HighLights
Hi,
High Lights - Special Topics & Developments
TIRE (TYRE) PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS)
A tire-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is an electronic system designed to monitor the air pressure inside the pneumatic tires on various types of vehicles.
A TPMS reports real-time tire-pressure information to the driver of the vehicle, either via a gauge, a pictogram display, or a simple low-pressure warning light. TPMS can be divided into two different types – direct (dTPMS) and indirect (iTPMS).
TPMS are provided both at an OEM (factory) level as well as an aftermarket solution. The goal of a TPMS is avoiding traffic accidents, poor fuel economy, and increased tire wear due to under-inflated tires through early recognition of a hazardous state of the tires.
This functionality first appeared in luxury vehicles in Europe in the 1980s, while mass-market adoption followed the USA passing the 2000 TREAD Act after the Firestone and Ford tire controversy.
Mandates for TPMS technology in new cars have continued to proliferate in the 21st century in Russia, the EU, Japan, South Korea and many other Asian countries. As of November 2014, fitment rate stands at 54% of passenger cars.
WHAT IS DIRECT TPMS & HOW DOES IT WORK?
Direct TPMS uses pressure monitoring sensors within each tire that monitor specific pressure levels – not just wheel revolution data from the anti-lock brake system.
Sensors in a direct TPMS may even provide tire temperature readings. The direct tire pressure monitoring system sends all of this data to a centralized control module where it’s analyzed, interpreted, and, if tire pressure is lower than it should be, transmitted directly to your dashboard where the indicator light illuminates.
A direct tire pressure monitor usually sends all of this data wirelessly. Each sensor has a unique serial number. This is how the system not only distinguishes between itself and systems on other vehicles, but also among pressure readings for each individual tire.
Many manufacturers use proprietary technology for these highly specialized systems, so replacing a TPMS in a way that’s consistent and compatible with your vehicle will require an experienced, knowledgeable technician.
WHAT IS INDIRECT TPMS & HOW DOES IT WORK?
An indirect TPMS typically relies on wheel speed sensors that the anti-lock brake system uses. These sensors measure the rate of revolution each wheel is making and can be used by on-board computer systems to compare with each other and to other vehicle operation data such as speed.
Based on the rate of revolution of each wheel, the computer can interpret the relative size of the tires on your vehicle. When a wheel starts spinning faster than expected, the computer calculates that the tire is underinflated and alert the driver accordingly.
So, an indirect tire pressure monitoring system doesn’t actually measure tire pressure. It’s not electronically processing the same kind of measurement you might see with a tire gauge.
Instead, an indirect tire pressure monitor simply measures how fast your tires are rotating and sends signals to the computer that will actuate the indicator light when something in the rotation seems a miss.
ADVANTAGES OF INDIRECT TPMS
-- Relatively inexpensive compared to a direct TPMS
-- Requires less programming/maintenance over the years than a direct TPMS
-- Less overall installation maintenance than its direct counterpart
DISADVANTAGES OF INDIRECT TPMS
-- May become inaccurate if you purchase a bigger or smaller tire
-- May be unreliable when tires are unevenly worn
-- Must be reset after properly inflating every tire
-- Must be reset after routine tire rotation
ADVANTAGES OF DIRECT TPMS
-- Deliver actual tire pressure readings from inside the tire
-- Not prone to inaccuracies because of tire rotations or tire replacements
-- Simple resynchronization after tire rotation or tire replacements
-- Batteries inside the sensors usually last for about a decade.
-- May be included in a vehicle’s spare tire
DISADVANTAGES OF DIRECT TPMS
-- More expensive overall than an indirect TPMS
-- Though simple, resynchronization may require costly tools.
-- Battery rarely serviceable; if the battery is drained, the whole sensor must be changed.
-- Proprietary systems make installation, service, and replacement confusing for consumers and auto shops.
-- Sensors are susceptible to damage during mounting/demounting
So,Please select suitable TPMS for your cars or 2 Wheelers to get your self safety .
-Author
THE MASK- TO SAVE YOUR LIFE
Why the government wants you to wear a mask at home too?
The head of India’s Covid-19 task force, Dr V K Paul, has said the time has come to wear masks at home settings to break the chain of transmission. His recommendation comes as India reported a record 352,991 new cases on Monday and 2,812 deaths in the last 24 hours; the country’s active caseload has now reached 2,813,658.
WHAT is the reason for this recommendation?
