Instrumented Stake Test

The information technology solution offered by this project provides a client with a measured accurate product for the purpose of new product and warranty design verification. A developing product, just off the drawing table or CAD computer will have no previous history of testing. Procedures and test equipment must be designed and developed in a time sensitive period due to production deadlines that will affect profitability. The ability to reuse the resulting test stands, computer hardware, data acquisition equipment, and software is a key element to a test laboratories bottom line. The goal of this project assigned to is to provide a product to a customer, in the form of data, which will be collected as a result of a predefined scenario. The Instrumented Stake Test Project was designed and constructed by the writer for the purpose of collecting force data from a rotating lawnmower blade impacting a metal stake. Important to the client\u27s requests is an insurance the resulting test data will be presented in a useable format compatible with their analysis software. Test Laboratory management has mandated the data acquisition software will be written using National Instruments Corporation\u27s LabVIEW Graphical Development Software. Utilization of Microsoft Windows XP operating system in conjunction with LabVIEW is also required

Influence of Resources, Resource Loss, and Coping Response on Food Management Practices and Food Security

Food insecurity has been associated with compromised health and wellness. Current literature regarding coping strategies and practices employed by the food insecure often describes food management and acquisition practices, and/or the riskiness of these practices. Material and personal resources such as income, time, self-efficacy, and social support have been identified as predictors or influencers of food security status. In this study, the Conservation of Resources theory was used to conceptualize resources and resource loss as they relate to food practices and food security. It was hypothesized that the level of resources would influence food security status and the adaptive food practices employed to mitigate food insecurity. It was also hypothesized that the loss of resources would be associated with adaptive food practices and worsening food insecurity. A descriptive, correlational design was utilized with cross-sectional data to test the theorized model. A single survey instrument was developed by combining previously validated instruments. Path analysis was used to determine model consistency with sample data. Exploratory factor analysis identified the underlying structure of the food management and acquisition practices. Findings included significant direct relationships of several resource variables, with adaptive food practices and food security survey (FSS) scores. Resource loss was positively associated with adaptive food practices; however, it was not directly associated with FSS scores. Thus, resource loss appeared to influence food security through adaptive food practices. A three factor solution was identified for food management practices and a four factor solution was found for the food acquisition practice category. Management factors included restricting the food supply, obtaining food opportunistically, and strategizing food preparation and food choices. Acquisition factors included conserving money for food, strategizing food shopping, relying on external sources of support, and using lower food cost sources. This study contributes to the literature as it investigated the presence and loss of resources and adaptive food practices simultaneously to broaden the understanding of their influence on food security. Future research is needed to determine if the conceptualized model remains consistent when applied to a broader, more diverse population

Modification of colorimetric method based digital soil test kit for determination of macronutrients in oil palm plantation

It is the need of time that oil palm farmers must perform the spatially planned soil analysis to know about the fertilizer sufficient and deficient zones of land. Colorimetric method is a suitable and fast solution of soil analysis for NPK determination using the digital soil test kit. NPK determination procedure with a digital soil test kit was undefined for oil palm. Furthermore, the digital soil test kit determines the passage of light through an opaque medium of soil solution with a specified reagent. Therefore, environmental light may interfere leading to wrong results of NPK measurement. Likewise, this equipment was non-incorporable with the controller of any VRT fertilizer applicator. In this research, these issues were addressed and the NPK measurement procedure was defined for oil palm plantation by modifying the ‘soil to water’ ratio in sample soil solution with an optimum environmental light range of 18-23 W/m2. ‘Soil to water’ ratios were found for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as 0.31 to 5.00, 1.00 to 5.00 and 4.50 to 5.00, respectively to fit the requirement of NPK for oil palm in the prescribed range of the equipment. Validation study of modified digital soil test kit showed that 91.7% N, 89.6% P and 93.8% K results of modified digital soil test kit were matched with analytical laboratory method. Thus, the reliability of NPK results using digital soil test kit was enhanced, making the kit incorporable with the controller of variable rate fertilizer applicator through remote monitoring based data acquisition system. The outcome of this research can be used in the development of an IoT network data fusion for dynamic assessment of the NPK variation in the soil and nutrient management in oil palm plantations

The Role Of Simulation In The Test And Evaluation Of A Man In The Loop Weapon System

