Pipeline integrity is a cornerstone of the operation of many industrial systems, and maintaining pipeline integrity is essential for preventing economic losses and ecological damage caused by oil and gas leaks. Based ...Pipeline integrity is a cornerstone of the operation of many industrial systems, and maintaining pipeline integrity is essential for preventing economic losses and ecological damage caused by oil and gas leaks. Based on integritymanagement data published by the US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, this study applied the k-means clustering and data envelopment analysis(DEA) methods to both explore the characteristics of pipeline-integrity management and evaluate its efficiency. The k-means clustering algorithm was found to be scientifically valid for classifying pipeline companies as either low-, medium-, or high-difficulty companies according to their integrity-management requirements. Regardless of a pipeline company's classification, equipment failure was found to be the main cause of pipeline failure. In-line inspection corrosion and dent tools were the two most-used tools for pipeline inspection. Among the types of repair, 180-day condition repairs were a key concern for pipeline companies. The results of the DEA analysis indicate that only three out of 34 companies were deemed to be DEA-effective. To improve the effectiveness of pipeline integrity management, we propose targeted directions and scales of improvement for non-DEA-effective companies.展开更多
Beam management,including initial access(IA)and beam tracking,is essential to the millimeter-wave Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)network.However,the conventional communicationonly and feedback-based schemes suffer a high...Beam management,including initial access(IA)and beam tracking,is essential to the millimeter-wave Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)network.However,the conventional communicationonly and feedback-based schemes suffer a high delay and low accuracy of beam alignment,since they only enable the receiver to passively“hear”the information of the transmitter from the radio domain.This paper presents a novel sensing-assisted beam management approach,the first solution that fully utilizes the information from the visual domain to improve communication performance.We employ both integrated sensing and communication and computer vision techniques and design an extended Kalman filtering method for beam tracking and prediction.Besides,we also propose a novel dual identity association solution to distinguish multiple UAVs in dynamic environments.Real-world experiments and numerical results show that the proposed solution outperforms the conventional methods in IA delay,association accuracy,tracking error,and communication performance.展开更多
Bacillus thuringiensis is a major microbial insecticide and a source of genes encoding several proteins toxic to insects. In this paper the authors g ive a brief summary of Bacillus thuringiensis used on the integrat...Bacillus thuringiensis is a major microbial insecticide and a source of genes encoding several proteins toxic to insects. In this paper the authors g ive a brief summary of Bacillus thuringiensis used on the integrated pest manage ment in forestry. The derivatives of Bt strain HD1 subsp kurstaki have been wide ly used to control the forest pests such as the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), s pruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana), the pine processionary moth (Thaumetop oea pityocampa), the European pine shoot moth (Rhyacionia buoliana) and the nun moth (Lymantria monacha). Some progresses of transferring and expressing Bt toxi n gene in forest trees are offered with a discussion on the limits and future pr ospects of using Bt products in forestry.展开更多
ISO 9000 certification has been considered as an effective competitive edge for manufacturing industries. In Hong Kong, the ISO 9000 certification has been widely adopted and extended to service industries for the so...ISO 9000 certification has been considered as an effective competitive edge for manufacturing industries. In Hong Kong, the ISO 9000 certification has been widely adopted and extended to service industries for the sole purpose of enhancing corporate image. However, complaints have been voiced by many certified organizations about increasing paperwork, non direct labour and excessive resources channelled into non core business. This paper is to propound the integrated management system, a single management system focusing on business purpose yet being flexible enough to integrate the requirements of various management standards such as the ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and future ISO 18000. This paper describes how the proposed system could be implemented to achieve the desired business results.展开更多
A decision support system for IPM of the pine caterpillar, Dendrolimus spectabilis Buter, DS-IPM-DSS, has recently been developed using a GW-0520 CH microcomputer. The software system consists of , a Model Base and it...A decision support system for IPM of the pine caterpillar, Dendrolimus spectabilis Buter, DS-IPM-DSS, has recently been developed using a GW-0520 CH microcomputer. The software system consists of , a Model Base and its Management System, a Database and its Management System, a Control Program, a Problem Analysis Program, and a User’s Interface System. Also further development aimed at expanding the DS-IPM-DSS into a more generalized and flexible package, i. e., making it helpful in creating computer-based system for other forest insect pests, are discussed.展开更多
