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French Programs at UTA
The prime objective of French studies at UTA is that every student become skilled in using the French language in all types of communication, and that he or she understand as fully as possible French and Francophone literature and civilization and the contributions they have made and continue to make to human culture.
The French Section of the Department of Modern Languages seeks
- To prepare interested students in future careers, such as college and secondary teaching, translation, international relations, and business.
- To give students a well-rounded education that will stand them in good stead in careers not directly related to France.
- To make all students conscious of the wealth and diversity of the humanistic experience open to the world of language, the arts, and the intellect.
- To encourage and enable students to continue the development of their interests and the strengthening of their powers as human beings throughout their lives.
French at UTA offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Undergraduate Programs:
- B.A. in French.
- Minor in French. B.B.A. in International Business with French concentration (in conjunction with the UTA Business School).
- Certificate of Localization and Translation.
- Honors programs in French also may be devised.


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Photo by Sophie Barclay
This stew is superb, dot with generous hunks of melted blue cheese and top with a poached egg for a hearty meal perfect for those cooler days. To make it vegan-friendly, just serve the stew with vegan cheese or vegan yoghurt.
|250 g
|Lentils, canned, ply
|250 g
|Beans, canned pinto, cooked, or white beans
|Red capsicums, sliced
|80 g
|Onions, oirganic, diced
|10 g
|Minced garlic
|50 g
|Celery, diced
|50 g
|Carrots, diced, organic
|50 g
|Leeks, diced
|2 g
|Fennel seeds, toasted
|2 g
|Cumin seeds, toasted
|2 g
|Coriander seeds, toasted
|5 g
|Smoked paprika
|10 g
|Oregano leaves
|10 g
|Thyme leaves
|Bay leaves
|400 g
|Italian tomatoes, canned, crushed
|50 ml
|Olive oil
|Eggs, poached
|120 g
|Blue cheese
|½ cup
|Fresh coriander
|4 slices
|Sourdough bread, organic, toasted
|Red chilli, sliced
- Heat olive oil in a medium pot. Sweat off onion, garlic, celery, leek and carrot until soft.
- Stir in all spices and cook for a further two minutes.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes.
- Drain beans and lentils and stir in. Cook for a further 15 minutes gently so not to break up the pulses.
- Season well and at the last moment stir through oregano and thyme.
- To serve, place in a bowl with the poached egg placed on top of the stew. Crumble over blue cheese, coriander leaves and a few slices of red chilli
- Serve with toasted organic sourdough to the side.

subset: commoncrawl


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© Copyright 2014 ~ Devane Design
All Rights Reserved.
Website & Graphic Design by
Lipstick & Rouge
Design is a full-service interior design and residential
remodeling company located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
We specialize in kitchen and bathroom design, interior
remodeling and basement finishing. Chantal Devane, an
award winning interior designer, is the principal
designer and the owner of Devane Design since 2003.
role as your designer is to identify your needs and help
define your vision. My goal is to create a classic
interior that suits your home and your lifestyle."
home |
about |
kitchen |
bath |
interior design |
accolades |
portfolio |
Servicing: Apple Valley, Bloomington, Chanhassen, Chaska, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Edina, Lakeville, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Prior Lake, Savage, Shakopee, Victoria, Waconia, Wayzata


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For a better experience, click the icon above to turn off Compatibility Mode, which is only for viewing older websites.
Drexel University Computing Academy is in session - check out our projects!
Read more
Congratulations to the Class of 2015!
Join us in Philadelphia for the 2016 iConference
Read More
CCI online graduate students collaborate with Drexel faculty on Museum Knowledge Project
Making an Impact in Alzheimer's Disease Treatment Research
Health Informatics Student's Metadata Research Wins Best Poster at Drexel Research Day
Catch up on CCI's top news stories and upcoming events!
Founded in 2013 by Dean David E. Fenske, the College of Computing & Informatics (CCI) serves as a hub for multi-disciplinary computing and informatics activities by uniting the faculty, professional staff, and students from the former College of Information Science and Technology (the iSchool), the Department of Computer Science in the College of Engineering and the Department of Computing and Security Technology in Goodwin College of Professional Studies.
View the official press release for more information.
CCI's Frequently Asked Questions
Saturday, August 1, 2015
August 3, 2015 through August 7, 2015
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Friday, October 9, 2015
Sunday, March 20, 2016
More Events
iSchools Name David Fenske Executive Director
July 22, 2015
Fenske will oversee administrative operations for the iSchools organization as executive director.
Yuanfang Cai Receives NSF Grant to Improve How Software Defects are Discovered and Resolved
July 21, 2015
The three-year grant is in collaboration with University of Hawaii Professor Rick Kazman, PhD.
CCI's Deborah Turner and Tim Gorichanaz to Present at International Conference of the Document Academy
July 16, 2015
The conference provides a unique multidisciplinary space for reporting experimental and critical research on the concept of the document and documentation.
More News


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|Catalog #
|List Price
|100 mg
|View full product details
NeuroTrace® CM-DiI tissue-labeling paste consists of CM-DiI (C7000, C7001) mixed into an inert, water-resistant gel. The paste is ready to use as supplied and can be applied directly to live or fixed tissue specimens using the tip of a needle. This method of application improves ...


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Lifestyle. Movement. Revolution.
Advertisements Supporting DR's Non Profit Efforts/Not affiliated with DR Inc.
Here you can talk about anything Jonas!!! How Nick Jonas is such an inspiration, their amazing music, upcoming events or how they have been such good role models!!
Members: 64
Latest Activity: Mar 20, 2011
Started by Carrigan. Last reply by LaMerenguera Sep 9, 2010. 5 Replies 0 Likes
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I love nick jonas i can't belive he has diabetes!!!!!!!!!


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August warms up with ALCA's Shakespeare in the Park (Aug. 1); Adirondack Museum Antique Show & Sale (Aug. 10-11); Adirondack Museum American Mountain Men Encampment (Aug. 16-17); and ends with ILVFD Pig Roast (Aug. 31).
September brings brilliant fall colors and the Adirondack Museum Rustic Furniture Fair (Sept. 14-15); Adirondack Mountain Antique Show (Sept. 18-22); the Great Adirondack Moose Festival (Sept. 28-29).
October brings the chilly weather and Adirondack Museum's Fall Fest (Oct. 5) followed by a haunting good time with the Halloween Fun Parade & Festival (Oct. 31).
Snow typically appears in November getting all of us ready for the holiday season starting with Election Day Dinner (Nov. 5); Country Christmas Tour (Nov. 29-30); and Bazaar & Bake Sale (Nov. 23). The Children's' Holiday Gift Shop brings out Santa's helpers (Nov. 7).
There is always something to do, see, or take advantage of in Indian Lake, Sabael and Blue Mountain Lake. Start planning your trip here today. For more information on where you can stop, shop and play in a four season Adirondack Park destination, please visit www.indian-lake.com or call (518) 648-5112.
Christine Pouch is the president of the Indian Lake Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
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McFARLANE TOYS ANNOUNCES NFL LEGENDS LINE
Long-Awaited Classic Football Figures Coming in 2005
Friday, November 05, 2004
We've reached our sports holy grail with our completion of the licensing contracts for a series of NFL Legends action figures. This line follows our Cooperstown Collection series of baseball figures, the NHL Legends line of hockey greats and the NBA Legends line of retired basketball players. We now have rights in place for retired legends in all four major North American sports.
McFarlane Toys is extremely proud to unveil the lineup for our first series of NFL Legends, featuring six of the greatest athletes ever to step foot on the professional gridiron.
They are:Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions RB, No. 20Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants, LB, No. 56John Elway, Denver Broncos QB, No. 7Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts, QB, No. 19Franco Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers RB, No. 32Troy Aikman, Dallas Cowboys QB, No. 8This series is set to hit retail shelves in July 2005. We don't yet have photography, but will debut it here as soon as it's available.