The Department of Defense has attempted to use recent advances in modeling and simulation to improve the acquisition process for weapons systems. This Simulation Based Acquisition brought advances in the process, but considerable disagreement remains over the universal applicability of this approach. This paper focuses on the challenges of applying modeling and simulation to the Test and Evaluation of a weapon system with significant Pilot-Vehicle interface concerns. The Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM ER) is an aircraft-launched missile with GPS/INS guidance for navigation to the target area and Man In The Loop (MITL) control in the terminal phase. The MITL control is conducted through a two way video and control data link which transmits infrared video from the missile seeker to the control aircraft and guidance update commands from the pilot back to the missile. After initial fielding of the weapon system, two preplanned product improvement programs were begun to add both an Automatic Target Acquisition (ATA) functionality to aid in pilot target identification as well as a capability to engage moving targets at sea (ASuW). Both Software in the Loop and Hardware in the Loop simulations were available for the testing of both these SLAM ER improvements. This paper focuses on the utility of this simulation support in the Test and Evaluation prior to delivery to the operational users. Though the management issues of cost and schedule can be large drivers in the use of modeling and simulation, this paper will focus on the performance aspect of weapon system evaluation. Through the course of both the ATA and ASuW evaluations, simulation was able to provide very limited contributions to evaluations of system performance when MITL control was a concern. Simulation was useful in providing data on easily quantifiable parameters, such as seeker scan rates. However, flight tests with a physical prototype provided the only effective data when subjective measures such as pilot workload and pilot target identification were a concern. The simulators available did not effectively replicate the pilot interface or workload environment to the level required for valid MITL data. Only when an issue with the pilot interface was easily defined in quantifiable engineering data was simulation useful in identifying a possible solution – one that had to be further evaluated in subsequent flight testing. As the quality of models and simulations continue to improve with advances in computing, modeling of the pilot vehicle interfaces may improve in the future. Until that time, management controls will be essential to correct application of modeling and simulation in areas where MITL is a concern. The development of models and simulations should begin early in the acquisition effort with robust verification and validation devoted to the pilot interface. Early identification of the areas in which simulations can contribute to the MITL evaluation effort as well as recognition of the limitations of models and simulations. Finally, the validated simulations should be viewed as an enhancement to the evaluation effort with live testing of the physical prototype forming the basis of the MITL evaluation, particularly when the system approaches the final phases of Developmental Testing and prepares for Operational Testing

A low cost mobile mapping system (LCMMS) for field data acquisition: a potential use to validate aerial/satellite building damage assessment

Among the major natural disasters that occurred in 2010, the Haiti earthquake was a real turning point concerning the availability, dissemination and licensing of a huge quantity of geospatial data. In a few days several map products based on the analysis of remotely sensed data-sets were delivered to users. This demonstrated the need for reliable methods to validate the increasing variety of open source data and remote sensing-derived products for crisis management, with the aim to correctly spatially reference and interconnect these data with other global digital archives. As far as building damage assessment is concerned, the need for accurate field data to overcome the limitations of both vertical and oblique view satellite and aerial images was evident. To cope with the aforementioned need, a newly developed Low-Cost Mobile Mapping System (LCMMS) was deployed in Port-au-Prince (Haiti) and tested during a five-day survey in FebruaryMarch 2010. The system allows for acquisition of movies and single georeferenced frames by means of a transportable device easily installable (or adaptable) to every type of vehicle. It is composed of four webcams with a total field of view of about 180 degrees and one Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, with the main aim to rapidly cover large areas for effective usage in emergency situations. The main technical features of the LCMMS, the operational use in the field (and related issues) and a potential approach to be adopted for the validation of satellite/aerial building damage assessments are thoroughly described in the articl

Outsourcing and acquisition models comparison related to IT supplier selection decision analysis

This paper presents a comparison of acquisition models related to decision analysis of IT supplier selection. The main standards are: Capability Maturity Model Integration for Acquisition (CMMI-ACQ), ISO / IEC 12207 Information Technology / Software Life Cycle Processes, IEEE 1062 Recommended Practice for Software Acquisition, the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) guide. The objective of this paper is to compare the previous models to find the advantages and disadvantages of them for the future development of a decision model for IT supplier selection

Web-based learning in the field of empirical research methods

This study focuses on the development of a complex web-based learning environment aimed at promoting the acquisition of applicable knowledge in the context of studying empirical research methods at university. This learning environment was then modified further on an empirical basis. The main focus of the present article is to describe the conceptualisation of the learning environment and research activities which were guided by an integrative research paradigm. The learning environment consisted of highly structured, complex texts in which the process of empirical research was illustrated in a detailed manner. By combining these texts with other instructional measures, the learning environment is given a flexible hypertext-structure. The effectiveness of the learning environment as a whole was investigated in three studies (two evaluation studies in the field and one experimental study in the laboratory). It was demonstrated that the additional instructional measures (e.g. a specific feedback-guidance and time-management measures) were not effective. The importance of cognitive, motivational and emotional learning prerequisites for the successful utilisation of the learning environment was highlighted. The implementation of special training and additional preparatory modules is recommended in order to optimise the fit between students' prerequisites and learning environmIm Zentrum der vorliegenden Arbeit steht zum einen die Konzeptualisierung einer Lernumgebung zur Förderung des Erwerbs anwendbaren Wissens im Kontext der universitären Ausbildung in empirischen Forschungsmethoden. Zum anderen werden ausgehend von einem integrativen Forschungsparadigma Forschungsaktivitäten beschrieben, die die empirische Basis zur Weiterentwicklung der Lernumgebung bereitstellen. Die Lernumgebung besteht aus hoch strukturierten, komplexen Texten, in welchen der Prozess empirischer Forschung auf detaillierte Weise veranschaulicht wird. Diese Texte wurden mit anderen instruktionalen Maßnahmen kombiniert, wodurch die Lernumgebung eine flexible, hypertextartige Struktur bekam. Die Effektivität der gesamten Lernumgebung wurde im Rahmen dreier empirischer Studien untersucht, von denen zwei als Evaluationsstudien im Feld durchgeführt wurden; die dritte war eine experimentelle Laborstudie. Es wurde gezeigt, dass die zusätzlichen instruktionalen Maßnahmen (z. B. eine spezifische Feedback-Anleitung und eine Zeitmanagement-Maßnahme) nicht wirksam waren. Die Bedeutung kognitiver, motivationaler und emotionaler Lernvoraussetzungen für die erfolgreiche Nutzung der Lernumgebung konnte nachgewiesen werden. Um die Passung zwischen den Eingangsvoraussetzungen der Studierenden und der Lernumgebung zu verbessern, wurde die Implementation eines speziellen Trainings und eines zusätzlichen vorbereitenden Moduls vorgeschlag

