scholarly journals Is it Cost-Effective to Replace Old Eddy-Current Drives?

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Author(s):  
Marvin J. Cohn ◽  
Jordan W. Norton

There have been several feedwater piping and heater shell failures in power plants caused by flow-accelerated corrosion (FAC). This failure mechanism may be one of the most important types of damage to find proactively because FAC damage has occasionally resulted in catastrophic failures and human fatalities. Predicting, detecting, and resolving significant FAC damage can significantly reduce future forced outages and increase personnel safety. This paper describes the implementation of recent developments to perform cost-effective FAC examinations. These advances include the use of specialized pulsed eddy current (PEC) hardware and software to scan for wall thinning without removing insulation. Recent results are based on the current version, MK II, of this equipment. The authors have performed more than 200 power plant projects with this PEC equipment, examining numerous pipes and shells. This work consists of more than 70 projects of wall loss examinations for the nuclear industry, including examinations of feedwater heater shells inside the condenser. Results of wall loss measurements regarding PEC average wall thickness (AWT) measurements, ultrasonic thickness examinations (UTTH), and the PEC evaluated Defect Algorithm are compared in this study.


ACTA IMEKO ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Betta ◽  
Pietro Burrascano ◽  
Luigi Ferrigno ◽  
Marco Laracca ◽  
Marco Ricci ◽  
...  

Eddy Current Testing (ECT) is a Non Destructive technique widely used in many industrial application fields in which it is very important to detect the presence of thin defects (generally called cracks) in conductive materials. Features of this technique are the cost-effective implementation and the kind of retrieved measured data that make possible to estimate the geometrical characteristics of a crack as position, length, width and depth. The analysis of these characteristics allows the user to accept or discard realized components then improving the production chain. To accomplish for this task some aspects have to be taken into account during the measurement process. They mainly concern the realization of suitable measurement setup and post processing stages. As far as the measurement setup is concerned, crucial aspects are the choice of measurement and excitation devices. The choice of optimized excitation devices and strategies is of interest for research on Non Destructive ECT (ND-ECT): together with common aspects as the amplitude and the frequency of the exciting signal, the attention has been paid to issues as the type of signal to be adopted. In particular it has been found as the use of complex excitation signals, meant as signals different from the sinusoidal ones and with wide frequency content, might raise eddy current responses trying to support the measurement, detection and characterization stages when "difficult cases" are explored (i.e. very small and/or annealed cracks). In this paper the authors propose an experimental comparison of different excitation signals designed to improve the quality of experimental data when difficult cases are experienced and, consequently, to obtain a more reliable extraction of defects geometrical features.


Author(s):  
Marvin J. Cohn ◽  
Jordan W. Norton

There have been several feedwater heater shell failures in nuclear power plants caused by flow-accelerated corrosion (FAC). This failure mechanism may be one of the most important types of damage to mitigate because FAC damage has occasionally resulted in catastrophic failures and human fatalities. Predicting, detecting, and eliminating significant FAC damage can significantly reduce future forced outages and increase personnel safety. This paper describes the implementation of recent developments to perform cost-effective examinations. These advances include the use of specialized pulsed eddy current (PEC) hardware and software to scan for wall thinning without removing insulation. APTECH has performed more than 50 nuclear power plant projects on hundreds of feedwater shells, as well as numerous pipe examination projects, using the PEC equipment as a cost-effective screening tool for the detection of areas with significant wall loss. Results of shell wall loss measurements using ultrasonic examination (UT), the PEC average wall thickness (AWT) estimate, and the PEC evaluated Defect Algorithm are compared in this study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. 245-266
Author(s):  
Sergei Nagaitsev ◽  
Valeri Lebedev

The present Fermilab proton Booster is an early example of a rapid-cycling synchrotron (RCS). Built in 1960s, it features a design in which the combined-function dipole magnets serve as vacuum chambers. Such a design is quite cost-effective, and it does not have the limitations associated with the eddy currents in a metallic vacuum chamber. However, an important drawback of that design is a high impedance, as seen by a beam, because of the magnet laminations. More recent RCS designs (e.g. J-PARC) employ large and complex ceramic vacuum chambers in order to mitigate the eddy-current effects and to shield the beam from the magnet laminations. Such a design, albeit very successful, is quite costly because it requires large-bore magnets and large-bore RF cavities. In this paper, we consider an RCS concept with a thin-wall metallic vacuum chamber as a compromise between the chamber-less Fermilab Booster design and the large-bore design with ceramic chambers.


