Types Of Equipment Research Articles

Multi-objective optimization and improvement of multi-energy combined cooling, heating and power system based on system simplification

The multi-objective optimization of combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) systems typically focuses on optimizing objective functions that consider energy, environmental, and economic factors. However, the implementation of optimization solutions, which is related to decision variables, is often overlooked. This paper proposes a novel improved optimization method based on system simplification by reorganizing, re-optimizing and re-selecting the initial optimized population to improve decision variables. And created algorithm pseudocode. The improved algorithm is adopted to perform multi-objective optimization on the established multi-energy CCHP system. The hypervolume of the improved/original algorithm is 0.9770/0.9887, with only a 1.18% difference. The optimization results of the improved algorithm and the original algorithm are equal in the minimum values of the net present value (NPV) and fossil energy consumption (FEC), which are 2.26 × 107$ and 1.21 × 105GJ, respectively. There is only 1.4% difference in the carbon dioxide emissions (CDE). The number of equipment types corresponding to the decision variables of the improved algorithm is reduced from 8 to 4, significantly simplifying the systems. The proposed improved optimization method can harness the local energy-saving potential and comprehensively analyze optimization solutions in terms of energy, economy, and environment. It also obtains simplified systems to promote the implementation of the project.

Prospective Evaluation of the Cost of Performing Breast Imaging Examinations Using a Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing Method: A Single-Center Study.

Measuring the cost of performing breast imaging is difficult in healthcare systems. The purpose of our study was to evaluate this cost using time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) and to evaluate cost drivers for different exams. An IRB-approved, single-center prospective study was performed on 80 female patients presenting for breast screening, diagnostic or biopsy exams from July 2020 to April 2021. Using TDABC, data were collected for each exam type. Included were full-field digital mammography (FFDM), digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM), US and MRI exams, and stereotactic, US-guided and MRI-guided biopsies. For each exam type, mean cost and relative contributions of equipment, personnel and supplies were calculated. Screening MRI, CEM, US, DBT, and FFDM costs were $249, $120, $83, $28, and $30. Personnel was the major contributor to cost (60.0%-87.0%) for all screening exams except MRI where equipment was the major contributor (62.2%). Diagnostic MRI, CEM, US, and FFDM costs were $241, $123, $70, and $43. Personnel was the major contributor to cost (60.5%-88.6%) for all diagnostic exams except MRI where equipment was the major contributor (61.8%). Costs of MRI-guided, stereotactic and US-guided biopsy were $1611, $826, and $356. Supplies contributed 40.5%-49.8% and personnel contributed 30.7%-55.6% to the total cost of biopsies. TDABC provides assessment of actual costs of performing breast imaging. Costs and contributors varied across screening, diagnostic and biopsy exams and modalities. Practices may consider this methodology in understanding costs and making changes directed at cost savings.

Train schedule optimization for commuter-metro networks

The interconnection and synchronization among different transport modes have been more and more attractive as the modern transportation system is moving towards Mobility-as-a-Service. In this study, we address the train scheduling problem for “commuter rail-metro” systems, where the trains from commuter rail lines can go directly into metro systems to provide seamless services for passengers. To optimize the schedule of trains for both commuter rail lines and metro lines, we propose a job shop scheduling model where precedence constraints from commuter-metro networks are taken into account and develop a mixed-integer programming (MIP) model with quadratic constraints. Our model considers the orders of different types of trains and the safety constraints, due to different types of signalling equipment in commuter and metro systems. Since these constraints involve a set of IF-THEN rules, we prove that these constraints can be equivalently reformulated as linear inequalities, without adding new variables. To solve the proposed model efficiently, we design an iterative solution framework, which generates a feasible solution using dynamic programming, next solves a MIP model, then calculates the train speed profiles, and if train speed profiles violate the safety constraints, re-optimizes the MIP model with modified alternative constraints. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed approaches, numerical experiments are performed on small and real-world instances based on the Beijing metro Line 1 and the Batong Line operational data.

Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in bottom ashes generated by small-scale thermal treatment furnaces for domestic waste in villages and towns of China.

