scholarly journals Railway overhead contact wire monitoring system by means of FBG sensors

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (57) ◽  
pp. 246-258
Author(s):  
Erwin Ciro Zuleta ◽  
Carla Lupi ◽  
Ferdinando Felli ◽  
Claudio Paris ◽  
Cristian Vendittozzi

Safety of infrastructures represents one of the most significant concerns for governments and service providers to preserve people's well-being. One of the main ways to keep in safe facilities (buildings, bridges, railways, etc.) involves the use of monitoring sensor systems in charge of measuring critical operating conditions. Those measurements together with periodical maintenance, contribute to minimize potential risks that the infrastructure faces. The paper aims at designing, developing, and testing a monitoring system for mechanical stresses acting on the overhead contact wire (OCW) to ensure the operational safety of the railway network. In this regard, the paper proposes two Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors-based solutions, relying on the ability of these sensors to allow real-time and continuous data acquisition. The first one consists in a polyimide-coated sensor bonded on an OCW clamp, the second one is a copper-coated sensor hanging between the two separated halves of an OCW clamp. Significant results have been obtained mechanically testing both solutions, trying to simulate the operative conditions.

2020 ◽  
Vol 99 (11) ◽  
pp. 1301-1307
Author(s):  
Vitaliy G. Kostarev ◽  
Nina V. Zaitseva ◽  
Svetlana V. Kleyn ◽  
Ella V. Sedusova ◽  
Alena M. Andrishunas

In terms of the average potential risk of harm to health, per one economic entity ranks first (Rlav = 8.11 ∙ 10-3) among the main activities. In this group, the leading positions are occupied by “Mining” (Rlav = 2.21 ∙ 10-4) and “Manufacturing” (Rlav = 1.14 ∙ 10-4). The average potential risk of harm to the health of workers per business entity (sr) is: “Mineral extraction” - 1.01 ∙ 10-4 and “Manufacturing” - 2.56 ∙ 10-6. These types of activities are characterized by maximum values of the relative frequency of violations of sanitary requirements (2018: 8.26- “Mining”; 7.38 - “Manufacturing,” of which the proportion of violations of requirements for working conditions is 73.2% - “Mining” and 69.9% - “Manufacturing”). Violations of sanitary requirements for operating conditions (“Mining” - 70.6% at U = 0.00787; “Manufacturing” - 70.2% at U = 0.00841) make a significant contribution to the total risk. The largest number of people employed in work with harmful and (or) dangerous working conditions (“Mining” - 54.7%, “Manufacturing” - 43.2%); the largest number of cases of occupational diseases (according to Federal Service on Customers’ Rights Protection and Human Well-being Surveillance report in 2018: “Mining” - 2456 (25.0 cases per 10 thousand employees), “Manufacturing industry” - 1410 (2.16 cases per 10 thousand employees). Under the influence of one business entity of extremely high and high risk in the field of “Mining and quarrying” and “Manufacturing” about 1117.4 and 10151.0 thousand people, respectively.


2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 165-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Dudenhöffer ◽  
Christian Dormann

Abstract. The purpose of this study was to replicate the dimensions of the customer-related social stressors (CSS) concept across service jobs, to investigate their consequences for service providers’ well-being, and to examine emotional dissonance as mediator. Data of 20 studies comprising of different service jobs (N = 4,199) were integrated into a single data set and meta-analyzed. Confirmatory factor analyses and explorative principal component analysis confirmed four CSS scales: disproportionate expectations, verbal aggression, ambiguous expectations, disliked customers. These CSS scales were associated with burnout and job satisfaction. Most of the effects were partially mediated by emotional dissonance. Further analyses revealed that differences among jobs exist with regard to the factor solution. However, associations between CSS and outcomes are mainly invariant across service jobs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 637-637
Author(s):  
Hyunyup Lee ◽  
Carolyn Aldwin ◽  
Sungrok Kang ◽  
Xyle Ku

