The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

Comparing of the Rate of Injuries and Illnesses in the Three Facilities of Eyeglass Manufacturing

Comparing of the Rate of Injuries and Illnesses in the Three Facilities of Eyeglass Manufacturing Introduction The present case focuses on evaluation of potential ergonomic hazards at 3 eyeglass manufacturing plants. Managers of the company addressed researchers and asked them to analyze potential hazards in surfacing and finishing departments of the three facilities. The researchers evaluated risk factors for developing Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorder (WMSD) in employees. Since the managers were interested in finishing and surfacing departments, the researchers paid special attention to surfacing and finishing tasks.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Comparing of the Rate of Injuries and Illnesses in the Three Facilities of Eyeglass Manufacturing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to the report, there are a lot of risk factors and hazards which have to be addressed (Ramsey Tapp, 2012). The researchers also stress that some employees have health problems including WMSDs. The researchers also compare the rate of injuries and illnesses in the three facilities and the rest of eyeglass manufacturing plants. Notably, the researchers provide specific recommendations which can help address the issue. The purpose of the present paper is to evaluate the report in question. Methods The researchers used a number of evaluation criteria to assess the hazards. First of all, the researchers focused on WMSDs symptoms. The researchers obtained the data through observations and videotaping. As has been mentioned above, the researchers concentrated on finishing and surfacing tasks. Apart from this, the researchers interviewed employees personally. The researchers focused on employees’ knowledge of ergonomics and safety measures as well as employees’ physical states and health-related complaints. The researchers also analyzed medical records of employees. Finally, the researchers analyzed records concerning injuries and accidents at the three facilities. Results The researchers repor t that employees are exposed to a number of hazards at the department in question. At this point, it is necessary to note that the researchers claim that the rate of illnesses at the facilities has decreased recently. Nonetheless, the rate is very high. The most common hazards are associated with â€Å"awkward postures, forceful exertions, and repetitive motion tasks†, twisting and bending (Ramsey Tapp, 2012, p. 9). The researchers stress that such conditions increased employees’ risk of developing â€Å"shoulder, arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, hand, and finger WMSDs† (Ramsey Tapp, 2012, p. iii). The researchers also note that employees often have lower back disorders. Noteworthy, the researchers state that the rate of injuries as well as illnesses at the three facilities in question is higher than rates at the majority of the US eyeglass manufacturing plants. Finally, the researchers note that employees do not have sufficient knowledge on ergonomics and safety m easures at the three plants.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Recommendations The researchers provide a set of recommendations for managers and employees. Thus, managers should have a working height changed to 27-62 inches. This will diminish risk factors of developing back and shoulder WMSDs (Ramsey Tapp, 2012). According to researchers, it is also essential to provide employees with adjustable tables. This will make the working place appropriate for each employee. The researchers emphasize that it is important to â€Å"rotate† employees to different tasks (Ramsey Tapp, 2012, p. 22). This will diminish negative effects of doing repetitive tasks. Furthermore, the researchers note that managers should educate employees on WMSDs and major principles of ergonomics. Finally, the researchers stress that managers should encourage employees to report about WMSD sy mptoms or potential hazards. As far as employees are concerned, the researchers state that they also can and should improve the situation. One of the most basic recommendations made is to follow easy rules while lifting heavy objects. Besides, employees should learn more about the use of adjustable equipment and participate in ergonomic committees. Finally, employees should report about injuries or potential