Flaw sizing in pipes using long-range guided wave testing

The absence of adequate inspection data from difficult-to-access areas on pipelines, such as cased-road crossings, makes determination of fitness for continued service and compliance with increasingly stringent regulatory requirements problematic. Screening for corrosion using long-range guided wave testing is a relatively new inspection technique. The complexity of the possible modes of vibration means the technique can be difficult to implement effectively but this also means that it has great potential for both detecting and characterizing flaws. The ability to determine flaw size would enable the direct application of standard procedures for determining fitness-for-service, such as ASME B31G, RSTRENG, or equivalent for tens of metres of pipeline from a single inspection location. This paper presents a new technique for flaw sizing using guided wave inspection data. The technique has been developed using finite element models and experimentally validated on 6'' Schedule 40 steel pipe. Some basic fitness-for-service assessments have been carried out using the measured values and the maximum allowable operating pressure was accurately determined. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.

Density stratified environments: The double-tank method

We present an alternative method of producing density stratifications in the laboratory based on the 'double-tank' method proposed by Oster (Sci Am 213:70-76, 1965). We refer to Oster's method as the 'forced-drain' approach, as the volume flow rates between connecting tanks are controlled by mechanical pumps. We first determine the range of density profiles that may be established with the forced-drain approach other than the linear stratification predicted by Oster. The dimensionless density stratification is expressed analytically as a function of three ratios: the volume flow rate ratio n, the ratio of the initial liquid volumes λ and the ratio of the initial densities ψ. We then propose a method which does not require pumps to control the volume flow rates but instead allows the connecting tanks to drain freely under gravity. This is referred to as the 'free-drain' approach. We derive an expression for the density stratification produced and compare our predictions with saline stratifications established in the laboratory using the 'free-drain' extension of Oster's method. To assist in the practical application of our results we plot the region of parameter space that yield concave/convex or linear density profiles for both forced-drain and free-drain approaches. The free-drain approach allows the experimentalist to produce a broad range of density profiles by varying the initial liquid depths, cross-sectional and drain opening areas of the tanks. One advantage over the original Oster approach is that density profiles with an inflexion point can now be established. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.

Passive UHF RFID Interrogation System Using Wireless RFID Repeater Nodes

This paper presents a new wireless radio frequency identification (RFID) repeater system, facilitating remote interrogation without the need for arrays of wired antennas, despite using entirely passive, low-cost ultra high frequency (UHF) RFID tags. The proposed system comprises a master RFID reader with both transmit and receive functions, and multiple RFID repeaters to receive, amplify and retransmit tag-to-reader and reader-to-tag communications. This expands the area over which the master RFID reader may provide coverage for a given maximum transmit power at each antenna. We first demonstrate a single hop wireless repeater system to allow similar read performance to a standard commercial passive UHF RFID reader. Finally, a proof of principle system demonstrates that a single wireless repeater node can allow an extension in range.

Long range exhaustion-a mathematical model for the axisymmetric air flow of a local exhaust ventilation hood assisted by a turbulent radial jet

Abstract-Mathematical modelling techniques are used to predict the axisymmetric air flow pattern developed by a state-of-the-art Banged exhaust hood which is reinforced by a turbulent radial jet flow. The high Reynolds number modelling techniques adopted allow the complexity of determining the hood's air Bow to be reduced and provide a means of identifying and assessing the various parameters that control the air Bow. The mathematical model is formulated in terms of the Stokes steam function, ψ, and the governing equations of fluid motion are solved using finite-difference techniques. The injection flow of the exhaust hood is modelled as a turbulent radial jet and the entrained Bow is assumed to be an inviscid potential flow. Comparisons made between contours of constant air speed and centre-line air speeds deduced from the model and all the available experimental data show good agreement over a wide range of typical operating conditions. | Mathematical modelling techniques are used to predict the axisymmetric air flow pattern developed by a state-of-the-art flanged exhaust hood which is reinforced by a turbulent radial jet flow. The high Reynolds number modelling techniques adopted allow the complexity of determining the hood's air flow to be reduced and provide a means of identifying and assessing the various parameters that control the air flow. The mathematical model is formulated in terms of the Stokes steam function, Ψ, and the governing equations of fluid motion are solved using finite-difference techniques. The injection flow of the exhaust hood is modelled as a turbulent radial jet and the entrained flow is assumed to be an inviscid potential flow. Comparisons made between contours of constant air speed and centre-line air speeds deduced from the model and all the available experimental data show good agreement over a wide range of typical operating conditions.

