1,153 research outputs found
Database management for high resolution condition monitoring of wind turbines
Wind turbine condition monitoring (CM) is an area of research which has been receiving a large amount of attention in the recent years. This has been influenced mainly by the recent uptake of wind farms being installed around the country. Operational and maintenance expertise in the area of wind turbine CM is therefore seen to be of growing importance but is yet to be well established in the industry due to its unverified economic benefits. The majority of the research which can be found in the literature has been based on simulation or test rig data, often due to the lack of availability of extensive historical data sets containing 'interesting' events, as well as the difficulties associated in gaining access to such data, due to its commercially sensitive nature. It can not be readily claimed, nor shown that laboratory based testing or simulations actually reflect real turbine operation, due to scaling, control and dynamic considerations. In order that different patterns of machine deterioration can be determined and detected in their incipient stages, precise high resolution data, of existing monitored parameters, should be sampled at frequencies higher than that is typically available in the integrated SCADA systems installed in most modern turbines today. This paper reports the design of a data acquisition platform which will be mounted on a 660 kW VESTAS V47 wind turbine. Details of the monitoring equipment used, the installation requirements as well as the system architecture will be presented and discussed
Implications of fault current limitation for electrical distribution networks
This paper explores the potential future need for fault current limitation in the UK's power system, and some of the technical implications of this change. It is estimated that approximately 300-400 distribution substations will require fault current limitation, based on the statistical analysis of the projected fault level "headroom" (or violation). The analysis uses a UK electrical system scenario that satisfies the Government's target for an 80% cut in CO2 emissions by 2050. A case study involving the connection of distributed generation (DG) via a superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) is used to illustrate the potential protection and control issues. In particular, DG fault ride-through, autoreclosure schemes, and transformer inrush current can be problematic for SFCLs that require a recovery period. The potential solutions to these issues are discussed, such as the use of islanding or automation to reduce the fault level
Tungsten Behavior at High Temperature and High Stress
Recently reported results on the tungsten lifetime/fatigue tests under conditions expected in the Neutrino Factory target have strengthened the case of solid target option for a Neutrino Factory. This paper gives description of the detailed measurements of the tungsten properties at high temperature and high stress. We have performed extensive set of measurements of the surface displacement and velocity of the tungsten wires that were stressed by passing a fast, high current pulse through a thin sample. Radial and longitudinal oscillations of the wire were measured by a Laser Doppler Vibrometer. The wire was operated at temperatures of 300-2500 K by adjusting the pulse repetition rate. In doing so we have tried to simulate the conditions (high stress and temperature) expected at the Neutrino Factory. Most important result of this study is an experimental confirmation that strength of tungsten remains high at high temperature and high stress. The experimental results have been found to agree very well with LS-DYNA modelling results
The effect of the annealing temperature on the local distortion of LaCaMnO thin films
Mn -edge fluorescence data are presented for thin film samples (3000~\AA)
of Colossal Magnetoresistive (CMR) LaCaMnO: as-deposited,
and post-annealed at 1000 K and 1200 K. The local distortion is analyzed in
terms of three contributions: static, phonon, and an extra,
temperature-dependent, polaron term. The polaron distortion is very small for
the as-deposited sample and increases with the annealing temperature. In
contrast, the static distortion in the samples decreases with the annealing
temperature. Although the local structure of the as-deposited sample shows very
little temperature dependence, the change in resistivity with temperature is
the largest of these three thin film samples. The as-deposited sample also has
the highest magnetoresistance (MR), which indicates some other mechanism may
also contribute to the transport properties of CMR samples. We also discuss the
relationship between local distortion and the magnetization of the sample.Comment: 11 pages of Preprint format, 8 figures in one tar fil
Implications of the Top Quark Mass Measurement for the CKM Parameters, and CP Asymmetries
Motivated by the recent determination of the top quark mass by the CDF
collaboration, \mt =174 \pm 10 ^{+13}_{-12} GeV, we review and update the
constraints on the parameters of the quark flavour mixing matrix in
the standard model. In performing our fits, we use inputs from the measurements
of the following quantities: (i) \abseps, the CP-violating parameter in
decays, (ii) \delmd, the mass difference due to the \bdbdbar\ mixing, (iii)
the matrix elements \absvcb and \absvub, and (iv) -hadron lifetimes. We
find that the allowed region of the unitarity triangle is very large, mostly
due to theoretical uncertainties. (This emphasizes the importance of
measurements of CP-violating rate asymmetries in the system.) Nevertheless,
the present data do somewhat restrict the allowed values of the coupling
constant product and the renormalization-scale
invariant bag constant . With the updated CKM matrix we present the
currently-allowed range of the ratio , as well as
the standard model predictions for the \bsbsbar\ mixing parameter \xs and the
quantities , and , which characterize
the CP-asymmetries in -decays. The ALEPH collaboration has recently reported
a significant improvement on the lower limit on the \bs-\bsb mass
difference, (95\% C.L.). This has interesting
consequences for the CKM parameters which are also worked out.