Covid-19 spreads primarily from person to person through respiratory droplets, which travel in the air when someone coughs, sneezes, talks, shout or sings. These droplets can then land in the mouths or noses of people in the vicinity, or may be breathed in.
Again, a large population does not show symptoms. The asymptomatic people can continue to spread the infection at home, at a faster pace. Dr Paul stressed that even when asymptomatic people are talking, they can spread the infection.
That is why we have been seeing entire families, in this wave, turning positive, even when most of them have stayed indoor
But why during the second wave?
A significant proportion of the vulnerable population in India have been showing severe symptoms including shortness of breath, and many have required hospitalisation. The surge in the requirement of oxygen beds has overwhelmed the health infrastructure.
Masks are mainly intended to protect others from Covid-19 rather than just the wearer. Therefore, the recommendation is aimed not just at breaking the chain of transmission, but also at protecting those at highest risk.
There are two targeted outcomes. First, the elderly and those with co-morbidities can be protected significantly, even if one member of the family has an asymptomatic infection. Second, it can reduce the local house outbreaks that have marked the second wave
Did the government cite any evidence while making these arguments?
Yes, it cited data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Service to say that there is a negligible risk of transmission when there is a distance of 6 feet between two persons and when both of them are wearing masks.
According to the data cited, the risk is 1.5% (low) when both people are wearing masks, 5% (medium) when only the infected person is wearing a mask and uninfected persons are unmasked, 30% (high) if the infected person is not wearing a mask but the uninfected person is wearing one, and 90% (highest) when neither the infected nor the uninfected person is wearing a mask.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) makes an almost similar recommendation. The CDC says masks should still be worn in addition to staying at least 6 feet apart, especially when indoors around people who don’t live in your household.
The CDC stresses that older people, specifically, should wear a mask when around people who don’t live in their household. Which effectively means that if a new person comes home, the vulnerable need to wear a mask to reduce the risk of getting infected.
Apart from what the government has cited, has any other study shown the benefits of indoor masking?
Yes. A study of Chinese families in Beijing, accepted for publication in the British Medical Journal, has found that indoor masking it is 79% effective in curbing transmission — but only before symptoms emerge.
The study of 335 people in 124 families found that the risk of household transmission was 18 times higher with frequent daily close contact with the primary case; face mask use by the primary case and family contacts before the primary case developed symptoms was 79% effective in reducing transmission; however, wearing a mask after illness onset of the primary case was not significantly protective.
“The findings inform universal face mask use and social distancing, not just in public spaces, but inside the household with members at risk of getting infected. This further supports universal face mask use, and also provides guidance on risk reduction for families living with someone in quarantine or isolation, and families of health workers, who may face ongoing risk,” the authors write.
Courtesy-THE INDIAN EXPRESS
OXYGEN CONCENTRATORS
Why are they in demand, and how are they different from cylinders?
An oxygen concentrator is a medical device that concentrates oxygen from ambient air. Atmospheric air has about 78 per cent nitrogen and 21 per cent oxygen, with other gases making up the remaining 1 per cent.
Written By Tabassum Barnagarwala | Mumbai |
Updated: April 25, 2021 9:14:06 am
It’s only a little bigger than a computer monitor, yet as cases surge and with oxygen cylinders in short supply across several states, the concentrator is among the most sought after devices for oxygen therapy, especially among patients in home isolation and for hospitals running out of oxygen.
 |
Oxygen Concentrator Machine |
How does it work?
An oxygen concentrator is a medical device that concentrates oxygen from ambient air. Atmospheric air has about 78 per cent nitrogen and 21 per cent oxygen, with other gases making up the remaining 1 per cent. The oxygen concentrator takes in this air, filters it through a sieve, releases the nitrogen back into the air, and works on the remaining oxygen.
This oxygen, compressed and dispensed through a cannula, is 90-95 per cent pure. A pressure valve in concentrators helps regulate supply, ranging from 1-10 litres per minute.
According to a 2015 report by the WHO, concentrators are designed for continuous operation and can produce oxygen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for up to 5 years or more.
At 90-95 per cent purity, is the oxygen from concentrators pure enough?
While it is not as pure as LMO (99%), experts say it is good enough for mild and moderate Covid-19 patients with oxygen saturation levels of 85% or above. It is, however, not advisable for ICU patients.
Concentrators can be attached with multiple tubes to serve two patients at the same time, but experts don’t recommend it since it carries risk of cross-infection.
