the work is determined by the approach used: risk indicators are identified using a quantitative econometric analysis of data on the observed characteristics and results of inspections of Russian universities in 2015-2019. The results of the study indicate the possibility of supplementing the set of accreditation monitoring indicators. As additional indicators, first of all, various characteristics of research activities of universities can be used. Such a change in accreditation monitoring will increase its effectiveness as a preliminary assessment tool used in the implementation of a risk-based approach to state control. In cases where the assessment of even extended monitoring is ambiguous, the quantitative model proposed by the authors can be used.

Setting Adaptive Inspection Intervals in Helicopter Components, Based on a Digital Twin

Setting inspection intervals based on an accurate prediction of fatigue crack sizes is essential for sustaining the integrity of aeronautical structures. However, the fatigue crack growth and its prognosis are affected by various uncertainties, which makes the current inspection strategy with fixed intervals challenging in managing the aircraft with diverse damage states in a fleet. In this study, an intelligent crack inspection strategy is proposed based on a digital twin, in which a reduced-order fracture mechanics simulation methodology, a validated fatigue crack growth model, and the historical crack length inspection results are integrated into a dynamic Bayesian network. The proposed strategy uses two connected probabilistic processes, which conduct the diagnosis/prognosis and calculate the inspection intervals, respectively, to adaptively set the inspection intervals according to the updating of the digital twin model. The proposed inspection strategy is demonstrated by the various crack growth histories of a helicopter component and benchmarked against several baselines. The results show that the probability of failure can be kept below the threshold, even though the initial crack size and the crack growth parameters are underestimated in the prior distribution. Further applications on more realistic aircraft structures will be carried out in the future.

Integrity Assessment of Wall Distorted of Buried Gas Pipeline

In the oil and gas industry, the pipeline is the main mode to transport the product and can be applied for long-distance transportation; hence some pipe segments may be buried underground. Buckling as the main cause of pipeline deformation and failure is often found at the in-service buried pipeline during inspection activity. Changes in laying conditions such as design and operational parameters, human activity and geological movement can affect the redistribution of deformation that may lead to pipe buckling. This paper presents a methodology that integrates inspection results and finite element analysis for the distorted wall of the pipeline. Inspection reported anomaly cases of wall distorted at buried gas pipeline, and the result will be used to do stress analysis using finite element analysis. Three different conditions within the different treatment of bedding conditions were assessed: pipe buried on uncompacted soil, pipe buried with rock bedding, and pipe buried in compacted soil. The result shows that the deteriorated pipe can be considered acceptable when buried in compacted soil. This condition may be used for further action and consideration, such as a mitigation strategy to maintain the safety and integrity of the deteriorated pipe.

Acoustic Path Filtering for Improved Multimode Total Focusing Method Inspection

Total focusing method (TFM) is an ultrasonic testing (UT) technique that provides nondestructive testing (NDT) inspectors with new imaging modes, enabling more accurate detection, sizing, and representation of challenging defects. While TFM may offer convenient, nearly true-to-geometry imagery as the inspection result, it is often detrimentally affected by mode conversion artifacts. Current standards, such as ASME Section V, place the burden on the inspector to explain the origins of those artifacts, impacting the productivity and reliability of the inspection. A method enabling direct control of the ultrasonic wave propagation modes—that is, transverse wave (T) or longitudinal wave (L)—through each interface of the acoustic path is proposed and evaluated in this paper. This control is achieved after the full matrix capture acquisition by modulating, according to the desired propagation mode, the gain applied on the individual paths within the summation process. This leads to the formation of a Path-Filtered Total Focusing Method image. Empirical results on various use cases show considerable improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio through the almost complete elimination of signals originating from undesired paths.

Analysis and Simulation Study on a Fault of Service Duty Test of Vacuum On-load Tap Changer

Aiming at a fault on service duty test of vacuum on-load tap changer (OLTC), the principle of the resonance test method is analyzed. Combined with the voltage and current waveform measured and the standard switching sequence, the cause and process of the test fault are qualitatively deduced. Based on the theoretical analysis, the simulation model of the test circuit and fault is built based on PSCAD. The voltage and current waveforms obtained by simulation are highly consistent with the test waveforms. The error of peak current between the simulation and the test waveform is 0.75%. The simulation results show the accuracy of the theoretical analysis and modeling calculation, they are verified by the follow-up inspection results of OLTC and vacuum tube solution. This paper provides a powerful technical means for fault analysis and fault mechanism research in the follow-up OLTC operation. It also has reference and guiding significance for the quality control, design, operation and maintenance, and monitoring of vacuum OLTC.

