Statistical testing for sufficient control chart performances during monitoring of grouped processes

With ISO 7870-8, a standardized application of charting techniques for short runs and small mixed batches was presented in 2017. Similar to various scientific approaches, it requires that sample values from grouped processes follow nearly identical distributions. In practice, however, there tend to be differences between distribution parameters. Moreover, equal parameters do not ensure that distributions are properly aligned to the center line and control limits of the chart. These facts can lead to undesired control chart performances which can be expressed by average run lengths (ARL) during in-control and out-of-control conditions. In this work, a statistical test for sufficient control chart performances during monitoring of grouped processes based on preliminary samples is proposed. Control chart performances are defined as sufficient when they deviate within acceptable ranges from usual performances during single process monitoring in mass production. The ARL resulting from estimated distributions and planned production sequences is used as test statistic and calculated via the Markov chain approach. Exemplary tests are executed for scenarios with individuals and cumulated sum (CUSUM) charts. A simulative determination of error rates resulting from the ARL-based testing demonstrates its effectiveness in testing for sufficient control chart performances compared to an indirect testing with Levene's test and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).     

Evaluation of Failure Modes of Pure Resin and Single Layer of Adhesively Bonded Lap Joints Using Acoustic Emission Data

The purpose of this present study is to monitor the failure modes of pure resin and single layer of adhesively bonded lap joints using acoustic emission (AE) technique under tensile loading. Parametric analysis is performed using AE count rate, cumulative counts, time, frequency, amplitude and duration on the AE data obtained during the tensile test of adhesively bonded lap joints. After preliminary investigations in the parametric analysis, it was seen that AE amplitude parameter changes with the different AE events, thus failure modes were characterized using frequency analysis. Fast fourier transform (FFT) analysis has been proposed to identify the importance of peak frequency content of each failure mode corresponding to the AE hits using frequency FFT analysis. Short time fast fourier transform resulting frequency is correlated with FFT analysis of AE data, to find the peak frequency ranges for each of the failure modes. Scanning electron microscope as complementary, post-test inspection method is used to find microscopic evidence for the assumed assignment of failure modes.     

Technical and economic analysis of solvent-based lithium-ion electrode drying with water and NMP

Processing lithium-ion battery (LIB) electrode dispersions with water as the solvent during primary drying offers many advantages over N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP). An in-depth analysis of the comparative drying costs of LIB electrodes is discussed for both NMP- and water-based dispersion processing in terms of battery pack $/kWh. Electrode coating manufacturing and capital equipment cost savings are compared for water vs. conventional NMP organic solvent processing. A major finding of this work is that the total electrode manufacturing costs, whether water- or NMP-based, contribute about 8–9% of the total pack cost. However, it was found that up to a 2?×?reduction in electrode processing (drying and solvent recovery) cost can be expected along with a $3–6?M savings in associated plant capital equipment (for a plant producing 100,000 10-kWh Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) batteries) using water as the electrode solvent. This paper shows a different perspective in that the most important benefits of aqueous electrode processing actually revolve around capital equipment savings and environmental stewardship and not processing cost savings.     

Hexanal as a marker of oxidation flavour in sliced and uncured deli turkey with and without phosphates using rosemary extracts

Ability of commercial rosemary extracts (REs) alone and in combination with sodium tripolyphosphate (P) to inhibit lipid oxidation in uncured deli turkey (UDT) was examined via headspace hexanal and oxidation flavour. Sliced UDT was packaged (75% N₂/25% CO₂) and stored 13 weeks at 4 °C. Addition of P decreased hexanal 2.4-fold (P < 0.05) and increased mean pH of UDT from 5.94 to 6.30 (P < 0.05). Addition of water/lipid-soluble RE did not inhibit hexanal formation in UDT. Addition of water-soluble RE decreased hexanal 2.2-fold (P < 0.05). The combination of P and water-soluble RE decreased hexanal 33-fold (P < 0.05). The combination of P and water/lipid-soluble RE decreased hexanal ninefold (P < 0.05). Oxidation flavour was highest in UDT without added antioxidant> RE> P> RE+P (P < 0.05). Hexanal values were positively correlated with oxidation flavour scores throughout storage (P < 0.05). The combination of P with either RE was particularly effective at inhibiting lipid oxidation in modified atmosphere packaged UDT.     

A Novel Approach to Detect Faults Occurring During Power Swings by Abrupt Change of Impedance Trajectory

The main purpose of power swing blocking is to distinguish faults from power swings. However, faults occurred during a power swing should still be detected and cleared promptly. This paper proposes an index based on detecting abrupt jump of impedance trajectory by utilization of the predicting capability of the Kalman Filter. The proposed index is calculated by assessing the difference between predicted and actual samples of impedance. The predicted impedance samples are obtained using the Kalman filter and Taylor expansion, which are used in this paper to track the phasor precisely. Second order of Taylor expansion is used to decrease the corrugation effect of impedance estimation and increase the reliability of the proposed method. Furthermore, in order to increase the selectivity of the proposed method, the proposed index is armed with phase comparison logic to detect internal faults. The instantaneous estimation and prediction capability of the Kalman filter are two reasons for proposing the use of Kalman filter. Intensive studies have been performed and the merit of the method is demonstrated by test simulations.     