hazards to managers. Discussion It is necessary to note that recommendations made and points discuss are covered in other researches. For instance, the researchers in the NIOSH emphasize that educating employees on principles of ergonomics is crucial. Likewise, McCauley-Bush (2011) states that it is essential for managers as well as employees to learn more about ergonomics as this will potentially reduce risk factors at workplace. Apart from education and training, there is another important concern in the field. Thus, diversity at workplace is one of the most burning issues in the contemporary business world. The researchers touched upon the issue in their report. Thus, they claim that adjustable equipment can significantly improve the situation. Hussain et al. (2012) note that it is not enough to adjust equipment to fit employees’ different physical features. The researchers claim that it is crucial to take into account such aspects as age, culture, gender, skills, background, marital status, etc. The researchers state that all these aspects should be considered while developing ergonomic plans (Hussain et al., 2012). Admittedly, this can reduce risk factors at manufacturing facilities. It is necessary to add that researchers of the NIOSH did not consider technologic advances in ergonomics. At present, researchers make use of certain software to develop effective ergonomic plans. For example, Qutubuddin, Hebbal and Kumar (2012) state that user-friendly applications can help managers develop efficient ergonomic plans for various settings. Admittedl y, software can be used to analyze various hazards and develop effective strategies to minimalize potential risk factors.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Comparing of the Rate of Injuries and Illnesses in the Three Facilities of Eyeglass Manufacturing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion On balance, it is possible to note that the report in question is effective. First of all, it is necessary to state that the report is based on comprehensive research. The researchers analyzed substantial amount of data. Remarkably, the researchers used different methods to obtain data. This makes the research comprehensive and plausible. It identifies major hazards and risk factors. The report also contains a set of recommendations aimed at improving the situation. Notably, the report includes recommendations for both managers as well as employees. The recommendations provided are clear and concise. They are easy to implemen t. It is also necessary to note that the report is clear and concise. The data obtained are presented in tables. This makes the report clear and detailed. The information is arranged in a logical way and the major points are highlighted separately. The report can have a wide audience. Top management, supervisors, employees, educators and students can benefit from the present report. As far as I am concerned, the report is comprehensive and detailed. Though, I would add certain information on software which can be used to develop an ergonomic plan. I would also expand the section on training. People are still unaware of effective ergonomic training. Hence, managers may need assistance in developing efficient training. It is also unclear what employees could discuss at ergonomic committees. Irrespective of the missing information, the report is still effective and can help the company improve the situation. I have learnt a lot about analyzing particular workplaces in terms of safety a nd ergonomics. I have also acknowledged that managers start paying the necessary attention to ergonomics and employees’ safety. Reference List Hussain, A.H., Marshall, R., Summerskill, S., Case, K. (2012). Workforce diversity and ergonomic challenges for sustainable manufacturing organizations. In S. Trzcielinski W. Karwowski (Eds.), Advances in ergonomics in manufacturing (pp. 23-33). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. McCauley-Bush, P. (2011). Ergonomics: Foundational principles, applications, and technologies. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ramsey, J.G., Tapp, L. (2012). Ergonomic evaluation of surfacing and finishing tasks during eyeglass manufacturing – Minnesota. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2010-0114-3168.pdf Qutubuddin, S.M., Hebbal, S.S., Kumar, A.C.S. (2011).Computer assisted system for enhancing the application of ergonomics in manufacturing systems. International Journal of Ergonomics, 2(1), 1-56.