Abstract We investigated the dimensional structure of mental health among aging Korean Veterans using latent profile analysis (LPA) on posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD), late onset stress symptomology (LOSS), and psychosocial well-being (PWB). The Korean Vietnam War Veterans Study consists of 367 men (Mage=72, SD=2.66). LPA identified five classes of mental health as best fitting the data. Most men were in the normal (38%) and moderate distress (31%) groups, while smaller proportions were in the low affect (13%) and severe distress (7%) groups. The resilient group (12%) had low PTSD, medium LOSS, and high PWB, and were highest on optimism, positive appraisals of military service, and social support. Negative and positive aspects of mental health outcomes were on separate dimensions rather than on a single bipolar dimension. Service providers should attempt to both reduce Veterans’ negative psychological symptoms and increase psychosocial well-being. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Aging Veterans: Effects of Military Service across the Life Course Interest Group.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald C. Barnes ◽  
Jessica Mesmer-Magnus ◽  
Lisa L. Scribner ◽  
Alexandra Krallman ◽  
Rebecca M. Guidice

PurposeThe unprecedented dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced firms to re-envision the customer experience and find new ways to ensure positive service encounters. This context has underscored the reality that drivers of customer delight in a “traditional” context are not the same in a crisis context. While research has tended to identify hedonic need fulfillment as key to customer well-being and, ultimately, to invoking customer delight, the majority of studies were conducted in inherently positive contexts, which may limit generalizability to more challenging contexts. Through the combined lens of transformative service research (TSR) and psychological theory on hedonic and eudaimonic human needs, we evaluate the extent to which need fulfillment is the root of customer well-being and that meeting well-being needs ultimately promotes delight. We argue that in crisis contexts, the salience of needs shifts from hedonic to eudaimonic and the extent to which service experiences fulfill eudaimonic needs determines the experience and meaning of delight.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing the critical incident technique, this research surveyed 240 respondents who were asked to explain in detail a time they experienced customer delight during the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed their responses according to whether these incidents reflected the salience of hedonic versus eudaimonic need fulfillment.FindingsThe results support the notion that the salience of eudaimonic needs become more pronounced during times of crisis and that service providers are more likely to elicit perceptions of delight when they leverage meeting eudaimonic needs over the hedonic needs that are typically emphasized in traditional service encounters.Originality/valueWe discuss the implications of these findings for integrating the TSR and customer delight literatures to better understand how service experiences that meet salient needs produce customer well-being and delight. Ultimately, we find customer delight can benefit well-being across individual, collective and societal levels.


2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Hodge ◽  
Wally Barr ◽  
Louise Bowen ◽  
Martina Leeven ◽  
Paul Knox

There is growing evidence of the need for services to address the emotional support needs of people with visual impairments. This article presents findings from a mixed methods evaluation of an emotional support and counselling (ESaC) service delivered within an integrated low vision service, focusing primarily on the qualitative findings. Data collected using a standardised measure of psychological well-being (Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation–Outcome Measure; CORE-OM) show an improvement in the psychological well-being of clients of the service between baseline and follow-up assessment. Qualitative findings from interviews with service users and service providers help to illustrate and explain the experiences underlying the quantitative findings. The ESaC services are shown to be helpful to service users in two particular ways: helping them to normalise their experiences by talking to an impartial listener and helping them to accept and adapt to the physical, emotional and social changes in their lives resulting from their visual impairment.


2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 732-741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana M. DiNitto ◽  
Namkee G. Choi

ABSTRACTBackground: Epidemiological studies show that the number of older adults using marijuana is increasing. This study aimed to determine the correlates and patterns of marijuana use among older adults that might help health and social service providers better assist this group.Methods: Data are from the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the U.S.A. The sample consisted of 5,325 adults aged 50 years and older.Results: Of the sample, 2.8% were past-year marijuana users. Of them, 23% had used marijuana on at least half the days of the year. Past-year users were more likely to be younger (50–64 years old), black, and not married, and they had significantly higher psychological distress scores, but they did not rate their health as poorer than others in the sample, nor did they attribute many problems, including psychological problems, as being related to their marijuana use. Nevertheless, past-year users present a high-risk profile because, in addition to frequent marijuana use, they also are more likely to smoke cigarettes, engage in binge drinking, and use other illicit drugs.Conclusions: Health and social service providers should be alert to the small number of routine marijuana users among the younger members of the older adult population, especially those suffering significant psychological distress, so that these individuals can be encouraged to utilize services that will help alleviate this distress and promote a healthier lifestyle and increase general well being.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karam Yateem ◽  
Mohammad Dabbous ◽  
Mohammad Kadem ◽  
Mohammed Khanferi

