Search results for "Uncertainty"
showing 10 items of 1010 documents
Job insecurity and sickness absence: Correlations between attrition and absence in 36 occupational groups
2012
Aims: To investigate how job insecurity, as indicated by attrition rates out of employment, affects sickness absence among remaining workers. Methods: A longitudinal analysis investigated how the percentage of workers absent due to sickness was affected by attrition out of employment in Norwegian Labour Force Surveys from 1997 to 2005, between 31 quarterly observations at the level of 36 occupational groups. Results: Rising attrition is associated with more sickness absence. Conclusions: Previous research has argued that job insecurity can lead to more absence because of a stressor effect as well as to less absence because of a disciplinary effect. This research indicates that the stressor…
Hidden energy and environmental loads of solar thermal collectors: A case study.
2001
The general aim of this work was to investigate a solar thermal collector and the energetic and environmental impacts related to this renewable technology. It was realised an eco-profile of an exemplary equipment, calculating the Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) and the Cumulative Emissions related to the production and use of a collector and the energy (or emissions) saved employing the renewable technology.
Computational nuclear quantum many-body problem: The UNEDF project
2013
The UNEDF project was a large-scale collaborative effort that applied high-performance computing to the nuclear quantum many-body problem. The primary focus of the project was on constructing, validating, and applying an optimized nuclear energy density functional, which entailed a wide range of pioneering developments in microscopic nuclear structure and reactions, algorithms, high-performance computing, and uncertainty quantification. UNEDF demonstrated that close associations among nuclear physicists, mathematicians, and computer scientists can lead to novel physics outcomes built on algorithmic innovations and computational developments. This review showcases a wide range of UNEDF scien…
LV Measurement Device Placement for Load Flow Analysis in MV Smart Grids
2016
This paper deals with the issue of measurement device placement for load flow analysis in medium-voltage (MV) distribution networks. The study is carried out using an innovative measurement algorithm for load flow analysis developed by the authors. It is based on low-voltage (LV) load power measurements applied on a backward/forward algorithm for the load flow resolution. The final aim is to identify the most suitable number and placement of the LV measurement points in order to limit the uncertainty on the power flow estimation to a target value. The proposed approach is based on the uncertainty evaluation of the estimated power flows; a sensitivity analysis is performed in order to assess…
Uncertainty Management in the measurements performed by means of virtual instruments
2008
The uncertainty management is the discipline of optimising the cost of a measurement versus the uncertainty target. In particular, the paper deals with the measurements performed by using a generic virtual instrument. The task is achieved by using the PUMA (procedure for uncertainty management) method that is an iterative technique originally conceived for geometrical and mechanical measurements. The approach is completely based on the "guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement" rules, but provides a more engineering methodology, since it allows to optimize the cost of the measurements versus the uncertainty target, avoiding the use of inadequate or, on the contrary, too expensi…
Can the effective number of bits be useful to assess the measurement uncertainty?
2003
The effective number of bits (ENOB) is a well know parameter, employed to characterize the overall behavior of an A/D converter. In order to verify if the ENOB can be also used to assess the measurement uncertainty of the A/D conversion based instruments, we use a developed software tool. The results show that using the ENOB can lead to an underestimate of the uncertainties.
Uncertainty evaluation in the measurements for the electric power quality analysis
2013
The paper deals with the uncertainty estimation in the measurements performed to assess the electric power quality. In a first steps, according to the 'ISO - Guide to Expression of the Uncertainty in Measurements' all the error sources, which give a significant contribution to the combined uncertainty associated to the measurement results, are identified. Successively, in order to analyze how the errors propagate through the measurement chain, a Monte Carlo based approach is proposed. The method exploits an ad-hoc developed simulator of the measurement process, which takes into account the particular way of propagation of all the identified error sources. Eventually, with the aim of validat…
Comparison of different uncertainty techniques in urban stormwater quantity and quality modelling
2011
Abstract Urban drainage models are important tools used by both practitioners and scientists in the field of stormwater management. These models are often conceptual and usually require calibration using local datasets. The quantification of the uncertainty associated with the models is a must, although it is rarely practiced. The International Working Group on Data and Models, which works under the IWA/IAHR Joint Committee on Urban Drainage, has been working on the development of a framework for defining and assessing uncertainties in the field of urban drainage modelling. A part of that work is the assessment and comparison of different techniques generally used in the uncertainty assessm…
Hybrid moving bed biofilm reactors: an effective solution for upgrading a large wastewater treatment plant
2009
Over the last few years there has been a growing attention regarding the receiving water body quality state. As a matter of a fact, the Directive 91/271 of the European Union (EU) replaced the “emission standard” concept that fixes discharge limits depending on polluting emission characteristics, with the “stream standard” concept that fixes discharge limits for each polluting substance depending on self-depurative characteristics of the RWB. In this context, several WWTPs need to be upgraded in order to meet stricter effluent limits. The need of WWTP upgrading was also emphasized by the growing urbanization that have led, in most cases, to get overloaded WWTP due to an overcoming of the ma…
comparing two start-up strategies for MBRs: experimental study and mathematical modelling
2012
Abstract The performance of a membrane bioreactor (MBR), and mechanisms of fouling formation, may differ due to the start-up. Therefore, the start-up can constitute an aspect that critically influences MBR performance during its lifespan. Indeed, the start-up can influence the mechanisms of membrane fouling, which is of paramount importance in an MBR. In order to gain insights on the effects of the start-up, both experimental and mathematical modelling studies were carried out on an MBR pilot plant. The MBR pilot plant constituted of a hollow fibre membrane module, in a submerged configuration, was fed by real wastewater. Two experimental periods were carried out, lasting 65 days each, char…