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Users interested in 3d plumbing design software generally download:
Piping lines are automatically generated to connect the fixtures to the manifolds or mains, and at the same time the integrated hydraulic calculations automatically size the piping using industry-accepted methods. You also get 3-D views instantly as you draw your design in 2-D.
The QuickPlumb Viewer view gives you a real life view of the pipes and plans that can be printed, saved and/or exported to any of several files formats including pdf. In the 3D view you can view your drawing from any angle by selecting a preset angle or by rotating it with the mouse.
Additional suggestions for 3d plumbing design software by our robot:
Showing results for 3d plumbing design as the word software is considered too common
Search instead for 3d plumbing design software
It provides 3D CAD software for piping and plumbing contractors.
piping and plumbing contractors who ... design-to-field process. PipeDesigner 3D
Plan the home of your dreams with this powerful 3D design tool!
, Your 3D Home Designer displays and ... and fixtures. - Plumbing Planner - Extensive
FloorPlan 3D can be used to design your home in 3D and plan views.
FloorPlan 3D is a 3D design software for designing ... switches, etc, plumbing objects like
It provides the necessary components to make AutoCAD a powerful application.
– Drawing & Design Tools are ... Electrical, and Plumbing. Benefits: - ... of the design process.
Instant Architect is an easy-to-use home design and remodel solution.
your design in 3D! Even ... incredible designs in ... electrical, lighting, plumbing and more
It provides mechanical contractors with the ultimate mechanical drafting tool.
to create 3D Models of
This tool is built for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineers.
electrical, and plumbing (MEP) ... features: - Design building systems ... - Deliver 3D models and
Design, Sell, Estimate, & Build Pools with ESI Corporation's PRO-SUITE on CD!
Design, Sell, Estimate, ... 3D plan from our optional 3D ... details (electrical, plumbing, etc.) -
Less specific results (32 results)
GIT is a tool designed for high-level operations and full access to internals.
low level ("plumbing") commands
Super Mario Pac 1.1 is a sequel to the popular Super Mario saga.
must build plumbs to escape ... building the plumbs, he must
The MEP Modeler is an Add-On compatible with ArchiCAD 14.
(Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing) Modeler is ... and edit 3D MEP networks
Manhours, labor and material costs for all common plumbing.
all common plumbing and HVAC ... required. Every plumbing and HVAC
Easy Plumbing has been designed to be very easy to use to accurately price jobs.
Easy Plumbing™ has been designed to be ... was also designed to let
It provides manhours, labor and material costs for plumbing and HVAC work.
2015 National Plumbing & HVAC Estimator ... all common plumbing and HVAC
Builders Pal is a software aimed at assisting the construction industry.
Building works, Plumbing works and


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Favorite Office Time Wasters
Richard Marini finds the best and the brightest distractions.
Yearly Archive for 2008
Third term would be the charm — NOT!
We found the one guy in the country who wanted to vote George W. Bush a third term. [Read More]
An A Cappella Tribute to John Williams
The tunes are from a variety of films scored by John Williams. The words: Pure "Star Wars" [Read More]
Help me, Obi-Wan Blitzer, you're our only hope
A "terrific hologram" from last night's CNN election coverage [Read More]
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you
"Vincent," by Tim Burton. Narrated by Vincent Price. [Read More]
From Hillary to Prank Calls
ThisFrigginElection.com boils the election down to a typographical tower or power: [Read More]
Baby slinging
Good clean fun or child abuse? [Read More]
Be the vinyl
Sleeveface: One more reason to lament the demise of vinyl LPs [Read More]
Wazzup 2008 True
The Wazzup fellas are back at it again: [Read More]
Another funny photo. [Read More]
For information, call 555-2361
So how does your typical Australian teenage girl meet boys while at the beach? By using zinc cream to paint her cell phone number on her backs, of course. [Read More]
Show More


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Best Jazz Club St. Louis 2006 - Jazz at the Bistro
3536 Washington Ave
St. Louis, MO 63103
Now heading into its eleventh season, Jazz at the Bistro is St. Louis' best jazz club, if not one of the top jazz rooms in the nation, thanks to its simple, straightforward approach to music. The venue books well-known touring jazz musicians and the cream of the local crop and presents them without undue fuss in an attractive room with good sight lines and acoustics. Add a nice grand piano and house sound systemalong with a "listening room" policy that discourages extraneous conversationand the conditions are ideal for artist and audience alike. As the primary performance venue for the not-for-profit Jazz St. Louis organization, the Bistro presents music on a nine-month, fall-to-spring schedule but has added occasional shows during each of the past two summers. Given the consistently high quality of the club's offerings, local jazz fans can only hope the Bistro becomes a year-round operation sooner rather than later.


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Transfers Now a Big Part of College Basketball
For the last six or seven years, national college basketball reporter Jeff Goodman has been assembling a list of transfers.
It's all encompassing. It includes junior college guys as well as four-year and fifth-year players who are looking to play elsewhere. When Goodman started doing this it was a relatively manageable exercise.
Now, assembling it has become quite an undertaking. Last summer, his list of transfers reached 500 and this year we've already hit that number and we're still only midway through May. When Goodman is done compiling this year's list of college basketball transfers it's going to look like a New York City phone book.
Players are leaving everywhere … Maryland, Oregon, Boston College, Nebraska, Rutgers, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Tennessee, Clemson, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Indiana, Michigan, Oklahoma, Purdue, Virginia, Miami, Alabama, Washington State, Arizona State, NC State, Georgia Tech, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Virginia Tech, Connecticut, Louisville, USC, Penn State, Washington State, and yes, even West Virginia.
They are leaving for a variety of reasons, and its leaving college basketball coaches everywhere scratching their heads.
"We live in times when kids from all different kinds of places go from one high school and then they go to the next high school," said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins, who has seen two of his top three scorers from last year's team announce their departures this spring. "That's the times that we live in. Is it right? I don't know if it is or it isn't. Honestly, that's not for me to judge."
Huggins may not be in a position to judge, but he does have to take this trend into account and adjust accordingly. In fact, he already has.
Two guys expected to start next year for the Mountaineers began their college careers at other institutions – Big 12 preseason player of the year candidate Juwan Staten (Dayton) and promising forward Jonathan Holton (Rhode Island).
Additionally, Kevin Noreen, a program player who will spend all four years at West Virginia, actually signed with Boston College while coming out of high school before getting out of his letter when Al Skinner was fired. Touted junior college guard Tarik Phillip, who came aboard to replace guard Eron Harris, actually signed with South Carolina out of high school.
"Kids are leaving Ivy League schools," noted Huggins. "Kids are leaving high-profile academic places. They are leaving everywhere."
And most programs are actively pursuing them. What was once looked down upon has now become the latest fad in college basketball. Take Duke, for instance. Two years ago, the Blue Devils heavily pursued former Mississippi State forward Rodney Hood and he ended up averaging 16.1 points per game for them in 2014. Coach K has another four-year transfer coming on board in Rice forward Sean Obi.
Duquesne transfer T.J. McConnell helped Arizona get to the top of the national polls for a good portion of 2014 and Dayton's run to the Elite Eight this year was aided by Ohio State transfer Jordan Sibert. Because of that, Ohio State is now actively seeking transfers, making a big push in the four-year transfer market this spring by acquiring former Temple forward Anthony Lee and Virginia Tech center Trevor Thompson.
Oklahoma State, Purdue, Indiana and Maryland - just like West Virginia - are adjusting to significant defections. Even Kansas, consistently one of the top programs in the country, is dealing with (and accepting) four-year transfers.
"Forty percent of guys don't make it to their junior year," said Huggins. "It's been tracked. They transfer."
Nobody has benefitted more from this growing trend than Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg. He openly covets four-year players and has built a successful program by seeking them out. It began when he got Royce White from Minnesota and has continued this past season with guard DeAndre Kane (a former Marshall player) who helped the Cyclones reach this year's Sweet 16.
Hoiberg is counting on two more big-time transfers next season in UNLV's Bryce Dejean-Jones and Marquette's Jameel McKay.
"It used to be that there was a stigma of some type attached to schools that recruited outside of the high school ranks," San Diego State coach Steve Fisher was quoted in an AP story earlier this spring. "You were not considered able to compete with the blue bloods. Well, now all of the blue bloods recruit transfers; they take one-and-dones. They take guys who have graduated and have one year left."
That includes Florida's Billy Donovan, who went 13 years without recruiting a four-year transfer. Now he is taking them, such as Michigan forward Jon Horford who will be available for the 2014-15 season.
"Kids now want that instantaneous success," Donovan says.
Michigan, which reached the NCAA Finals two years ago and almost made it to the Final Four this season, has seen virtually its entire roster blown up because of the NBA draft, transfers and other defections. Wolverine coach John Beilein, who actively sought four-year transfers when he coached at West Virginia University (star players such as Mike Gansey and D'or Fischer) is back at it once again.
Beilein is not the only one, not by a long shot. One AAU coach quoted in a story earlier this spring referred to the period following the Final Four as like a "free-agent market."
Nobody this year is dealing with the sting of departures quite like Maryland coach Mark Turgeon, who has seen four players from last year's NIT team leave so far this spring.
"I'm a little bit of everything – surprised, angry, disappointed," Turgeon was quoted earlier this month. "All of those emotions come into it. But what am I going to do? Am I going to sit here and cry about it? No. I am going to go and get 13 (scholarship players) and hopefully be a tighter group because of it."
Huggins is dealing with a similar situation at WVU, although not quite to the same degree that Turgeon is.
"We are limited in the contact that we can have with them," Huggins explained. "We try and do as many things as we can possibly do. You don't hear any of those guys say they didn't have a relationship with the staff. They have. We are going to try and do more; we're going to try and figure out how to do more and we're going to try and fix the problems, or the perceived problems.
"Can I sit here and tell you that I have it figured out? If I had it figured out there'd be 364 other Division I coaches lined up outside my door saying how do you do it? It's happening everywhere," he added.
When pressed, Huggins believes there are many factors involved in players choosing to go elsewhere.
"Let me just say this: there are a lot of other people in young people's lives other than their head basketball coach," he said. "You would probably think that they would refer to (the head coach's) expertise, but that doesn't always happen."
Even Michigan State's Tom Izzo, who has seen Big Ten rival Ohio State load up on four-year transfers, shakes his head at the current state of affairs in the game.
"It's sad that we're in that position," he said. "I understand it and everyone wants one. If it's a fifth-year guy, I swallow it. But the underclassmen who are transferring and trying to be eligible immediately, I think it's free agency and I think it's going to hurt our game eventually."
As for West Virginia, Huggins believes his program will be fine. Considering the number of players transferring these days there is a very good chance another good one or two will become available between now and mid-August when the fall semester begins. Huggins has a scholarship available to use if that should happen.
"I think there are people out there that we can be involved with that can come in and make an immediate impact," he said. "I can't tell you 100 percent that we're going to get those guys, but we're going to be in the mix.
"What would I prefer? I would prefer somebody who can come in and make an impact," he added. "Go get a fifth-year guy that can't play? No. Go get a guy who got out of his letter and can't play? No. If they're not going to make an impact why would we recruit them?"
Big 12 Media Days: Dana Holgorsen
Women's Soccer: Amanda Hill and Mocha
Big 12 Media Days: Nick Kwiatkoski
Football: Dana Holgorsen on ESPN
Big 12 Media Days: Day One Report
Men's Basketball: Summer Update


