Non-man-entry sewer renovation robot characteristics.

The reported work lies in the area of automation in the construction industry, and involves multi-disciplinary engineering studies. In particular, sewer renovation methods, computer vision (CV) and robotics are all included. More specifically, the key objective of the research programme was to investigate the characteristics of retrofit components suited to mounting on an industrial / proprietary sewer tractor. The overall aim was the provision of a non-man-entry (NME) sewer renovation robot to undertake reconnection of lateral junctions, following a cured-in-place (CIP) relining process. The programme primarily involved theoretical studies of the requisite sensory and kinematic components, incorporation of a novel computer vision sensing system and production of a chainage measurement system and robotic drill task arm. The theory was supported by laboratory testing using a modified proprietary tractor, with emphasis placed on promoting applications of information technology driven systems (i.e. CV) to construction-industry tasks within hazardous environments involving significant health issues. The use of such techniques in the construction industry is rare.Chapter 1 reviews the context and history of sewer maintenance/dereliction in the UK. NME sewers are the most common type and are, by definition, difficult to maintain. Renovation, typically employing CIP liners, is therefore a cost-effective alternative to replacement. Lateral connections are, inevitably, blocked off during the relining process; it is suggested that application of a robust robotic system to the task of reconnecting them is novel and offers clear potential within such a hazardous environment.Chapters 2 and 3 develop the underlying theoretical models of the CV and kinematic systems respectively. The novel CV work (provided by third party specialists employing the TINA CV research environment) was incorporated by the author to provide detection and classification of lateral junctions, crucially noting the particular properties of direct and reflected illumination. Classification aspects include estimation of lateral / NME intersection angle and closure-to-target distance from the robot. The author proposes a separate procedure for estimating lateral diameter. A chainage measurement system, using a rotary encoder and inclinometer, was developed to determine invert path distance travelled. This allows for the inevitable wander and thereby gives the system robustness. The novel application of GRASP (a robotic modelling and simulation design tool) to NME environments, provided the ability to model arm designs without the need for the production of more than one expensive physical prototype. A mathematical solution for determining the requisite arm kinematics is presented.Chapter 4 details the hardware requirements of the robotic system components, whilst Chapters 5 and 6 present the laboratory evaluation results for the kinematic and CV systems respectively. The abilities of the CV system qualitatively to detect laterals under reflected illumination, and to provide quantitative classification data, are demonstrated. The chainage measurement system is assessed under a variety of initialisation conditions to determine suitability to task, and the ability of the robotic arm to physically simulate lateral reconnection is investigated.Chapter 7 discusses the specification for an industrially-applicable prototype, based on the findings herein. Appropriate comparisons with the pre-prototype system are made, including cost. Finally, Chapter 8 draws conclusions and makes suggestions for further work. Supporting documentation is provided in Chapter 9 and the Appendices

A Compendium of NIOSH mining research, 2001

"To continue serving the safety and health needs of the Nation's miners, NIOSH is coordinating extensively with stakeholders across the country to obtain valuable insight into their priorities. This input, together with results from comprehensive analyses of safety and health data, has allowed us to begin balancing the mining research program to address the prioritized needs of miners in various industry sectors. This publication provides brief descriptions of the NIOSH projects dedicated to the primary mission of reducing miners' occupational injury and illness including: hearing loss prevention; dust measurement and control; diesel emissions and toxic substances; hazard detection and warning devices; injury prevention and equipment design; training and education; ground control; fires, explosions, and ventilation; surveillance; and emerging technologies. The breadth and quality of research represented here is a true testament to the dedicated NIOSH researchers working in this field. As problems and issues emerge, or are effectively addressed over time, the research program will change accordingly, but it will continue to be based on a solid, scientific rationale and anchored in reality. NIOSH is always looking for better ways to communicate our research and results. This publication is just one way we are reaching out to inform our mining partners and other interested individuals and organizations about our current mining research projects. I look forward to continued interaction with NIOSH's many mining partners " - NIOSHTIC-2NIOSTIC no. 20000979Spokane Research Laboratory and Pittsburgh Research Laboratory.Includes bibliographical references

