Methodology for assessing system performance loss within a proactive maintenance framework

Maintenance plays now a critical role in manufacturing for achieving important cost savings and competitive advantage while preserving product conditions. It suggests moving from conventional maintenance practices to predictive strategy. Indeed the maintenance action has to be done at the right time based on the system performance and component Remaining Useful Life (RUL) assessed by a prognostic process. In that way, this paper proposes a methodology in order to evaluate the performance loss of the system according to the degradation of component and the deviations of system input flows. This methodology is supported by the neuro-fuzzy tool ANFIS (Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference Systems) that allows to integrate knowledge from two different sources: expertise and real data. The feasibility and added value of such methodology is then highlighted through an application case extracted from the TELMA platform used for education and research

Capitalisation et réutilisation avec des patrons dans un cadre d'Ingénierie Système Basée sur les Modèles (ISBM)

International audienceIn order to promote capitalization and reuse within a Model-Based System Engineering (MBSE) framework, this paper proposes a methodological approach that relies on the concept of pattern in order to encapsulate the know-how to be capitalized and reused. Indeed, formalizing and maintaining know-how within a company is essential in order to have a common base of "good practices" available to all engineering teams. To do this, it is necessary to undertake a capitalization process in order to encapsulate these practices. However, it is equally important to make this know-how available and to facilitate its reuse so that engineers can adapt it to their needs. The flexibility of patterns during reuse is an advantage that will contribute to the efficiency of MBSE and where engineering teams are able to rely on the company's know-how

Bayesian Network Modelling the risk analysis of complex socio technical systems

International audienceThe risk analysis of a system is a multidisciplinary process in constant evolution. Indeed, if a few years ago, analyses were limited at the technical level, it is today necessary to consider the system in a global way, by including Human beings and Organisations. But this involves an increasing complexity of the studied system, because of the widening of its limits and the diversity of considered disciplines. This article proposes a method to structure the knowledge in a decisionmaking model

Methodological developments for probabilistic risk analyses of socio-technical systems

International audienceNowadays, the risk analysis of critical systems cannot be focused only on a technical point of view. Indeed, several major accidents have changed this initial way of thinking. As a result, there exist numerous methods that allow to study risks by considering on the main system resources: the technical process, the operator constraining this process, and the organisation conditioning human actions. However, few works propose to jointly use these different methods to study risks in a global approach. In that way, this paper presents a methodology, which is under development between CRAN, EDF and INERIS, allowing an integration of these different methods to probabilistically estimate risks. This integration is based on unification and structuring knowledge concepts; and the quantitative aspect is achieved through the use of Bayesian Networks. An application of this methodology, on an industrial case, demonstrates its feasibility and concludes on model capacities, which are about the necessary consideration of the whole causes for a system weakness treatment, and the classification of these contributors considering their criticality for this system. This tool can thus be used to help decision makers to prioritise their actions

Preliminary Hazard Analysis Generation Integrated with Operational Architecture - Application to Automobile

Abstract. We are witnessing evolution of standards (as the functional safety one) and increas-ing of complexity. This implies to perform safety studies efficiently and earlier in the context of Model-Based System Engineering. So, in this article, we will propose an evolution of the Pre-liminary Hazard Analysis (PHA) method in order to comply with the overall safety require-ments in the automotive domain. To demonstrate its usefulness, we apply this method to an industrial case which concerns the hazard analysis of unintended acceleration of a vehicle

Impact of biexcitons on the relaxation mechanisms of polaritons in III-nitride based multiple quantum well microcavities

We report on the direct observation of biexcitons in a III nitride based multiple quantum well microcavity operating in the strong light-matter coupling regime by means of nonresonant continuous wave and time-resolved photoluminescence at low temperature. First, the biexciton dynamics is investigated for the bare active medium (multiple quantum wells alone) evidencing localization on potential fluctuations due to alloy disorder and thermalization between both localized and free excitonic and biexcitonic populations. Then, the role of biexcitons is considered for the full microcavity: in particular, we observe that for specific detunings the bottom of the lower polariton branch is directly fed by the radiative dissociation of either cavity biexcitons or excitons mediated by one LO-phonon. Accordingly, minimum polariton lasing thresholds are observed, when the bottom of the lower polariton branch corresponds in energy to the exciton or cavity biexciton first LO-phonon replica. This singular observation highlights the role of excitonic molecules in the polariton condensate formation process as being a more efficient relaxation channel when compared to the usually assumed acoustical phonon emission one.This work was supported by the NCCR Quantum Photonics, research instrument of the Swiss National Science Foundation, through Grant No. 129715 and Grant No. 200020-113542, and by the EU-project Clermont4 (Grant No. FP7-235114)