NOTE: this is a revised and updated version of our previous paper.Comment: LaTeX, 27 pages, 16 uuencoded figures (enclosed), CERN-TH.7398/94,
UdeM-GPP-TH-94-0
Do environmental factors influence the movement of estuarine fish? A case study using acoustic telemetry
Telemetry methods were used to investigate the influence of selected environmental variables on the position and movement of an estuarine-dependent haemulid, the spotted grunter Pomadasys commersonnii (Lacepède 1801), in the Great Fish Estuary, South Africa. Forty individuals (263–698 mm TL) were surgically implanted with acoustic coded transmitters and manually tracked during two periods (7 February to 24 March 2003; n = 20 and 29 September to 15 November 2003; n = 20). Real-time data revealed that spotted grunter are euryhaline (0–37) and are able to tolerate large variations in turbidity (4–356 FTU) and temperature (16–30 °C). However, the fish altered their position in response to large fluctuations in salinity, temperature and turbidity, which are characteristic of tidal estuarine environments. Furthermore, tidal phase had a strong influence on the position of spotted grunter in the estuary
Potential value of systematic reviews of qualitative evidence in informing user-centred health and social care: findings from a descriptive overview
Objective
Systematic reviews of quantitative evidence are well-established in health and social care. Systematic reviews of qualitative evidence are increasingly available, but volume, topics covered, methods used and reporting quality are largely unknown. We provide a descriptive overview of systematic reviews of qualitative evidence assessing health and social care interventions included on the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE).
Study design and setting
We searched DARE for reviews published between 1st January 2009 and 31st December 2014. We extracted data on review content and methods, summarised narratively and explored patterns over time.
Results
We identified 145 systematic reviews conducted worldwide (64 in the UK). Interventions varied, but largely covered treatment or service delivery in community and hospital settings. There were no discernible patterns over time. Critical appraisal of primary studies was conducted routinely. Most reviews were poorly reported.
Conclusion
Potential exists to use systematic reviews of qualitative evidence when driving forward user-centred health and social care. We identify where more research is needed and propose ways to improve review methodology and reporting
Millisecond optical phase modulation using multipass configurations with liquid-crystal devices
We present two configurations for analog 0 to 2π optical phase modulation using liquid crystals (LCs), each of which achieve switching times that are 1 ms or less. One configuration is based on the switching behavior of a so-called nematic pi cell, and the other is based on the flexoelectro-optic effect in chiral nematic LCs when operated in the uniform lying helix geometry. Both configurations exploit a multipass optical arrangement to enhance the available optical phase range, while maintaining a fast switching speed. Moreover, these devices can be operated at or close to room temperature. Experimental data are found to be in good agreement with results predicted from theory for these multipass phase-modulation configurations
Human Salmonella Typhi exposure generates differential multifunctional cross‐reactive T‐cell memory responses against Salmonella Paratyphi and invasive nontyphoidal Salmonella
Objective
There are no vaccines for most of the major invasive Salmonella strains causing severe infection in humans. We evaluated the specificity of adaptive T memory cell responses generated after Salmonella Typhi exposure in humans against other major invasive Salmonella strains sharing capacity for dissemination.
Methods
T memory cells from eleven volunteers who underwent controlled oral challenge with wt S. Typhi were characterised by flow cytometry for cross‐reactive cellular cytokine/chemokine effector responses or evidence of degranulation upon stimulation with autologous B‐lymphoblastoid cells infected with either S. Typhi, Salmonella Paratyphi A (PA), S. Paratyphi B (PB) or an invasive nontyphoidal Salmonella strain of the S. Typhimurium serovar (iNTSTy).
Results
Blood T‐cell effector memory (TEM) responses after exposure to S. Typhi in humans evolve late, peaking weeks after infection in most volunteers. Induced multifunctional CD4+ Th1 and CD8+ TEM cells elicited after S. Typhi challenge were cross‐reactive with PA, PB and iNTSTy. The magnitude of multifunctional CD4+ TEM cell responses to S. Typhi correlated with induction of cross‐reactive multifunctional CD8+ TEM cells against PA, PB and iNTSTy. Highly multifunctional subsets and T central memory and T effector memory cells that re‐express CD45 (TEMRA) demonstrated less heterologous T‐cell cross‐reactivity, and multifunctional Th17 elicited after S. Typhi challenge was not cross‐reactive against other invasive Salmonella.
Conclusion
Gaps in cross‐reactive immune effector functions in human T‐cell memory compartments were highly dependent on invasive Salmonella strain, underscoring the importance of strain‐dependent vaccination in the design of T‐cell‐based vaccines for invasive Salmonella
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