Sensor fusion for intelligent process control.

An integrated system for the fusion of product and process sensors and controls for production of flat glass was envisioned, having as its objective the maximization of throughput and product quality subject to emission limits, furnace refractory wear, and other constraints. Although the project was prematurely terminated, stopping the work short of its goal, the tasks that were completed show the value of the approach and objectives. Though the demonstration was to have been done on a flat glass production line, the approach is applicable to control of production in the other sectors of the glass industry. Furthermore, the system architecture is also applicable in other industries utilizing processes in which product uniformity is determined by ability to control feed composition, mixing, heating and cooling, chemical reactions, and physical processes such as distillation, crystallization, drying, etc. The first phase of the project, with Visteon Automotive Systems as industrial partner, was focused on simulation and control of the glass annealing lehr. That work produced the analysis and computer code that provide the foundation for model-based control of annealing lehrs during steady state operation and through color and thickness changes. In the second phase of the work, with PPG Industries as the industrial partner, the emphasis was on control of temperature and combustion stoichiometry in the melting furnace, to provide a wider operating window, improve product yield, and increase energy efficiency. A program of experiments with the furnace, CFD modeling and simulation, flow measurements, and sensor fusion was undertaken to provide the experimental and theoretical basis for an integrated, model-based control system utilizing the new infrastructure installed at the demonstration site for the purpose. In spite of the fact that the project was terminated during the first year of the second phase of the work, the results of these first steps toward implementation of model-based control were sufficient to demonstrate the value of the approach to improving the productivity of glass manufacture

Pathology Case Study: Cavitary Lesion in the Right Upper Lung Lobe

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine's Department of Pathology has compiled a series of case studies to help both students and instructors. In this particular case, a 39-year-old woman was treated at an outside institution after experiencing two weeks of chills and a non-productive cough. The patientâs history section includes data on the patient's episodic bronchitis and cigarette use. The following tests were performed on the patient: Serologic studies for Coccidioides, lung CT scan, sputum cultures, and a flexible bronchoscopy. Those test results are all included in the case study to aid in your understanding of the patientâs diagnosis. The âFinal Diagnosisâ section provides a detailed description provided by the contributing doctors. This is an excellent resource for students in the health sciences to familiarize themselves with using patient history and laboratory results to diagnose disease

Conflicts in Water Resources Planning

Center for Water and the Environmen