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It looks like today is officially turning into True Blood Season 6 Spoiler Day!
You are about to see some brand new photos of Anna Paquin and a co-star on set, so turn away now if you'd rather not know.
The Daily Mail have posted the following photos of Anna on the True Blood set with her new British co-star Rob Kazinsky (Ben). They are outside a house (possibly his?) and he has no shirt on (obviously a contract requirement for any male actor on True Blood).
Hmmmm, not exactly what Sookie and Eric supporters are wanting to see. I get a sneaky suspicion that we are not going to like Ben very much!
But let's not jump to conclusions, it is not Sookie's fault if a guy decides to answer his front door without his shirt on, and Miss Stackhouse looks appropriately dressed and rather business-like herself.
Let's hope he just helps her find what she's looking for and it doesn't turn out to be him!
Source – Daily Mail
And just to make you all feel a bit better:
And now we can breath …………….
Don't forget if you are a member of our forum you can check out further spoilers pics here (including more from today of Niall, Jason, Jessica)


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An integrated information system is provided for a plant with interactive processes running in functional equipment subsets, such as a nuclear power generation plant. Sensors are operatively coupled to monitor processes and equipment in the plant, collecting sample data for assessing operational conditions and for predicting maintenance requirements based on loading of the equipment. One or more processors access the sample data and compares present conditions to diagnostic specifications, technical specifications and historical data stored in memory and indexed to equipment subsets and functional operating groups. The processor(s) generate prioritized reports to alert users to potential operational and/or maintenance problems. In addition to the prioritized reports, the processor accesses and outputs to the users reports of the diagnostic and technical specifications applicable to the process parameters exhibiting the potential problems. These specifications are provided in successive levels of detail and are cross referenced between related processes and related items of equipment. The information system integrates operations, maintenance, engineering and management interests in a common database of information via network-coupled data terminals.
1. An integrated information system for a plant, the plant having a plurality of equipment units operating interactively in functional equipment subsets according to variable operational parameters, said equipment units being controllable for varying the operational parameters, and the operational parameters of at least some of the equipment subsets affecting loading of others of the equipment subsets, the information system comprising:
a plurality of sensors operatively coupled to the equipment units and sensing values of the operational parameters for assessing a condition of the equipment subsets;
sampling means coupled to the sensors, for collecting and generating at least one of sample values of the operational parameters and information including results of numerical operations on the sample values, and a memory means for storage thereof;
an operational control system coupled to at least one of the sampling means and the memory means, the operational control system being attended by an operator for adjusting the operational parameters during plant operation, the operational control system including diagnostic means for assessing plant operation based on the operational parameters and reporting on plant operation to the operator to enable choices for control of the equipment subsets to vary the operational parameters;
a maintenance monitoring system coupled to at least one of the sampling means and the memory means, the maintenance monitoring system being operable for accumulating a usage factor for a plurality of the equipment units and reporting maintenance requirements of the equipment units to maintenance personnel to enable choices for maintenance operations;
data communications means coupling the operational control system and the maintenance monitoring system for bidirectional communications and sharing of data;
wherein the memory means includes a data memory accessible over the data communications means to both said operational control system and said maintenance monitoring system, the data memory including diagnostic specifications for the operational parameters and technical specifications for the equipment subsets;
the diagnostic means assessing said plant operation as a function of the operational parameters and as a function of the usage factor, diagnostic specifications and technical specifications; and,
the maintenance monitoring system reporting on the maintenance requirements of the equipment units as a function of the operational parameters and as a function of the usage factor, diagnostic specifications and technical specifications, and wherein data defining the operational parameters, the usage factor, the diagnostic specifications and the technical specifications are shared commonly between the operational control system and the maintenance monitoring system over the data communications means.
2. The integrated information system according to claim 1, wherein the plant is a nuclear power plant, and further comprising an automatic control system responsive to the operational control system.
3. The integrated information system according to claim 2, wherein the data communication means includes a remote communication capability.
4. The integrated information system according to claim 2, further comprising at least one engineering analysis system coupled over the data communication means, the engineering analysis system also accessing the data defining the operational parameters, the usage factor, the diagnostic specifications and the technical specifications, said data being shared commonly among the operational control system, the maintenance monitoring system and the engineering analysis system.
5. The integrated information system according to claim 4, wherein the sampling means comprises a plurality of data processing units coupled to at least one information bus, and wherein data from the information bus is coupled to the operational control system and the maintenance monitoring system.
6. The integrated information system according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of the sensors measure safety parameters and are coupled to the operational control system over a separate bus, and further comprising a bridge connection for data transfer between the information bus and the separate bus.
7. The integrated information system according to claim 6, wherein the information bus comprises a plurality of data paths accessible to the operational control system and the maintenance monitoring system, said data paths being arranged in a hierarchy, and further comprising a plurality of data analysis units coupled between the data paths for reducing data collected by the sensors.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of plant control and management information systems, and in particular to an integrated plant monitoring and diagnostic system for shared use by the operations, maintenance and engineering departments of a nuclear power plant. The system collects and monitors operating parameter data via sensors, generates prioritized condition reports including present conditions and anticipated impending conditions to be addressed by preventive maintenance or operational changes, and provides users with background technical and historical data that is ranked and cross referenced by related operational systems and related articles of equipment.
2. Prior Art
Various management information systems are known for monitoring and recording process parameters in connection with power generation as well as with industrial processes generally. These systems often are reactive in that they respond to present levels of monitored parameters, or at most respond to present trends to control generation of alarms and the like when a parameter exceeds preset values or threatens to do so. A typical process control system monitors sensed parameters to ensure that they remain within preset limits defined by the programmer of the system. Often the present levels can be displayed graphically to highlight trends.
Another form of management information system is known in connection with scheduling of maintenance procedures. By defining a useful life for each article of equipment among a number of articles which are related or inter-dependent, it is possible to schedule repair, replacement or preventive maintenance operations more efficiently so as to minimize downtime. The idea is to plan replacement or repair of articles of equipment for as late as practicable before an actual failure, preferably using intelligent scheduling procedures to minimize downtime by taking maximum advantage of any downtime. The scheduling system prompts or warns plant personnel to attend to each of the articles which may need attention at or soon after the time at which the maintenance of any particular article becomes critically important.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,775--Palusamy et al discloses a cyclic monitoring system which counts down a defined useful life expected for various structures in a nuclear power plant. This system is responsive to operating levels in the plant, and increases the predicted aging rate of plant structures to account for variations in usage including transient loading. A sampling module is provided to detect the current loading of monitored equipment periodically. Transient and steady state operating levels are determined from the sampled data and used to generate a usage factor. Equipment degradation due to fatigue and the like is anticipated by integrating the usage factor over time. Whereas operating levels and transient disturbances are taken into account in assessing the wear on plant equipment, the system can be used to plan maintenance and replacement activities or alternative plant operations, using a more accurate estimation of the useful life of the plant components.
The predictive maintenance system according to Palusamy '775 incorporates both operational data and a defined useful life data indexed to articles of equipment. However, the system is such that it primarily serves only maintenance functions. It would be advantageous to provide a system that benefits operational and engineering departments as well. The present invention is intended to accomplish this by integrating not only information regarding usage and expected useful life, but by further integrating design and technical specifications and historical data into a system that monitors operational levels as well as equipment conditions. This data is provided in a hierarchical data acquisition and processing system providing shared access by the different departments, especially operations, maintenance and engineering. The data is arranged and cross referenced for presentation of meaningful reports for each of the departments.
Nuclear reactors for generation of electric power are heavily instrumented to enable efficient plant operation and to ensure safety. U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,898 Bogard et al discloses a system operable to record and report neutron emission levels in and around the reactor as well as pressure and flow parameters, for accurately assessing the accumulation of stress on the operating structures. U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,195--Palusamy et al similarly attempts to factor corrosion of the coolant flow path structures for assessing the useful life of reactor components.
Typically, monitoring equipment for a nuclear power plant or similar process is associated specifically with a particular structure or operating system of the plant. For example, in Bogard et al the monitoring system is specifically associated with coolant flow structures. In Palusamy '195 the monitoring system is associated with the neutron emissions. For the most part, monitoring systems of this type are dedicated either to safety purposes (e.g., to detect an unsafe condition and to shut down and/or generate alarms automatically), or to operational control (e.g., to control the positions of valves and the like during ongoing plant operation). Routines which accumulate a usage factor for assessing the loading factor on a particular subsystem could use much of the same data which is collected by safety and control instrumentation. However, the prior art fails to provide a fully integrated system that can take full advantage of the available instrumentation.
It would be advantageous to provide such an integrated system which not only monitors various articles of plant equipment, but which also accounts for the interdependence of the subsystems, makes decisions or predictions in view of stored design criteria, and makes all this information available generally to plant personnel. In specifying the subsystems, design criteria and technical specifications were merged under the assumption that the subsystems would operate under certain conditions. Operational conditions such as equipment problems can change the loading level for a given article of equipment or subsystem, and also the loading levels of other articles and subsystems that are related to or interdependent with the given ones. Therefore, the interrelations of the articles or subsystems, their design specifications, their history and their current conditions should all be taken in account when assessing operational conditions and maintenance needs, or when evaluating operations on an engineering level.
It is generally advisable for plant management and/or maintenance personnel to collect any available data regarding the subsystems operating in a plant or in an area of the plant, to coordinate maintenance and repair activities. In this manner, a downtime for work on one or more articles or subsystems can be used for simultaneous work on others. However, a comprehensive calculation and analysis of relevant plant conditions can be lengthy and costly. In a monitoring system where information on operational conditions is only immediately available to the operators (e.g., for safety and/or control purposes), engineers, scientists, maintenance technicians, managers and headquarters staff must collect and analyze much of the same information in planning their activities. Each group tends to collect and analyze data in a manner that is best suited to their own area of concern. Nevertheless, an integrated arrangement is certainly more efficient and useful than one in which the various departments operate substantially independent information systems.
