Low-Water Stream Crossings: The Iowa Experience

2003 ◽  
Vol 1819 (1) ◽  
pp. 355-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. R. Gu ◽  
T. J. McDonald ◽  
R. A. Lohnes

Replacement of old, unsafe bridges on low-volume roads is an increasing concern in rural America. Counties and local jurisdictions with inadequate bridges on secondary roads are faced with large capital expenditures for replacement structures or possible road closings. Low-water stream crossings (LWSCs) can provide a low-cost and reasonably safe alternative. Three types of LWSC are unvented fords, vented fords, and low-water bridges. A study was conducted to develop design guidelines for all three types of LWSC. Although the study focused on Iowa, the results are thought to be applicable to a wider geographic region. The salient features of this design process, including site selection, selection of most effective LWSC type, and geometric and material selection design, are described for the three types of structures. Although potential legal liability associated with LWSCs is a concern, the Iowa experience indicates that, with adequate warning signs, accidents and subsequent tort claims may actually be less with LWSCs than with deficient and obsolete bridges. On the basis of this history, it appears that potential liability from the use of prudently designed LWSCs is not a high risk. However, each state and local agency should thoroughly study code and local ordinance restrictions when considering LWSC options.

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 917
Author(s):  
Ickjin Son ◽  
Grace Firsta Lukman ◽  
Mazahir Hussain Shah ◽  
Kwang-Il Jeong ◽  
Jin-Woo Ahn

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%.


Smart Cities ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 919-937
Author(s):  
Nikos Papadakis ◽  
Nikos Koukoulas ◽  
Ioannis Christakis ◽  
Ilias Stavrakas ◽  
Dionisis Kandris

The risk of theft of goods is certainly an important source of negative influence in human psychology. This article focuses on the development of a scheme that, despite its low cost, acts as a smart antitheft system that achieves small property detection. Specifically, an Internet of Things (IoT)-based participatory platform was developed in order to allow asset-tracking tasks to be crowd-sourced to a community. Stolen objects are traced by using a prototype Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)-based system, which sends signals, thus becoming a beacon. Once such an item (e.g., a bicycle) is stolen, the owner informs the authorities, which, in turn, broadcast an alert signal to activate the BLE sensor. To trace the asset with the antitheft tag, participants use their GPS-enabled smart phones to scan BLE tags through a specific smartphone client application and report the location of the asset to an operation center so that owners can locate their assets. A stolen item tracking simulator was created to support and optimize the aforementioned tracking process and to produce the best possible outcome, evaluating the impact of different parameters and strategies regarding the selection of how many and which users to activate when searching for a stolen item within a given area.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 459
Author(s):  
Ignacio Cazcarro ◽  
Albert E. Steenge

This article originates from the theoretical and empirical characterization of factors in the World Trade Model (WTM). It first illustrates the usefulness of this type of model for water research to address policy questions related to virtual water trade, water constraints and water scarcity. It also illustrates the importance of certain key decisions regarding the heterogeneity of water and its relation to the technologies being employed and the prices obtained. With regard to WTM, the global economic input–output model in which multiple technologies can produce a “homogeneous output”, it was recently shown that two different mechanisms should be distinguished by which multiple technologies can arise, i.e., from “technology-specific” or from “shared” factors, which implies a mechanism-specific set of prices, quantities and rents. We discuss and extend these characterizations, notably in relation to the real-world characterization of water as a factor (for which we use the terms technology specific, fully shared and “mixed”). We propose that the presence of these separate mechanisms results in the models being sensitive to relatively small variations in specific numerical values. To address this sensitivity, we suggest a specific role for specific (sub)models or key choices to counter unrealistic model outcomes. To support our proposal we present a selection of simulations for aggregated world regions, and show how key results concerning quantities, prices and rents can be subject to considerable change depending on the precise definitions of resource endowments and the technology-specificity of the factors. For instance, depending on the adopted water heterogeneity level, outcomes can vary from relatively low-cost solutions to higher cost ones and can even reach infeasibility. In the main model discussed here (WTM) factor prices are exogenous, which also contributes to the overall numerical sensitivity of the model. All this affects to a large extent our interpretation of the water challenges, which preferably need to be assessed in integrated frameworks, to account for the main socioeconomic variables, technologies and resources.


2006 ◽  
Vol 951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Motofumi Suzuki ◽  
Kaoru Nakajima ◽  
Kenji Kimura ◽  
Takao Fukuoka ◽  
Yasushige Mori

ABSTRACTWe have demonstrated surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy on arrays of Au nanorods aligned in line by a dynamic oblique deposition technique. For the light polarized along the major axis of the nanorods, the plasma resonance of the Au nanorods has been tuned to a wavelength suitable for Raman spectroscopy. The Raman scattering on the discrete nanorods is enhanced significantly compared with that on semi continuous Au films. Since the preparation process is physically bottom-up, it is robust in its selection of the materials and is useful in providing the SERS sensors at low cost.


2014 ◽  
Vol 952 ◽  
pp. 20-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Jun Xie

The selection of an optimal material is an important aspect of design for mechanical, electrical, thermal, chemical or other application. Many factors (attributes) need to be considered in material selection process, and thus material selection problem is a multi-attribute decision making (MADM) problem. This paper proposes a new MADM method for material selection problem. G1 method does not need to test consistency of the judgment matrix. Thus it is better than AHP. In this paper, firstly, we use the G1 method to determine the attribute weight. Then TOPSIS method is used to calculate the closeness of the candidate materials with respect positive solution. A practical material selection case is used to demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.


Author(s):  
Allan R. de Souza ◽  
Theodoro A. Netto ◽  
Ilson P. Pasqualino

Recent researches point to the great potential of the sandwich pipe conception for ultra deepwater exploitation and production of oil and natural gas. Its configuration is very simple and comprises two concentric metallic pipes with a core material, polymeric or ceramic, in the annulus. The main functions of the annular layer are: to provide satisfactory thermal insulation so as to avoid the formation of wax and hydrates along the pipeline during production shutdown; to improve the overall structural strength of the system. Polypropylene and cement have been recently proposed for these applications. The reason for the choice of these materials was the low cost and the extensive availability in industry. Here a systematic material selection approach is employed in order to assess the applicability of other polymeric materials. The attributes of materials needed to meet the design specification are thoroughly studied. The list of possible materials was enlarged and the modified digital logic approach is used with the purpose to define a top group of materials for further numerical comparative study. Finite element analyses are carried out to assess the structural strength of the sandwich pipe under pure external pressure or longitudinal bending and combined external pressure and bending. Additionally, the effect of thermal gradient is included to the numerical analyses to evaluate each pre-selected material of the top group. Results indicate that other potential materials such as PEEK and polycarbonate can improve the structural performance of the sandwich pipe conception and yet meet other several design criteria.


2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 80-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl A Stroetmann ◽  
Peter Gruetzmacher ◽  
Veli N Stroetmann

Home dialysis can improve the care and quality of life for patients with renal failure. We have explored the possibility of extending home care to more patients needing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) using telemedicine. We tested videoconferencing support for five CAPD patients using low-cost ISDN equipment (128 kbit/s). Initial results indicated that it was possible to integrate video-communication into the daily routine of the clinic and the response from patients was surprisingly positive. Selection of appropriate, affordable technology and the ISDN service support by the telecommunications provider proved to be considerably more difficult than anticipated. The first indications also suggest medical advantages for home teledialysis.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document