Author(s):  
Lawrence M. Roth

The female reproductive tract may be the site of a wide variety of benign and malignant tumors, as well as non-neoplastic tumor-like conditions, most of which can be diagnosed by light microscopic examination including special stains and more recently immunoperoxidase techniques. Nevertheless there are situations where ultrastructural examination can contribute substantially to an accurate and specific diagnosis. It is my opinion that electron microscopy can be of greatest benefit and is most cost effective when applied in conjunction with other methodologies. Thus, I have developed an approach which has proved useful for me and may have benefit for others. In cases where it is deemed of potential value, glutaraldehyde-fixed material is obtained at the time of frozen section or otherwise at operation. Coordination with the gynecologic oncologist is required in the latter situation. This material is processed and blocked and is available if a future need arises.


Author(s):  
James F. Mancuso

IBM PC compatible computers are widely used in microscopy for applications ranging from control to image acquisition and analysis. The choice of IBM-PC based systems over competing computer platforms can be based on technical merit alone or on a number of factors relating to economics, availability of peripherals, management dictum, or simple personal preference.IBM-PC got a strong “head start” by first dominating clerical, document processing and financial applications. The use of these computers spilled into the laboratory where the DOS based IBM-PC replaced mini-computers. Compared to minicomputer, the PC provided a more for cost-effective platform for applications in numerical analysis, engineering and design, instrument control, image acquisition and image processing. In addition, the sitewide use of a common PC platform could reduce the cost of training and support services relative to cases where many different computer platforms were used. This could be especially true for the microscopists who must use computers in both the laboratory and the office.


2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley Alliano ◽  
Kimberly Herriger ◽  
Anthony D. Koutsoftas ◽  
Theresa E. Bartolotta

Abstract Using the iPad tablet for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) purposes can facilitate many communicative needs, is cost-effective, and is socially acceptable. Many individuals with communication difficulties can use iPad applications (apps) to augment communication, provide an alternative form of communication, or target receptive and expressive language goals. In this paper, we will review a collection of iPad apps that can be used to address a variety of receptive and expressive communication needs. Based on recommendations from Gosnell, Costello, and Shane (2011), we describe the features of 21 apps that can serve as a reference guide for speech-language pathologists. We systematically identified 21 apps that use symbols only, symbols and text-to-speech, and text-to-speech only. We provide descriptions of the purpose of each app, along with the following feature descriptions: speech settings, representation, display, feedback features, rate enhancement, access, motor competencies, and cost. In this review, we describe these apps and how individuals with complex communication needs can use them for a variety of communication purposes and to target a variety of treatment goals. We present information in a user-friendly table format that clinicians can use as a reference guide.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-29
Author(s):  
Constance Hilory Tomberlin

There are a multitude of reasons that a teletinnitus program can be beneficial, not only to the patients, but also within the hospital and audiology department. The ability to use technology for the purpose of tinnitus management allows for improved appointment access for all patients, especially those who live at a distance, has been shown to be more cost effective when the patients travel is otherwise monetarily compensated, and allows for multiple patient's to be seen in the same time slots, allowing for greater access to the clinic for the patients wishing to be seen in-house. There is also the patient's excitement in being part of a new technology-based program. The Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS) saw the potential benefits of incorporating a teletinnitus program and began implementation in 2013. There were a few hurdles to work through during the beginning organizational process and the initial execution of the program. Since the establishment of the Teletinnitus program, the GCVHCS has seen an enhancement in patient care, reduction in travel compensation, improvement in clinic utilization, clinic availability, the genuine excitement of the use of a new healthcare media amongst staff and patients, and overall patient satisfaction.


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