The effectiveness of fiscal policy between the Neo-Keynesian and the Essay

The effectiveness of fiscal policy between the Neo-Keynesian and the Monetarist framework - Essay Example Fiscal policies affect the demand and supply patterns in an economy, if the government imposes heavy taxes on various commodities the consequences are that prices will increase and demand will be low. If such a trend continues, supply will reduce and eventually the company will quit the market if not shift its concern to another line of production and this will result to retrenchment processes and low-income rates to the losers (workers). At the long run, the government will observe a lower G.D.P (gross domestic product) and reduced income per capita (Dwivedi 17). If a government engages in operations that will see it maintain expenditures at a desired level, it will have practiced fiscal policies. The practice is effective through adjustments in taxes, interest rates and the spending styles of the government itself (Musgrave, Frank, & Elia 80). Through the practices, the government either helps the final consumer, but whether this happens as anticipated is dependent on the shifts th at the government employs either to vary rates on increased or decreased edge. The policies show relevance to those of the monetarists. Neo Keynesian theory stipulates that the factors to a progressive economy revolve around demand. The factors are demand itself, produced output and the rate of employment. The theory argues that an economy enjoys stability when the factors are exercised but not to the maximum exploitation of its output. The rate of employment in a country increases income per capita. This stimulates demand since buyers are able to decide and make purchases promptly at their will. Increase in demand will lead to increase in price or supply accordingly. The simultaneous changes in demand and supply factors will result to inflation if the prices increase considerably (Satora and Richard 67). At this point, government intervention becomes a point, and therefore measures must put in place to create harmony among the factors, this is referred to as fiscal policies. In mos t cases, the government will borrow money from the economy by issuing premiums, it may also issue decrees to the lending facilities on a stab to minimize the amount of money in supply, and it may impose taxes and duties over the produce. The practices as well will reduce spending patterns leading to reduced production. Eventually jobs will be lost resulting to economic recession. Monetarists argue that whenever a country revamps money into the economy, chances are that growth is in the short-term, and the ultimate result will be the pressure of inflation. They state that a slight change in government policies will affect the market either positively or negatively and reflect at the short and long runs. It is during inflation that the entire consumer group will cut down on spending since prices are high. The country will face unemployment problem since suppliers will be quitting the markets. Entirely, the country will not pose an attracting site to the investors due to adverse curren cy fluctuations. Understanding that subsequent currency fluctuations will result to devaluation, the country finds itself in a rather bitter position as its currency will affect exportation of goods. Therefore, it will have set an economic sanction to itself

Psychology - Memory, Attention & Performance Essay

Psychology - Memory, Attention & Performance - Essay Example ory serves as a filing cabinet in our brains but one that only holds files for a short period of time, up to a minute or so without having practiced or rehearsed information. After such time, those memories (files) are either discarded completely as they are either not important and not worth remembering or are not properly filed into long term memory, or they are in fact filed into our long term memories from short term memory. The capacity of short term memory is limited as is its ability to hold information for long periods of time. Long Term memory has not only a much larger capacity than sensory and short term memory, but also a much longer retention ability. In some cases, long term memory can retain information for a lifetime. Such can be the case with a phone number that is practiced within the an individual’s memory though repetition, this number may remain in the person’s long term memory for the span of their entire life. The types of long term memory are implicit memory and explicit memory. Most memory that we can actually readily access is considered explicit memories. Explicit memories can be grouped into either declarative or episodic memories. Episodic memories deal with personal events whereas declarative memory deals with general but factual information. Implicit memory is more subconscious memories that we don’t necessarily realize that we remember but that does in fact influence our behaviors. Reasons why the memory of a healthy person may fail can be environmental such as medication induced memory loss. Some analgesics (pain killers) and anti -anxiety medications can cause memory loss in healthy persons. In many cases, memory loss can be due to a normal aging process, â€Å"People with memory loss due to something other than normal aging, such as Alzheimers disease, may feel that somethings not quite right, but theyre unable to pinpoint whats bothering them. Rather than call attention to a memory lapse, they may behave as if