The present invention is intended to integrate diagnostic and predictive instrumentation for a number of interdependent plant systems, for taking advantage of available synergies. Furthermore, safety and control parameters are collected using a data network arrangement that is shared by primary and auxiliary system control and protection groups, plant maintenance groups, plant engineering and management. In order to accomplish this objective, the plant computerized information system is integrated generally with instrument data collection from a variety of sources, and stored design criteria information. The operational parameters are factored together in an integrated diagnostics and monitoring system with technical specifications for condition directed maintenance and aging management. Specific, actionable diagnostic information on equipment condition is developed, including cross referenced selection of background technical data, whereby operations and maintenance decisions can be made more effectively and from a greater base of knowledge.
The diagnostics and maintenance arrangement according to the invention puts control and safety parameter information to use by the engineering and maintenance departments rather than only the operations control personnel. Conversely, the system makes maintenance and engineering information available to operations and safety groups, thus providing various useful lines of communication and data access availability.
It is an object of the invention to integrate operational parameter data collection, evaluation based on stored design criteria, and plant information reporting, in a comprehensive plant information system useful for planning operational and maintenance decisions.
It is another object of the invention to make pertinent information readily available for use not only by plant operators, but also generally by engineers, scientists, maintenance technicians, managers and headquarters staff.
It is more particularly an object to collect a wide array of information respecting the character and operational conditions of functionally interdependent elements of a nuclear power generation plant, including design criteria applicable to the elements, and to process this information using intelligent monitoring and diagnostic routines that model operation of the plant to anticipate problems and enable efficient planning of operations and maintenance.
It is another object of the invention to define the overall architecture and operation of a plant information system according to these objects, which is best suited to take advantage of technology advancements as well as available data collection devices, processing apparatus, degradation types and diagnostic methodologies.
These and other objects are accomplished by an integrated information system for a plant with interactive processes running in functional equipment subsets, such as a nuclear power generation plant. Sensors are operatively coupled to monitor processes and equipment in the plant, collecting sample data for assessing operational conditions and for predicting maintenance requirements based on loading of the equipment. A processor accesses the sample data and compares present conditions to diagnostic specifications, technical specifications and historical data stored in memory and indexed to equipment subsets and functional operating groups. The processor generates prioritized reports to alert users to potential operational and/or maintenance problems. In addition to the prioritized reports, the processor accesses and outputs to the users reports of the diagnostic and technical specifications applicable to the process parameters exhibiting the potential problems. These specifications are provided in successive levels of detail and are cross referenced between related processes and related items of equipment. The information system integrates operations, maintenance, engineering and management interests in a common database of information via network-coupled data terminals.
There are shown in the drawings certain exemplary embodiments of the invention as presently preferred. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific examples, and is capable of variations within the scope of the appended claims. In the drawings,
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating generally a plant information system integrating operation, control, protection, engineering and maintenance information according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the invention showing modular elements of the invention and the data collection and communication links between the elements.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a layout for the data processing portions of the system.
FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of data pathways for monitoring and control functions.
FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a networked installation of terminals sharing access to commonly collected and stored information.
FIG. 6 is a tabular display of actionable directives generated by a preferred embodiment in response to detected conditions.
FIG. 7 is a tabular display of exemplary cross referenced technical specifications referring to certain of the directives provided in FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary system architecture according to the invention, as applied to a nuclear power generation plant.
The invention is applicable to a variety of industrial processes wherein data respecting process parameters is collected and reported to enable management decision making. A particularly apt application of the invention is to a nuclear power generation plant. A nuclear plant is normally highly instrumented for collecting information needed to operate at peak efficiency, as well as to tightly monitor operation for safety reasons. The signals developed by sensors for flow, temperature, pressure, valve status, nuclear particle flux levels and the like are to some extent coupled into operational circuits which are intended to effect control operations. According to the invention, sensor signals are coupled to a plant instrumentation control and monitoring center 20 that as shown in FIG. 1 is further coupled to a predictive maintenance and diagnostic center 24.
Information required for pertinent diagnostic information according to the invention includes design criteria applicable to the plant. For example, should a certain valve, flow element, heat transfer device or rotating machine be specified as having an estimated useful life when operated at a particular level of demand, pertinent diagnosis of the element requires that the remaining useful life be decremented as a function of the demand level. Accordingly, the predictive maintenance and diagnostic center is coupled to a diagnostic information center which makes such information available. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the information center 20 is shown as a separate location in data communication with the plant-located predictive maintenance and diagnostic center 24. This is an efficient arrangement where the utility company may have a number of plants which share design aspects. However, the particular location of the respective data storage and computing systems can be varied provided the information is available to each of the processors which need the information.
Referring to FIG. 2, plant operational functions, maintenance functions and engineering functions are all integrated to a common network of information stored, collected and otherwise developed according to the invention. Both operational and safety related sensing and information collection are provided, and made available generally to operations, maintenance and engineering stations and/or users. The system can be physically arranged in a control center setup as shown, for example in FIG. 3, or can be accessed from distributed terminals in various areas of the plant or located remotely as in FIG. 4.
As shown in FIG. 2, the system preferably is based on a hierarchical system of data paths, including interconnections that allow data access without interfering with crucial operations. Safety related sensors 32 coupled to the plant operational elements 34 are sampled using a protective data acquisition system 42 and a control data acquisition system 44, which are separate and parallel. A process protection system 46 and operation control system 48 are coupled respectively to the protective and control data acquisition systems 42, 44. These elements are subject to certain inputs from the primary control and protection station(s) coupled to the protection and control systems through an integrated control system forming a kind of bus wherein operational and safety associated parameters are available to both the control and protection systems. However, the control and protection systems have a number of automatic aspects intended to control the plant to achieve process objectives such as efficient complementary setting of valves and the like as well as the capability of automated shutdown without operator intervention in the event of a safety threat.
Sensors 50 which are not directly safety related (but whose data may have implications with respect to operations, safety and control), are coupled to respective data processing units 54, which are coupled to data acquisition means 56 for collecting and reducing the data. The data processing units can collect sample data from one or a plurality of sensors 32, 50, reject data which is impossibly out of limits, and attend to numerical and/or graphical analyses such as average and standard deviation, peak level identification and the like. Data collected from the nonsafety related sensors 50 can be shared over a distributed processing communication path 58 such as the Westinghouse WDPF distributed processing family. In addition, the data processing units 54 are in communication with a number of monitoring systems 62 over the WDPF data pathway 58. Monitoring systems 62 selectively process available data in order to effect specific functions.
Proceeding from left to right over the WDPF 58 in FIG. 2, an interface or bridge element 64 couples the integrated safety/control system data pathway 66 with the WDPF data pathway 58. The bridge 64 permits data to pass between the integrated safety/control pathway 66 and the WDPF 58 in either direction, but is arranged to allow the integrated safety/control system bus 66 to operate regardless of the condition of the WDPF 58. For example, a failure of an element associated with the WDPF such as a power supply, data processing unit or even a line driver or similar element required for operation of the WDPF, cannot affect operation of the integrated safety/control system due to its isolation via the bridge interfacing element 64.
An auxiliary system control unit 68 is also coupled to the WDPF 58, enabling plant operations personnel to monitor data collected over the WDPF and preferably to control operation of the data processing units 54 from plant operations consoles 72. The auxiliary system control unit 68 is coupled to the data processing units 54 (and thus to the non-safety sensors 50) relatively directly through the WDPF 58. The WDPF data pathway is arranged for communication of data from the sensors 50, 32 to plant operations such that individual variables can be examined. However, in addition, the WDPF data is coupled through the intermediate processing systems 62 to a higher level data pathway identified in FIG. 2 as information highway 78. These intermediate processing systems 62 permit the application of higher level long and short term analysis for converting, e.g., a substantially database form of data collected by the data processing units 54 into more sophisticated statistical analyses, trend analyses and correlations that additionally use data stored in the respective intermediate processing systems 62. The modules of the intermediate processing systems 62 report to any and all of the plant operations consoles, plant maintenance personnel and plant engineering personnel. The same information highway 78 can be coupled to additional users via known networking arrangements, telephone line modem pathways and the like.
The intermediate modules 62 represent systems that can be arranged as processing terminals on a data communication network or concurrently operative routines in a larger and more sophisticated data processing system. The function of the intermediate processing units 62 is to select and analyze data available in a relatively less processed form on the WDPF 58, and to provide information which relies on the values and trends identified in the individual process parameters and in selected groups of related parameters. The output of the intermediate modules 62 is reported to users via diagnostic packages 82 tailored to the needs of the operations, maintenance and engineering departments, respectively. A given department such as maintenance or operations normally at least sometimes requires information from different ones of the intermediate modules 62, and the departments thus share the information relating to the process parameters.
A first intermediate processing module, identified in FIG. 2 as the beacon module 84, is arranged to monitor and report present operating parameters. Present operating parameter information affects not only operations decisions, but also is pertinent to maintenance (e.g., whether a subsystem is in use or available for mechanical work, whether a subsystem is being stressed, etc.). The same information is useful to engineering (e.g., to study the overall condition of the plant or interactions between process parameters). An operator diagnostic advisory unit 86 is coupled to the information highway for the primary purpose of collecting and usefully analyzing, storing and reporting upon operations. The operator diagnostic unit 86 can be arranged to run constantly, reporting information respecting diagnostic information and recommending or suggesting operational changes that may affect or alleviate operational problems or potential problems which may occur.
In addition to the beacon intermediate monitoring system 84 and the operations diagnostic unit 86, a corrosion monitoring system 88, a generator monitoring system ("GENAID") 90 and a transient/fatigue cycle monitoring system ("CMS") 92 operate to selectively analyze data collected by the data processing units and made available as process parameter data over the data highway. This information is also potentially useful in connection with operations, maintenance and engineering decisions. The intermediate processing units 62 are devoted to certain aspects of tasks which affect decisions in all these departments, but are organized in a manner that is not limited to one department. Instead, each of the intermediate processing units serves a particular data set. The data needed by the intermediate processing modules 62 may overlap with data needed by others of the intermediate processing modules, and preferably is broken down into the beacon 84 for present operational conditions, corrosion monitoring 88 for long term deterioration due to ambient conditions such as radiation and chemical conditions, generator analysis (GENAID) 90 for thermodynamic and coolant flow analysis, and transient pressure and flow variation monitoring 92, to assess fatigue.