基于无谐波检测和选择性谐波补偿原理的组合式同相供电系统控制策略

针对组合式同相供电系统同相补偿装置(CCD)的常规控制方法受负载电流检测精度影响严重,且不能良好跟踪高速铁路负载高次谐波电流的缺陷,提出一种选择性谐波电流控制策略。该控制策略仅需要保留CCD的两单相变流器输出电压、电流的检测部分,不需要检测负载电流;并通过矢量比例积分控制器对连接负载的单相变流器输出电流误差中的各次谐波单独跟踪。该设计方法不受负载电流检测精度的影响,对牵引负荷各个频段谐波都具有良好的跟踪性能。利用MATLAB/Simulink搭建组合式同相供电的常规控制模型、改进控制模型和基于改进控制策略的半桥四臂模块化多电平电路模型,对交-直型、交-直-交型、混跑3种负载分别进行控制,仿真验证了改进电流控制方法的正确性以及在实际工程实现中的有效性。     

Behavior of internal stakeholders in project portfolio management and its impact on success

Stakeholder behavior and stakeholder management are key success factors within project portfolio management (PPM). This empirical study of 197 project portfolios investigates the effect of the intensity of engagement (IoE) of portfolio-internal stakeholders on project portfolio success. We show that the effect of stakeholders is phase-specific and that role clarity as a measure of PPM maturity affects the nature of the relationship between the IoE of stakeholders and portfolio success. The effects of the IoE of senior managers on success are not clearly positive with regard to strategic portfolio structuring and are even negative in operative portfolio steering in established PPM systems. In immature PPM systems, line managers tend to take advantage of their position in resource management. Surprisingly, the influence of portfolio managers in portfolio steering is insignificant. Altogether, this paper shows the diverse effect of the IoE of stakeholders on portfolio success. This study enriches project research by applying stakeholder theory to the project portfolio context and offers practical guidance for further professionalizing PPM.     

Degradation of microcystin in sediments at oxic and anoxic, denitrifying conditions

The potent toxin microcystin is frequently released during cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic waters and may impose a risk to human health, when surface water is used for drinking water. For removal of microcystin in surface waters, infiltration through sediment is commonly used. In the present study, mineralization of 14C-labelled microcystin (accumulation of 14CO(2)) and concentration changes (protein phosphatase inhibition assay) demonstrated that indigenous microorganisms in the sediment of a water recharge facility were capable of degrading microcystin. At oxic or microaerophilic (<2% O(2)) conditions, microcystin added to sediment slurries at 70 microg l(-1) was reduced to <20 microg l(-1) in 1-2 weeks, and less than 3 microg l(-1) after 7 weeks. At anoxic conditions (<0.3% O(2)) and with addition of nitrate, the degradation was significantly stimulated, reducing microcystin from 100 to <20 microg l(-1) within 1 day. The simultaneous production of N(2)O in the samples suggests that the microcystin degradation was coupled to dissimilative nitrate reduction (denitrification). Since aquifers and sediments beneath drinking water reservoirs often are anoxic, nitrate respiration may be an important process in removal and detoxification of microcystin.     

Valorisation of protein hydrolysates from animal by-products: perspectives on bitter taste and debittering methods: a review

Conversion of animal by-products to high value-added food ingredients is one of the top trends in the slaughter industry. Enzymatic hydrolysis of animal by-products can generate protein hydrolysates, which provides an opportunity for effective utilisation. However, bitterness of protein hydrolysate is a major undesirable aspect for various applications. In this review, the current knowledge on protein hydrolysates from animal by-products is briefly reviewed. The structural features of bitter peptides and bitter taste receptors are summarised. Moreover, the potential approaches for debittering protein hydrolysates are highlighted, including exopeptidase treatment, Maillard reaction, plastein reaction and encapsulation. In addition, the current debittering strategies and challenges are also discussed. This article presents some opportunities to utilise protein hydrolysates from animal by-products and their debittering methods.     

Synergy and Subsidiarity: The Systematic Determination of Software,User, and Operating Instructions

The quality of a software product is determined by its usability; the quality of technical documentation is determined by its comprehensibility. Usability conceptualizes the person using a software product to perform a task; comprehensibility deals with the reader of operating instructions-although they are generally one and the same person. However, only rarely are the software and technical documentation part of an integrated design.

This is all the more surprising in that, on the technical level, the boundary between software and user information is becoming increasingly blurred; one need only think of the hypertext links between software and help systems, or of electronic versions of operating instructions.

We make the case for considering user, software, and operating instructions as a single system oriented toward performing a task; the operating instructions therefore are regarded as a subsidiary subsystem of a structure to be described. This is done from a linguistic perspective, with reference to the central category of knowledge available to the user or contained in the software and in the operating instructions and that we approach via an empirical analysis of authentic material (operating instructions as primary data, statements of end users concerning operating instructions).

Taking the example of creating software and operating instructions for a computer tomograph, we show how the relevant knowledge elements contribute to the accomplishment of an operating task and discuss the resultant requirements concerning the contents of software and operating instructions, particularly for handling fault and problem situations.