Small-scale Solid Waste Thermal Treatment (SSWTT) is prevalent in remote Chinese locations. However, the ecological threats associated with heavy metals in resultant bottom ash remain undefined. This research study scrutinized such ash from eight differing sites, assessing heavy metal content, chemical form, and leaching toxicity. Most bottom ash samples met soil contamination standards for development land (GB36600-2018). However, levels of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in some samples exceeded agricultural land standards GB15618-2018) by 1591%, 64,478%, 1880%, 3886%, 963%, 1110%, and 2011% respectively. Additionally, the As and Cd contents surpassed the construction land control limit value by 383% and 13% respectively. The mean values of the combined oxidizable and residual fraction (F3 + F4) for each heavy metal in all samples exceeded 65%, with Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb reaching over 95%. All sample leaching concentrations, obtained via the HJ/T 299 procedure, were less than limits set by the identification standards for hazardous wastes (GB5085.3-2007). However, only the leaching concentrations of three samples via the leaching procedure HJ/T 300 met the "Solid Waste Landfill Pollution Control Standard" (GB 16889-2008). The results indicate that the location and type of SSWTT equipment play a crucial role in determining an appropriate solution for bottom ash management.

Modeling and control of the linear actuator for the lower limb rehabilitation device

In recent years, the number of stroke patients has increased, which has led to an increased need for motor rehabilitation exercises. The application of automation devices in the rehabilitation of patients is becoming increasingly developed. These devices help reduce the patient training time and workload. Each type of equipment uses different actuators such as electric motors, pneumatic cylinders, and hydraulic cylinders. Different from previous studies, in this paper, a research model of lower extremity rehabilitation devices using a simple actuator which is a linear actuator is presented. The main contribution of this study is that a dynamic model of the linear actuator associated with the action dynamics of the lower extremities of the studied model with three degrees of freedom was established. A mathematical model for this actuator is also presented, simulating the response of the mechanism using the MATLAB/Simulink software. A lower extremity rehabilitation device using a linear actuator was manufactured and tested. The test results for 10 volunteers show that the actuator works and causes miniature angle errors. This experiment demonstrates that the linear actuator can be used in stroke patient rehabilitation equipment and contributes to the diversification of the mechanism in automation equipment.

A Comparative Analysis of Two-Phase Flow Boiling Heat Transfer Coefficient and Correlations for Hydrocarbons and Ethanol

This study will present a comprehensive review of the two-phase flow boiling heat transfer coefficient of hydrocarbons such as propane (R-290), butane (R-600), iso-butane (R-600a), and ethanol at various experimental conditions. Studying the multiphase flow heat transfer coefficient is crucial for many types of heat transfer equipment to achieve higher efficiency for more compact design and cost reduction. One reason we chose hydrocarbons as refrigerants in this study is that they are of an ozone depletion potential equal to zero (ODP = 0) and a deficient level of direct global warming potential (GWP = 3). Moreover, hydrocarbons’ thermodynamic and thermophysical characteristics qualify them to be a strong candidate for more heat transfer applications, initially, by constructing a database for the working fluids using multiple existing experimental work. The current data that this study have collected for the flow boiling spans a wide range of parameters, such as mass flux, heat flux, operating pressure, saturation temperature, etc. Furthermore, by comparing the experimental multiphase heat transfer coefficient database with the anticipated values of each correlation, the prediction performance of 26 correlations found in the literature was assessed. This study allows the best prediction method to be selected based on the minimum deviation of predicted results from the experimental database provided based on the mean absolute error (MAE) calculated from the assessed correlations. The conclusions of such a study can also be helpful for developing more accurate correlation methods for these fluids and improving the prediction of their flow boiling characteristics.