How are concentrators different from oxygen cylinders and LMO?
Oxygen concentrators are the easiest alternatives to cylinders but can only supply 5-10 litres of oxygen per minute (critical patients may need 40-50 litres per minute) and are best suited for moderately ill patients.
Concentrators are portable and unlike LMO that needs to be stored and transported in cryogenic tankers, need no special temperature. And unlike cylinders that require refilling, concentrators only need a power source to draw in ambient air.
How do they compare with cylinders in terms of cost and maintenance?
While at Rs 40,000-90,000 concentrators are more expensive than cylinders (Rs 8,000-20,000), it’s largely a one-time investment. Apart from electricity and routine maintenance, there’s little by way of operational cost, unlike cylinders that involve refilling costs and transportation.
The market
Industry experts say the demand of oxygen concentrators has gone up from 40,000 annually to 30,000-40,000 a month.
Dr Rajiv Nath, forum coordinator of AIMED, an association of the medical device industry, estimates a daily demand of 1,000-2000 concentrators, but says there are not enough manufacturers to meet that kind of demand.
It’s a largely import market, with Philips and Longfian Scitech among the big players.
Courtesy-THE INDIAN EXPRESS
SPACE X
 |
Elon Musk-Founder -SpaceX
SpaceX launches third crew with recycled rocket and capsule
SPaceX launched four astronauts into orbit using a recycled roacket anc capsule. The astronauts will reach the International Space Station on Saturday morning and will spend six months at the orbiting lab.
SpaceX launches third crew with recycled rocket and capsule
It was the first time SpaceX reused a capsule and rocket to launch astronauts for NASA, after years of proving the capability on station supply runs.
SpaceX launched four astronauts into orbit Friday using a recycled rocket and capsule, the third crew flight in less than a year for Elon Musk’s rapidly expanding company.
The astronauts from the U.S., Japan and France should reach the International Space Station early Saturday morning, following a 23-hour ride in the same Dragon capsule used by SpaceX’s debut crew last May. They’ll spend six months at the orbiting lab.
It was the first time SpaceX reused a capsule and rocket to launch astronauts for NASA, after years of proving the capability on station supply runs. The rocket was used last November on the company’s second astronaut flight.
Embracing the trend, spacecraft commander Shane Kimbrough and his crew weeks ago wrote their initials in the rocket’s soot, hoping to start a tradition.
“If you have rapid and complete reusability, then that is the gateway to the heavens. That’s what we’re trying to get done, and the support of NASA makes a huge difference,” Musk said after the launch.
Just a week ago, NASA awarded SpaceX a nearly $3 billion contract to provide the lunar lander that will deliver astronauts to the surface of the moon — Musk’s Starship, intended to be fully reusable to attain his ultimate prize of carrying astronauts to Mars and building a city there.
Flying in a recycled capsule Friday provided a bit of deja vu for NASA astronaut Megan McArthur. She launched in the same seat in the same capsule as her husband, Bob Behnken, did during SpaceX’s first crew flight. This time, it was Behnken and their 7-year-old son waving goodbye. McArthur blew kisses and offered virtual hugs.
Also flying SpaceX on Friday: Japan’s Akihiko Hoshide and France’s Thomas Pesquet, the first European to launch in a commercial crew capsule.
It was a stunning scene: The launch plume glowed against the dark sky, reflecting the sunlight at high altitude.
THE LAUNCH
 |
Space X - Work Station Site
Despite the early hour, spectators lined surrounding roads to watch the Falcon take flight an hour before sunrise. Liftoff was delayed a day to take advantage of better weather along the East Coast in case of a launch abort and emergency splashdown.
“You’re seeing a piece of history happening here,” said Lance Bryan, visiting from Burnsville, Minnesota. “It’s, in this case, good history versus some other things that can happen that have been in our backyard practically.”
Hours after liftoff, SpaceX was notified of a piece of space junk that might come dangerously close to the capsule. So flight controllers ordered the astronauts to put on their spacesuits and lower their visors just in case. There was no danger, and the unidentified debris turned out to be farther than initially thought, passing about 28 miles (45 kilometers) from the vehicle.
“We don’t know what the object was or how big it was, but it did not come close to Dragon,” said NASA spokesman Rob Navias.
