Search

Lithium ion batteries (LIB) can rupture and result in thermal runaway and battery fires. In the process of transporting lithium ion batteries using trains, the massive collection of batteries can cause train fire and pose significant danger to the public. This is especially critical when the fire occurs amid a heavily populated metropolitan environment. This paper reports the 3D analysis of a warehouse with possible train fire due to LIB rupture and the fire propagation at a rail yard. Six critical fire cases with the battery train in close vicinity to the warehouse were considered. The six fire cases are the worst-case scenarios of a Monte Carlo simulation of different fire cases that may occur to an actual steel storage facility at the Capital Railyard, Raleigh, North Carolina. A 3D finite element (FE) frame model was constructed for the steel warehouse and the most critical fire cases were simulated. The results indicated that several structural components of the warehouse would experience large stresses and deflections during the simulated battery fires and resulting in instability to the structure. Specifically, members of the roof frame represent the most critical elements and that the members can result in large deformations as early as 4 minutes after the fire starts. Furthermore, effective utilization of fire protection can delay somewhat the fire effects and extend time to failure to 45 minutes and in one of the simulated cases, prevent structural instability. Thus, fire from LIB waste transport using train is a very realistic problem due to the thermal runaway, and the analysis performed in current study can be used as a preventive investigation technique for buildings that may be exposed to the train fire risk.

This article explores ethnographically how digital nomads reconcile their commitment to ‘freedom’ with their relationships to state institutions. It analyses the ways these ‘global citizens’ attempt to weaken ties with nation-states and challenge state–citizen relations in areas of work, citizenship, and mobility. On the surface, digital nomads appear to break the ‘social contract’ via borderless subjectivities, or via the creation of transnational businesses. Yet in practice they remain entangled in multiple state institutions, both directly and via corporate entities, to get closer to their hotly desired ‘freedom’. This article explores digital nomads’ attempts to ‘opt-out’ or ‘re-draw’ the social contract, and illustrates the tension between the imagined social contract and how actual state–citizen relations develop over time and are experienced through the filters of global corporations, free markets, and entrepreneurial thinking.

Lithium ion battery fire hazard has been well-documented in a variety of applications. Recently, battery train technology has been introduced as a clean energy concept for railway. In the case of heavy locomotives such as trains, the massive collection of battery stacks required to meet energy demands may pose a significant hazard. The objective of this paper is to review the risk evaluation processes for train fires and investigate the propagation of lithium ion battery fire to a neighboring steel warehouse structure at a rail repair shop through a case study. The methodology of the analyses conducted include a Monte Carlo-based dynamic modeling of fire propagation potentials, an expert-based fire impact analysis, and a finite element (FE) nonlinear fire analysis on the structural frame. The case study is presented as a demonstration of a holistic fire risk analysis for the lithium ion battery fire and results indicate that significant battery fire mitigations strategies should be considered.

The Underground Gas Storage (UGS) working gas capacity is one of the important design parameters for a UGS project. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate a case study from Sichuan area, China, where a fractured carbonate gas reservoir was used for UGS and show the key factors that should be considered to optimize UGS working gas capacity and help to secure energy supply during peak season.The dynamic simulation model was history matched on both depletion and storage. This model was coupled with 4D Geomechanics effects. It was then employed to capture the key parameters that will affect the working gas capacity. Based on the 4D Geomechanical integrity and facility assessment results, the forecast model was created using the subsurface and surface facility constraints. The study workflow included setting up the forecast model, uncertainty analysis and sensitivity analysis to capture the key driving parameters for the working gas volume. This study also included sensitivities of emergency gas supply during peak winter season.This study showed that the main factors that determine the UGS working gas capacity are the initial gas in place, tubing head pressure (THP) during withdrawal phase, bottom hole pressure (BHP) during injection phase, well pattern and well count. It was observed that each injection/production cycle is affected by the previous cycles. The simulation showed that the incremental working gas volume represented as a trend can be better fitted by a power function with both THP and BHP. It also demonstrated that lowering the THP limitation is more effective than increasing the BHP limitation. However, this may require surface facility upgrading. The optimum operating condition was identified by considering all engineering and geomechanical constrains such as erosion, wellbore integrity and cap rock integrity. This is used to guide the UGS daily operations with optimum production/injection rate of each well in a safe manner. The study recommended to implement a stepwise strategy to reach the working gas capacity.This paper presents a novel practical workflow and methodology to implement increased UGS reservoir working capacity. It also provides a practical way to forecast the operational pressure range and quickly predict the deliverability of emergency gas supply under various market demands.