End-of-range defects in germanium and their role in boron deactivation

We investigated the thermal evolution of end-of-range (EOR) defects in germanium and their impact on junction thermal stability. After solid-phase epitaxial regrowth of a preamorphized germanium layer, EOR defects exhibiting dislocation loop-like contrast behavior are present. These defects disappear during thermal annealing at 400 °C, while boron electrical deactivation occurs. After the whole defect population vanishes, boron reactivation is observed. These results indicate that germanium self-interstitials, released by EOR defects, are the cause of B deactivation. Unlike in Si, the whole deactivation/reactivation cycle in Ge is found to take place while the maximum active B concentration exceeds its solubility limit. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.

THE SENSITIVITY OF 2D COMPRESSOR INCIDENCE RANGE TO IN-SERVICE GEOMETRIC VARIATION

The loss mechanisms which control 2D incidence range are discussed with an emphasis on determining which real in-service geometric variations will have the largest impact. For the majority of engine compressor blades (Minlet>0.55) both the negative and positive incidence limits are controlled by supersonic patches. It is shown that these patches are highly sensitive to the geometric variations close to, and around the leading edge. The variations used in this study were measured from newly manufactured as well as ex-service blades. Over most the high pressure compressor considered, it was shown that manufacture variations dominated. The first part of the paper shows that, despite large geometric variations (~10% of leading edge thickness), the incidence range responded in a linear way. The result of this is that the geometric variations have little effect on the mean incidence range of a row of blades. In the second part of the paper a region of the design space is identified where non-linear behavior can result in a 10% reduction in positive incidence range. The mechanism for this is reported and design guidelines for its avoidance offered. In the final part of the paper, the linear behavior at negative incidence and the transonic nature of the flow is exploited to design a robust asymmetric leading edge with a 5% increase in incidence range.

State estimation schemes for independent component coupled hidden Markov models

Conventional Hidden Markov models generally consist of a Markov chain observed through a linear map corrupted by additive noise. This general class of model has enjoyed a huge and diverse range of applications, for example, speech processing, biomedical signal processing and more recently quantitative finance. However, a lesser known extension of this general class of model is the so-called Factorial Hidden Markov Model (FHMM). FHMMs also have diverse applications, notably in machine learning, artificial intelligence and speech recognition [13, 17]. FHMMs extend the usual class of HMMs, by supposing the partially observed state process is a finite collection of distinct Markov chains, either statistically independent or dependent. There is also considerable current activity in applying collections of partially observed Markov chains to complex action recognition problems, see, for example, [6]. In this article we consider the Maximum Likelihood (ML) parameter estimation problem for FHMMs. Much of the extant literature concerning this problem presents parameter estimation schemes based on full data log-likelihood EM algorithms. This approach can be slow to converge and often imposes heavy demands on computer memory. The latter point is particularly relevant for the class of FHMMs where state space dimensions are relatively large. The contribution in this article is to develop new recursive formulae for a filter-based EM algorithm that can be implemented online. Our new formulae are equivalent ML estimators, however, these formulae are purely recursive and so, significantly reduce numerical complexity and memory requirements. A computer simulation is included to demonstrate the performance of our results. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

A survey on technology exposure and range of abilities of elderly and disabled users in India

This paper reports a survey on people with age-related and physical impairments in India. The survey evaluates functional parameters related to human computer interaction and reports subjective attitude and exposure of users towards technology. We found a significant cognitive decline in elderly users while their functional parameters are sufficient to use existing electronic devices. However young disabled users are found to be experienced with computer but could not have access to appropriate assistive devices, which would benefit them. Most users used desktop computers and mobile phone but none used tablet, smartphone or kiosks though they are keen to learn new technologies. Overall we hope that our results will be useful for HCI practitioners in developing countries. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Silicon on insulator thermodiode with extremely wide working temperature range