The status of utilization and disposal of the building wastes are introduced on the basis of analysis of its compositions, genera- tion and effects on urban environment. The basic framework of the integrated building ...The status of utilization and disposal of the building wastes are introduced on the basis of analysis of its compositions, genera- tion and effects on urban environment. The basic framework of the integrated building waste management, including control of the sources, reduction of the integrated process and final disposal, are proposed in view of the problems existing in recovery of the building wastes and the experiences from the developed countries.展开更多
To look through innovation management in small project-based firms, such as software engineering companies, which are service firms that conduct projects for their clients, capability maturity model integration (CMMI...To look through innovation management in small project-based firms, such as software engineering companies, which are service firms that conduct projects for their clients, capability maturity model integration (CMMI) is introduced. It is a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes. Taking ABC Software Company as an example, the performances before and after the introduction of CMMI in the firm were compared. The results indicated that after two years of application, the productivity increased 92%, and the ability of detecting errors improved 26.45% ; while the rate of faults and the cost of software development dropped 12.45% and 77.55%, respectively. To conclude, small project-based firms benefit a lot if they take CMMI into their process of innovation management, particularly for those R&D firms, since the implementation of CMMI leads them to a promising future with higher efficiency and better effects.展开更多
A 10 year research programme at Lincoln University, investigating the use of Trichoderma species for biological control of soil-borne diseases of vegetable crops, has resulted in the development of two commercial prod...A 10 year research programme at Lincoln University, investigating the use of Trichoderma species for biological control of soil-borne diseases of vegetable crops, has resulted in the development of two commercial products. Trichodry TM. 6S and Trichoflow TM. 6S based upon Trichoderma hamatum isolate 6SR4, are used to control Sclerotinia lettuce drop disease. The Trichodry 6S product is formulated as a dry flake, which is incorporated into nursery seedling mix and the Trichoflow 6S is a wettable powder which is used as a top-up drench before planting. The treatment stimulates seedling establishment and vigour and protects the developing seedling from Sclerotinia minor infection after transplanting in the field.The second commercial product is Trichopel TM. Ali 52, based upon Trichoderma atroviride isolate C52, which is used to control Sclerotium cepivorum, the causal agent of Allium white rot disease. The product is formulated as a granule and applied into the furrow at planting time. The fungus proliferates in the rhizosphere region and protects the growing seedling from pathogen attack by a combination of nutrient competition, antibiosis and mycoparasitism. The use of Trichopel Ali 52 under low to medium disease pressure in Pukekohe, the main vegetable growing region of New Zealand, gave a three fold cost benefit through yield increases in the 2003-2004 season. Current field development work involves the use of a wettable powder formulation of T. atroviride distributed via a T-tape irrigation system to target mid-season applications of the product to the onion roots. Both products perform well under low to moderate disease pressure but, when there is high disease pressure, an integrated programme is required to give satisfactory control. Current research is focused on gaining a greater understanding of the biotic and abiotic factors, which influence biocontrol activity under field conditions as a means to enhance integrated control approaches. For example, T. atroviride C52, when applied to the planting furrow, is compatible with procymidone, benomyl and captan but not thiram when applied as onion seed treatments. It is also compatible with the majority of other fungicides applied to the onion crop to protect against foliar diseases such as Botrytis and downy mildew. The product can be integrated with the use of the germination stimulant diallyl disulphide (DADS) as long as the Trichoderma product is applied at least two weeks after DADS application. The product is not compatible with the use of nitrogen fertilisers due to the sensitivity of the Trichoderma mycelium to high N, thus, care must be taken to separate fertilizer application from that of the biocontrol product. Expansion of the range of crop diseases targeted by the biocontrol products is currently under investigation with promising results obtained against a number of Botrytis diseases.展开更多