Identifying crucial deficiency categories influencing ship detention: A method of combining cloud model and prospect theory

Port State Control (PSC), implemented by the port state authority, is an inspection regime to examine visiting foreign ships and detain substandard vessels. Many studies have explored the factors affecting ship detention to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of PSC inspection. However, these studies rarely consider the psychological behavior of decision-makers and the uncertainty of PSC inspection results. Therefore, this study aims to construct a comprehensive analysis framework to identify the critical deficiencies affecting ship detention decisions by combining the cloud model, criteria interaction through the inter-criteria correlation (CRITIC) method, and prospect theory. Specifically, the cloud model is utilized to deal with the uncertainty of PSC inspection results. Then the CRITIC method is applied to determine the weight of deficiency categories for describing the interdependent relationship among different deficiencies, and the prospect theory is introduced to reflect the psychological behavior of the decision-makers. Finally, we utilize the presented framework to analyze the PSC inspection data in the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Paris MoU to discern the crucial deficiencies impacting ship detention. The findings of this study provide a reference for port authorities to improve the ship inspection procedure while supporting shipowners selectively maintain ships to maximize cost-effectiveness. • We proposed a hybrid appraisal model identifying the crucial deficiency categories. • The psychological behavior of decision-makers is considered in the presented model. • The cloud model theory is used to handle the uncertainty of PSC inspection data. • The inter-dependency among deficiency categories is depicted by the CRITIC method.

전기설비 안전관리를 위한 무정전상태의 안전등급 적용방안 연구

The electrical safety management act stipulates the implementation of a safety class system for inspection that overcomes the pass-fail system to raise the class of safety management for electrical facilities. Because the conventional safety class system only applies to scheduled outage inspection of electrical facilities, difficulties arise in implementing uninterruptible inspection of electrical facilities. This paper proposes the method for applying a safety class system that utilizes the results of the uninterruptible inspection. To achieve this, the proposed method recalculates the weight factor based on the conventional inspection items and constructs safety class assessment items for the application of uninterruptible inspection results. The performance of the proposed method was investigated using periodic inspection data in real site. The results of the case study indicate that the proposed method can derive the safety class by performing an uninterruptible inspection compared to a safety class based interruptible inspection.

위성신호 취약구역 극복을 위한 GNSS-DR/INS 복합 항법 알고리즘

Recently, autonomous systems for inspection of facilities such as bridge and viaduct have been studied. To obtain precise facility inspection results, it is essential to proximity flight of the drone to facilities. And precise position information of the drone is required for proximity flight. However, when the drone approaches under the bridge, there are occurred the area where GNSS signal is denied by external factors such as multi-path and reduced number of satellites. In the environment that GNSS signal is denied, position information provided by the GNSS can suffer from significant errors, so GNSS position information is inaccurate. But the speed information provided by the GNSS has higher accuracy than position information. In this paper, we propose a GNSS-DR/INS integrated navigation algorithm using GNSS speed information for overcoming GNSS denial environment. The proposed algorithm used an adaptive measurement rule that determines measurement according to the quality of the GNSS signal. Through the experiment, it was confirmed that the proposed algorithm estimates stable position information in the GNSS signal weak area, and it was confirmed that the position accuracy of 73.03% was improved.

Evaluation of manufacturing defects in 3D printed carbon fiber reinforced cylindrical composite structure based on laser ultrasonic testing

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, has the advantages of rapid modeling of complex shapes and flexibility in design. Nowadays, 3D printing of continuous carbon fiber filaments based on material extrusion (ME) is drawing more attention owing to its advantages in shortening the traditional composite manufacturing process. However, in the 3D printing process, inherent defects occur owing to limitations of the ME-based 3D printing process itself. Because manufacturing defects can deteriorate structural performance, methods for visualizing and minimizing defects are required. In this study, defects in 3D printed cylindrical carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) specimens were evaluated using laser ultrasonic testing (LUT) based on the rotational scanning method. From the inspection results of two cylindrical specimens, it was verified that the LUT inspection system and the proposed method are suitable for detecting defects that occur inside the specimen. The process parameters affecting the occurrence of defects are identified through visualization and quantization of inspection results. Research on process parameters that minimize defects can be applied to the continuous fiber 3D printing of complex structures beyond cylindrical structures.

