Reliability design of the hinge kit system subjected to repetitive loading in a commercial refrigerator

A newly designed hinge kit system (HKS) of a commercial refrigerator was subjected to a robust reliability methodology during the design phase of the system. This methodology included setting the overall parametric accelerated life test (ALT) plan of product and identifying failure mechanisms and modes in field.  The ALT included a sample size equation to improve several of the HKS design parameters. Reliability of the new HKS was targeted to be 10 years over B1. Failure sites in the HKS were identified through returned products from the field. The first ALT confirmed a failure that occurred at the housing of HKS. The missing design parameters of HKS housing for the refrigerator were that it had no support ribs in the original design. The supporting structure of HKS in the refrigerator was modified based on the action plan. Cracks were identified in a second ALT that was generated in the torsional shaft. Due to it having squared off corners, the HKS torsional shaft did not have not enough strength to withstand repetitive stresses. The shaft was modified as a consequence of the ALTs. The reliability of redesigned HKS is now guaranteed as B1 10 years. The design methods - load analysis and three ALTs were very effective in identifying the missing design parameters during the design phase. The robust design method presented in this paper might be applicable to the other mechanical systems

Improving the Reliability of a Domestic Refrigerator Compressor Subjected to Repetitive Loading

As a reliability quantitative specification, parametric accelerated life testing was used to assess the reliability of a newly designed compressor of a commercial refrigerator subjected to repetitive stresses. A generalized life-stress failure model and new sample size equation with a new load concept were derived starting with the basic refrigeration cycle. The sample size equation with the acceleration factor also enabled the parametric accelerated life testing to quickly evaluate the expected lifetime. The design of this testing should help an engineer uncover the design parameters affecting reliability during the design process of the compressor system. Consequently, it should help companies improve product reliability and avoid recalls due to the product failures in the field. A newly designed compressor in a commercial refrigerator was used as a test case

Improving Lifetime of Domestic Compressor Subjected To Repetitive Internal Stresses

To enhance the lifetime of a mechanical system such as compressor, parametric accelerated life testing (ALT) as a systematic reliability method is proposed. It consists of (1) a parametric ALT plan formed on BX lifetime, (2) load examination for ALT, (3) a customized parametric ALTs with design alternatives, and (4) assessment of the compressor design to secure the objective BX lifetime is fulfilled. As an experiment instance, newly designed reciprocating compressors for French-door refrigerators returned from the marketplace were investigated. The refrigerators had been making disagreeable noise and vibrations, creating the consumer to ask for replacing their refrigerators. As the vibration level of the problematic refrigerators was recorded in an anechoic chamber, the result was 0.35g. Upon closer inspection of the refrigerator, the noise originated from the reciprocating compressor where there was interference between the compressor upper shell and the stator frame. To reproduce the compressor problem from the marketplace, a parametric ALT was performed. The failure mode during the ALTs for the compressor was alike to those of the failed refrigerators from the field. As a corrective action, the stator frame in the compressor system was redesigned to increase the minimum gap between the compressor upper shell and the stator frame. During the second ALT, there were no issues. After parameter ALTs were used to develop corrective action plans, the lifetime of the compressor was reassured to have a B1 life 10 years

A Rapid Procedure for the Simultaneous Determination of Eugenol, Linalool and Fatty Acid Composition in Basil Leaves

Eugenol and linalool are often the most abundant volatile compounds found in basil (Ocimum basilicum L., Lamiaceae) leaves, and they are interesting for the aroma they provide and for their numerous beneficial bioactivities. Their determination is thus needed for several purposes. In the present study, to avoid the previous isolation of essential oil, the direct solvent extraction is proposed coupled with a transmethylation to convert acyl lipids into fatty acids methyl esters (FAMEs), thus assessing the possible simultaneous analysis of eugenol and linalool with FAMEs by gas chromatography coupled to flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The method has been validated and applied to ten basil leaves samples in which eugenol and linalool were found in mean concentrations of 2.80 +/- 0.15 and 1.01 +/- 0.04 g kg(-1) (dry weight), respectively. FAMEs composition was dominated by linolenic acid (52.1-56.1%) followed by palmitic acid (19.3-22.4%) and linoleic acid (9.6-11.3%). The ratio of n6-polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)/n3-PUFAs was in the range of 0.17-0.20 in the investigated samples. The proposed method exploits a rapid procedure requiring 40 min, making use of a small amount of solvent and allowing the simultaneous determination of molecules contributing to assess the quality of this worldwide appreciated herb

Exploring the Limits of the Dipole Approximation with Angle-Resolved Electron Time-of-Flight Spectrometry

Understanding the electronic structure of atoms and molecules is fundamental in determining their basic properties as well as the interactions that occur with different particles such as light. One such interaction is single photoionization; a process in which a photon collides with an atom or molecule and an electron with a certain kinetic energy is emitted, leaving behind a residual ion. Theoretical models of electronic structures use the dipole approximation to simplify x-ray interactions by assuming that the electromagnetic field of the radiation, expressed as a Taylor-series expansion, can be simplified by using only the first term. It has been known for some time that the dipole approximation becomes inaccurate at high photon energies, but the threshold at which this discrepancy begins is ambiguous. In order to enhance our understanding of these limitations, we measured the electron emissions of nitrogen. Beamline 8.0.1 at the Advanced Light Source was used with an electron Time-of-Flight (TOF) end station, which measures the time required for electrons emitted to travel a fixed distance. Data were collected over a broad range of photon energies (413 - 664 eV) using five analyzers rotated to 15 chamber angles. Preliminary analysis indicates that these results confirm the breakdown of the dipole approximation at photon energies well below 1 keV and that this breakdown is greatly enhanced in molecules just above the core-level ionization threshold. As a result, new theoretical models must be made that use higher order terms that were previously truncated

Complete biologic response to taxane based chemotherapy confirmed by [18F]FDG PET/CT and surgery in a cancer of unknown primary site

Cancers of an unknown primary site are heterogenous with respect to their clinical and pathologic features. They are generally very aggressive, but specific favorable subsets have a better prognosis. For these favorable subsets, taxane based chemotherapy is very effective for a subset of woman with papillary serous peritoneal adenocarcinoma. A 52 year-old woman underwent [18F]-FDG PET/CT for routine health screening. On PET/CT, multiple hypermetabolic lymph nodes were detected in the paraaortic spaces, and there were no other hypermetabolic abnormalities. The patient was diagnosed with an unknown primary cancer that probably originated from the ovary or peritoneum, according to clinical studies and biopsy results. This was not a typical case of a favorable subset of cancer of an unknown primary site, but the tumor showed complete biologic response to taxane based chemotherapy as revealed by PET/CT, and necrotic tumor cells were confirmed by surgery