A predictive maintenance and diagnostic unit 102 is also coupled to the information highway 78, for diagnosing and reporting maintenance problems, and a series of engineering diagnostic units 104 are included. The maintenance diagnostic system 102 is preferably organized in a manner that is most meaningful to maintenance personnel, for example referring to individual pieces of plant equipment instead of functional aspects of the process. However, the maintenance diagnostics are preferably arranged to group devices whose operation has an impact on other devices according to functional groupings as well. Preferably, the plant maintenance diagnostic systems are grouped to provide for analysis of categories such as mechanical devices including valves, rotating machines and the like (which may be subject to frictional problems), and pressure/flow conduits (for corrosion/erosion problems).
Similarly, the plant engineering departments use the information available on the information highway 78, as collected by the data processing units 54 and reduced by the intermediate processors 62. A variety of engineering and diagnostic routines 104 are preferably included, for example grouped for residual coolant system diagnosis, transient diagnosis of pressure, flow and/or electrical loading, generator diagnosis and chemical/nuclear diagnosis. These diagnostic processes are related to operational parameters (like the plant operations diagnostics) and also t specific apparatus (like the maintenance diagnostics), and are presented in a format which is tailored to engineering planning as opposed to operations or maintenance procedures.
A major benefit of integrating data collection and reporting according to the invention is that data need not be collected and analyzed redundantly. Nevertheless, the users of the system can retain the benefit of graphic user interfaces with which users may already using (e.g., in connection with analysis of the operation of subsystems having dedicated monitoring systems.). Although the data collection is common to each of the plant departments, specialized mathematical models, xpert "intelligent" analysis and neural networking are readily achieved.
The invention is particularly applicable to operational, maintenance and engineering functions in a nuclear power plant. Such a plant has a variety of apparatus which can be grouped functionally, and which affect one another in the operational and maintenance procedures and decisions undertaken in the plant. A key input to any decision related to life extension of a nuclear plant is the condition of the plant systems and components critical to the safe, reliable and economical operation of that plant. This means not only the current condition, but the condition predicted throughout the remainder of the plant operation. To establish this effectively, at least two things are needed:
Data on critical parameters related to equipment condition; and,
Engineering decision making capability in terms of evaluating available data, namely extraction, saving and use of monitored data to determine current conditions as well as to predict future conditions and make recommendations on actions needed to attain plant objectives.
Certain applications benefit from simply adding raw data to meet the first requirement. However a typical nuclear plant has extensive existing instrumentation providing abundant data. What is more lacking is an optimal means cohesively to use that data for the second requirement, i.e., engineering decision making. The emphasis in the data interface packages developed for nuclear power plants has been an the needs of the operator and his minute-by-minute needs for operations decisions.
The second requirement is met according to the invention by:
Accessing and supplementing the available plant data;
Establishing evaluation objectives (critical components, associated measures of degradation, criteria and limits, etc.); and,
Implementing a capability to evaluate the data and make recommendations.
Of course the system of diagnostics and monitoring must be cost justified. The relative costs of various maintenance approaches (corrective, preventive, predictive) over the plant life are such that a factor of two improvement in cost can be achieved by using a predictive approach to maintenance instead of traditional approaches.
It is an aspect of the invention that the diagnostic and monitoring functions are integrated, for example into a plant process computer and instrumentation system architecture. In this sense, the plant process computer can include one processor or any number of processors in data communication, for example over the network communication paths described. The architecture of the invention relates to the arrangements and interconnections which link inputs to the process, the defined or required characteristics of the process itself, and the resulting outputs from the process. For the case of a nuclear plant diagnostics and monitoring system, the types of data needed include process parameters, control and response data, and preferably accumulated historical data. This information is obtained from plant instrumentation, distributed plant computer systems, additional sensors which may be unrelated to safety and control systems, test and performance data (whether measured, stored from previous measurements or specified for the equipment) and mainframe data storage. Such data may be stored as to any appropriate frequency of measurement, from milliseconds to years, and may be reduced into the form of average and standard deviation over selected periods or may include raw samples.
The type of available data and the required output define the type and frequency of data processing steps needed to convert the available data into meaningful presentations, and to sift through the available data to detect conditions which should generate a diagnostic warning. One or more processors associated with the hierarchy provide the data processing power and data storage capabilities needed to effect timely calculations on a real-time, automated periodic and/or on-demand basis.
The calculations undertaken by the processor(s) are of the type used in monitoring subsystems for the respective plant components; however, according to the invention the calculations are not limited to input based upon current parameter values in an isolated subsystem. Accordingly, diagnostic routines applicable to a subsystem, as undertaken by the integrated diagnostic and monitoring system, are affected by the conditions in related subsystems. The specific calculations can be mathematical algorithms, logical rule based (as in fuzzy logic) or neural network processes involving a multidimensional chain of calculations and decisions. The calculations can also include statistical analyses and database management type processes.
Output data is to be used to alert operators to conditions which may become critical shortly or not for a long time, and preferably also enable general monitoring as to what is going on in the plant. Accordingly, the output is preferably generated in forms including on-screen graphic and tabular data displays, storage of data on disk, tape or hardcopy, as well as audio and/or video signalling. In addition to selection of data from the inputs or from first or second level information generated from the inputs, the output data includes diagnostic information for monitored devices and subsystems, recommendations for action which are selected based on the diagnostic information and plant conditions, and additional backup information about the devices and subsystems (such as their physical characteristics, ratings and the like), from which the operators can discern the basis of the diagnosis and recommendations.
The users of the output generated by the system include most types of plant personnel. General categories of users include the operations support staff, maintenance, engineering and scientific staff, and plant management. Outside of the plant, headquarters engineering and management staff preferably have access to the data, and it is even possible to allow vendors access in order to enable them to assess the conditions under which requested equipment is to operate, or to assess the present conditions applicable to equipment already supplied. Under such conditions the vendors may be aware of an aspect of the equipment that should be made known for diagnostic purposes.
Insofar as users remote from the processor generating the output data may be coupled to the processor, various high speed and low speed data communications links can be employed. Such users may be on-site or off-site, and are coupled in data communication with the processor by hardwire, modem, radio or fiber optic links, as required in view of the data capacity needed.
For output and display, utility personnel need specific diagnoses of critical aspects of plant condition. According to the invention, such critical aspects are ranked and prioritized in a tabular display 110 from which the user can select further information on the diagnosis, the recommended corrected action, and background information on the affected structural elements and/or plant subsystems. The current status of the plant must always be available and easily accessible. A sample of a tabular display of diagnostic considerations in summary form appears in FIG. 5.
In the example shown, there are a number of conditions 114 rated by priorities 116. The list includes conditions which represent reactor status or operational information, and some suggesting a need for maintenance. Based on preprogrammed relationships between components of the plant, operations and maintenance personnel can react as appropriate. FIGS. 6 and 7 are examples of backup information respecting the items mentioned in the diagnostic summary. In the example, a valve identified as 8701A is described as having an incorrect stem packing tightness. Based only on the information on the summary, the implications of incorrect stem packing tightness in the particular valve may be unclear. However, the diagnostics summary 110 is a gateway to additional information describing the valve, and in fact also includes reactor operational information which likewise identifies the valve as an element in need of attention.
Item 2 on the diagnostics summary states that thermal stratification in the residual heat removal (RHR) system exceeds level 1 limits, level 1 being a minimum warning threshold. By selecting item 2, the operator is provided with background information 120 on RHR thermal stratification conditions. The backup information as shown in FIG. 6, includes a longer explanation 124 of the problem, a description 126 of the consequences of inaction, and recommendations 128 for activities which may fix the problem. In the example, the explanation identifies valve 8701A as the likely culprit, suggesting that the valve may be leaking. In conjunction with the diagnostics summary, the user is led immediately to the cause of the problem and can readily assess the severity thereof.
The residual heat removal system is an operating subset of the reactor, and preferably a series of tabular, graphic and text screens can be selected by paging through the respective levels of diagnosis. FIG. 7 illustrates further informational screens 130 under the groupings of RHR Stratification Status, and also Valve Monitoring Status, which are alternative cross referenced paths leading to a resolution of the problem shown in the summary 110. The screens applicable to RHR Stratification include the subject valve, and the screens relating to valve monitoring mention the function of the subject valve. By proceeding through the screens and selecting cross referenced information it is possible to obtain a full picture of the situation.
Preferably, the diagnostic system includes means 132 for the user to acknowledge receipt of the recommendation. In this manner the system ensures that appropriate attention is paid by those people who can act on the recommendation, and one person does not assume that another is taking responsibility for attending to the recommendation. Acknowledgement, as well as moving between screens, can be effected using any convenient input means such as a keyboard, mouse, touch sensitive screen input or the like.
According to the invention, the recommendation reported to the responsible parties, permits access to detailed component data, historical operations and maintenance information, and other data that is readily accumulated due to the integration of the system. Any data that is helpful or necessary to effectively interpret the recommendation, to plan an implementation, and to interact with other affected plant groups can be included.
FIGS. 5-7, as an integrated whole, illustrate a graphic interface useful to plant users which enable the user to evaluate and act on a particular diagnosis at progressively deeper information levels, and with respect to cross referencing between component groupings and between operational and maintenance considerations. The example discussed above with respect to the RHR Stratification relates to diagnostic and monitoring functions. It will be appreciated that cross references between operational or maintenance functions and those of engineering or management can be organized in a similar manner. The specific calculations necessary to obtain the required output, and the required input to derive the calculations, are apparent to those skilled in the art.
The integrated input, output and display particulars useful to various plant and utility technical and managerial groups, are similar to an operational control center, and the predictive maintenance and diagnostic center of the invention uses an operational or control center approach to meet the needs of engineering, and operations and maintenance personnel. A difference is that the operational or control center for maintenance and diagnostics is linked not only to a wide variety of process inputs and sets of data generated from process inputs, but is also linked to information defining the plant and the design characteristics of the apparatus and processes employed in the plant. This linking is accomplished though the predictive maintenance and diagnostic routines that are integrated into the system as a whole.
The plant maintenance and diagnostic system can have a physical control center 150, as shown in FIG. 3, or the functions can be provided over a distributed network 154 as suggested by FIG. 4. An appropriate control center 150, for example, has a console 156 that displays current condition diagnoses, and has available recommendations and summary backup data. For increased flexibility, a distributed control embodiment includes individual terminals 158 (e.g., workstations or PC's) which can all access this data, or alternatively are devoted to analyzing specific degradations or diagnostics of specific components. Depending on need, certain networked stations can operate in a combination real-time and multi-tasking mode, in which data acquisition and report/diagnosis processing are divided into foreground and background processes. Certain such terminals can be set up to periodically process data, to process data on user demand, or to trigger processing based on the occurrence of some event.