Premarital Medical Examination Organization: Does it have the Right to Inform the Abnormal Examination Results?

In January 2016, a piece of news spread widely across the media—a man injected HIV three months after his marriage because the Premarital Medical Examination Organization had not informed him that his wife was suspected of having AIDS. The organization said that unauthorized disclosure would violate the privacy rights of the parties. As the primary institution that knows the inspection results, when the results are abnormal, and the parties do not voluntarily fulfill the obligation of informing stipulated in Article 1053 of the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China, in order to balance the right to privacy and the right to know of the parties in such incidents, should the law add the corresponding obligation of informing? This paper refers to the classification of premarital medical examination in the Maternal and Infant Health Care Law and centers on Article 1053 of the Civil Code. It is suggested that a dual informing system should be established to combine personal and premarital medical examination organization. Plus, this paper presents that the formulation of infectious disease requirements that may infringe on the life and health of the other party and even the public interest should be compulsorily informed by the premarital medical examination organizations, and the secondary information should be advised by the doctor to inform the parties to do it voluntarily.

Binocular video-based 3D reconstruction and length quantification of cracks in concrete structures

In the past few years, image-based methods for crack inspection have been developed to reduce the cost of the manual crack inspection. However, current image-based methods usually obtain only localized planar crack detection results, while global location and three-dimensional (3D) geometric information of the crack is desired to evaluate the whole structure. In addition, automatic quantification of the actual sizes of all cracks in the global structure is a challenge to overcome. To address these issues, this paper develops an automated 3D reconstruction and length quantification framework for cracks in concrete structures based on binocular videos. In the proposed framework, a crack semantic 3D reconstruction method, combined with binocular visual simultaneous localization and mapping (VSLAM) and a high-performance segmentation network, is first proposed to achieve accurate crack 3D characterization and global localization. A 3D crack quantification method based on point cloud processing is also developed to accurately identify individual cracks on the global structure and quantify their lengths. Field tests are conducted on a concrete bridge to demonstrate the automated inspection framework, which shows high efficiency and practicability. The accuracy of crack detection and quantification of the proposed method is also validated against the results of manual inspection.

Prediction of sediment wear of francis turbine with high head and high sediment content

Wear of runner blades is a common problem affecting the operational reliability of turbines with high head and high sediment content. In order to accurately predict the wear of the turbine runner blade, based on the solid-liquid two-phase flow equation and turbulence model, the full channel numerical simulation of the internal water and sediment flow was carried out, and the sediment volume distribution and sand water velocity on the turbine runner blade were obtained. Then, according to the digital simulation results and the operating parameters of the turbine runner, the sediment wear test scheme for the turbine blade material specimen is designed, and the sediment wear test is carried out on the runner material. According to the test results, the sediment wear curve of runner blade material is obtained and applied to numerical simulation, and the main position and wear degree of turbine blade sediment erosion are predicted. The inspection results of the runner blade wear after the unit has operated for a flood season show that obvious wear can be seen at the outlet edge of the lower band of the runner blade, and the wear position and wear amount are basically consistent with the simulation values. The study is of great importance for predicting the wear of turbine runner blades with high drop height and high sediment content, and for turbine maintenance under complex conditions.

Accountability of Financial Management of Electoral Grant Funds (Study at the General Election Commission of North Sulawesi Province)

This study aims to reveal the accountability for the financial management of grant funds for the 2020 North Sulawesi Governor and Deputy Governor Election which is managed by the General Election Commission of North Sulawesi Province. Because in its management, problems were found that there were still a number of Claims for Compensation (TGR) for the utilization of the grant budget. This research uses a qualitative approach, descriptive method. Sources of information consist of Commissioners and the North Sulawesi Provincial General Election Commission financial management team. Data collection through interviews, observation and documentation studies. Data analysis through data reduction, data presentation and conclusions. This study used a qualitative research method with three stages of the data collection process, namely 1) the process of entering the research location, 2) the process at the research location, and 3) the data collection process. Data analysis techniques used are reduction, data presentation, and conclusion. Based on the research results obtained, it can be seen that Accountability for Financial Management of Grants for the 2020 Election of the Governor and Deputy Governor of North Sulawesi has not been carried out efficiently and effectively because there are still leaks as evidenced by the results of internal inspections, in this case the Indonesian KPU Inspectorate. Of the three indicators for measuring accountability used, it is known that this is due to the lack of commitment from all agencies involved in managing this grant to carry out each stage following the Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) that already exists and is known together as a guideline for carrying out tasks. Coupled with the still weak sanctions given for negligence/errors in carrying out tasks/activities, where the sanctions given are only in the form of letters of warning which are often made only to fulfill administration and are not actually conveyed to those concerned.