Experimental Study of the TVOC Distribution in a Car Cabin

The vehicle in-cabin is subject to several types of pollutants infiltrating from the outdoors or emitted directly inside it, such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The concentration of TVOC (total volatile organic compounds) is the result of the emission from different equipment surfaces that compose the car cabin. In the present study, the experimental characterization of TVOC emission from the interior surfaces of a car cabin is discussed by considering the influence of two parameters: the temperature and ventilation modes. A measurement location grid was used to measure TVOC’s emissions from 267 points on all surfaces of the car’s interior equipment. Three different temperatures and two ventilation modes (recirculation and outdoor air) were investigated. The results indicate that the concentration of TVOC increases with the temperature inside the cabin with a contribution that varies with the type of cabin equipment including the dashboard, center console, seats, and carpets. On the other hand, the concentration distributions of TVOC showed relative differences of 10–13% and 2–5% for surface and volumetric measurements, respectively. This implies no preferential positioning of the in-cabin probe for TVOC volumetric concentration measurements. In addition, the recirculation ventilation mode results in a higher accumulation of TVOC; therefore, higher concentrations are measured.

The Effectiveness of a Novel Air-Barrier Device for Aerosol Reduction in a Dental Environment: Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation.

The use of equipment such as dental handpieces and ultrasonic tips in the dental environment has potentially heightened the generation and spread of aerosols, which are dispersant particles contaminated by etiological factors. Although numerous types of personal protective equipment have been used to lower contact with contaminants, they generally do not exhibit excellent removal rates and user-friendliness in tandem. To solve this problem, we developed a prototype of an air-barrier device that forms an air curtain as well as performs suction and evaluated the effect of this newly developed device through a simulation study and experiments. The air-barrier device derived the improved design for reducing bioaerosols through the simulation results. The experiments also demonstrated that air-barrier devices are effective in reducing bioaerosols generated at a distance in a dental environment. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that air-barrier devices in dental environments can play an effective role in reducing contaminating particles.

An analysis of the status of diagnostic radiology equipment in China

ObjectiveTo analyze the current situation of diagnostic radiology equipment in Chinese mainland and to understand changes in the past 20 years, including gaps with other countries, in order to provide a scientific basis for the government to formulate relevant policies and regulations, and supplement Chinese data for international organizations. MethodsThis survey adopted a uniformly designed questionnaire, which was completed by the investigators or the respondents. The survey was distributed to all medical institutions that provided diagnostic radiology services in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, excluding Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and military, China. ResultsThe survey showed that in the past 20 years, the number of medical institutions and diagnostic radiology equipment per million population in China has increased substantially. Dental radiology equipment increased nine-fold, and mammography equipment and computed tomography scanners showed a nearly five-fold increase. The four types of diagnostic radiology equipment, general diagnostic, fluoroscopic, mammography, and computed tomography, were associated with the population. Dental radiology equipment and bone mineral densitometers were related only to the gross domestic product (GDP). A large gap remains in the diagnostic radiology equipment per million population between China and the equipment of health-care level (HCL) I countries. ConclusionsAn imbalance in the number of units of diagnostic radiology equipment per million population was observed in the different regions, China. Various types of diagnostic radiology equipment, especially mammography equipment and computed tomography scanners, need to be deployed to meet the medical needs of different populations.

Multi-objective optimization and parametric study of a hybrid waste gasification system integrated with reverse osmosis desalination

The increasing population has created two fundamental issues on the islands (in this case, Kish Island): an expansion in waste production and handling and a rise in the need for freshwater for daily consumption. Waste gasification can be used to reduce waste and generate energy. Sea salt water can be converted into drinkable freshwater using energy. This article describes a computational code using a combination of EES (Engineering Equation Solver) and MATLAB software for a hybrid cycle that includes waste gasification and reverse osmosis to generate freshwater and power. Kish Island waste data was carefully collected onsite. An exergy evaluation has been conducted to verify the cycle's irreversibility. Lastly, optimization has been performed to identify the best operation mode. In terms of irreversibility, a gasifier is far more irreversible than any other type of plant equipment. Based on the parametric analysis, salt water and waste flow significantly impact freshwater production. Approximately 20,000 m3/day are consumed on Kish Island each day, so if the entire production power of the steam turbine is used in the reverse osmosis high-pressure pump, 2860 m3/day can be obtained each day (14% of the required amount).

