Interfacing Quantitative NDE with Computer Algorithms for Automated Statistical Process Control

In the Factory of the Future (FOF), production will be unified under a system of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM). Automatic computer-integrated control of processes, detection of errors, and determination of corrective action will be necessary because of the proposed level of manpower in the FOFL[1,2]. Under these circumstances, a process which might go out of control and remain that way would be highly detrimental. Very rapid Statistical Process Control (SPC) will provide definitive warnings of out-of-control conditions

Automated Detection of Pipe Bursts and other Events in Water Distribution Systems

Copyright 2012 by the American Society of Civil EngineersThis paper presents a new methodology for the automated near real-time detection of pipe bursts and other events which induce similar abnormal pressure/flow variations (e.g., unauthorised consumptions) at the District Metered Area (DMA) level. The new methodology makes synergistic use of several self-learning Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques and statistical data analysis tools including wavelets for de-noising of the recorded pressure/flow signals, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) for the short-term forecasting of pressure/flow signal values, Statistical Process Control (SPC) techniques for short and long term analysis of the pipe burst/other event-induced pressure/flow variations, and Bayesian Inference Systems (BISs) for inferring the probability of a pipe burst/other event occurrence and raising corresponding detection alarms. The methodology presented here is tested and verified on a case study involving several DMAs in the United Kingdom (UK) with both real-life pipe burst/other events and engineered (i.e., simulated by opening fire hydrants) pipe burst events. The results obtained illustrate that it can successfully identify these events in a fast and reliable manner with a low false alarm rate

[Photograph 2012.201.B1233.0420]

Caption: "Pressurized medicine went rat a tat tat at Western Electric from the injction gun held here by Dr. J. R. scott, Oklahoma City works medical director.

Correspondence, 1980 January - April, concerning Western Electric's compliance with the Federal Communications Commission Rules, Part 15, Docket 20780

Correspondence discussing Western Electric's compliance with FCC Rules, Part 15, Docket 2078