A plant maintenance workstation 162 can also be located at or accessible as part of the plant maintenance and diagnostic system. Information developed from diagnostic functions is then used as a part of the overall plant maintenance planning and scheduling functions, as well as outage planning.
In data evaluation the specification of actual diagnostic calculations is undertaken, to provide the information required by plant decision makers. Factors affecting design of this part of the system include frequency of calculations to be performed, and the types of calculations themselves. For example, on demand requests for calculational updates may be appropriate for degradations that change slowly, such as fatigue accumulation. In other cases calculations may be run continuously, for example to assess the potentially rapid degradation of a piece of rotating equipment when oil flow is cut off.
Types of calculations can also vary widely. In some cases simple algorithmic calculations are performed on the input parameters directly; in others data transforms may be needed, either custom-made for a particular application, or with standard techniques such as various types of signal analysis. Finally, many diagnostic applications are well suited to artificial intelligence based calculational strategies, from simple rule-based methods for diagnosis of specific conditions, to more complex schemes based on neural networks typically applied to complex pattern recognition in signal analysis.
A comprehensive, functionally complete data acquisition capability for diagnostics and monitoring needs can rely in large part on the data obtainable from the plant process computer 170, shown in FIG. 8. The accessibility of this data for diagnostic purposes increases markedly when a plant computer upgrade, preferably using a data highway type setup, is implemented. With such an arrangement, it becomes possible to pass specific types of data at desired frequencies to numerous applications, simply by setting up a data transfer file and a node on the network. This eliminates difficulties in trying to access the signal output directly from the sensor, or trying to add a large number of wires to the process protection racks or plant computer, as had been done in the past. Such restrictions limited the potential applications and usability of the plant process computer data for uses other than operations and control.
Potential benefits of additional monitoring may justify the addition of sensors beyond the usual operational sensors in communication with the plant process computer. Data also may be needed at more frequent intervals than is typically provided for the plant process computer. In such cases, the number of containment penetrations available can become a limiting factor in the ability to add sensors. A highway concept as shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 8 makes maximum use of existing sensors and decreases the need for adding containment penetrations. The sensors can be coupled to communicate directly with the PMDC 24 for use in diagnostic applications. In addition or instead, the raw analog signal data provided by the sensor 32, 50 can be processed, by such techniques as Fourier Analysis, and the resulting processed signal can be provided to the data highway.
Another method of data acquisition used at plants because of its cost effectiveness when data needs only to be obtained at infrequent intervals such as quarterly, or when conducting specific tests, is data obtained through portable analyzers. Previously, this data was manually transcribed for use in specific diagnostic and evaluative applications. With current technology, this data typically can be input directly to a computer disk, which can then be transferred automatically to a host computer 172 at the PMDC 24. The data and format are preferably standardized, so computer based application routines can be developed readily to utilize the data in diagnostic applications.
FIG. 4 shows a schematic of a preferred data processing layout for integrating diagnostics and monitoring over a monitoring data highway or network as described. This configuration is readily integrated with existing plant systems, and takes advantage of technology advancements in plant computer and data communication networks being implemented at many plants. The system can accept data both off-line and on-line. On-line data acquisition can occur either through the plant data highway or through smart devices that pre-process data (e.g., perform signal analysis) before sending the data over the system or plant data highway. The actual analyses are performed through a computer network distributed according to diagnostic function and located at the plant PMDC. In contrast to the plant control data highway, it would be possible to link these computers through a specific diagnostic data highway.
Preferably, the PMDC 24 is manned constantly during operation of the plant. In addition, communication capability exists to bring in various experts at the plant or utility headquarters. The outputs and displays of the PMDC, or selected subsets, can be provided to the various constituencies including engineering, scientific, maintenance, headquarters, or management for use in acting on diagnoses and recommendations. Short and long term data storage and retrieval capabilities are linked to the plant computer. Capability is also available to send selected diagnostic information over phone lines 174 or other data links, to other consultants or equipment vendors, to allow for rapid response and evaluation of critical conditions. Thus the D&M system itself is fully integrated into the total plant information system, and provides a means for plant people to function together effectively as a team to solve both short term difficulties, and to provide for long range planning to maximize efficiency of plant operation for life extension.
As applied to nuclear power generating plants, specific functional modules can be provided to address problems which are peculiar to such plants. Transient and fatigue monitoring is a first application. Operating transients cause thermal, pressure, and mechanical load fluctuations that contribute to fatigue accumulation in many pressure boundary components and systems over a plant operating period. Fatigue is considered in plant design through postulation and evaluation of specified number of occurrences of key normal and off-normal events, such as plant heatup, load changes, and reactor trips.
In the United States, nuclear power generation plants are required through their technical specifications to show continuing conformance of fatigue design and operation. Until recently, this was done by attempting to keep a log of the number of occurrences of certain of the design transients. This method has proved inadequate from design-operational conformance needs, because actual plant operating transients are different from design transients. Examples include thermal stratification that occurs in various places in horizontal piping, and additional at-power tests that cause fatigue. These are offset by the fact that many nuclear plants operate in a base load capacity, so events like load changes are fewer in number and less severe than may have been postulated in design and planning.
In addition to these considerations, to properly account for fatigue in justifying an extension of the predicted useful life of component structures or the plant as a whole, it is important to have as accurate a historical record of transients and fatigue over as much of the plant operation as possible. For these reasons, systems that automatically monitor plant process parameters and update fatigue on an ongoing basis are quite useful. In some cases it can be shown that the actual fatigue accumulation is less than predicted using design transients, even when accounting for the events not postulated in the original design. Additionally, the system according to the invention can help to identify and recommend operational changes to help slow the accumulation of fatigue.
The technology that makes automated fatigue monitoring practical and cost-effective is the Green's function based transfer function technology. This allows direct calculation of stress from available plant process parameters, without the need for repeated finite element calculations. Upon installing a transient and fatigue cycle monitoring systems in an operating plant, a review of records of past operating history is advisable. This information, along with plant design criteria, helps in selection of component regions to monitor for fatigue, and provides the means to establish an estimate of the fatigue accumulation up until the time of system installation, i.e., the fatigue baseline. This initial step also can provide insight into operating practices that may be enhanced to reduce the rate of transient and fatigue accumulation, and according to the invention the effectiveness of such operating practices can be monitored.
Another example specific to nuclear plant monitoring concerns monitoring the condition and performance of the reactor internals, as opposed to monitoring a particular mechanism (e.g., fatigue) that appears at various points throughout the plant system. In the case of reactor internals, the focus of data collection and analysis is a very specific component, or a part of a component, and the various degradation mechanisms and performance factors affecting it.
The reactor internals are of interest to at least two plant groups for different reasons. The reactor performance engineers are interested from the perspective of optimizing core life and fuel performance. The maintenance engineers are interested in the potential degradation mechanisms that affect the reactor internals such as loose parts, unwanted vibration, and material degradation. Both groups use similar input to make decisions, such as data from in-core temperature instrumentation, in-core and extra-core neutron flux detectors, loose parts accelerometers and other such process parameters, to evaluate current status. The performance engineers may use this data fairly frequently, e.g., to do on-line calculations of core performance. The maintenance engineers may analyze the data less frequently, and previously might take data manually only once per cycle for trend analysis. The integrated diagnostics and monitoring system of the invention provides information to both constituents through a common user interface utilizing a communication network.
Corrosion-erosion monitoring is another example of a system-wide degradation mechanism in nuclear power plants. It is tracked in at least two ways. Periodic wall thickness measurements can be taken at specific grid points on a component using a portable ultrasonic device. Permanent corrosion probes can be installed at strategic points in the system. The first approach monitors expected degradation and the second approach is used mainly in regions for which detailed information is desired about the corrosion process itself.
Turbine and generator diagnostics are a further example. In this case the requirements are again different from any of the previous examples. The turbine/generator arrangement is a high demand rotating machine that must reliably operate for months at a time. Failures can develop quickly, with potentially catastrophic consequences for the equipment, and may cause extended forced outages.
In such a case, the addition of sensors and monitoring devices can be easily cost-justified. The round-the-clock monitoring and evaluation capabilities of the invention are helpful to deal with failures that can develop quickly and unexpectedly. To monitor effectively under such conditions, the foregoing communication link back to the equipment vendor is useful, particularly where the vendor develops a diagnostic rule base and provides quasi-real time evaluation and diagnoses as needed. If several plants participate, all plants can benefit from ongoing enhancements to the diagnostic database with experience, and overall cost-effectiveness is increased.
FIG. 8 illustrates an architecture similar to that described above, applied specifically to a nuclear power generation plant and with the foregoing functional modules incorporated. Input comes from several real-time sources including the plant process computer and special application sensors, as well as through portable monitoring equipment. The sharing of common data between the various diagnostic modules is also illustrated. The individual diagnostic modules operate in modes ranging from on-demand to continuous real-time diagnostics, in two different locations including the PMDC and an off site location, and provide information on the plant information network to the plant people who need it.
The invention as described is especially adapted for production environments such as for nuclear plant diagnostics and monitoring. A wide range of other applications also are possible. Preferably, this wide range of diagnostic applications is based on flexible architecture, data acquisition, processing and display capabilities. An approach using a predictive maintenance and diagnostics center provides the flexibility, and a central focal point for effective use and integration of plant diagnostic capabilities.
The invention having been disclosed in connection with certain examples, a number of variations will now be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Whereas the invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments disclosed as examples, reference should be made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing discussion of examples, in order to assess the scope of the invention in which exclusive rights are claimed.
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text:
Below is the poem entitled Masquerade which was written by poet
Lamoureux. Please feel free to comment on this poem. However, please remember, PoetrySoup is a place of encouragement and growth.
Read Poems by
Richard Lamoureux
I went to my closet
To pick out a mask
Many to choose from
Am I up for the task?
The image of sensitivity
Or do I want to appear strong
Maybe the mask of co-operation
I can pretend to get along
Do I dare go with ugly
Can I pull off being mean?
Perhaps I can go with sexy
Or try dawning obscene
This mask that is two faced
I have had it on before
It got me in trouble
I won't wear it any more
What about pious
The mask of a saint
Or maybe this clown
Colored with paint
I wouldn't mind being a hero
At least for one day
I could be a philosopher
If I had something to say
All of these masks
Here in my pile
I think I will discard them
Just be myself for a while