The ARIEL Instrument Control Unit design for the M4 Mission Selection Review of the ESA's Cosmic Vision Program

The Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey mission (ARIEL) is one of the three present candidates for the ESA M4 (the fourth medium mission) launch opportunity. The proposed Payload will perform a large unbiased spectroscopic survey from space concerning the nature of exoplanets atmospheres and their interiors to determine the key factors affecting the formation and evolution of planetary systems. ARIEL will observe a large number (>500) of warm and hot transiting gas giants, Neptunes and super-Earths around a wide range of host star types, targeting planets hotter than 600 K to take advantage of their well-mixed atmospheres. It will exploit primary and secondary transits spectroscopy in the 1.2-8 um spectral range and broad-band photometry in the optical and Near IR (NIR). The main instrument of the ARIEL Payload is the IR Spectrometer (AIRS) providing low-resolution spectroscopy in two IR channels: Channel 0 (CH0) for the 1.95-3.90 um band and Channel 1 (CH1) for the 3.90-7.80 um range. It is located at the intermediate focal plane of the telescope and common optical system and it hosts two IR sensors and two cold front-end electronics (CFEE) for detectors readout, a well defined process calibrated for the selected target brightness and driven by the Payload's Instrument Control Unit (ICU).Comment: Experimental Astronomy, Special Issue on ARIEL, (2017

Cultural Change or Problem-Solving: SharePoint Technology to the Rescue

This presentation tells the story of releasing positive energy among Technical Services workers in the face of challenges and distrust. Technology, exemplified by SharePoint as a workflow tool, is an unlikely solution, but it worked for the BMCC Library. Today’s collection management has changed because of the emphasis on electronic resources. E-book acquisition has created a few more steps compared to buying print books. Staff still cling to their old habits and have difficulty recognizing that the integration of new workflow results in more than a cataloged item on the shelf. We persist in collecting statistics based on hand counts on paper, even as we copy and paste information into Excel files. When the data collected by different units don’t match, or a colleague’s work is devalued because of ambiguity, conflict simmers. We must always ask ourselves “what are we doing right?” Is the simple desire to keep accurate statistics a strong driver for change? How do we extend our shared commitment to the library mission of student success into organizational performance? It was clear that a new plan was needed to organize the workflow among our collection development, acquisitions, and cataloging departments. The Library devised a technological solution for collecting data and calculating statistics, using Microsoft SharePoint as an all-encompassing platform to streamline operations, maintain quality, and facilitate decision-making by organizing, sharing, and managing information. The presentation will describe how various features of SharePoint, such as document library, wiki pages, and workflow were systematically tested. The most important test was to implement SharePoint to provide the library a complex, but complete, electronic collection development workflow. Reliable and faster data resolved departmental tension. The collection development workflow relies on constructive input from acquisitions and cataloging. Fiat lux, fiat latebra, SharePoint lets the light shine on back office operations. Appreciation and collaboration among staff are enhanced

Developing vanadium redox flow technology on a 9-kW 26-kWh industrial scale test facility: Design review and early experiments

Redox Flow Batteries (RFBs) have a strong potential for future stationary storage, in view of the rapid expansion of renewable energy sources and smart grids. Their development and future success largely depend on the research on new materials, namely electrolytic solutions, membranes and electrodes, which is typically conduced on small single cells. A vast literature on these topics already exists. However, also the technological development plays a fundamental role in view of the successful application of RFBs in large plants. Despite that, very little research is reported in literature on the technology of large RFB systems. This paper presents the design, construction and early operation of a vanadium redox flow battery test facility of industrial size, dubbed IS-VRFB, where such technologies are developed and tested. In early experiments a peak power of 8.9 kW has been achieved with a stack specific power of 77Wkg−1. The maximum tested current density of 635 mA cm−2 has been reached with a cell voltage of 0.5 V, indicating that higher values can be obtained. The test facility is ready to be complemented with advanced diagnostic devices, including multichannel electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for studying aging and discrepancies in the cell behaviors