The Exploration of Effects of Chinese Cultural Values on the Attitudes and Behaviors of Chinese Restaurateurs Toward Food Safety Training

Citation: Liu, P., & Kwon, J. (2013). The exploration of effects of Chinese cultural values on the attitudes and behaviors of Chinese restaurateurs toward food safety training. Journal of Environmental Health, 75(10), 38-46.Foodborne illness is a challenge in the production and service of ethnic foods. The purpose of the study described in this article was to explore variables influencing the behaviors of U.S. Chinese restaurant owners/operators regarding the provision of food safety training in their restaurants. Seventeen major Chinese cultural values were identified through individual interviews with 20 Chinese restaurant owners/operators. Most participants felt satisfied with their previous health inspections. Several expressed having difficulty, however, following the health inspectors’ instructions and in understanding the health inspection report. A few participants provided food safety training to their employees due to state law. Lack of money, time, labor/energy, and a perceived need for food safety training were recognized as major challenges to providing food safety training in Chinese restaurants. Videos, case studies, and food safety training handbooks were the most preferred food safety training methods of Chinese restaurant owners/operators, and Chinese was the preferred language in which to conduct the training

Vers un changement de pratique dans une filière céréalière : apport de la modélisation de l’environnement

National audienceProject management, especially in the field of sustainable development, requires to take into account not only the working environment stricto sensu, but also supra components of environmental, social, economic, legislative, etc. Ergonomists and psychologists are then led to be interested in, and to develop modeling frameworks to better understand and to make more intelligible this complex environment. The study presented here, which requires taking into account this environment, aims at setting up a novel practice for improving the food safety of a cereal chain in a global context of sustainable development: protection of the environment (flora and fauna) and the health of farmers and consumers. As part of this study, a quick fungal contamination diagnostic tool and a corresponding decontamination process have been developed for an application in the barley-malt-beer food chain. However, the use of these processes may change the agricultural practices in antifungal treatments with the regular and high dose treatments replaced by fine targeted applications only where and when necessary. In relation with this technological development, the challenge is to identify the components of the environment that may become brakes and levers to the implementation of this new practice. In this scope, this investigation mobilizes the modeling of the environment of Thatcher and Yeow (2016). This paper is consequently aimed at presenting the underlying process to this construction, and this in relation with the characteristics of the study. At last, a discussion is initiated concerning the further use of such modelling practices for purposes other than the decision-making processes on ergonomic intervention purposes.L’intervention ergonomique dans le champ du développement durable requiert la prise en compte d’un environnement dépassant largement l’environnement de travail afin d’y intégrer des composants relevant de dimensions environnementales, économique, législative, etc. Les ergonomes et psychologues ergonomes sont alors conduits à développer des cadres de modélisation permettant d’appréhender et de rendre davantage intelligible cet environnement complexe. L’étude sur laquelle nous nous basons ici s’inscrit dans ce cadre et vise l’identification des freins et leviers à la mise en place d’une nouvelle pratique en matière de traitement antifongique pour la filière orge-malt-bière. Pour cette investigation, nous nous référons notamment à la modélisation de Thatcher et Yeow (2016). L’enjeu est de présenter le processus de recueil et d’analyse sous-jacente à la modélisation et de poursuivre par une réflexion quant à l’emploi de ces formes de modélisation au cours d’un processus d’intervention

Biexcitonic molecules survive excitons at the Mott transition

When the carrier density is increased in a semiconductor, according to the predictions of Sir Nevil Mott, a transition should occur from an insulating state consisting of a gas of excitons to a conductive electron-hole plasma. This crossover, usually referred to as the Mott transition, is driven by the mutual effects of phase-space filling and Coulomb screening because of the presence of other charges nearby. It drastically affects the optical and electrical characteristics of semiconductors and may, for example, drive the transition from a polariton laser to a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser. Usually, the possible existence of excitonic molecules (or biexcitons) is neglected in the understanding of the Mott transition because the biexciton is supposed to be less robust against screening effects. Here, against common beliefs, we observe that the biexciton in a GaN quantum well is more stable towards the Mott transition than the exciton

Applications de la theorie des ensembles flous a l'amelioration et a la segmentation d'images monochromes

SIGLECNRS T Bordereau / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc