Optimising reverse logistics network to support policy-making in the case of Electrical and Electronic Equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

Achillas, Ch; Vlachokostas, Ch; Aidonis, D; Moussiopoulos, N; Iakovou, E; Banias, G

2010-12-01

Due to the rapid growth of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) volumes, as well as the hazardousness of obsolete electr(on)ic goods, this type of waste is now recognised as a priority stream in the developed countries. Policy-making related to the development of the necessary infrastructure and the coordination of all relevant stakeholders is crucial for the efficient management and viability of individually collected waste. This paper presents a decision support tool for policy-makers and regulators to optimise electr(on)ic products' reverse logistics network. To that effect, a Mixed Integer Linear Programming mathematical model is formulated taking into account existing infrastructure of collection points and recycling facilities. The applicability of the developed model is demonstrated employing a real-world case study for the Region of Central Macedonia, Greece. The paper concludes with presenting relevant obtained managerial insights. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Why shared decision making is not good enough: lessons from patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Olthuis, Gert; Leget, Carlo; Grypdonck, Mieke

2014-07-01

A closer look at the lived illness experiences of medical professionals themselves shows that shared decision making is in need of a logic of care. This paper underlines that medical decision making inevitably takes place in a messy and uncertain context in which sharing responsibilities may impose a considerable burden on patients. A better understanding of patients' lived experiences enables healthcare professionals to attune to what individual patients deem important in their lives.This will contribute to making medical decisions in a good and caring manner, taking into account the lived experience of being ill.

The challenges of a good use of electricity: China, United States, India and the European Union

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dessus, B.; Laponche, B.

2011-01-01

After a discussion of the peculiar characteristics of electricity as energy vector (electricity production, transport and distribution, usages, the issue of load curves and power), this report identifies and discusses criteria corresponding to a 'good use' of electricity. These criteria are related to several issues: greenhouse gas emissions, availability and costs of natural resources, safety, local and global environment, economical and social issues. These issues are addressed through the examination of electricity consumption in China and India, of its evolution in comparison with two other regions (United States and Europe). A third part discusses opportunities and perspectives of a good use of electricity in China and India, in the main socio-economic sectors, and their consequences for the environment, for the preservation of natural resources, and for the Indian and Chinese economy. These aspects are also addressed in comparison with the United States and Europe. Thus, the authors highlight the contrast between the electricity consumption curves for some sectors depending on strategic choices by the Chinese and Indian governments

Investment in Electricity Generation and Transmission: Decision Making Under Uncertainty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conejo, Antonio J.; Baringo, Luis; Kazempour, Jalal

This book provides an in-depth analysis of investment problems pertaining to electric energy infrastructure, including both generation and transmission facilities. The analysis encompasses decision-making tools for expansion planning, reinforcement, and the selection and timing of investment...... undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of electric energy systems, operations research, management science, and economics. Practitioners in the electric energy sector will also benefit from the concepts and techniques presented here....

What makes a good clinical student and teacher? An exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldie, John; Dowie, Al; Goldie, Anne; Cotton, Phil; Morrison, Jill

2015-03-10

What makes a good clinical student is an area that has received little coverage in the literature and much of the available literature is based on essays and surveys. It is particularly relevant as recent curricular innovations have resulted in greater student autonomy. We also wished to look in depth at what makes a good clinical teacher. A qualitative approach using individual interviews with educational supervisors and focus groups with senior clinical students was used. Data was analysed using a "framework" technique. Good clinical students were viewed as enthusiastic and motivated. They were considered to be proactive and were noted to be visible in the wards. They are confident, knowledgeable, able to prioritise information, flexible and competent in basic clinical skills by the time of graduation. They are fluent in medical terminology while retaining the ability to communicate effectively and are genuine when interacting with patients. They do not let exam pressure interfere with their performance during their attachments. Good clinical teachers are effective role models. The importance of teachers' non-cognitive characteristics such as inter-personal skills and relationship building was particularly emphasised. To be effective, teachers need to take into account individual differences among students, and the communicative nature of the learning process through which students learn and develop. Good teachers were noted to promote student participation in ward communities of practice. Other members of clinical communities of practice can be effective teachers, mentors and role models. Good clinical students are proactive in their learning; an important quality where students are expected to be active in managing their own learning. Good clinical students share similar characteristics with good clinical teachers. A teacher's enthusiasm and non-cognitive abilities are as important as their cognitive abilities. Student learning in clinical settings is a

Pharmacy career deciding: making choice a "good fit".

Science.gov (United States)

Willis, Sarah Caroline; Shann, Phillip; Hassell, Karen

2009-01-01

The purpose of this article is to explore factors influencing career deciding amongst pharmacy students and graduates in the U.K. Group interviews were used to devise a topic guide for five subsequent focus groups with pharmacy students and graduates. Focus groups were tape-recorded, recordings transcribed, and transcripts analysed. Key themes and interlinking factors relating to pharmacy career deciding were identified in the transcripts, following a constructivist approach. Participants' described making a "good fit" between themselves, their experiences, social networks etc. and pharmacy. Central to a coherent career deciding narrative were: having a job on graduation; and the instrumental advantage of studying a vocational course. Focusing on career deciding of UK pharmacy students and graduates may limit the study's generalisability to other countries. However, our findings are relevant to those interested in understanding students' motivations for healthcare careers, since our results suggest that making a "good fit" describes a general process of matching between a healthcare career and personal experience. As we have found that pharmacy career deciding was not, usually, a planned activity, career advisors and those involved in higher education recruitment should take into account the roles played by personal preferences and values in choosing a degree course. A qualitative study like this can illustrate how career deciding occurs and provide insight into the process from a student's perspective. This can help inform guidance processes, selection to healthcare professions courses within the higher education sector, and stimulate debate amongst those involved with recruitment of healthcare workers about desirable motivators for healthcare careers.

Year-round School Makes Good Business Sense, Says This Boardman-Businessman

Science.gov (United States)

Howe, Paul H.

1973-01-01

Argues that year-round schools make good business sense by providing (1) a more efficient use of capital investments, (2) an alleviation of uneconomical and undesirable peaks in working and recreation, and (3) a more sensible way of looking at teacher salaries. (JF)

Making a good impression

CERN Multimedia

Anaïs Schaeffer

2014-01-01

CERN’s Polymers Laboratory (part of the TE-MSC-MDT Section) was created in the 1960s and is still working on many complex technical challenges today. Thanks to a new 3D prototyping printer, the Laboratory can now produce functional parts for use directly in our accelerators.   This part, made from transparent resin and produced using the new 3D prototyping printer, will be used to hold and electrically insulate a copper RF antenna as shown below. The fine transparent "fence" surrounding the part is a manufacturing support. This is produced at the same time as the part and supports it during printing. The Polymers Laboratory is undoubtedly one of the most versatile facilities at CERN. Whether you need an electrically insulated part, supports for scintillating crystals, winding separators or fibre optic distributors, resin is probably one of the solutions. Several different resins, based on epoxy, silicone or polyurethane, are available at the Polymers Laboratory, w...

Impacts of High Variable Renewable Energy Futures on Wholesale Electricity Prices, and on Electric-Sector Decision Making

OpenAIRE

Seel, J; Mills, AD; Wiser, RH

2018-01-01

Increasing penetrations of variable renewable energy (VRE) can affect wholesale electricity price patterns and make them meaningfully different from past, traditional price patterns. Many long-lasting decisions for supply- and demand-side electricity infrastructure and programs are based on historical observations or assume a business-as-usual future with low shares of VRE. Our motivating question is whether certain electric-sector decisions that are made based on assumptions reflecting low V...

Safety assessment of dangerous goods transport enterprise based on the relative entropy aggregation in group decision making model.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jun; Li, Chengbing; Huo, Yueying

2014-01-01

Safety of dangerous goods transport is directly related to the operation safety of dangerous goods transport enterprise. Aiming at the problem of the high accident rate and large harm in dangerous goods logistics transportation, this paper took the group decision making problem based on integration and coordination thought into a multiagent multiobjective group decision making problem; a secondary decision model was established and applied to the safety assessment of dangerous goods transport enterprise. First of all, we used dynamic multivalue background and entropy theory building the first level multiobjective decision model. Secondly, experts were to empower according to the principle of clustering analysis, and combining with the relative entropy theory to establish a secondary rally optimization model based on relative entropy in group decision making, and discuss the solution of the model. Then, after investigation and analysis, we establish the dangerous goods transport enterprise safety evaluation index system. Finally, case analysis to five dangerous goods transport enterprises in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region validates the feasibility and effectiveness of this model for dangerous goods transport enterprise recognition, which provides vital decision making basis for recognizing the dangerous goods transport enterprises.

AN ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE OF APPLICATION DECISION MAKING PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION CONSUMER GOODS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

IULIANA CARMEN BĂRBĂCIORU

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This article we provide an overview of the analysis a method of decision making system for consumer goods. Based on the definition of the positive ideal solution and negative ideal solution, this method selects the most appropriate one with the highest degree of membership belonging to the positive ideal solution. The use of this method is expected to help and provide the best decision in the selection of sale of consumer goods. A case study is used to illustrate the procedure of the proposed approach at the end of the paper

[Health technology assessment for decision-making in Latin America: good practice principles].