INTERPERSONAL INFLUENCE Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

INTERPERSONAL INFLUENCE - Assignment Example My house was a mess: my toilet is leaking, renovations were in order, and my husband was painting the place, an electrician was replacing the old wiring systems, the old furniture had been auctioned, and a plumber was taking care of the plumbing system. Simply put, the house was not in a good condition to host my friends. The party was scheduled for the weekend and some of my husband’s friends would really want to watch football, which was going to be a problem since we had no cable connection that month. My neighbor happens to have a good home-theater and reliable cable connection; this would really come in handy. Therefore, I began by enticing my neighbor with muffins two weeks before the party. She liked them so much that she came over for some lessons on baking. I remember she even baked some for one of her friends who had a birthday a few days later. I comfortably let her use my oven because I knew that she would feel obliged to reciprocate the favor by agreeing to let me use her house for my get-together. I offered to help her make the muffins just in case she got stuck, and even prepared extra niceties (cookies) for her to present to her friend. She was very pleased with my being nice to her. We had not known each other for long, and she did not know many of the friends on my guest list . I had planned for fifteen people, and I was not sure she would agree to accommodate fifteen strangers in her house. However, I needed a place that was close to mine for the sake of cooking and coordination just in case people needed to sleep over or put their belongings. One day after coming from her friend’s party, I went over to her place, asked her about the party and whether her friend liked the muffins. I told her about my party and that she was invited since we had formed a good friendship. She was a bit surprised when I dropped the bombshell on her about hosting fifteen people at her house. However, she

The Steam Turbine Technology Engineering Essay

The Steam Turbine Technology Engineering Essay Steam turbine technology is the almost all of electricity generation power plants from biomass used power generation in the world at present. This technology is well established due to availability of cheap or waste biomass in the world. As an example, USA has the installed capacity of electricity generation from biomass around 7000 MW with efficiency of 20 to 25 percent. The biomass Boiler steam turbine systems are expected to find more applications for electricity generation in the future, particularly in situations where cheap biomass, e.g. agro industrial residues, and waste wood, are available. On the technology side, efficiency of these systems is expected to improve through incorporation of biomass dryers, where applicable, and larger plant sizes as well as higher steam conditions. The steam boiler turbine arrangement, woody biomass is combusted in a furnace of a steam boiler with fluidized bed combustion. Heat released during combustion is utilized to raise high pressure and high temperature steam. This steam is expanded through steam turbine, which in turn drives an electric alternator. Exhaust steam from the turbine is condensed and returned to the boiler. Wood fuel is usually shredded to appropriate size and dried utilizing a part of the flue gas, before the fuel introduced into the furnace. This technology has been in existence in many parts of the world, specifically to produce electricity and motive power in the sugar industry utilising bagasse (residue produced after crushing sugar cane) as the fuel. In this modern version of this technology, wood fuel is shredded into very small pieces and combustion is carried out in a fluidised state. Although this improvement increases the cost of fuel preparation and air supply, it improves the combustion efficiency, thus reducing the operational costs and also reducing stack emission levels. A fluidized bed boiler could accept not only chipped wood but also residues such as rice husk, sawdust etc. This technology is widely used all over the world to generate electrical and motive power from solid fuel. The modern versions have incorporated many new features to improve operational efficiency, thus reducing cost of operation and to reduce emission levels. Some of these improvements are: Increasing the pressure of boiler, increasing the vacuum in the condenser, combustion air pre heating and steam reheating. Figure 11 schematically shows the principle of this conventional system Condenser Flue Gas Figure 11: Boiler-steam turbine system Cogeneration Cogeneration is the process of producing two useful forms of energy, normally electricity and heat, utilizing the same fuel source in an industrial plant where both heat/steam and electricity are needed, these