The design problem of an integrated power and attitude control system (IPACS) for spacecrafts is investigated. A Lyapunov-typed IPACS controller is designed for a spacecraft equipped with 4 flywheels (3 orthogonal ...The design problem of an integrated power and attitude control system (IPACS) for spacecrafts is investigated. A Lyapunov-typed IPACS controller is designed for a spacecraft equipped with 4 flywheels (3 orthogonal + 1 skew). This controller keeps in the nonlinear properties of original systems, so the control result can be more precise. A control law of the flywheels is also proposed to accomplish the attitude control and energy storage simultaneously. Aiming at the limitations existing in the power conversion characteristic and the wheel's motor, a new strategy of energy management is proposed. The strategy can not only make the charged/discharged energy reaching balance in each orbital period, but also sufficiently utilize the power provided by the solar arrays. Therefore, the size and mass of solar arrays can be decreased, and the cost of spacecraft can be economized. A simulation example illustrates the validity of the designed IPACS.展开更多
Based on topic maps, a preprocessing scheme using similarity comparision is presented and applied in knowledge management. Topic and occurrence-ofiented merging algorithm is also introduced to implement knowledge inte...Based on topic maps, a preprocessing scheme using similarity comparision is presented and applied in knowledge management. Topic and occurrence-ofiented merging algorithm is also introduced to implement knowledge integration for the sub-system. AnOm- nigator-supported example from an aeroaustic institute is utilised to validate the preprocessing method and the result indicates it can speed up the research schedule.展开更多
On the background of integrated ERP development, activity-value-flexibility management (AVFM) is defined. By using economic-value-added (EVA) and corporate value creation as the objective of AVFM, custom value deviati...On the background of integrated ERP development, activity-value-flexibility management (AVFM) is defined. By using economic-value-added (EVA) and corporate value creation as the objective of AVFM, custom value deviating rate, capital cost deviating rate, cash-flow-out per purchase deviating rate and cash-flow-in per sell deviating rate are developed to be the key responding variates for AVFM, and they also decide the rational quantity range for AVFM tactics. Method for rational AVFM tactics solution could be got by means of redesigning activity information process on integrated ERP.展开更多
In this paper, we investigate a cooperation mechanism for satellite-terrestrial integrated networks. The terrestrial relays act as the supplement of traditional small cells and cooperatively provide seamless coverage ...In this paper, we investigate a cooperation mechanism for satellite-terrestrial integrated networks. The terrestrial relays act as the supplement of traditional small cells and cooperatively provide seamless coverage for users in the densely populated areas.To deal with the dynamic satellite backhaul links and backhaul capacity caused by the satellite mobility, severe co-channel interference in both satellite backhaul links and user links introduced by spectrum sharing,and the difference demands of users as well as heterogeneous characteristics of terrestrial backhaul and satellite backhaul, we propose a joint user association and satellite selection scheme to maximize the total sum rate. The optimization problem is formulated via jointly considering the influence of dynamic backhaul links, individual requirements and targeted interference management strategies, which is decomposed into two subproblems: user association and satellite selection. The user association is formulated as a nonconvex optimization problem, and solved through a low-complexity heuristic scheme to find the most suitable access point serving each user. Then, the satellite selection is resolved based on the cooperation among terrestrial relays to maximize the total backhaul capacity with the minimum date rate constraints. Finally,simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in terms of total sum rate and power efficiency of TRs' backhaul.展开更多
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 71871018)。
文摘Pipeline integrity is a cornerstone of the operation of many industrial systems, and maintaining pipeline integrity is essential for preventing economic losses and ecological damage caused by oil and gas leaks. Based on integritymanagement data published by the US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, this study applied the k-means clustering and data envelopment analysis(DEA) methods to both explore the characteristics of pipeline-integrity management and evaluate its efficiency. The k-means clustering algorithm was found to be scientifically valid for classifying pipeline companies as either low-, medium-, or high-difficulty companies according to their integrity-management requirements. Regardless of a pipeline company's classification, equipment failure was found to be the main cause of pipeline failure. In-line inspection corrosion and dent tools were the two most-used tools for pipeline inspection. Among the types of repair, 180-day condition repairs were a key concern for pipeline companies. The results of the DEA analysis indicate that only three out of 34 companies were deemed to be DEA-effective. To improve the effectiveness of pipeline integrity management, we propose targeted directions and scales of improvement for non-DEA-effective companies.
基金supported by the Major Research Projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(92267202)the National Key Research and Development Project(2020YFA0711303)the BUPT Excellent Ph.D.Students Foundation(CX2022208).