Pemberdayaan UMKM Alat Permainan Edukatif Terdampak Pandemi di Wonorejo

The Community Partnership Program "Empowerment of UMKM Empowerment of Educational Game Tools Affected by a Pandemic in Wonorejo" aims to increase the competitiveness of fostered partners in facing a wider market. The first partner for this community service activity is UKM APE Otak-atik, this UKM has a segmentation in the general public as well as book and stationery shops located in the Wonorejo area, Karanganyar Regency, Central Java. The potential for developing APE products (Educative Game Tools) is still very wide open. Limited human resource capabilities, business networks, and limitations in the number and type of equipment prevent partners from taking advantage of existing opportunities. After the assistance is given, it is hoped that the partners will be able to become more resilient craftsmen. Partners can develop the design, production, market, and selling value of products, to increase family income, then absorb more labor from the surrounding community. This community service activity was carried out for eight months. Activities carried out in the form of; equipment grants for the use of production equipment with appropriate technology, management training, and online sales training. After getting a touch of good design, good management, modernization of production equipment, promotional media, and online sales, it is expected to be able to increase the competitiveness of partners in facing the free market.

Prevalence and determinants of safety equipment use: Analysis from a national dataset of law enforcement officers in the US

This study investigates the rates of law enforcement officers’ (LEOs) consistent use of body armor, seat belts and reflective vests, and the relationship between officer and agency characteristics and the likelihood of consistent use of safety equipment with data from a nationally representative sample of close to 3000 LEOs in the US. Descriptive analyses were conducted to assess the national prevalence of officers’ consistent use of safety equipment. Three separate multivariable logistic regression models were fit to test relationships between the agency and officer characteristics and LEO use for the three types of safety equipment: body armor, seat belts, and reflective vests. Although most agencies had written policies mandating the on-duty use of safety equipment, only two-thirds of the officers reported consistent use of body armor and seat belts, and only one-third reported consistent use of reflective vests. Significant associations were observed between agency and officer characteristics and safety equipment use, illustrating the importance of targeted efforts to improve consistency in LEOs’ safety equipment use.

Crate consolidation and standardization using lean manufacturing systems

This project was sponsored by a world-class leader in agriculture and construction equipment for nearly 200 years, hereafter referred to as Industrial Sponsor. The Sponsor’s five main brands consist of farm machinery, agriculture equipment, tractors, and various types of construction equipment. The machinery supplied by the Industrial Sponsor varies from tractors, harvesters, seeders, fertilizers, and field cultivators. For this project, a senior design team was assigned to work with the disc harrow product group at the Industrial Sponsor facility. The project scope had 3 problems: a) a large variety of crates which resulted in high pack-out times and material costs, b) an inefficient standard crate packing process due to an unorganized inventory storage area, and c) an incorrect number of parts packed in standard crates relative to the sales order. To address these problems, a variety of data sources, analysis tools, and experimental designs were employed to understand the current state, identify the risks and issues, improve the processes, and develop recommendations. Furthermore, simulations were conducted to determine the increase in efficiency based on the proposed inventory storage area. A reorganization of inventory and the use of the spaghetti diagram improved travel distance efficiency by 88 % for stationary crates and 98 % for moving crates. Yamazumi's analysis showed an improvement of 31 % in efficiency among experienced workers, compared to 0 % for new hires. The future state with a stationary crate showed an increase in efficiency of 76 % due to a significant reduction in walking distance, and the future state with a moving crate showed an increase of 86 %. In order to reduce recurring shipping errors, Kanban cards and poka-yoke systems were recommended. In addition to the variation of crates, the team identified other areas for improvement within the standard crate area, such as safety issues. This was accomplished by conducting a safety risk assessment. Finally, an implementation plan was developed to summarize and explain the process that the Industrial Sponsor would implement to fix existing inefficiencies in its crate packing operations.