requirements are normally met by using either; 1) Plant-made steam and purchased electricity, or 2) Steam and electricity produced in the plant in a cogeneration system. The second option results in significantly less overall fuel requirement. Steam turbine based cogeneration is normally feasible if electricity requirement is above 500 kW. Biomass based cogeneration is often employed for industrial and district heating applications; however, the district heating option would not be applicable in the tropical countries. A number of studies have been carried out on cogeneration in different agro industries, particularly, sugar mills and rice mills. These show that biomass based cogeneration technology is well established in the pulp and paper industry, plywood industry as well as a number of agro-industries, for example, sugar mills and palm oil mills. Normally, there is substantial scope for efficiency improvements in such cases. For example, bagasse is burnt inefficiently in sugar mills in most developing countries because of a number of reasons, e.g., old and obsolete machinery, disposal problems created by surplus bagasse, lack of incentive for eff icient operation etc. Improving the efficiency of biomass-based cogeneration can result in significant surplus power generation capacity in wood- and agro-processing industries; in turn, this can play an important role in meeting the growing electricity demand in developing countries. India has launched an ambitious biomass based cogeneration programme. A surplus power generating capacity of 222 MW was already commissioned by the end of 1999, while a number of projects of total capacity 218 MW were under construction. The total potential of surplus power generation in the 430 sugar mills of the country has been estimated to be 3500 MW. Co-firing Co-firing is set up as an auxiliary firing with biomass energy source in coal fired boilers. The co-firing has been tested in pulverized coal (PC) boilers, coal-fired cyclone boilers, fluidized-bed boilers, and spreader stokers. Due to fuel flexibility of fluidized bed combustion technology, it is currently the dominant technology for co-firing biomass with coal. Co-firing can be done either by blending biomass with coal or by feeding coal and biomass separately and is a near term low-cost option for the efficient use of biomass. Co-firing has been extensively demonstrated in several utility plants, particularly in USA and Europe. Co-firing represents a relatively easy option for introducing biomass energy in large energy systems. Besides low cost, the overall efficiency with which biomass is utilized in co-firing in large high pressure boilers is also high. Current wood production systems in most countries are dispersed and normally can only support relatively small energy plants of capacity up to 5-20 MWe, although dedicated plantations can probably support much bigger plants in the future. Thus, biomass supply constraint also favour co-firing biomass with coal (with only a part of the total energy coming from biomass) in existing co-fired plants in the short term. Whole Tree Energy (WTE) system: The Whole Tree Energy (WTE) system is a special type of wood fired system, in which whole tree trunks, cut to about 25 ft long pieces, are utilized in the process of power generation in an innovative steam turbine technology that uses an integral fuel drying process. Flue gas is used to dry the wood stacked for about 30 days before it is conveyed to a boiler and burnt. Allowing the waste heat to dry the wet whole tree can result in improvement in furnace efficiency with net plant efficiency reaching comparable value of modern coal fired plants. Stirling Engine A Stirling engine is an external combustion engine; working on the principle of the Stirling thermodynamic cycle, the engine converts external heat from any suitable source, e.g. solar energy or combustion of fuels (biomass, coal, natural gas etc.) into power. These engines may be used to produce power in the range from 100 watts to several hundred kilowatts. Stirling engines can also be used for cogeneration by utilizing the rejected heat for space or water heating, or absorption cooling. A number of research institutes and manufacturers are currently engaged in developing biomass fired Stirling engine systems. For example, the Technical University of Denmark is developing medium and large Stirling engines fuelled by biomass. For 36 kWe and 150 kWe systems, the overall efficiency is about 20 percent and 25 per cent respectively. [..] Gasification Gasification is the process of converting a solid fuel to a combustible gas by supplying a restricted amount of oxygen, either pure or from air. The major types of biomass gasifiers are, Fixed bed gasifier, Fluidized bed gasifier, and Biomass integrated gasification combined cycles (BIGCC) Fixed Bed Gasification Fixed bed gasification technology is more than a century old and use of such gasifiers for operating engines was established by 1900. During World War II, more than one million gasifiers were in use for operating trucks, buses, taxis, boats, trains etc in different parts of the world. Currently, fixed bed gasification shows