A masked Musk met briefly with the astronauts at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center before they boarded white gull-winged Teslas from his electric car company. The astronauts’ spouses and children huddled around the cars for one last “love you” before the caravan pulled away and headed to the pad in the predawn darkness.
“From now on, I’ll see you on a screen!” tweeted Pesquet’s partner, Anne Mottet.
Visibly weary, Musk later said he doesn’t sleep the night before a crew launch and this one was no exception.
“It gets a little bit easier, but still pretty intense, I have to say,” said Musk, who started his space company in 2002.
NASA limited the number of launch guests because of COVID-19, but passengers for SpaceX’s first privately purchased flight made the cut. Tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, who’s bought a three-day flight, watched the Falcon soar with the three people who will accompany him. Their capsule is still at the space station and due back on Earth with four astronauts next Wednesday. It will be refurbished in time for a September liftoff. Another crew flight for NASA will follow in October.
For Friday’s automated flight, SpaceX replaced some valves and thermal shielding, and installed new parachutes on the capsule, named Endeavour after NASA’s retired space shuttle. Otherwise, the spacecraft is the same vehicle that flew before.
“We’re thrilled to have a crew on board Endeavour once again,” SpaceX Launch Control radioed just before liftoff.
All four astronauts clasped hands as Kimbrough noted it was the first time in more than 20 years that U.S., European and Japanese astronauts had launched together.
The first-stage booster touched down on an ocean platform nine minutes after liftoff.
SpaceX picked up the station slack for NASA after the space agency’s shuttles retired in 2011, starting with supply runs the following year. The big draw was last year’s return of astronaut launches to Florida, after years of relying on Russia for rides.
“It’s awesome to have this regular cadence again,” said Kennedy’s director Robert Cabana, a former shuttle commander.
Boeing, NASA’s other contracted crew transporter, isn’t expected to start launching NASA astronauts until early next year. First, it needs to repeat a test flight of an empty Starliner capsule, possibly in late summer, to make up for its software-plagued debut in December 2019.
Last Friday, SpaceX beat out two other companies, including Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, to land astronauts on the moon for NASA in three or more years. They’ll descend to the lunar surface in Starship, the shiny, bullet-shaped rocketship that Musk is testing in the skies over southeast Texas, near the Mexican border.
Musk said Starship should be ready to carry people in a couple years, although he expects to smash more of them before getting there. The 2024 deadline for putting astronauts on the moon, which was set by the Trump administration, is doable, he added.
“It’s a great time to be here, and we’re very excited,” said the European Space Agency’s Frank De Winne, an astronaut turned manager. The space station eventually will come to an end, he noted, but the partnership will continue amid hopes of “European astronauts one day walking on the surface of the moon.”
Courtesy- INDIA TODAY
SAMSUNG
Samsung Bringing Old Phones Back to Life With Galaxy Upcycling Programme, Now Use Them as IoT Devices
Samsung has announced the expansion of its Galaxy Upcycling programme to more countries that aims to reuse old Galaxy smartphones by converting them into a variety of IoT (Internet of Things) devices.
The company says that old Galaxy phones can be brought to life for miscellaneous usage via a simple software update. Samsung has rolled out the beta service for Galaxy Upcycling at Home in the country US, the UK and Korea starting today.
Old Galaxy phones running Android 9 and above (2018 onwards) can transform into smart home devices like a childcare monitor, a pet care solution, and other tools that meet individual lifestyle needs.
The South Korean tech giant had first announced the development at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021 in early January. Users can transform their old devices through SmartThings Labs, a feature within the SmartThings app - to function as light and sound sensors. Devices can be used as a light sensor to measure the brightness level of the room.
Users can easily set the device to automatically turn on the lights or the TV through SmartThings if the room becomes darker than the preset standard of light. Moreover, old Samsung Galaxy smartphones can “more accurately" distinguish sounds in everyday surroundings, and users can choose to save certain sound recordings. The feature would work via an improved artificial intelligence (AI) solution.
Speaking over the development, Sung-Koo Kim, VP of the Sustainability Management Office at Samsung Electronics said Galaxy Upcycling at Home enables users to be mindful of the environment.
“We are rethinking how we use existing resources, and we believe the key to upcycling is to enable solutions that transform old technology into something new by adding value.
We are committed to integrating sustainable practices into our day-to-day lives, and through Galaxy Upcycling at Home, users can join our journey toward a more sustainable future," the senior executive said in a blog post.
-Courtesy - NEWS 18
Comments