Experimental colonization of crude oil contaminated sediments by benthos on the Middle Atlantic continental shelf

In August 1979 six arrays of defaunated sediment were deployed at each of three sites in the Middle Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. Three arrays at each site had Prudhoe Bay crude oil mixed with the sediment. Because of technical difficulties recovery was limited to one control and one oiled array from two sites--one near the shelf break and one in a mid-shelf swale--after 10 months in situ. Moderate to severe sediment erosion occurred in boxes recovered from the mid-shelf. Chemical analyses indicated that between 50 and 90 percent of the added oil remained in the sediments after 10 months and also that the oil was qualitatively similar to the added oil. Relatively more oil was retained in the muddy sands near the shelf break than in the mid-shelf fine sands. Generally, there was no demonstrable effect of Prudhoe Bay crude oil contamination on colonization by either macrobenthos or me!obenthos, although at the shelf break certain species were less successful colonizers of oiled boxes. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that less frequently disturbed finer grained habitats are more susceptible and sensitive to oil contamination

Instruments For Monitoring Stability Of Underground Opening

For several years, researchers from the Spokane Research Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have been using geotechnical instruments in underground mines to study ground control problems and develop means of reducing accidents and fatalities caused by ground falls. This paper describes many of the different types of instruments, sensors, and data acquisition equipment that have been used for these studies; briefly explains the advantages and disadvantages of various sensor technologies; provides practical recommendations regarding the use of specific instruments and data acquisition systems; and outlines a general approach to the design and implementation of a successful instrumentation plan. A wide variety of instruments are commercially available for measuring deformation, strain, stress, and/or load. If used correctly, these instruments can provide important quantitative information regarding the mining-induced behavior of the host rock, the performance of ground support systems, and the safety and stability of underground workings. Data collected from these instruments can warn mine staff of impending ground control failures or hazardous working conditions, as well as provide valuable information for the design of ground support systems and the configuration and sequencing of mining excavations. We hope that the practical information presented in this paper will encourage a more widespread use of geotechnical instruments in underground mines and lead to reliable measurements that aid the engineering decisions affecting the safety of miners.2000730

A Summary of NASA Rotary Wing Research: Circa 20082018

The general public may not know that the first A in NASA stands for Aeronautics. If they do know, they will very likely be surprised that in addition to airplanes, the A includes research in helicopters, tiltrotors, and other vehicles adorned with rotors. There is, arguably, no subsonic air vehicle more difficult to accurately analyze than a vehicle with lift-producing rotors. No wonder that NASA has conducted rotary wing research since the days of the NACA and has partnered, since 1965, with the U.S. Army in order to overcome some of the most challenging obstacles to understanding the behavior of these vehicles. Since 2006, NASA rotary wing research has been performed under several different project names [Gorton et al., 2015]: Subsonic Rotary Wing (SRW) (20062012), Rotary Wing (RW) (20122014), and Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology (RVLT) (2014present). In 2009, the SRW Project published a report that assessed the status of NASA rotorcraft research; in particular, the predictive capability of NASA rotorcraft tools was addressed for a number of technical disciplines. A brief history of NASA rotorcraft research through 2009 was also provided [Yamauchi and Young, 2009]. Gorton et al. [2015] describes the system studies during 20092011 that informed the SRW/RW/RVLT project investment prioritization and organization. The authors also provided the status of research in the RW Project in engines, drive systems, aeromechanics, and impact dynamics as related to structural dynamics of vertical lift vehicles. Since 2009, the focus of research has shifted from large civil VTOL transports, to environmentally clean aircraft, to electrified VTOL aircraft for the urban air mobility (UAM) market. The changing focus of rotorcraft research has been a reflection of the evolving strategic direction of the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD). By 2014, the project had been renamed the Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology Project. In response to the 2014 NASA Strategic Plan, ARMD developed six Strategic Thrusts. Strategic Thrust 3B was defined as the Ultra-Efficient Commercial VehiclesVertical Lift Aircraft. Hochstetler et al. [2017] uses Thrust 3B as an example for developing metrics usable by ARMD to measure the effectiveness of each of the Strategic Thrusts. The authors provide near-, mid-, and long-term outcomes for Thrust 3B with corresponding benefits and capabilities. The importance of VTOL research, especially with the rapidly expanding UAM market, eventually resulted in a new Strategic Thrust (to begin in 2020): Thrust 4Safe, Quiet, and Affordable Vertical Lift Air Vehicles. The underlying rotary wing analysis tools used by NASA are still applicable to traditional rotorcraft and have been expanded in capability to accommodate the growing number of VTOL configurations designed for UAM. The top-level goal of the RVLT Project remains unchanged since 2006: Develop and validate tools, technologies and concepts to overcome key barriers for vertical lift vehicles. In 2019, NASA rotary wing/VTOL research has never been more important for supporting new aircraft and advancements in technology. 2 A decade is a reasonable interval to pause and take stock of progress and accomplishments. In 10 years, digital technology has propelled progress in computational efficiency by orders of magnitude and expanded capabilities in measurement techniques. The purpose of this report is to provide a compilation of the NASA rotary wing research from ~2008 to ~2018. Brief summaries of publications from NASA, NASA-funded, and NASA-supported research are provided in 12 chapters: Acoustics, Aeromechanics, Computational Fluid Dynamics (External Flow), Experimental Methods, Flight Dynamics and Control, Drive Systems, Engines, Crashworthiness, Icing, Structures and Materials, Conceptual Design and System Analysis, and Mars Helicopter. We hope this report serves as a useful reference for future NASA vertical lift researchers