for the most part possible selection into biomass based power generation with capacity up to 500 kW. Although charcoal gasification presents no particular operational problem, the actual acceptance of the technology by potential users is rather insignificant at present, mostly because of low or no cost benefit that it offers. Also, producer gas is less convenient as an engine fuel compared with gasoline or diesel and the user has to have time and skill for maintaining the gasifiers-engine system. However in situations of chronic scarcity of liquid fuels, charcoal Gasifier-engine systems appear to be acceptable for generating power for vital applications. Thus, sev eral gasoline-fueled passenger buses converted to operate with charcoal gasifiers were reported to be in use in at least one province of Vietnam in early 1990s. As reported by Stassen (1993), a number of commercial charcoal Gasifier-engine systems have been installed since early eighties in the South American countries. Wood gasification for industrial heat applications, although not practiced widely, is normally economically viable if cheap wood/wood waste is available. On the other hand, wood gasifiers-engine systems, if not designed properly, may face a wide range of technical problems and may not be commercially viable. Research and development efforts of recent years have been directed towards developing reliable gasifier-engine systems and the technology appears to be maturing fast. Although the demand for wood gasifiers is rather limited at present, a number of gasifier manufacturers appear to have products to offer in the international market. Gasification of rice husk, whic h is generated in rice mills where a demand for mechanical/electrical power also exists, has attracted a great deal of interest in recent years. The rice husk gasifier design that has found quite wide acceptance is the so-called Open Core design that originated in China; this is basically a constant diameter, (i.e. throttles) downdraft design with air entering from the top. The main components of the gasifier are an inner chamber over a rotating grate, a water-jacketed outer chamber and a water seal-cum ash-settling tank. Gasification takes place inside the inner chamber. The char removed by the grate from inside the gasifier settles at the bottom of the water tank. At present, 120 to 150 rice husk gasifiers appear to be in operation in China. A third of the gasifiers are in Jiangsu Province; these include about thirty 160 kW systems and about ten 200 kW systems. A number of rice husk gasifier systems have been shipped to other countries namely, Mali, Suriname, and Myanmar. A husk g asifier system of capacity 60 kW was developed in 1980s to use in smaller mills in the developing countries. This prototype was successfully used in a mill in China, although no other such unit appears to have been built or used. Beside rice husk gasifiers, several other gasifier models have also been developed in China. Presently, more than 700 gasification plants are operating in China (Qingyu and Yuan Bin, 1997). As a result of several promotional incentives and RD support provided by the government, gasification technology has made significant progress in India in the recent years. Up to 1995-96 about 1750 gasifier systems (Khandelwal, 1996) of various models were installed in the different parts of India. The total installed capacity of biomass gasifier system in India by 1999 is estimated to be 34 MW. Besides generating electricity for the local community, it is estimated that the project has also benefited about 11,000 people directly or indirectly. Fluidized Bed Gasification Fluidized bed gasifiers are flexible in terms of fuel requirements, i.e. these can operate on a wide range of fuels so long as these are sized suitably. However, because of complexity in terms of manufacturing, controls, fuel preparation and operation, these gasifiers can only be used for applications of larger capacities compared with fixed bed gasifiers, typically above 2.5 MW. Biomass integrated gasification combined cycle (BIGCC) technology In the gasification gas turbine technology described above, an overall maximum efficiency attainable is 20%. This could be substantially improved, by raising steam utilizing the gas turbine exhaust and driving a steam turbine. A number of BIGCC power plants are in operation in countries such as Sweden and Finland. Gasifier-internal combustion (IC) engine technology In this arrangement, solid wood is first dried and shredded into appropriate size and then converted into a combustible gas in a gasifier. Gasifier is a cylindrical reactor with a throat section, which is narrower than the rest of the reactor. In this throat section, air is introduced through a set of tubes. Wood dried to a maximum of 20% moisture level and shredded into appropriate sizes is introduced at the top of the reactor through an air lock. Up draught gasifiers are widely used for heat applications as they are easier to construct and are more energetically efficient. Such gasifiers are rarely used for motive power or electricity generation purposes due high tar levels in the gas stream. Wood Gasifier Gas Cleaning