Westinghouse Electric

About: Westinghouse Electric is a company organization based out in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Brake & Signal. The organization has 27959 authors who have published 38036 publications receiving 523387 citations.

What Do We Know About Making Risk Comparisons

Abstract: The risks of unfamiliar technologies are often evaluated by comparing them with the risks of more familiar ones. Such risk comparisons have been criticized for neglecting critical dimensions of risky decisions. In a guide written for the Chemical Manufacturers Association, Covello et al.(1) have summarized these critiques and developed a taxonomy that characterizes possible risk comparisons in terms of their acceptability (or objectionableness). We asked four diverse groups of subjects to judge the acceptability of 14 statements produced by Covello et al. as examples of their categories. We found no correlation between the judgments of acceptability produced by our subjects and those predicted by Covello et al..

Crack propagation and fracture in silicon carbide

Abstract: Fracture mechanics and strength studies performed on two silicon carbides — a hot-pressed material (with alumina) and a sintered material (with boron) — have shown that both materials exhibit slow crack growth at room temperature in water, but only the hotpressed material exhibits significant high temperature slow crack growth (1000 to 1400‡ C). A good correlation of the observed fracture behaviour with the crack growth predicted from the fracture mechanics parameters shows that effective failure predictions for this material can be achieved using macro-fracture mechanics data.

New Galvanomagnetic Effect

Abstract: A galvanomagnetic effect is described which is observed by measuring the induced voltage normal to the direction of current flow as in the Hall effect but with the magnetic field in the current-voltage plane. The measurements enable us to test the assumptions of spherical energy surfaces and spherical relaxation time surfaces for semiconductors. If these assumptions are correct, the effect should be isotropic. Preliminary room temperature measurements show this effect to be anisotropic in both $p$- and $n$-type germanium, in agreement with magnetoresistance measurements.

Zirconia electrolyte cells

Abstract: The electrical conductivity of zirconia electrolyte cells containing Al2O3 and TiO2 sintering aids made by conventional cold pressing and sintering procedures, and also by the tape process with co-fired electrodes, are compared with the conductivities of undoped material

Voice-recognition elevator security system

Abstract: A voice-controlled elevator security system. Access to an elevator system servicing a plurality of landings of a structure is controlled by comparing a voice signal of a potential user of the elevator system with stored voice signals of all authorized users. The comparison is accomplished by first digitizing the potential user's voice signal and comparing it, on a bit-by-bit basis, with a digital representation of the voice signals of all authorized users. Various criteria can be established for determining the number of binary bits that must agree to conclude that the potential user is an authorized user. Once this determination has been made, the authorized user can initiate car call signals for those landings to which the authorized user is permitted access.