文摘Beam management,including initial access(IA)and beam tracking,is essential to the millimeter-wave Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)network.However,the conventional communicationonly and feedback-based schemes suffer a high delay and low accuracy of beam alignment,since they only enable the receiver to passively“hear”the information of the transmitter from the radio domain.This paper presents a novel sensing-assisted beam management approach,the first solution that fully utilizes the information from the visual domain to improve communication performance.We employ both integrated sensing and communication and computer vision techniques and design an extended Kalman filtering method for beam tracking and prediction.Besides,we also propose a novel dual identity association solution to distinguish multiple UAVs in dynamic environments.Real-world experiments and numerical results show that the proposed solution outperforms the conventional methods in IA delay,association accuracy,tracking error,and communication performance.
文摘Bacillus thuringiensis is a major microbial insecticide and a source of genes encoding several proteins toxic to insects. In this paper the authors g ive a brief summary of Bacillus thuringiensis used on the integrated pest manage ment in forestry. The derivatives of Bt strain HD1 subsp kurstaki have been wide ly used to control the forest pests such as the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), s pruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana), the pine processionary moth (Thaumetop oea pityocampa), the European pine shoot moth (Rhyacionia buoliana) and the nun moth (Lymantria monacha). Some progresses of transferring and expressing Bt toxi n gene in forest trees are offered with a discussion on the limits and future pr ospects of using Bt products in forestry.
文摘ISO 9000 certification has been considered as an effective competitive edge for manufacturing industries. In Hong Kong, the ISO 9000 certification has been widely adopted and extended to service industries for the sole purpose of enhancing corporate image. However, complaints have been voiced by many certified organizations about increasing paperwork, non direct labour and excessive resources channelled into non core business. This paper is to propound the integrated management system, a single management system focusing on business purpose yet being flexible enough to integrate the requirements of various management standards such as the ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and future ISO 18000. This paper describes how the proposed system could be implemented to achieve the desired business results.
文摘A decision support system for IPM of the pine caterpillar, Dendrolimus spectabilis Buter, DS-IPM-DSS, has recently been developed using a GW-0520 CH microcomputer. The software system consists of , a Model Base and its Management System, a Database and its Management System, a Control Program, a Problem Analysis Program, and a User’s Interface System. Also further development aimed at expanding the DS-IPM-DSS into a more generalized and flexible package, i. e., making it helpful in creating computer-based system for other forest insect pests, are discussed.
文摘The status of utilization and disposal of the building wastes are introduced on the basis of analysis of its compositions, genera- tion and effects on urban environment. The basic framework of the integrated building waste management, including control of the sources, reduction of the integrated process and final disposal, are proposed in view of the problems existing in recovery of the building wastes and the experiences from the developed countries.
文摘To look through innovation management in small project-based firms, such as software engineering companies, which are service firms that conduct projects for their clients, capability maturity model integration (CMMI) is introduced. It is a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes. Taking ABC Software Company as an example, the performances before and after the introduction of CMMI in the firm were compared. The results indicated that after two years of application, the productivity increased 92%, and the ability of detecting errors improved 26.45% ; while the rate of faults and the cost of software development dropped 12.45% and 77.55%, respectively. To conclude, small project-based firms benefit a lot if they take CMMI into their process of innovation management, particularly for those R&D firms, since the implementation of CMMI leads them to a promising future with higher efficiency and better effects.