Science.gov (United States)

Pichon-Riviere, Andrés; Soto, Natalie C; Augustovski, Federico Ariel; García Martí, Sebastián; Sampietro-Colom, Laura

2018-02-19

Identify the most relevant, applicable, and priority good practice principles in health technology assessment (HTA) in Latin America, and potential barriers to implementing them in the region. HTA good practice principles postulated worldwide were identified and then explored through a deliberative process in a forum of evaluators, funders, and technology producers. Forty-two representatives from ten Latin American countries participated in the forum. The good practice principles postulated at the international level were considered valid and potentially applicable in Latin America. Five principles were identified as priorities and as having greater potential to be expanded at this time: transparency in carrying out HTA; involvement of stakeholders in the HTA process; existence of mechanisms to appeal decisions; existence of clear mechanisms for HTA priority-setting; and existence of a clear link between assessment and decision-making. The main challenge identified was to find a balance between application of these principles and available resources, to prevent the planned improvements from jeopardizing report production times and failing to meet decision-makers' needs. The main recommendation was to gradually advance in improving HTA and its link to decision-making by developing appropriate processes for each country, without attempting to impose, in the short term, standards taken from examples at the international level without adequate adaptation to the local context.

Monitoring of good practices programs and independence for electricity and natural gas system operators. Report 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-09-01

Electricity and natural gas transmission system operators (TSO) and distribution system operators (DSO) are regulated operators that provide public service functions for the benefit of the network users and the consumers they serve. Accordingly, European and French law requires that they be under independent and nondiscriminatory obligations. In particular, they must develop a good practices program which includes a range of measures to prevent the risk of discriminatory practices in network access. Pursuant to Article L.134-15 of the Energy Code, the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) is publishing this year its 8. annual report on the monitoring of good practices programs and independence for electricity and natural gas system operators for the year 2012. This report is based on analysis of the 'reports on the implementation of good practices programs' submitted to the CRE by the operators in late 2012 and audits carried out by the CRE services in these companies in 2012

Monitoring of good practices programs and independence for electricity and natural gas system operators. 2010 report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

Electricity and natural gas transmission system operators (TSO) and distribution system operators (DSO) are regulated operators that provide public service functions for the benefit of the network users and the consumers they serve. Accordingly, European and French law requires that they be under independent and nondiscriminatory obligations. In particular, they must develop a good practices program which includes a range of measures to prevent the risk of discriminatory practices in network access. Pursuant to Article L.134-15 of the Energy Code, the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) is publishing this year its 6. annual report on the monitoring of good practices programs and independence for electricity and natural gas system operators for the year 2010. This report is based on analysis of the 'reports on the implementation of good practices programs' submitted to the CRE by the operators in late 2010 and audits carried out by the CRE services in these companies in 2010

How To Make Good People Great Leaders And Reap the Rewards!

CERN Document Server

Nowak, Ricky

2011-01-01

If you're serious about creating a sustainable competitive advantage and opportunities for the future, this book will make the experience more rewarding. In leadership, as in everything in life, there are followers and there are leaders - true leaders, who set the agenda and make the running. It is no longer good enough, if indeed it ever was, to do what everyone else is doing. Organisations need to stay one step ahead of the game if they are to survive and grow. The key to ongoing success is leadership, and the key to successful leadership is being able to see the wave coming and positioning

HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT FOR DECISION MAKING IN LATIN AMERICA: GOOD PRACTICE PRINCIPLES.

Science.gov (United States)

Pichon-Riviere, Andrés; Soto, Natalie C; Augustovski, Federico Ariel; García Martí, Sebastián; Sampietro-Colom, Laura

2018-06-11

The aim of this study was to identify good practice principles for health technology assessment (HTA) that are the most relevant and of highest priority for application in Latin America and to identify potential barriers to their implementation in the region. HTA good practice principles proposed at the international level were identified and then explored during a deliberative process in a forum of assessors, funders, and product manufacturers. Forty-two representatives from ten Latin American countries participated. Good practice principles proposed at the international level were considered valid and potentially relevant to Latin America. Five principles were identified as priority and with the greatest potential to be strengthened at this time: transparency in the production of HTA, involvement of relevant stakeholders in the HTA process, mechanisms to appeal decisions, clear priority-setting processes in HTA, and a clear link between HTA and decision making. The main challenge identified was to find a balance between the application of these principles and the available resources in a way that would not detract from the production of reports and adaptation to the needs of decision makers. The main recommendation was to progress gradually in strengthening HTA and its link to decision making by developing appropriate processes for each country, without trying to impose, in the short-term, standards taken from examples at the international level without adequate adaptation of these to local contexts.

