Experimental investigation on rapid filling of a large-scale pipeline

This study presents results from detailed experiments of the two-phase pressurized flow behavior during the rapid filling of a large-scale pipeline. The physical scale of this experiment is close to the practical situation in many industrial plants. Pressure transducers, water level meters, thermometers, void fraction meters and flow meters were used to measure the two-phase unsteady flow dynamics. The main focus is on the water-air interface evolution during filling and the overall behavior of the lengthening water column. It is observed that the leading liquid front does not entirely fill the pipe cross section; flow stratification and mixing occurs. Although flow regime transition is a rather complex phenomenon, certain features of the observed transition pattern are explained qualitatively and quantitatively. The water flow during the entire filling behaves as a rigid column as the open empty pipe in front of the water column provides sufficient room for the water column to occupy without invoking air compressibility effects. As a preliminary evaluation of how these large-scale experiments can feed into improving mathematical modeling of rapid pipe filling, a comparison with a typical one-dimensional rigid-column model is made

Unsteady skin friction experimentation in a large diameter pipe

Experimental data for the validation of theoretical models of unsteady skin friction are limited and are available only for a few low Reynolds number flow cases. There is a strong need for detailed measurements in flows at high Reynolds numbers. In addition, there is a need for a wider range of well-controlled acceleration/deceleration rates and detailed visualization of flow structure and profiles. To address these needs, a large-scale pipeline apparatus at Deltares, Delft, The Netherlands, has been used for unsteady skin friction experiments including acceleration, deceleration and acoustic resonance tests. The apparatus consists of a constant head tank, a horizontal 200 mm diameter pipe of changeable length (44 to 49 metres) and a control valve at the downstream end. In addition to standard instrumentation, two distinctive instruments have been used: hot-film wall shear stress sensors ("direct" measurement of wall shear stress) and a PIV set-up for measurement of unsteady flow profiles. This paper describes the test rig, the instrumentation layout and the test programme. Finally, some initial test results are presented and discussed

The benefits of interprofessional education 10 years on.

Interprofessional education (IPE) was first conceived in 1973 by a World Health Organization (WHO) expert group in Geneva. WHO member states were then charged with implementing medical education IPE pilot projects and from then to today there has a been a rapid proliferation in the number of publications on the subject. IPE has generated research into its use, conferences specific to IPE, organisations dedicated to it and policy championing it. The authors question whether there has been any major shift in the silos in which different professions might be working. The authors published an article on the benefits of IPE ( Illingworth and Chelvanayagam, 2007 ). Ten years have now passed and many changes have been implemented and experienced in health and social care and therefore a review of the literature is required. Also, it is 7 years since the publication of WHO's report outlining the role of IPE in the preparation of health professionals ( WHO, 2010 ) and, increasingly, UK Government policy champions collaborative and integrated working. The conclusions from the 2007 article acknowledged the development of IPE; however, it highlighted the need for empirical evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of IPE in service user and carer outcomes. This article will explore whether IPE has achieved the benefits discussed in the previous article and what developments have occurred since it was published

Experimental study of filling and emptying of a large-scale pipeline

The ¿lling with liquid of an initially empty pipeline and its counterpart, the draining of an initially liquid-¿lled pipeline, are of great interest due to the many practical applications. Several potential problems may occur, of which water-hammer and slug impact are the most important. To investigate the ¿lling and emptying processes, di¿erent mathematical models have been proposed, in which a common assumption is that the water column evolves with unchanged front and/or tail. This is a reasonable assumption for small-scale systems, particularly in cases with relatively high upstream pressure head and low downstream resistance. However, it is not clear whether this assumption is applicable to large-scale systems. This issue is of high importance for the development of air pockets and gravity currents in pipelines during ¿lling and draining processes. This study presents the experimental results of the ¿ow behaviour during the rapid ¿lling and emptying of a large-scale pipeline. The experimental apparatus was designed and built at Deltares, Delft, The Netherlands, as part of the EC Hydralab III project. Di¿erent from other laboratory studies, the scale of this experiment is close to the practical situation in many industrial plants. The test rig includes a variety of components (e.g. tanks, ¿ow meters, valves, pipes of di¿erent materials) and the operation procedure is rather complex. The ¿ow behaviour is measured by various instruments and hence a thorough hydrodynamic analysis is possible. All these features make the current study particularly useful as a test case for real ¿lling and draining situations. In the ¿lling of an initially empty pipeline, the focus was on the overall behaviour of the lengthening water column and the water-air interface evolution. In the emptying of an initially water-¿lled pipeline, together with the hydrodynamics of the shortening water column, the shape and behaviour of the water tail (air-water interface) was investigated. Thirteen di¿erent combinations of initial upstream driving air pressure and downstream valve resistance were tested. The in¿uence of these two factors on the out¿ow rate is clari¿ed. It was con¿rmed that both the in¿ow front in ¿lling and the out¿ow tail in emptying do not entirely ¿ll the pipe cross section. Shape changes occur at both the water-air and air-water interfaces. Although the ¿ow regime transition is a rather complex phenomenon, certain features of the transition pattern are observed and explained qualitatively and quantitatively

