Accelerated life testing is the process of testing a product by subjecting it to conditions (stress, strain, temperatures, voltage, vibration rate, pressure etc.) in excess of its normal service parameters in an effort to uncover faults and potential modes of failure in a short amount of time.

Acceleration is the rate of change of the velocity of an object with respect to time.

An accelerator-driven subcritical reactor is a nuclear reactor design formed by coupling a substantially subcritical nuclear reactor core with a high-energy proton or electron accelerator.

A mechanical or electromechanical instrument that measures acceleration.

Acceptance angle is the maximum angle at which incoming sunlight can be captured by a solar concentrator.

A series of tests performed on a material, a machine or a system, in the presence of the purchaser or a surveyor to demonstrate suitable quality or operation.

The ability for personnel to access equipment easily that requires maintenance, inspection, removal or replacement while wearing the appropriate clothing, including personal protective equipment and using all necessary tools and test equipment.

An event that happens unexpectedly and causes damage, injury, etc.

(acc. to Lloyds Maritime Information Services casualty database) – The LMIS casualty database divides the accidents into the following categories:

The part of the ship which is used for cabins, dining areas and other crew facilities.

A portable ladder hinged to a platform attached to the side of a ship and which can be positioned to provide access between ship and shore. Telescopic accommodation ladder is used for covering a long distance between the vessel and port quay.

Accreditation is a third-party attestation related to a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) conveying formal demonstration of its competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks (such as certification, inspection and testing).

A boiler test to ensure that the safety valves can release steam fast enough to prevent the pressure rising by 10%. The main steam stop valve is closed during the test.

An accumulator is an energy storage device: a device which accepts energy, stores energy, and releases energy as needed.

A colourless, poisonous gas used with oxygen for oxy-acetylene metal welding or cutting.

Acid rain is a form of precipitation which has high sulfuric and nitric acids which can occur in the form of a fog or snow caused by fossils that are burned by humans for energy.

The selection of the target vessels requiring a tracking procedure and the initiation of their tracking.

An unpredictable situation which is beyond the power of man. A natural event, not preventable by any human power, such as flood, storms, or lighting usually quoted as “force majeure”.

The actinoid series encompasses the 15 metallic chemical elements with atomic numbers from 89 to 103, actinium through lawrencium.

In a fast neutron reactor, the minor actinides produced by neutron capture of uranium and plutonium can be used as fuel.