Abstract The main objective of the paper is to outline initiatives associated with leveraging creativity and innovation to sustain operational excellence. It will cover processes, applications and best practices toward continually leveraging creative and innovation such as the development of innovation team toward creating a collaborative environment in the generation, identification and development of ideas and new technological advancement deployment. The processes described will cover (1) the continuous monitoring and management update of innovation submissions, implementation and self-development course completion, (2) recognition for value addition resultant from technological deployment, (3) Technical Review Committee (TRC) centralization and streamlining of evaluating technologies and best practices, (4) the assignment of challenging targets and (5) the initiation of special innovation campaigns for pressing and challenging matters has resulted in various major accomplishments. The establishment of the 4th Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) team to address production engineering and well services challenges and collaborate for articulate, smart, more efficient and effective resolutions, process improvements and decision making. The results were remarkable with an incremental increase into intent to submit a patent file consideration, patenting, technology deployment and production of technical manuscripts addressing the unique achievements as well as the submission of awards applications. Technical collaboration toward triggering resolutions to ongoing operational challenges has resulted in various internal in-house built strides of best practices and other collaborative initiatives with other services providers such as: Intelligent Field Equipment Industrial Professionals Training: Special training for intelligent field equipment associated with smart well completion (SWC) exercising and optimization, data retrieval from multiphase flow meters (MPFMs) as well as a permanent downhole monitoring system (PDHMS) and conducting basic preventative maintenance (PM) requirements. Multiphase Flow Metering (MPFM) Advanced Monitoring System: An in-house developed MPFM system advanced monitoring to enable production/Intelligent Field engineers to monitor and diagnose MPFMs healthiness in all fields. It includes a validation mechanism to monitor and verify the different MPFM diagnostic data, alarming mechanism, flow rates and data visualization tools to verify the health of the installed base of equipment toward higher testing efficiency, reduction of manpower exposure to the field, and cost avoidance through minimizing operational logistical arrangements and minimization of unnecessary field visits by service providers. The ultimate intent is to heavily depend upon all employees to successfully propose solutions, and subject matter experts to coach employees in the successful implementation of practical resolutions to improve operations, optimize cost, and enhance employees’ satisfaction and engagement.


1998 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 477-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Goldberg-Glen ◽  
Roberta G. Sands ◽  
Ralph D. Cole ◽  
Carolyn Cristofalo

‘Skipped generation’ families, consisting of grandparents and grandchildren with parents absent from the home, are frequently served in social work agencies. These families have unique multigenerational patterns and family structures that are important for service providers to recognize. This paper uses a multigenerational systems perspective to highlight the diversity among grandparent-headed households. Twenty families who were previously part of a larger study of stress, well-being, and life satisfaction among caregiving grandparents constituted a follow-up case study involving videotaped family interviews one year after the first study. Three families representing the range of diversity among the twenty are described with accompanying genograms. Differences in structure, interactional processes, and links with prior generations are identified in each case. These examples reveal the strengths and vulnerabilities, as well as the diversity, of grandparent-headed families.


Author(s):  
G. L. Lapini ◽  
M. Zippo ◽  
G. Tirone

The idea of measuring the electrostatic charge associated with the debris contained in the exhaust gases of a gas turbine (sometimes named EDMS, Engine Debris Monitoring System, or EEMS, Electrostatic Engine Monitoring System) has been demonstrated by several authors as an interesting diagnostic tool for the early warning of possible internal distresses (rubs, coating wear, hot spots in combustors, improper combustion, etc.) especially for jet engines or aeroderivative gas turbines. While potentially applicable to machines of larger size, the possibility of transferring this monitoring technology to heavy-duty gas turbines, which have exhaust ducts much bigger in size and different operating conditions, should be demonstrated. The authors present a synthesis of their experience and of the most significant data collected during a demonstration program performed on behalf of ENEL, the main Italian electric utility. The purpose of this program was to test this concept in real operating conditions on large turbines, and hence to evaluate the influence of the operating conditions on the system response and to assess its sensitivity to possible distresses. A good amount of testing has been performed, during this program, both on a full scale combustion rig, and on two machines rated at about 120 MW, during their normal and purposely perturbed operating conditions in a power plant. The authors, on the basis of the encouraging results obtained to date, comment on the work still required to bring this technology to full maturity.


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