Target detection of substation electrical equipment from infrared images using an improved faster regions with convolutional neural network features algorithm

The failure of substation equipment can cause incalculable losses to the economy and power consumption of the whole country. The use of infrared images is a powerful tool to obtain equipment temperature, which can then be used directly to diagnose substation equipment without stopping the operation of the equipment. In this paper, the authors focus on the correct identification of different types of electrical equipment from the infrared images. An improved faster regions with convolutional neural network features (faster R-CNN) algorithm is proposed, which shows very high detection accuracy for substation equipment. Firstly, the backbone of the faster R-CNN is optimised. A new network, the ResNet-30 network, is designed to reduce the redundancy of the ResNet-34 network and increases the proportion of residual blocks in the network in the previous stages. Next, the deep receptive field is combined with the shallow receptive field of the network and a double-shortcut structure with a large convolutional kernel is proposed. This enhances the ability of network feature extraction. A cross-channel shortcut is proposed at the channel transition of the network based on the channel number relationship between the dual-shortcut structures. Finally, the proposed method is compared with faster R-CNNs whose backbones are ResNet-50 plus a feature pyramid network (ResNet-50+FPN), you only look once v3 plus spatial pyramid pooling (YOLOv3+SPP) and a single-shot multibox detector (SSD). The results show that the improved model not only has a smaller number of parameters and low requirements for graphics processing unit (GPU) equipment, but also has the highest mean average precision (mAP) for mostly substation equipment in the test-set. This lays a foundation for fault diagnosis of substation equipment in the future.

Machine learning in Directed Energy Deposition (DED) additive manufacturing: A state-of-the-art review

Directed Energy Deposition (DED) has become very popular for repair and rapid prototyping in metal manufacturing industries. However, as an anisotropic and defect-prone process, DED’s versatility and usability are currently limited. Machine Learning (ML) has been introduced to various Additive Manufacturing (AM) fields due to its functional ability to recognize complex process-structure–property (PSP) relationships. Yet, it has only been heavily employed in applications of DED very recently. Therefore, this work focuses on describing the different aspects related to DED in terms of ML and put forward a novel approach to summarize the different applications of ML approaches in DED. The methodology intends to catalog the three main aspects of the whole scenario, such as understanding the current problem domain of DED concerning the intricate phenomena and desired outcomes, visualizing the data stream, and finally, determining the suitable ML approach for the problem. This paper provides a state-of-art review of the defined problem domain based on properties, quality, defects, and process optimization, a list of external sensors, equipment, and material type required for the experiments, the ML approaches such as Supervised and Unsupervised learning with suitable algorithms and the available data types, as well as an initial detailed groundwork to provide an insight for the prospects of DED.

User-Friendly Public-Key Authenticated Encryption With Keyword Search for Industrial Internet of Things

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) incorporates massive physical devices to collect ambient data. Due to the limited types of equipment in IIoT, most of the data has to be saved on a cloud server before it can be processed and analyzed. The ciphertext generated by traditional encryption techniques is difficult to search in subsequent use. Public-key Encryption with Keyword Search (PEKS) can provide data encryption as well as confidential searching, but traditional PEKS schemes are susceptible to internal keyword guessing attacks (IKGA) caused by the limited space of commonly-used keywords. To address this issue, the cryptographic primitive of Public-key Authenticated Encryption with Keyword Search (PAEKS) was proposed, while most of the existing schemes are not appropriately applied to IIoT for involving time-consuming bilinear pairing operations. In this paper, we first propose a user-friendly PAEKS scheme that totally circumvents bilinear pairing operations during generating keyword ciphertext and trapdoor. Then we prove its multi-ciphertext indistinguishability and trapdoor privacy based on decisional q-ABDHE and CDH assumptions in the random oracle model together with conducting the theoretical and experimental comparisons. The results show that the computational overhead of our proposal is significantly reduced comparing with most existing classical PAEKS schemes without causing other communication costs or security loss. Due to its better performance and security, our scheme is better suited for lightweight devices in the IIoT.

Simulation of slotting conditions on irrigated lands in the south of Russia under increasing climate change

The article considers the results of numerical studies on the improvement of existing tillage tools, namely, the improvement of the technical parameters of the furrower, which will improve the water-physical properties of irrigated lands in southern Russia with increasing climate change. Every year, the areas of irrigated land are reduced as they are exposed to natural (for example, rains; floods; surface runoff; diversity of soil cover, the influence of micro- and macrorelief) and anthropogenic (for example, non-compliance with irrigation norms, crop rotation composition, soil cultivation rules; introducing incorrect doses of fertilizers; exclusion of technological operations in order to save resources) factors. In this regard, the solution to the problem of preserving the agro-resource potential of the lands is relevant, and its solution guarantees the food security of Russia. Numerical modeling of dangerous loadings of the technical parameters of the slotter-furrower has been carried out, the types and types of equipment have been selected, their parameters have been calculated, as well as the organization and technology of tillage processes.