text:
|137 posts found
Advanced Member
Joined: 10/18/04
Originally posted by SupaAPE
But EQN relies heavily on voxel and procedural coding, which is entirely different to the conventional ways Blizzard use for their games. If Blizzard want to steal ideas for wow they are out of luck. Unless they want to re-write most of the coding and start finding people with the skills to actually do it (there aren't many who can and the best of those are probably working on EQN, indie projects, or for Frontier on Elite Dangerous).
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Originally posted by NasherUK
Project Titan was blizzards upcoming MMORPG. It got canceled (probably temporarily) sometime back. WoW is what it is, it will continue to be what it is for the rest of its product life cycle. The blizzard name is too huge to pass up the opportunity to bring out another MMORPG in the future.
Elite Member
Joined: 5/23/06
Originally posted by SupaAPE
The main reason Titan was scaled back was because WoW was losing to many player due to the fact new content was suffering in two areas, quality and volume. They had to do something quick to keep WoW going or by the time titan came out, WoW would have been a shell and husk of what it should have been. I dont think Blizzard is worried about EQN, no more worried then any tripple A MMO thats come out over the past 10 years. Im sure they have a plan in place to deal with EQN but Titan being scaled back has nothing to do with any game other then making sure WoW stays the hog it is. Fat and purdy.
=-D Only on a forum can optimism be called the bad thing and pessimism is the good thing =-D
Originally posted by Nanfoodle
The original team that developed/worked on WoW has long since parted from WoW, some of the more notable designers/programmers were shifted to Titan. WoW in its current state is being run by mostly different people then it was in the past. The halting of Titan has nothing to do with WoW declining because the teams working on WoW and Titan are different groups with different goals.
WoW is an excellent game that I will have many memories with for the rest of my life, but it's on a simple type of life support for the rest of its life. It's mostly recycled content with systems that make it easy to deliver for the current team taking care of it.
Advanced Member
Joined: 10/25/12
Oh from the title I thought you were talking about Skyforge! No for real, I am so excited for EQN. I didnt like Landmark but there is something very special about EQN that I just can't put my finger on.
Hard Core Member
Joined: 7/15/10
Correct me if I'm wrong about this, and I apologize If I am, but isn't this game going to have no trinity and be open world focused?
If so it'll go just as far as GW2 did, which isn't very far in my opinion. People will zerg the shat of everything available and play with their feet because of awful design.
Originally posted by Chrisbox
Correlation does not imply causation.
GW2 PVE wasn't very good because GW2 is 1. PVP game 2. Same if not worse crap AI that has been used for 15+ years.
Holy Trinity is a band aid to cover up poor AI. Which is pretty much SOE's #1 secret sauce element for EQN. If the AI is crap, yes it won't be too exciting, but if it is as good as they hype, trinity is not needed at all and wouldn't work even.
The roles of the trinity (defense, offense, support, cc, etc) will all still be there. Just not the cookie cutter approach that most mmorpgs have. Just no reliance on taunt, mobs getting "harder" by adding millions of HPs to burn through, dedicated healers watching bars all day, etc.
GW2 caters to zerging and DPS spam because the world is static with timed respawns and kill loops that are easy to follow. EQN will have a procedurally generated world (5+ layers deep). Good luck running around with 50+ people killing non-stop. This is on top of every class being a solo machine that can do everything, unlike EQN classes.
EQN will not have lvls, why zerg to begin with? No invisible finish line to race to.
Problem is there is no game to compare EQN to (at least from what they've revealed so far). No other game as the same elements present or missing in one package. A game is a sum of all the parts.
Hard Core Member
Joined: 1/29/07
"Ideas are worthless. The only currency that holds any weight is the ability and drive to execute."
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon.
Apprentice Member
Joined: 11/19/06
Originally posted by Arclan
Though gooz might be a bit more ngeative about it, hes likely not gonna be wrong. Action combat and limiting skills to only a handful can get dull faster (imo) than tab targeting. Like Arc said action combat removes the chance to chat, so unless they have some great built in voice that comes on with partys/raids..ect. its gonna end up like most of these new MMOs where its just flash on your screen and silence in the chat. When people arent constant chatting, there is barely a community, which (imo) is one of the biggest parts of making an MMO work in and out of game.
I also doubt this will keep some of the older EQ fans since its going (especially in combat terms) away from what 1 and 2 were like. Put on top of that the F2P design from the start and your going to scare off plenty (reguardless if its p2w or completely fair)
People may not love the slower combat of the older MMOs, but they by far tend to have the best communitys (my example being FFXI vs FFXIV, making everything more action like and more solo oriented takes away from needing to talk or be part of the community) I can bet this game will start some new trends like rift with its pop up events, but i can't see it being as big as everyone wants it to be.
Novice Member
Joined: 7/13/13
Originally posted by Allein
Pretty sure the trinity is from traditional PnP RPG's, not something created as a stopgap until better technology was invented.
Originally posted by Utinni
Could you point this out to be in D&D/AD&D or another game? From my experience with PnP (not much I admit), players resembled a much more fluid system like MOBA and what EQN seems to be shooting for. This is assuming that "Holy Trinity" is reference to combat that revolves around Taunt, Threat, Heal Spams, DPS Spams, etc.
GMs tailored games around the players, not the other way around. Didn't have a "Tank", you didn't call it a night and go home. Certain campaigns or whatever might be favored for certain classes/roles, but I do not remember any sort of strict ruleset resembling what later became a requirement in online gaming. Even MUDs did not have the "Holy Trinity".
While I doubt EQN's AI will resemble GMs and human intelligence, it can lead to a much more fluid system where players have options on how to tackle a challenge. Instead of 1 Tank, 1 Healer, 2 DPS, or don't bother.
Originally posted by zanfire
I'm playing an action combat MOBA game right now, and can chat just fine. Actually, as this game has grown over time, i've noticed people chatting more and more. Obviously, if there is constant action 24/7, it would be harder to chat, but unlike a MOBA, an MMORPG will have combat downtime (naturally), which means the window of opportunity to communicate is widened because you're not in a constant battle 24/7.
Also, with the evolution of MMO's and games in general, i'd imagine more intricate communication systems, including voice, predefined commands like "follow me", "attack enemy X", "heal me" etc. WOW didn't have VOIP built in during Vanilla, but it does now. I'm sure SOE realize just how important the design and evolution of communication in MMO's is for success, both in creating and nurturing social interactions, and improving the atmosphere of the game.
I'll ignore goozmania's troll attempt, but how do you see this as a FPS game? Beyond the obvious it isn't first person or a shooter. Anything that requires a bit of eye hand coordination and doesn't rely on standing still is a FPS?
To each their own. Glad SOE is moving forward and planning for the future. All I know is that VOIP has given me much more fun times then typing ever did. Laughing for real instead of LOL/ROLF and speaking naturally without having to add /s or anything artificial. Also makes playing much more straight forward, don't have to type and type and type what to do. VOIP allows for combat to go faster and combat going faster makes more fun times possible.
Remembering back to the painful days of early EQ raiding compared to when Team Speak, Vent and other programs came out is just night and day. Never going back.
Hard Core Member
Joined: 4/12/12
OP really? "The last great hope for the MMO Genre."?
While I hope it is a very good/great game when it comes out I do hope there will be other great games in the future.
So I am not hoping that EQN will be the last great hope for the MMO Genre.
Apprentice Member
Joined: 3/14/12
Originally posted by azzamasin
I thought GW2 was the last hope? what happened?
"The problem is that the hardcore folks always want the same thing: 'We want exactly what you gave us before, but it has to be completely different.'
"Online gamers are the most ludicrously entitled beings since Caligula made his horse a senator, and at least the horse never said anything stupid."
Apprentice Member
Joined: 5/01/13
"Keep dancing baby, it's the end of the world."
It's weird...I wonder if this is how everyone who cut their MMO teeth on EQ feels. I know I'm really really hoping they bring back the magic that once captivated me with EQ. IMHO it was simply the best Mmorpg ever, everything else compared has been garbage, save a few close contenders (SWG and DAoC).
In any case, I'm not going to get my hopes up. Too many recent letdowns has jaded me.
EDIT: FFXIV:ARR and WS are recent non-garbage games, to be fair. But something is still missing from them when compared to my rose-tinted memories of EQ.
EDIT AGAIN: And WoW, yes it was successful. It was a polished, dumbed-down, EQ clone, how could it not be?
That's just, like, my opinion, man.
Novice Member
Joined: 2/16/11
I'll kick your a**e so hard, you could build a swimming pool in the footprint!
Originally posted by azzamasin
None of this makes any sense and is contradictory to what you've written before, but I'm assuming your a very emotional person that expects others to feel exactly the same about your game of choice.
You may think I will critise you for that but..fair enough, I honestly hope EQN works out for you and you find other who share your passion, in that and maybe other games ;)
Seriously if you have that amount of hope for something considering this industry...well I think that's admirable, it's not me, but good on you :)
This looks like a job for....The Riviera Kid!