Inductive power transfer (IPT) technology has been extensively studied for electric vehicles (EV) in the past decades. However, it has not drawn much attention in railway application. Due to the unique requirements of the railway system, most of the EV coupler designs are not directly compatible with wireless charging applications for a train. To fill this technical gap, this paper discusses the design considerations for railway application and introduces a design of a modular 5-kW IPT system for rail locomotives. According to the design constraints, a novel W-I coupler is proposed for the 5-kW IPT system and the system is optimized via ANSYS Maxwell. A prototype of the proposed IPT system is developed at an airgap of 5 inches and 85 kHz operating frequency. The prototype has been validated in a 1.7 kW output power supply with a DC to DC efficiency of 85.6%. The experimental results validate the feasibility of the IPT system design for rail application.

Before COVID-19, remote working was a rising trend. It was also seen as a luxury, an indulgence, or an inferior type of work. Global lockdowns made remote work the new normal. At first workers were excited to experience the freedom of working from home. Soon they started to grapple with practicalities such as getting the right home office setup. Then workers realized that it took effort to structure an effective balance between work life and home life. Many soon realized that remote working tantalizes with the promise of freedom, but it can end up delivering the exact opposite. Anthropologist and remote work specialist Dave Cook explores the new digital etiquette around Zoom® meetings and email that the world suddenly had to accept—uninvited—into their homes. He also uses his experience tracking the remote work habits of digital nomads—an extreme form of remote worker—to explore how this global remote work experiment will shape life after lockdown.

An Inductive Power Transfer (IPT) system for rail applications is proposed in this paper. IPT has attractive features for battery charging in electric vehicles and consumer electronics. For those applications, IPT technology has already been commercialized in the market for practical use. However, due to the unique requirement of rail applications on the power ratings and intrinsic disadvantages of IPT compared with wired charging on misalignment and Electromagnetic Field (EMF) leakage, IPT has not been commercialized for rail applications in U.S. so far. To fill these gaps, this paper introduces an IPT design with advantages of good geometry integration to rail tracks, high inductive coupling and low EMF leakage. Two I-type ferrite cores are paralleled as one lumped transmitter and one rectangular ferrite plate is coupled as the onboard receiver. The designed IPT system is aimed at 1 kW onboard battery charging on a park gauge train at UNC Charlotte. The multi-objective optimization based magnetic and electrical systems co-design is proposed to meet system specifications and optimize system performance. The co-simulation results are presented to verify the performance of proposed IPT system design.

In 2009, a Gas reservoir discovery was made in the Deepwater of the Kutei Basin offshore East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The appraisal campaign continued through 2012 delineating both a main field (Jangkrik) and a satellite field to the north (Jangkrik NE). Three well tests were conducted during the appraisal phase confirming good permeability and high gas deliverability. Geologically, the field is characterized as a slope channel turbidite deposition system made up of many separate reservoirs. Some of the reservoirs amalgamate together in a channel complex system. The development scheme entails eleven subsea wells tied-back to a FPU for offshore processing of gas and condensates. The project is currently in execution phase and the development drilling and completion campaign is ongoing. In October 2014 the first development well was drilled. The well was drilled from one of four drill centers in the north of the main field targeting for development two reservoir segments. Both segments will be completed using smart completion and frac pack to manage the potential for sand production during the production. This paper describes the integrated approach to model the clean-up design to optimize the cross discipline objectives and make critical decisions during the operational clean-up on the rig. The clean-up design has been carried out to capture all possible reservoir risks related to the type of depositional. Not only the standard well testing software tool has been used, but also a 3D reservoir model has been developed to be able to predict the reservoir behavior during the clean-up and the build-up period. Furthermore as a validation the reservoir modeling is implemented to compare these two results using the well testing software. As the conclusion, this analysis helps the operators determine the best and proper way to operate the well and to prepare for the commissioning phase. Deepwater gas development projects require reliable and consistent gas well deliverability to satisfy gas production targets and gas sales commitments. The clean-up of the high rate gas wells is critical after a successful completion to both establish the actual deliverability but also to minimize the production of completion fluid through the subsea system and to the FPU facility. The clean-up design was developed to meet all objectives for the project. Development of Deepwater gas fields in Indonesia is in its early stages. The project is challenging due the number of different and separate reservoirs to be developed. Each well is designed to intersect and complete at least two reservoirs isolated and monitored separately through two Down-Hole Gauges (DHGs) that are installed in the intelligent completion design. The clean-up phase will utilize the intelligent completion equipment to clean-up and to test each reservoir independently.