This paper presents for the first time the performance of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) p-n thermodiode, which can operate in an extremely wide temperature range of 200°C to 700°C while maintaining its linearity. The thermodiode is embedded in a thin dielectric membrane underneath a tungsten microheater, which allows the diode characterization at very high temperature (> 800°C). The effect of the junction area (Aj) on the thermodiode linearity, sensitivity and self-heating is experimentally and theoretically investigated. Results on the long-term diode stability at high temperature are also reported. © 2013 IEEE.

Zebrafish eaf1 and eaf2/u19 Mediate Effective Convergence and Extension Movements through the Maintenance of wnt11 and wnt5 Expression

Studies have attributed several functions to the Eaf family, including tumor suppression and eye development. Given the potential association between cancer and development, we set forth to explore Eaf1 and Eaf2/U19 activity in vertebrate embryogenesis, using zebrafish. In situ hybridization revealed similar eaf1 and eaf2/u19 expression patterns. Morpholino-mediated knockdown of either eaf1 or eaf2/u19 expression produced similar morphological changes that could be reversed by ectopic expression of target or reciprocal-target mRNA. However, combination of Eaf1 and Eaf2/U19 (Eafs)-morpholinos increased the severity of defects, suggesting that Eaf1 and Eaf2/U19 only share some functional redundancy. The Eafs knockdown phenotype resembled that of embryos with defects in convergence and extension movements. Indeed, knockdown caused expression pattern changes for convergence and extension movement markers, whereas cell tracing experiments using kaeda mRNA showed a correlation between Eafs knockdown and cell migration defects. Cardiac and pancreatic differentiation markers revealed that Eafs knockdown also disrupted midline convergence of heart and pancreatic organ precursors. Noncanonical Wnt signaling plays a key role in both convergence and extension movements and midline convergence of organ precursors. We found that Eaf1 and Eaf2/U19 maintained expression levels of wnt11 and wnt5. Moreover, wnt11 or wnt5 mRNA partially rescued the convergence and extension movement defects occurring in eafs morphants. Wnt11 and Wnt5 converge on rhoA, so not surprisingly, rhoA mRNA more effectively rescued defects than either wnt11 or wnt5 mRNA alone. However, the ectopic expression of wnt11 and wnt5 did not affect eaf1 and eaf2/u19 expression. These data indicate that eaf1 and eaf2/u19 act upstream of noncanonical Wnt signaling to mediate convergence and extension movements.

Range-wide Yangtze freshwater dolphin expedition: The last chance to see Baiji?