IC Engine Generator Gas Gas Exhaust Electricity Chart 01: Gasifier-Gas Cleaning-Engine System As the material slowly passes through the reactor, it undergoes physical and chemical changes in the many overlapping zones. First the material is dried in the drying zone, losing all the remaining water. Then the material is pyrolysed into solid char and volatiles. In the next zone the combustion or oxidation zone at the throat of the gasifier, all the volatiles get combusted into carbon dioxide and water. This section liberates all the heat required for the gasification process. In the expanding section below the throat section known as the reduction zone carbon dioxide and steam produced in the upper sections are made to react with carbon, which has reached red-hot stage. In this reduction zone, carbon dioxide and water reacts with carbon to form carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane and other hydrocarbon mixtures. The oxidation is essentially an exothermic process liberating heat in the action, whereas the reduction zone is an endothermic process making use of heat. The gas mixture so produced is called producer gas. Un-burnt materials in the wood end up as ash and are collected and periodically removed from the bottom. Hot producer gas leaves the gasifier at the bottom of the gasifier under the action of an induced draft fan. Air for combustion in the combustion zone is drawn into the section due to low pressure created under the action of the induced draft fan. Producer gas leaving the gasifier, if mixed with air can form a combustible mixture. It can be used as a fuel in internal combustion (IC) engines or in furnaces or boilers. To be used in IC engines, the gas needs to be treated further. First it must be cooled to improve the volumetric efficiency (to facilitate the introduction of maximum quantity of fuel into the cylinders of the engine). This is done by a jet of water. The water jet also washes away a part of the tar and particulates in the gas. Then the gas needs to be thoroughly cleaned of all traces of tar and particulate matter. This is achieved by passing the gas through a series of filters. If the gas is to be used as fuel in a furnace or a boiler, the cooling and filtering operations may be omitted. If the gas is to be used as fuel for IC engine, then the gas mixed in the correct proportion of air is admitted to inlet manifold. In respect of spark ignition type of IC engines (petrol or natural gas engines), producer gas alone can operate such engines. For compression- ignition type of engines (diesel engines), it is necessary to utilise a minimum quantity (less than 5%) diesel fuel as the ignition source in a well optimised engine. When standard IC engines are fuelled with producer gas, the maximum output of the engine gets de-rated. In respect of spark ignition engines, this de-rating is about 50% (i.e. the new output is 50% of the name plate output). In respect of compression ignition engines, it is insignificant if 30% diesel fuel is used as pilot fuel. This technology to use producer gas from biomass fuel was popularised during the Second World War in the 1940s. During this war, distribution of petroleum fuel was disrupted and was in short supply. Many countries, particularly, USA and Sweden utilised this technology for transport vehicles. With the end of the war, the supply of petroleum was restored and this technology was discontinued. With the increase in cost of petroleum in the 1970s with the formation of OPEC, this technology has once again gained popularity, particularly for off-grid application for decentralised electricity production. In many Asian countries such as India, Cambodia and Sri Lanka this technology is becoming very popular for off-grid applications. In Sri Lanka, this technology was used prior to the introduction of Grid Electricity. In the earlier version, coconut shell charcoal was used as the fuel for the gasifiers. Producer gas from these gasifiers was used to drive slow-speed IC engines. Motive power of the engine was used to drive a single over-head shaft with multiple pulleys driving individual drives. Later, the IC engines were fuelled with furnace oil with injectors and hot bulb. When grid electricity was popularised, these devices were discontinued. At the Government Factory at Kollonnawa, near Colombo, remnants of this system are still available to see. With the increase in oil prices in the 1970s, interests in new and renewable energy resources surfaced again. A few gasifiers with IC engines were introduced through donor-funded projects. Attempts were made by many research institutions to develop this technology locally. These attempts were successful in varying degrees. With the declining oil prices in the late 1980s, the enthusiasm shown in renewable energy declined. Almost all the gasifiers system in the country became inoperative. Three years ago, a team of officials visited India to identify gasifier-IC engine systems for local adaptation. Later a 35kWe system was introduced from India by the Ministry of Science and Technology. For the past two years, this has been operating as a demonstrating unit for off-grid electricity generation. This system