A fuzzy-QFD approach for the enhancement of work equipment safety: a case study in the agriculture sector

The paper proposes a design for safety methodology based on the use of the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method, focusing on the need to identify and analyse risks related to a working task in an effective manner, i.e. considering the specific work activities related to such a task. To reduce the drawbacks of subjectivity while augmenting the consistency of judgements, the QFD was augmented by both the Delphi method and the fuzzy logic approach. To verify such an approach, it was implemented through a case study in the agricultural sector. While the proposed approach needs to be validated through further studies in different contexts, its positive results in performing hazard analysis and risk assessment in a comprehensive and thorough manner can contribute practically to the scientific knowledge on the application of QFD in design for safety activities

Declarative Specification

Deriving formal specifications from informal requirements is extremely difficult since one has to overcome the conceptual gap between an application domain and the domain of formal specification methods. To reduce this gap we introduce application-specific specification languages, i.e., graphical and textual notations that can be unambiguously mapped to formal specifications in a logic language. We describe a number of realised approaches based on this idea, and evaluate them with respect to their domain specificity vs. generalit

A story about standardization for design of glass works

This contribution attempts to give an overview of the European standardization framework which is related to the design and calculation of glass works in buildings. The different work levels, institutions, technical committees and workgroups, and the various types of documents and their statute will be introduced, explaining the difference between draft, experimental and final standards, between harmonized, support and design standards, the general and particular meaning of harmonization and implementation. The standardization framework is explained firstly from the point of view of European standardization policy and history, and secondly regarding the standardization framework in Belgium. In particular, an attempt is made to highlight some particularities existing in harmonization efforts of design methods and codes for glass works

Long term integrity for space station power systems

A study was made of the High Temperature Design Codes ASME N47, British R5, and the French RCC-MR Rules. It is concluded that all these codes provide a good basis of design for space application. The new British R5 is the most complete since it deals with the problem of defects. The ASME N47 was subjected longer to practical application and scrutiny. A draft code is introduced, and a proposed draft for high temperature design in which attempts were made to identify gaps and improvements is suggested. The design is limited by creep characteristics. In these circumstances, life is strongly affected by the selected value of the factor of safety. The factor of safety of primary loads adopted in the codes is 1.5. Maybe a lower value of 1.25 is permissible for use in space. Long term creep rupture data for HAYNES 188 is deficient and it is suggested that extrapolation methods be investigated

Genetic Monitoring in the Workplace: A Tool Not a Solution

The authors differentiate between genetic monitoring and screening, and discuss the potential risks and benefits of predictive testing technologies

Comparative analysis of neutronics/thermal-hydraulics multi-scale coupling for LWR analysis

The aim of the research described in this paper is to perform consistent comparative analyses of two different approaches for coupling of two-scale, two-physics phenomena in reactor core calculations. The physical phenomena of interest are the neutronics and the thermal-hydraulics core behaviors and their interactions, while the spatial scales are the “global” (assembly/channel-wise) and the “local” (pin/sub-channel-wise). The objective is three-fold: qualification of coupled code systems by consistent step-by-step cross-comparison (in order to understand the prediction deviations in both neutronics and thermal-hydraulics parameters); assessment of fine scale (local/subchannel-wise) thermal-hydraulic effects; and evaluation of the impact of on-line modeling of interactions of the two spatial scales. The reported work is within the cooperation between the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain and the Pennsylvania State University (PSU), USA. The paper first presents the two multi-scale coupled code systems followed by cross-comparisons for steady state calculations. Selected results are discussed to highlight some of the issues involved in comparative analysis of coupled multi-scale simulations. The transient comparisons are subject of future work and publications

Fireground location understanding by semantic linking of visual objects and building information models

This paper presents an outline for improved localization and situational awareness in fire emergency situations based on semantic technology and computer vision techniques. The novelty of our methodology lies in the semantic linking of video object recognition results from visual and thermal cameras with Building Information Models (BIM). The current limitations and possibilities of certain building information streams in the context of fire safety or fire incident management are addressed in this paper. Furthermore, our data management tools match higher-level semantic metadata descriptors of BIM and deep-learning based visual object recognition and classification networks. Based on these matches, estimations can be generated of camera, objects and event positions in the BIM model, transforming it from a static source of information into a rich, dynamic data provider. Previous work has already investigated the possibilities to link BIM and low-cost point sensors for fireground understanding, but these approaches did not take into account the benefits of video analysis and recent developments in semantics and feature learning research. Finally, the strengths of the proposed approach compared to the state-of-the-art is its (semi -)automatic workflow, generic and modular setup and multi-modal strategy, which allows to automatically create situational awareness, to improve localization and to facilitate the overall fire understanding