SIERRA CLUB, CHEMICAL WEAPONS WORKING GROUP, AND VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA FOUNDATION v. Utah Solid and Hazardous Waste Control Board & U.S. Army and EG&G Defense Materials Inc.: Brief of Respondent

On Petition For Review of Decision of the Utah Solid And Hazardous Waste Control Boar

Savannah River Technology Center monthly report, August 1995

This is the Savannah River Technology Center Monthly Report for August 199

Electron microscopy at the Marine Biological Association: 1961-2006. Occasional Publication of the Marine Biological Association 23

This memoir recalls the instruments in the Electron Microscope Unit and the staff, students and visitors who used them. Accessory equipment is also described because much of it was innovative and built in the laboratory, also, much of the science would not have been possible without it. This publication includes 33 figures, 4 plates and 7 appendices. The appendices record that 54 MBA staff and 196 students and visitors have used the microscopes and that 413 titles have been published (to the end of 2006)

Agricultural Structures and Mechanization

In our globalized world, the need to produce quality and safe food has increased exponentially in recent decades to meet the growing demands of the world population. This expectation is being met by acting at multiple levels, but mainly through the introduction of new technologies in the agricultural and agri-food sectors. In this context, agricultural, livestock, agro-industrial buildings, and agrarian infrastructure are being built on the basis of a sophisticated design that integrates environmental, landscape, and occupational safety, new construction materials, new facilities, and mechanization with state-of-the-art automatic systems, using calculation models and computer programs. It is necessary to promote research and dissemination of results in the field of mechanization and agricultural structures, specifically with regard to farm building and rural landscape, land and water use and environment, power and machinery, information systems and precision farming, processing and post-harvest technology and logistics, energy and non-food production technology, systems engineering and management, and fruit and vegetable cultivation systems. This Special Issue focuses on the role that mechanization and agricultural structures play in the production of high-quality food and continuously over time. For this reason, it publishes highly interdisciplinary quality studies from disparate research fields including agriculture, engineering design, calculation and modeling, landscaping, environmentalism, and even ergonomics and occupational risk prevention

NASA Tech Briefs Index, 1977, volume 2, numbers 1-4

Announcements of new technology derived from the research and development activities of NASA are presented. Abstracts, and indexes for subject, personal author, originating center, and Tech Brief number are presented for 1977