will be relocated to a rural area shortly to serve an isolated village community. The 35kWe system consumes 1.6 to 1.8 kg wood per kWh of net electricity generated. Figure 12 below shows a photograph of this system in operation. Figure 12: 35 kW gasifier-IC engine generator Gasifier-gas Turbine Technology The gasifier-IC engine system described in the previous section is more suitable for outputs in the kW to say 1 MW range. To use gasifier system for larger applications in the multiple MW range, gas turbine technology is generally more suitable. A schematic diagram of this technology is shown in 13. Gasifier Biomass Clean-up Flue Gas Gas Turbine Air Ash Figure 13: Gasifier gas turbine technology Biomass integrated gasification steam injected gas turbine (BIG/STIG) technology Gasifier Biomass Clean-up Flue Gas Steam Turbine Condenser Gas Turbine Air Ash A method of improving the efficiency and output of the above-described BIGCC technology is to inject steam into the gas turbine combustor. This increases the output of the gas turbine without consuming power at the compressor. This technology requires very stringent water purification system and other control measures. At this early stage of biomass technology for power generation in Sri Lanka, such complicated technologies are not considered. Figure 19 illustrates this principle. Figure 14: Biomass integrated gasification steam injected gas turbine (BIG/STIG) technology 4.7 Conclusions Table03: Typical capacity/efficiency/resource data for biomass power systems System Power kW* Energy efficiency % Biomass dm tonnes/yr ** Comments Small down draft gasifier/IC engine 10 15 74 High operation maintenance, and/or low availability, low cost Large down draft gasifier/IC engine 100 25 442 High operation maintenance, and/or low availability, low cost Stirling Engine 35 20 177 Potential good availability, under development, high cost Steam Engine 100 6 1840 Good reliability, high cost Indirect-fired gas turbine 200 20 1104 Not available commercially Pyrolysis/IC engine 300 28 1183 Under development Rankine Organic Cycle 1000 18 6133 Commercial Updraft gasifier/IC engine 2000 28 7886 Commercial Fixed grate or fluid bed boiler/steam turbine 2000 18 12270 Commercial Fluid bed (BIG/CC) à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ dedicated biomass 8,000 + 28 29710 Demonstrated Fluid bed gasifier co-fired 10,000+ 35 31500 Commercial Notes:- * Indicative of range for application ** Assumes: availability at 70%, fuel net calorific value 20 MJ/kg

College Party Life Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

College Party Life College parties at JMU, both on campus and off-specifically off-campus, may seem a mish mash of little planning, teenage hormones, beer induced chaos and the new found freedom, for some at least, from ones parents. This however is just a superficial observation. The college party scene at JMU is highly ritualized, even regimented. According to your social status, the people you know, activities you are involved (mainly sports), and the way you look, act, and dress all affect your experience of a college party. The universal party night for students is Saturday, JMU students being no exception. For most students at Madison, the week is wrought with worry and toil over books, notes, classes, and exams. One reason to explain why parties sometimes get the way they do, is that Saturday night for students is a catharsis, all the pressure that students feel can be forgotten and they can act freely in what they feel is a worry-free environment. For me, Saturday Party Time (SPT) starts around anywhere from 8 to 10 that night. The time depends on what kind of party is planned, a very large dance party, or a smaller quieter get-together of some member of the Cross Country Team. In order to get to where I always party, Pheasant Run, I have to take the bus. This is where the night really starts. If I take the bus at 8, I am usually one of only a handful of people on the bus. Usually I go at 10, though, and it is quite evident that a party is going on somewhere. By ten Saturday night there are usually over a hundred students waiting at the bus stop. I don’t even bother dressing up; I prefer jeans and a tee-shirt with a pair of worn sneakers and a hoody with a hole in the back of it. I am no... ...d gender status (Robbins 2002: 175-78). Females dress in revealing ways so as to become more desirable, thus they not only spend an inordinate amount of time choosing clothing, but also in person grooming and accessorizing. In this way, females present themselves as targets, to be picked up, taken, and/or dominated by the males. This is also reinforced by the method of dancing that is currently popular among party -goers. The positioning of the male and female, in which the male puts his hands on the female and is able to control her movements with his body shows the acceptance of male dominance and the subordination of females, at least in sexual and dating matters. This is an example of social stratification by gender (Robbins 2002: 216). Women are made to do an inordinate amount of work and preparation for Saturday night, only to be taken control of by males.