text:
Below is the poem entitled The One You Never Know which was written by poet
John Patrick
Robbins AKA Gonzo. Please feel free to comment on this poem. However, please remember, PoetrySoup is a place of encouragement and growth.
Read Poems by
John Patrick
Robbins AKA Gonzo
John Patrick Robbins AKA Gonzo
After the smoke clears from this room.
Will question why.
As you push me into the depths.
As I lifted you from your self appointed gloom.
So take his hand cause happiness has another
You can close your eye's.
but it's never the same.
Can we ever forget that which we did
not understand.
you hide the pain.
But secrets dig into your soul
like barbwire in hand.
She ran with what wasnt supposed to be.
Sweet suduction it was in such devlish fun.
To bad it was so very clear to all but me.
Under covers bodies without thought collide
locked in the passion of night.
Taking flustrations out in plessure.
You appear as a vision get your fix then vanish from sight.
Cheating the heart fractrued given to two.
You question with lies.
As I yern to hold the woman I belive is you.
And so I exist in a mystery only you can
im the dirty secret across the tracks.
The dirt underfoot in which my heart does revolve.
If only the feeling could last.
I question while off to another.
Would you stay it was you fading with the past.
Worn from it's trappings you crawl.
Wash away the truth.
Confession of pillow talk that
seep into the wall.
So is the story of the confussed woamn who
fractured her heart over two.
And the man who only did thirst for the
one he thought he knew