Background, Aim and Scope. There are two species of fresh water cetaceans surviving in the Yangtze River system in China: Baiji (Lipotes vexillifer) and Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis). As a result of the expansion of human activities on the river, their distribution ranges appear to be decreasing and in the case of the Baiji, are even being restricted to several sections. The Baiji is the world's most critically endangered cetacean species with a population estimated at only a few tens of individuals. The Yangtze finless porpoise is the world's only freshwater-adapted population of the species, and it has been estimated that only around 1,000 individuals remain in the river system. In order to prevent the extinction of Baiji and a sharp decline in the abundance of the porpoise, in situ conservation (i.e. in the river) and two ex situ conservation (i.e. in semi-natural reserves and in captivity) strategies were proposed and have been implemented since the early 1990s. In view of both the severely endangered status of the animals and the severely degraded conditions of their habitats, the feasibility and actual status of these two strategies are raised for discussion. Main Features. The threats faced by the cetaceans are mainly from the unfettered exploitation of the river's resources. In the past 20 years, five nature reserves have been established along the river. Imposing maximum prohibition of harmful and illegal fishing methods in the reserves might prolong the process of extinction of these cetaceans in the wild, but so far, the administrative measures taken in the reserves have not yet kept the abundance from sharply declining. As human use of the river and its resources is expected to intensify for many decades into the future, the ability of the river to continue to support these species is certainly undecided. Therefore, rescuing animals from the river and establishing viable breeding populations in semi-natural reserves, in which the environment is similar to the main stream of the river, and in captivity, has to be considered urgently as the short-term goal of ex situ strategies. Since the abundance of porpoises is higher than that of the Baiji, we have first established breeding populations of them in the semi-natural reserves and in captivity. But, considering the extremely low density of Baiji in the river, an immediate range-wide Yangtze Baiji survey is an urgent need for locating and capturing sufficient Baiji for successfully establishing a breeding population of them in semi-natural reserves. Results. Two semi-natural reserves (in Shishou, Hubei Province, and Tongling, Anhui Province) have been set up along the river in order to establish breeding populations of the Baiji and the porpoises. So far, several small groups of porpoises that were caught in the main stream of the river have successively been introduced into the semi-natural reserves. Under careful management, these animals in both of the semi-natural reserves not only survive, but can also reproduce naturally and successfully. At least one or three calves were born in each reserve each year. Additionally, a breeding group of porpoises is being established at the Baiji Dolphinarium at the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan. There are presently four adults and one calf living in the Dolphinarium. The calf, born in July, 2005, is the first captive bred Yangtze Finless Porpoise in the world. In preparation for the range-wide Yangtze cetacean survey, a 9-day pilot expedition on the river near Wuhan was conducted in March, 2006, in order to develop methods for locating the Baiji. No Baiji were expected to be seen in such a short period but about 40 porpoise sightings were observed. Results of the pilot survey indicated that traditional visual and acoustical survey methods for cetaceans should be adapted to find the elusive Baiji in the river. Currently, the range-wide Yangtze cetacean survey is in preparation. The survey will cover over 1,700 km of the Yangtze River from Yichang to Shanghai, and is expected to provide detailed information on Baiji and porpoise numbers and distribution patterns in the river. Discussion. Although the short-term goal of ex situ conservation is to rescue cetaceans from the river and to establish viable breeding populations in semi-natural reserves and in captivity, the long-term goal of releasing the animals back into the river when the threats have decreased and the natural environment has been improved, should not be neglected. Moreover, the in situ conservation efforts in the natural reserves, and even in the entire Yangtze River system, including the lakes, should not be ignored or abandoned at any time. The activities contributing to the conservation of the Baiji and the porpoise in the wild have the incidental effect of benefiting the entire Yangtze ecosystem and other rare threatened species. The dynamics of the groups of porpoises in semi-natural reserves should be monitored continually, in order to guide the establishment of breeding groups of Baiji in these semi-natural reserves in the near future. Conclusions. Under the existing severely degraded conditions of the Yangtze system, the sharply fall populations of Baiji and porpoises will not be suspended in the foreseeable future. Therefore, ex situ conservation should be emphasized, and the severely threatened Baiji in the river should be removed and translocated to semi-natural reserves for establishing viable breeding populations. The successful program of capturing, translocating and maintaining finless porpoises in the Shishou semi-natural reserve has demonstrated its adequacy as an ex situ environment for cetaceans. Following the successful pilot survey in the river, the immediate range-wide Yangtze cetacean survey is proposed and is in preparation. The range-wide survey is expected to ensure that any remaining Baiji can be found reliably and captured successfully after the survey. Recommendations and Perspectives. During the range-wide survey, not only the Baiji but also the porpoise as well as their habitats should be investigated based on visual and acoustical methods that adapted to the river and the animals. Meanwhile, the current risk levels to the Baiji and porpoises should be evaluated at each area where Baiji or porpoises can be reliably sighted. Any capture efforts should be targeted on the most threatened areas, or where there is maximum risk of injury or death. The immediate track of the Baiji should be carried out once a Baiji is sighted during the range-wide survey in order to obtain the movement route of the animals, which is crucial information for the successful capture operation. Additionally, the need to establish new semi-natural reserves for the porpoises should be placed on the agenda of local and central governments in the near future.