Investigating and learning lessons from early experiences of implementing ePrescribing systems into NHS hospitals:a questionnaire study

Background: ePrescribing systems have significant potential to improve the safety and efficiency of healthcare, but they need to be carefully selected and implemented to maximise benefits. Implementations in English hospitals are in the early stages and there is a lack of standards guiding the procurement, functional specifications, and expected benefits. We sought to provide an updated overview of the current picture in relation to implementation of ePrescribing systems, explore existing strategies, and identify early lessons learned.Methods: a descriptive questionnaire-based study, which included closed and free text questions and involved both quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data generated.Results: we obtained responses from 85 of 108 NHS staff (78.7% response rate). At least 6% (n = 10) of the 168 English NHS Trusts have already implemented ePrescribing systems, 2% (n = 4) have no plans of implementing, and 34% (n = 55) are planning to implement with intended rapid implementation timelines driven by high expectations surrounding improved safety and efficiency of care. The majority are unclear as to which system to choose, but integration with existing systems and sophisticated decision support functionality are important decisive factors. Participants highlighted the need for increased guidance in relation to implementation strategy, system choice and standards, as well as the need for top-level management support to adequately resource the project. Although some early benefits were reported by hospitals that had already implemented, the hoped for benefits relating to improved efficiency and cost-savings remain elusive due to a lack of system maturity.Conclusions: whilst few have begun implementation, there is considerable interest in ePrescribing systems with ambitious timelines amongst those hospitals that are planning implementations. In order to ensure maximum chances of realising benefits, there is a need for increased guidance in relation to implementation strategy, system choice and standards, as well as increased financial resources to fund local activitie

Family medicine in post-communist Europe needs a boost. Exploring the position of family medicine in healthcare systems of Central and Eastern Europe and Russia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The countries of Central and Eastern Europe have experienced a lot of changes at the end of the 20th century, including changes in the health care systems and especially in primary care. The aim of this paper is to systematically assess the position of family medicine in these countries, using the same methodology within all the countries.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A key informants survey in 11 Central and Eastern European countries and Russia using a questionnaire developed on the basis of systematic literature review.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Formally, family medicine is accepted as a specialty in all the countries, although the levels of its implementation vary across the countries and the differences are important. In most countries, solo practice is the most predominant organisational form of family medicine. Family medicine is just one of many medical specialties (e.g. paediatrics and gynaecology) in primary health care. Full introduction of family medicine was successful only in Estonia.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Some of the unification of the systems may have been the result of the EU request for adequate training that has pushed the policies towards higher standards of training for family medicine. The initial enthusiasm of implementing family medicine has decreased because there was no initiative that would support this movement. Internal and external stimuli might be needed to continue transition process.</p

Fast flowing populations are not well mixed

In evolutionary dynamics, well-mixed populations are almost always associated with all-to-all interactions; mathematical models are based on complete graphs. In most cases, these models do not predict fixation probabilities in groups of individuals mixed by flows. We propose an analytical description in the fast-flow limit. This approach is valid for processes with global and local selection, and accurately predicts the suppression of selection as competition becomes more local. It provides a modelling tool for biological or social systems with individuals in motion.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure