Cost-Effective Directional Drilling and Logging-While-Drilling Operational/Maintenance Model Aids an East Africa Operator to Deliver Its Remote Location Exploration Campaign

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iain Lunney
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Commodity Prices ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Directional Drilling ◽  
Remote Maintenance ◽  
Support Team ◽  
High Level ◽  
Remote Assistance ◽  
Level Of Experience ◽  
Maintenance Model

ABSTRACT In a cost-sensitive market driven by depressed commodity prices, significant capital challenges exist for operators interested in pursuing exploration activities in remote environments to define their producible reserves. This paper explores the organizational and operational model developed by a service company over several remote area mobilizations; this model resulted in an optimized low-cost service delivery model characterized by top quartile operational key performance indicators (KPIs). The model centralizes critical functions of an operational organization into discrete service units that are located near the operational location or that provide remote assistance with communication and reporting lines in place to function effectively. Top quartile operational performance and tool availability is a result of placing a remote repair and maintenance facility that includes containerized specialty modules near the operational area. The upfront bottomhole assembly engineering, 24/7 monitoring, and proactive feedback of logged data, drillstring dynamics, and wellbore hydraulics are performed by a core team of subject matter experts in their respective disciplines from an established centralized operating center. The operational KPIs over the course of the six well exploration campaign provided substantial evidence to support the reliability of the model and the high level of experience used in both the remote maintenance facility and the operations center support team.

Infrastructure Data Management Systems Driven by Commercial Need: One Company’s Experience

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Fry
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Asset Management ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Inspection Time ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Data Management Systems ◽  
High Level ◽  
Infrastructure Maintenance

The high cost of railroad infrastructure maintenance, compared to the relatively low cost and growing capability of systems to assess infrastructure condition, offers significant potential for cost saving through improved data management systems. This paper looks at one company’s experience of systems in Europe and focuses particularly on the commercial value that can be delivered — other company’s systems are of course also available. Balfour Beatty Rail (BBR) is one of the world’s largest rail engineering and services providers and a significant part of our business involves Asset Management in its broadest sense. BBR’s hands-on experience as a builder and maintainer of railways informs our understanding of what data is helpful to ensure safety and optimize maintenance. Many of our systems have evolved though our own needs in railway maintenance and all are very commercially focused. This paper looks at some of the commercial drivers for these systems and draws on experience from a number of applications in Europe to highlight key areas of benefit. The paper begins with the high level commercial case for data and its effective use, looking at the opportunity for cost savings in asset management. It then looks at the information required to deliver specific types of benefit. Experience with a new system for London Underground to maximize the use of their limited maintenance windows is described. The implications of the UK’s penalty regime for train delays is then discussed, showing how it has driven investment in signaling monitoring resulting in reliability and availability improvement. Condition visibility is an essential prerequisite for effective planning and root cause analysis. For track, subject to many simultaneous degradation modes, location-centered visualisation software is providing users a clearer view of all relevant parameters. By presenting measurements from many different sources to provide a unified view with a location accuracy to within one tie, better targeted and cost-effective maintenance can be undertaken. Software developed by German subsidiary Schreck-Mieves takes a new approach to data management during visual inspections. Initially developed exclusively for their own use, the system aims to quantify a manual inspection. Information is checked for errors and completeness and recording is ergonomically designed to minimize inspection time. Results are combined into an overall evaluation based on a new KAV® wear margin parameter and can be “rolled up” to cover all or part of the network. Finally the paper describes how the UK’s 150-year-old infrastructure has necessitated a different approach to gauging to maximize space. Through infrastructure data management systems and a more analytic approach it is possible to undertake calculations that estimate “true” clearances. This frees up available space which can be used to increase vehicle capacity or save money, with a recent example showing savings of up to $35m made over a 150mile route upgrade, reducing the scope or works by up to a third.

scholarly journals Low-cost photolithography system for cell biology labs

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 550-553
Author(s):  
Benjamin K. Naggay ◽  
Kerstin Frey ◽  
Markus Schneider ◽  
Kiriaki Athanasopulu ◽  
Günter Lorenz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Light Source ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Soft Lithography ◽  
Uv Light ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Light Emitting ◽  
Set Up ◽  
High Level

Abstract Soft lithography, a tool widely applied in biology and life sciences with numerous applications, uses the soft molding of photolithography-generated master structures by polymers. The central part of a photolithography set-up is a mask-aligner mostly based on a high-pressure mercury lamp as an ultraviolet (UV) light source. This type of light source requires a high level of maintenance and shows a decreasing intensity over its lifetime, influencing the lithography outcome. In this paper, we present a low-cost, bench-top photolithography tool based on ninety-eight 375 nm light-emitting diodes (LEDs). With approx. 10 W, our presented lithography set-up requires only a fraction of the energy of a conventional lamp, the LEDs have a guaranteed lifetime of 1000 h, which becomes noticeable by at least 2.5 to 15 times more exposure cycles compared to a standard light source and with costs less than 850 C it is very affordable. Such a set-up is not only attractive to small academic and industrial fabrication facilities who want to enable work with the technology of photolithography and cannot afford a conventional set-up, but also microfluidic teaching laboratories and microfluidic research and development laboratories, in general, could benefit from this cost-effective alternative. With our self-built photolithography system, we were able to produce structures from 6 μm to 50 μm in height and 10 μm to 200 μm in width. As an optional feature, we present a scaled-down laminar flow hood to enable a dust-free working environment for the photolithography process.

scholarly journals Determination of Cadmium in Some Cosmetic Products

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fuad A.F. Saleh ◽  
Ramzi N.A. Saif ◽  
Dina M.A. Murshed ◽  
Basheer A.M. Abdulmageed
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cadmium Concentration ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
High Price ◽  
Cosmetic Products ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Cadmium Metal ◽  
High Level ◽  
Over Time

Throughout the ages and times, the need to use everything that reflects women's beauty and helps them maintain their vision and health, and if the need to use the precious materials has been put in place, it is important that they produce the desired results without attention to the harmful chemicals and heavy metals that they contain. Over time, the toxicity of these heavy metals increases in our environment because of their long-term exposure to these pollutants, whether low or high-level in toxicity, animal-prednmost, environment, including air we breathe, water, food, etc. Cosmetics are one of these sources through which humans are exposed to heavy toxic metals. Heavy metals have been estimated in a number of previous studies, and in our study here, we aim to estimate the amount of cadmium metal and study it in various cosmetics such as Lipstick, Eye shadow, Face whitening cream. Two samples were taken from each of the locomoys and cadmium was estimated using the photometer of atomic absorption, one of the samples being expensive and the other low-cost, and purchased from the wholesale markets of Taiz City. Cadmium has been found prominently in these products and the highest rate found in the lowest cost-effective, Eye shadow, that the use of these cosmetic products exposes users to low- conc. heavy metals, which may pose a danger to their health. They are known to be clustered in their biological systems over time, resulting in an imbalance of body and environment. The results found that the low-priced color samples contained a higher concentration of cadmium than the high-price samples in low-priced samples, cadmium concentration was in order of eye shadow > lipstick = face whitening cream. The similar pattern are shown also for higher price product, which are lipstick > face whitening cream > eye shadow.

ASSESSMENT OF THE PLATELET COUNT IN THE PREGNANT WOMEN IN IGIMS, PATNA, BIHAR

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanwi Singh ◽  
Anshuman Sinha
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Count ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Screening Test ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Platelet Indices ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Low Platelet Count ◽  
Severity Of The Disease

The major risk associated with low platelet count in pregnancy is the increased risk of bleeding during the childbirth or post that. There is an increased blood supply to the uterus during pregnancy and the surgical procedure requires cutting of major blood vessels. Women with thrombocytopenia are at increased risk of losing excessive blood. The risk is more in case of caesarean delivery as compared to vaginal delivery. Hence based on above findings the present study was planned for Assessment of the Platelet Count in the Pregnant Women in IGIMS, Patna, Bihar. The present study was planned in Department of Pathology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science, Patna, Bihar, India. The present study was planned from duration of January 2019 to June 2019. In the present study 200 pregnant females samples received for the platelet estimation were enrolled in the present study. Clinically platelet indices can be a useful screening test for early identification of preeclampsia and eclampsia. Also platelet indices can assess the prognosis of this disease in pregnant women and can be used as an effective prognostic marker because it correlates with severity of the disease. Platelet count is a simple, low cost, and rapid routine screening test. Hence the data generated from the present study concludes that platelet count can be used as a simple and cost effective tool to monitor the progression of preeclampsia, thereby preventing complications to develop during the gestational period. Keywords: Platelet Count, Pregnant Women, IGIMS, Patna, Bihar, etc.

Janus – A New Approach to Air Combat Pilot Training

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (4) ◽  
pp. 7-22
Author(s):  
Georges Bridel ◽  
Zdobyslaw Goraj ◽  
Lukasz Kiszkowiak ◽  
Jean-Georges Brévot ◽  
Jean-Pierre Devaux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Training System ◽  
Embedded Sensors ◽  
Pilot Training ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Combat Aircraft ◽  
Air Combat ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Advanced jet training still relies on old concepts and solutions that are no longer efficient when considering the current and forthcoming changes in air combat. The cost of those old solutions to develop and maintain combat pilot skills are important, adding even more constraints to the training limitations. The requirement of having a trainer aircraft able to perform also light combat aircraft operational mission is adding unnecessary complexity and cost without any real operational advantages to air combat mission training. Thanks to emerging technologies, the JANUS project will study the feasibility of a brand-new concept of agile manoeuvrable training aircraft and an integrated training system, able to provide a live, virtual and constructive environment. The JANUS concept is based on a lightweight, low-cost, high energy aircraft associated to a ground based Integrated Training System providing simulated and emulated signals, simulated and real opponents, combined with real-time feedback on pilot’s physiological characteristics: traditionally embedded sensors are replaced with emulated signals, simulated opponents are proposed to the pilot, enabling out of sight engagement. JANUS is also providing new cost effective and more realistic solutions for “Red air aircraft” missions, organised in so-called “Aggressor Squadrons”.

Motivating Compliance: Firm Response to Mandatory Disclosure Policies

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-119
Author(s):  
Colleen M. Boland ◽  
Chris E. Hogan ◽  
Marilyn F. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Of Interest ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Policy Adoption ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Regulated Firms ◽  
Firm Response ◽  
Disclosure Rules ◽  
The Impact

SYNOPSIS Mandatory existence disclosure rules require an organization to disclose a policy's existence, but not its content. We examine policy adoption frequencies in the year immediately after the IRS required mandatory existence disclosure by nonprofits of various governance policies. We also examine adoption frequencies in the year of the subsequent change from mandatory existence disclosure to a disclose-and-explain regime that required supplemental disclosures about the content and implementation of conflict of interest policies. Our results suggest that in areas where there is unclear regulatory authority, mandatory existence disclosure is an effective and low cost regulatory device for encouraging the adoption of policies desired by regulators, provided those policies are cost-effective for regulated firms to implement. In addition, we find that disclose-and-explain regulatory regimes provide stronger incentives for policy adoption than do mandatory existence disclosure regimes and also discourage “check the box” behavior. Future research should examine the impact of mandatory existence disclosure rules in the year that the regulation is implemented. Data Availability: Data are available from sources cited in the text.

Azo (Hydrazone) pigments: general principles

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Christie
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Metal Salt ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Precipitation Process ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Technical Performance ◽  
Chemical Structures ◽  
General Chemical ◽  
Physical Form

Abstract This paper presents an overview of the general chemical principles underlying the structures, synthesis and technical performance of azo pigments, the dominant chemical class of industrial organic pigments in the yellow, orange, and red shade areas, both numerically and in terms of tonnage manufactured. A description of the most significant historical features in this group of pigments is provided, starting from the discovery of the chemistry on which azo colorants are based by Griess in the mid-nineteenth century, through the commercial introduction of the most important classical azo pigments in the early twentieth century, including products known as the Hansa Yellows, β-naphthol reds, including metal salt pigments, and the diarylide yellows and oranges, to the development in the 1950s and 1960s of two classes of azo pigments that exhibit high performance, disazo condensation pigments and benzimidazolone-based azo pigments. A feature that complicates the description of the chemical structures of azo pigments is that they exist in the solid state as the ketohydrazone rather than the hydroxyazo form, in which they have been traditionally been illustrated. Numerous structural studies conducted over the years on an extensive range of azo pigments have demonstrated this feature. In this text, they are referred to throughout as azo (hydrazone) pigments. Since a common synthetic procedure is used in the manufacture of virtually all azo (hydrazone) pigments, this is discussed in some detail, including practical aspects. The procedure brings together two organic components as the fundamental starting materials, a diazo component and a coupling component. An important reason for the dominance of azo (hydrazone) pigments is that they are highly cost-effective. The syntheses generally involve low cost, commodity organic starting materials and are carried out in water as the reaction solvent, which offers obvious economic and environmental advantages. The versatility of the approach means that an immense number of products may be prepared, so that they have been adapted structurally to meet the requirements of many applications. On an industrial scale, the processes are straightforward, making use of simple, multi-purpose chemical plant. Azo pigments may be produced in virtually quantitative yields and the processes are carried out at or below ambient temperatures, thus presenting low energy requirements. Finally, provided that careful control of the reaction conditions is maintained, azo pigments may be prepared directly by an aqueous precipitation process that can optimise physical form, with control of particle size distribution, crystalline structure, and surface character. The applications of azo pigments are outlined, with more detail reserved for subsequent papers on individual products.

scholarly journals Chemical Modification of Combusted Coal Gangue for U(VI) Adsorption: Towards a Waste Control by Waste Strategy

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8421
Author(s):  
Yuan Gao ◽  
Jiandong Huang ◽  
Meng Li ◽  
Zhongran Dai ◽  
Rongli Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Analysis ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Chemical Activation ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Coal Gangue ◽  
Order Kinetic ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Detailed Structural Analysis ◽  
Alkaline Conditions

Uranium mining waste causes serious radiation-related health and environmental problems. This has encouraged efforts toward U(VI) removal with low cost and high efficiency. Typical uranium adsorbents, such as polymers, geopolymers, zeolites, and MOFs, and their associated high costs limit their practical applications. In this regard, this work found that the natural combusted coal gangue (CCG) could be a potential precursor of cheap sorbents to eliminate U(VI). The removal efficiency was modulated by chemical activation under acid and alkaline conditions, obtaining HCG (CCG activated with HCl) and KCG (CCG activated with KOH), respectively. The detailed structural analysis uncovered that those natural mineral substances, including quartz and kaolinite, were the main components in CCG and HCG. One of the key findings was that kalsilite formed in KCG under a mild synthetic condition can conspicuous enhance the affinity towards U(VI). The best equilibrium adsorption capacity with KCG was observed to be 140 mg/g under pH 6 within 120 min, following a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. To understand the improved adsorption performance, an adsorption mechanism was proposed by evaluating the pH of uranyl solutions, adsorbent dosage, as well as contact time. Combining with the structural analysis, this revealed that the uranyl adsorption process was mainly governed by chemisorption. This study gave rise to a utilization approach for CCG to obtain cost-effective adsorbents and paved a novel way towards eliminating uranium by a waste control by waste strategy.

scholarly journals Platforms for Production of Protein-Based Vaccines: From Classical to Next-Generation Strategies

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1072
Author(s):  
Raquel Cid ◽  
Jorge Bolívar
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Insect Larvae ◽  
Subunit Vaccines ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Alternative Systems ◽  
Inactivated Vaccines

To date, vaccination has become one of the most effective strategies to control and reduce infectious diseases, preventing millions of deaths worldwide. The earliest vaccines were developed as live-attenuated or inactivated pathogens, and, although they still represent the most extended human vaccine types, they also face some issues, such as the potential to revert to a pathogenic form of live-attenuated formulations or the weaker immune response associated with inactivated vaccines. Advances in genetic engineering have enabled improvements in vaccine design and strategies, such as recombinant subunit vaccines, have emerged, expanding the number of diseases that can be prevented. Moreover, antigen display systems such as VLPs or those designed by nanotechnology have improved the efficacy of subunit vaccines. Platforms for the production of recombinant vaccines have also evolved from the first hosts, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to insect or mammalian cells. Traditional bacterial and yeast systems have been improved by engineering and new systems based on plants or insect larvae have emerged as alternative, low-cost platforms. Vaccine development is still time-consuming and costly, and alternative systems that can offer cost-effective and faster processes are demanding to address infectious diseases that still do not have a treatment and to face possible future pandemics.

scholarly journals Design Considerations and Selection of Cost-Effective Switched Reluctance Drive for Radiator Cooling Fans

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 917
Author(s):  
Ickjin Son ◽  
Grace Firsta Lukman ◽  
Mazahir Hussain Shah ◽  
Kwang-Il Jeong ◽  
Jin-Woo Ahn
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Magnetic Characteristics ◽  
Switched Reluctance Motors ◽  
Switched Reluctance ◽  
Design Considerations ◽  
Cooling Fan ◽  
Cooling Fans ◽  
Power Switches ◽  
Selection Of

Switched reluctance motors (SRMs) are simple in structure, easy to manufacture, magnet-less, brushless, and highly robust compared to other AC motors which makes them a good option for applications that operate in harsh environment. However, the motor has non-linear magnetic characteristics, and it comes with various pole-phase combinations and circuit topologies that causes many difficulties in deciding on which type to choose. In this paper, the viability of SRM as a low-cost, rugged machine for vehicle radiator cooling fan is considered. First, necessary design considerations are presented, then three commonly use types of SRM are analyzed: A 3-phase 6/4, 3-phase 12/8, and a 4-phase 8/6 to find their static and dynamic characteristics so the most suitable type can be selected. Simulation results show that the 8/6 SRM produces the highest efficiency with less phase current which reduces the converter burden. However, with asymmetric half bridge converter, eight power switches are required for 8/6 SRM and thus put a burden on the overall drive cost. As a solution, the Miller converter with only six switches for four phase SRM. To verify the proposed idea, the 8/6 SRM was manufactured and tested. The results show that Miller converter can be used for the proposed SRM with slightly reduced efficiency at 80.4%.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document