Impact of Internal Audit by an Adequate Internal Oversight Unit on PDAM Bondowoso Regency with Good Governance

The purpose of this research is to analyze the impact of Internal Audit by an Adequate Internal Oversight Unit on Regional Water Supply Companies in Bondowoso Regency with Good Governance. In this study, 36 samples of PDAM employees were taken from 40 questionnaires distributed. The research method used in this study is an analytical descriptive survey method using qualitative research. The results of this study indicate that internal audit, management of the implementation of inspection activities, follow-up activities on the results of inspections play a role in the realization of good corporate governance in PDAM Bondowoso Regency. Meanwhile, the independence, competence, and professionalism of an Internal Auditor for PDAM Bondowoso Regency did not contribute positively to the implementation of the Bondowoso Regency Water Supply Company with Good Governance. Based on the results of this study, the researchers tried to help by providing suggestions so that the Auditors (Internal Oversight Unit) at PDAM Bondowoso Regency were more independent by upholding an objective, independent and professional attitude. Bondowoso Regency should conduct testing and evaluation of the operationalization of the entire organization and operational audits that must be part of the Internal Auditor (SPI), this will help the company to achieve organizational goals, the role of the Internal Auditor (SPI) is not only as a supervisor, but also implementing overall inspection duties and tasks.

Mechanical safety of reinforced concrete structures at all stages of the life cycle

Ensuring the mechanical safety of operated buildings at all stages of the life cycle is an urgent task. This is especially important when planning major repairs and reconstruction in buildings, as well as determining the period of safe operation from the moment of the survey, i.e. clarification of the remaining service life. The total service life at the design stage is set by the customer and the general designer in accordance with the recommendations of GOST 27751-2014 «Reliability for constructions and foundations. General principles». Mechanical safety and durability are ensured when calculating structures using the limit state method, assigning protection measures depending on the operating conditions, as well as complying with the requirements of SP 255.1325800.2016 «Buildings and structures. Operating rules. General Provisions». A method for preliminary assessment of the mechanical safety of buildings and their structures is proposed for consideration, which eliminates some of the shortcomings of existing methods for calculating the residual life by physical wear (damage) of building structures based on the results of a visual inspection, the basis of which is the dependence of the allowable safe operation period on the percentage of reduced bearing capacity. It is proposed to use the results of a visual inspection performed in accordance with GOST 31937-2011 «Buildings and constructions. Rules of inspection and monitoring of the technical condition».

Motivation to Decrease Discharge Cost Results in Improper Discharge of Regulated Medical Wastes from Small Clinics: Inspectional and Statistical Evidence in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area.

Regulated medical waste (RMW) management, particularly, improper discharges of RMW from small-scale medical institutions (less than 20 sickbeds), has drawn attentions. This study investigated improper discharges of RMW containers from small clinics to analyze improper discharge mechanisms. Inspectional survey categorized improper discharges into improper sealing, container deformation, overweight, container contamination, container damaging, etc. The inspection surveys were performed from April 2018 to March 2019. In total, 2364 containers were inspected, which was equivalent to 64317 Litters in container volume and around 13.19 Mg in weight. About 38% of RMW containers were categorized to improper discharges. They consist mainly of improper sealing (67.0%), container deformation (24.6%), and overweight (6.31%). It was hypothesized that frequent RMW discharges allow short interval of container discharge, which prevents clinic staff from human errors due to forgetting and might reduce improper discharges. However, the inspection results rejected this hypothesis. The survey proposes that improper discharges were likely not sporadic events, which possibly occurred in any clinics, but repeated events in certain clinics. It was also hypothesized that saving discharge cost likely induced overpacking of RMW to containers, particularly larger volume containers, and caused improper sealing, container deformation, and eventually overweight. The inspection results and statistical analyses validated this hypothesis. This study also validated one more hypothesis that large compressive force required for complete sealing might cause improper sealing. The measurement results rejected it. However, they also suggest that gender and age of clinic staff might be partially associated with improper sealing. Improper discharges of RMW containers seem to be non-random events. Specific clinics likely repeat improper discharges using larger volume containers. It is proposed that decreasing discharge cost induces overpacking of RMW to containers, and causes subsequent problems like container deformation.