文摘A 10 year research programme at Lincoln University, investigating the use of Trichoderma species for biological control of soil-borne diseases of vegetable crops, has resulted in the development of two commercial products. Trichodry TM. 6S and Trichoflow TM. 6S based upon Trichoderma hamatum isolate 6SR4, are used to control Sclerotinia lettuce drop disease. The Trichodry 6S product is formulated as a dry flake, which is incorporated into nursery seedling mix and the Trichoflow 6S is a wettable powder which is used as a top-up drench before planting. The treatment stimulates seedling establishment and vigour and protects the developing seedling from Sclerotinia minor infection after transplanting in the field.The second commercial product is Trichopel TM. Ali 52, based upon Trichoderma atroviride isolate C52, which is used to control Sclerotium cepivorum, the causal agent of Allium white rot disease. The product is formulated as a granule and applied into the furrow at planting time. The fungus proliferates in the rhizosphere region and protects the growing seedling from pathogen attack by a combination of nutrient competition, antibiosis and mycoparasitism. The use of Trichopel Ali 52 under low to medium disease pressure in Pukekohe, the main vegetable growing region of New Zealand, gave a three fold cost benefit through yield increases in the 2003-2004 season. Current field development work involves the use of a wettable powder formulation of T. atroviride distributed via a T-tape irrigation system to target mid-season applications of the product to the onion roots. Both products perform well under low to moderate disease pressure but, when there is high disease pressure, an integrated programme is required to give satisfactory control. Current research is focused on gaining a greater understanding of the biotic and abiotic factors, which influence biocontrol activity under field conditions as a means to enhance integrated control approaches. For example, T. atroviride C52, when applied to the planting furrow, is compatible with procymidone, benomyl and captan but not thiram when applied as onion seed treatments. It is also compatible with the majority of other fungicides applied to the onion crop to protect against foliar diseases such as Botrytis and downy mildew. The product can be integrated with the use of the germination stimulant diallyl disulphide (DADS) as long as the Trichoderma product is applied at least two weeks after DADS application. The product is not compatible with the use of nitrogen fertilisers due to the sensitivity of the Trichoderma mycelium to high N, thus, care must be taken to separate fertilizer application from that of the biocontrol product. Expansion of the range of crop diseases targeted by the biocontrol products is currently under investigation with promising results obtained against a number of Botrytis diseases.
文摘The design problem of an integrated power and attitude control system (IPACS) for spacecrafts is investigated. A Lyapunov-typed IPACS controller is designed for a spacecraft equipped with 4 flywheels (3 orthogonal + 1 skew). This controller keeps in the nonlinear properties of original systems, so the control result can be more precise. A control law of the flywheels is also proposed to accomplish the attitude control and energy storage simultaneously. Aiming at the limitations existing in the power conversion characteristic and the wheel's motor, a new strategy of energy management is proposed. The strategy can not only make the charged/discharged energy reaching balance in each orbital period, but also sufficiently utilize the power provided by the solar arrays. Therefore, the size and mass of solar arrays can be decreased, and the cost of spacecraft can be economized. A simulation example illustrates the validity of the designed IPACS.
文摘Based on topic maps, a preprocessing scheme using similarity comparision is presented and applied in knowledge management. Topic and occurrence-ofiented merging algorithm is also introduced to implement knowledge integration for the sub-system. AnOm- nigator-supported example from an aeroaustic institute is utilised to validate the preprocessing method and the result indicates it can speed up the research schedule.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 70031020)
文摘On the background of integrated ERP development, activity-value-flexibility management (AVFM) is defined. By using economic-value-added (EVA) and corporate value creation as the objective of AVFM, custom value deviating rate, capital cost deviating rate, cash-flow-out per purchase deviating rate and cash-flow-in per sell deviating rate are developed to be the key responding variates for AVFM, and they also decide the rational quantity range for AVFM tactics. Method for rational AVFM tactics solution could be got by means of redesigning activity information process on integrated ERP.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 62201593, 62471480, and 62171466)。
文摘In this paper, we investigate a cooperation mechanism for satellite-terrestrial integrated networks. The terrestrial relays act as the supplement of traditional small cells and cooperatively provide seamless coverage for users in the densely populated areas.To deal with the dynamic satellite backhaul links and backhaul capacity caused by the satellite mobility, severe co-channel interference in both satellite backhaul links and user links introduced by spectrum sharing,and the difference demands of users as well as heterogeneous characteristics of terrestrial backhaul and satellite backhaul, we propose a joint user association and satellite selection scheme to maximize the total sum rate. The optimization problem is formulated via jointly considering the influence of dynamic backhaul links, individual requirements and targeted interference management strategies, which is decomposed into two subproblems: user association and satellite selection. The user association is formulated as a nonconvex optimization problem, and solved through a low-complexity heuristic scheme to find the most suitable access point serving each user. Then, the satellite selection is resolved based on the cooperation among terrestrial relays to maximize the total backhaul capacity with the minimum date rate constraints. Finally,simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in terms of total sum rate and power efficiency of TRs' backhaul.