The advantages of rail electrification have been demonstrated worldwide, yielding reductions in energy costs, locomotive maintenance, polluting emissions and noise; but these benefits are compromised by the high capital costs of the overhead catenary infrastructure. Both the significant initial investment and loss of the operational flexibility, relative to conventional diesel-electric locomotive solutions, impede consideration of rail electrification in many applications. Described in this paper is a way to retain the best features of both dedicated electric and conventional diesel-electric for powering regional and commuter rail services characterized by frequent and energy-intensive stop and go operations. The innovation is a ‘Zero Emissions Boost Locomotive’ (ZEBL), a new type of locomotive “B” unit that is coupled in a ‘plug and play’ manner behind a conventional diesel-electric locomotive. The ZEBL is an all-electric motorized unit containing a power pack of batteries and ultracapacitors providing energy-capture, storage and regeneration to boost train acceleration. The ZEBL provides an open platform that allows future expansion to incorporate new energy storage technology and grid connectivity through wireless power transfer (WPT) during station stops. Simulations indicate that adding a ZEBL to an existing commuter train boosts acceleration reducing trip time and allowing much longer trains, while its energy regeneration features significantly reduce fuel consumption, diesel emissions and wear and tear on the consumable braking components.Copyright © 2015 by ASME

This paper provides an overview of the unique approach taken by a multi-discipline team consisting of Washington State Ferries (WSF) personnel, structural and geotechnical engineers, and economists to perform a risk assessment of a portion of WSF's aging timber trestle inventory. The intent of the assessment was to establish the cost-effectiveness of trestle replacement compared to refurbishment by quantifying risk for a range of seismic events and incorporating that risk into WSF's Asset Management Model. Failure scenarios developed using site-specific characteristics - such as trestle condition and site seismicity - were coupled with life cycle cost modeling techniques to assess the risks associated with doing nothing, refurbishing the existing trestles, or completely replacing the trestles at seven ferry terminals. This paper describes the approach developed to create an economic model and evaluate the efficacy of trestle upgrade and replacement options. A case study of the trestle at the Vashon Island terminal is included to demonstrate direct implementation of the approach and the results obtained.

PURPOSEThe purpose of this study was to provide baseline information on the perceptions, use, and knowledge of hemoglobin A1C (A1C) values among home healthcare nurses and patients.METHODSA convenience sample (44 patients, 26 nurses) from a Medicare-certified home care agency was surveyed using an investigator-developed demographic and knowledge questionnaire. Data collected from telephone interviews (patients), written questionnaires (nurses), and medicA1 record reviews were analyzed using descriptive methods.RESULTSMost of the home care nurses correctly identified the American Diabetes Association's recommendation for target A1C values; however, nurses rarely contact the physician to obtain A1C results. Nurses do not routinely teach patients about A1C values and inconsistently use A1C values to plan care for their patients with diabetes. Most patients said that they had never had an A1C test performed, and most did not recall the nurse providing any teaching about A1C.CONCLUSIONSEducation related to target A1C values is needed. Methods to increase the availability of A1C results in the home care setting should be explored. The importance and clinicA1 utility of A1C values need to be more effectively conveyed to both nurses and patients in the home care setting.

Diabetes is a common condition among clients receiving home care services. Improved glycemic control can greatly thwart the long-term complications of diabetes. A study examining the role of a clinical pharmacist was performed in a home care agency in which 105 clients were interviewed and their respective charts reviewed with the following results: 37% were incorrectly classified as to type of diabetes, serum creatinine and HbA1c values were not commonly recorded, and clients tended to have complex drug regimens with a large number of potential drug-related problems. The clinical pharmacist's potential impact in this environment is great based on the data gathered from this study.