Comparative Assessment of Detecting Bacterial Populations on the Surface of Medical Equipment in ICU by Standard Microbial Culture and Nanosensor

Background: A healthy, clean, and secure environment is necessary for the hospital, one of the fundamental foundations of the nation’s healthcare system, to function well and sustain the general well-being of society. Timely detection of contaminated surfaces and efficient and timely disinfection will be helpful in hospital infection control.
 Objectives: The level of surface contamination of medical equipment in intensive care units was to be determined and compared as part of this research.
 Methods: Using standard microbial culture and nanosensors, the current study was conducted descriptively over one month, with a sample size of 400 cases on ten different types of medical equipment.
 Results: The findings showed that 66% of samples acquired using the nanosensor and 54.5% obtained using the culture medium were clean, and the rest were contaminated. The most prevalent microbes were also identified as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and salmonella, with 55.68%, 28.9%, and 23.86%, respectively.
 Conclusions: Both methods have the necessary precision to identify contamination reservoirs, and the contamination reported in both methods is similar to what was expected. So nanosensors can be utilized as a quick, precise, and affordable method when the aim is to identify the overall contamination rather than to differentiate between different types of bacteria.

An overview of PHA templates and checklists developed for a refining system and lessons learned

AbstractThe Chevron Refining organization has completed a multi‐year effort to create process hazard analysis (PHA) templates and checklists to improve the consistency and quality of PHAs. The goal of this study is to provide an overview of the content, development process, and lessons learned. The lessons learned included the following. Members of PHA teams and SMEs have differing experiences and perspectives on the risk of loss of containment, necessitating a standardized method for developing consequences and modifiers. Typical PHA teams (e.g., facilitator, process and/or design engineer, and operator) will have differing levels of engineering and operating experience, making a thorough understanding of the various types of equipment and processes in a typical refining unit impractical. PHA teams cannot realistically bring in SMEs on an as needed basis to aid with the analysis. Concerns that templated solutions might cause PHA teams to lose their creativity and focus only on the templates, and that templates might omit or incorrectly assess a hazard, have been outweighed by the benefits of the templates.

Establishing national diagnostic reference levels in radiography, mammography, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry services in Ireland and comparing these with European diagnostic reference levels.

The aim of this work was to establish national diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) in Ireland and compare these to existing European DRLs where available. This work surveyed all radiological facilities providing radiography, mammography, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) services in Ireland. A list of common procedures and clinical tasks was established. A national database of service providers was used to identify the appropriate medical radiological facilities providing these services. These facilities were issued with an online survey. National DRLs were set as the 75th percentile of the distribution of median values obtained. A national median dose was also established. The broad categorisation of equipment type was also considered. Where differences between DRLs established using different detector types were deemed statistically significant, equipment-specific national DRLs were established. National DRLs were established for 12 adult radiography projections. Equipment-specific (computed radiography and digital radiography) adult DRLs were established for four radiography projections. Paediatric DRLs were established for 11 radiography projections, including two based on clinical indications, for a range of paediatric weight categories. National DRLs were established for unilateral two-view mammography and breast tomosynthesis as well as for four DXA clinical indications and projections. All but one Irish DRL figure was found to be below or equal to European data. This work provided a unique opportunity to establish national DRLs based on census data for a range of procedures and clinical tasks across radiography, mammography and DXA and compare these with European levels. This work established national diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) based on census data for a range of procedures and clinical tasks across radiography, mammography and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. The establishment of national DRLs is an essential component in the optimisation of patient radiation dose. • Diagnostic reference levels are easily measured quantities intended for use as an aid to optimise patient dose and to identify when levels of patient dose are unusually high. • Data from all medical radiological facilities in Ireland was obtained to establish national diagnostic reference level (DRL) values and national median dose values in radiography, x-ray breast imaging and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning and these were compared to existing European DRLs where available. • National DRL values were established for the first time in breast tomosynthesis, DXA scanning, and paediatric radiography.