A direct test of socially desirable responding in contingent valuation interviews

--environmental valuation,contingent valuation method,socially desirable responding,loss aversion,reforestation

The NESSUS finite element code

The objective of this development is to provide a new analysis tool which integrates the structural modeling versatility of a modern finite element code with the latest advances in the area of probabilistic modeling and structural reliability. Version 2.0 of the NESSUS finite element code was released last February, and is currently being exercised on a set of problems which are representative of typical Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) applications. NESSUS 2.0 allows linear elastostatic and eigenvalue analysis of structures with uncertain geometry, material properties and boundary conditions, which are subjected to a random mechanical and thermal loading environment. The NESSUS finite element code is a key component in a broader software system consisting of five major modules. NESSUS/EXPERT is an expert system under development at Southwest Research Institute, with the objective of centralizing all component-specific knowledge useful for conducting probabilistic analysis of typical Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) components. NESSUS/FEM contains the finite element code used for the structural analysis and parameter sensitivity evaluation of these components. The task of parametrizing a finite element mesh in terms of the random variables present is facilitated with the use of the probabilistic data preprocessor in NESSUS/PRE. An external database file is used for managing the bulk of the data generated by NESSUS/FEM

Electricity from photovoltaic solar cells: Flat-Plate Solar Array Project final report. Volume VI: Engineering sciences and reliability

The Flat-Plate Solar Array (FSA) Project, funded by the U.S. Government and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, was formed in 1975 to develop the module/array technology needed to attain widespread terrestrial use of photovoltaics by 1985. To accomplish this, the FSA Project established and managed an Industry, University, and Federal Government Team to perform the needed research and development. This volume of the series of final reports documenting the FSA Project deals with the Project's activities directed at developing the engineering technology base required to achieve modules that meet the functional, safety and reliability requirements of large-scale terrestrial photovoltaic systems applications. These activities included: (1) development of functional, safety, and reliability requirements for such applications; (2) development of the engineering analytical approaches, test techniques, and design solutions required to meet the requirements; (3) synthesis and procurement of candidate designs for test and evaluation; and (4) performance of extensive testing, evaluation, and failure analysis to define design shortfalls and, thus, areas requiring additional research and development. During the life of the FSA Project, these activities were known by and included a variety of evolving organizational titles: Design and Test, Large-Scale Procurements, Engineering, Engineering Sciences, Operations, Module Performance and Failure Analysis, and at the end of the Project, Reliability and Engineering Sciences. This volume provides both a summary of the approach and technical outcome of these activities and provides a complete Bibliography (Appendix A) of the published documentation covering the detailed accomplishments and technologies developed

Scor Quality Model Affecting Manufacturing Firm’s Supply Chain Quality Performance And The Moderating Effect Of Qms

The main objective of this study is hypothesis testing to explain the nature of the relationship between the independent variables (The SCOR quality model) and the dependent variable (Supply Chain Quality Performance) and moderated by (QMS). Objektif utama kajian ini adalah untuk menerangkan hubungan antara model SCOR kualiti dengan prestasi kualiti rantaian bekalan sesebuah firma dan QMS memoderasikan huungan model SCOR kualiti dengan prestasi kuality rantaian bekalan

A STRUCTURED RELIABILITY AND MAINTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT MODEL: AN APPLICATION TO HIGH VOLTAGE MOTORS

Motors are one of the vital equipment and generally the higher in numbers in oil and gas processing facilities. The primary function is to drive the process equipment such as compressors, fans, pumps etc. Unreliability of the motors is a threat to safety but also to production loss and high operating expenditure. Motors experience higher failure rates and maintenance costs with age due to lower focus during useful life periods. In order to properly address the long-term reliability and maintainability of the motors and associated subsystems, this paper aims to propose a structured methodology and set of tools to ensure effective assessment. The proposed model mainly consists of data collection, analysis, assessment, financial analysis and later developed actions to properly address the concerns. Equipment failure and repair data is a challenge to any reliability assessment; hence, proposed methodology was introduced to collect, verify and validate the data. Later, multiple tools such as Pareto Analysis, Failure Mode and Effect Analysis and Root Cause Analysis were used to perform a detailed assessment. Weibull analysis was also explored to understand the failure modes, which ultimately helped in improving the availability of the motors. The proposed methodology has been applied to high-voltage motors to observe the effectiveness of the tools and proposed model in addressing reliability and maintainability. The results show significant reliability improvements of 12% (from 58% to 70%) and prove that the structured method can be effectively used in complex process facilities with significant benefits