The Home Identity Idea: How Good Homes Can Urge People to Make Environmentally Friendly Choices

OpenAIRE

Paulsen, Karoline

2017-01-01

This thesis is a discussion on how we identify with the place we live and how we can make good places to live now and in the future. The idea is that if we feel at home in and identify with the place we live, we want to preserve it and make it better for the future. This can have effect on the environment and the climate. If we build places that are good to live in and the people who live there identify with their home place, they would want to live more sustainably. There is also a discussio...

Practical Strategies for Integrating Final Ecosystem Goods and Services into Community Decision-Making.

Science.gov (United States)

The concept of Final Ecosystem Goods and Services (FEGS) explicitly connects ecosystem services to the people that benefit from them. This report presents a number of practical strategies for incorporating FEGS, and more broadly ecosystem services, into the decision-making proces...

On the correlation of electricity spot market prices and photovoltaic electricity generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, Tim; Luther, Joachim

2004-01-01

Discussions about market introduction of grid connected photovoltaics (PV) and its costs usually concentrate only on the gross energy produced without taking the time dependency of electricity prices and, thus, the time dependency of the value of PV electricity into account. To make a first approximation of what the effect of the time variance of electricity cost on the value of PV electricity is, the correlation with spot market prices is analysed in this paper. PV is not dispatchable by nature, but is relatively well predictable in the range of one day, if the average of spatially dispersed systems is considered. Thus, this correlation gives a good indication for the additional value of PV electricity

On the correlation of electricity spot market prices and photovoltaic electricity generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, T.; Luther, J.

2004-01-01

Discussions about market introduction of grid connected photovoltaics (PV) and its costs usually concentrate only on the gross energy produced without taking the time dependency of electricity prices and, thus, the time dependency of the value of PV electricity into account. To make a first approximation of what the effect of the time variance of electricity cost on the value of PV electricity is, the correlation with spot market prices is analysed in this paper. PV is not dispatchable by nature, but is relatively well predictable in the range of one day, if the average of spatially dispersed systems is considered. Thus, this correlation gives a good indication for the additional value of PV electricity. (Author)

A novel scheme for making cheap electricity with nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pettibone, J.S.

1991-04-01

Nuclear fuels should produce cheaper electricity than coal, considering their high specific energy and low cost. To exploit these properties, the scheme proposed here replaces the expensive reactor/steam-turbine system with an engine in which the expansion of a gas heated by a nuclear explosion raises a mass of liquid, thereby producing stored hydraulic energy. This energy could be converted to electricity by hydroelectric generation with water as the working fluid or by magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generation with molten metal. A rough cost analysis suggests the hydroelectric system could reduce the present cost of electricity by two-thirds, and the MHD system by even more. Such cheap power would make feasible large-scale electrolysis to produce hydrogen and other fuels and chemical raw materials. 2 refs., 1 fig

Enhanced electricity system analysis for decision making - A reference book

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

The objective of electricity system analysis in support of decision making is to provide comparative assessment results upon which relevant policy choices between alternative technology options and supply strategies can be based. This reference book offers analysts, planners and decision makers documented information on enhanced approaches to electricity system analysis, that can assist in achieving this objective. The book describes the main elements of comprehensive electricity system analysis and outlines an advanced integrated analysis and decision making framework for the electric power sector. Emphasis is placed on mechanisms for building consensus between interested and affected parties, and on aspects of planning that go beyond the traditional economic optimisation approach. The scope and contents of the book cover the topics to be addressed in decision making for the power sector and the process of integrating economic, social, health and environmental aspects in the comparative assessment of alternative options and strategies. The book describes and discusses overall frameworks, processes and state of the art methods and techniques available to analysts and planners for carrying out comparative assessment studies, in order to provide sound information to decision makers. This reference book is published as part of a series of technical reports and documents prepared in the framework of the inter-agency joint project (DECADES) on databases and methodologies for comparative assessment of different energy sources for electricity generation. The overall objective of the DECADES project is to enhance capabilities for incorporating economic, social, health and environmental issues in the comparative assessment of electricity generation options and strategies in the process of decision making for the power sector. The project, established in 1992, is carried out jointly by the European Commission (EC), the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

GOOD TO GREAT: WHY SOME COMPANIES MAKE THE LEAP…AND SOME OTHERS DON’T

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jim Collins

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The book consists of nine chapters explaining the concept of Good to Great. Starting from emphasizing that “good is the enemy of great”, Jim Collins provides great explanations as well as arguments of why his concept is very important for leaders who want to be successful in their efforts of building “enduring results” of their companies, organizations, or institutions. He in detail explains four principles underlining the framework of good to great. There are disciplined people (level 5 leadership and first who, then what concepts, disciplined thought (confront the brutal facts and the Hedgehog concepts, disciplined action (culture of discipline and the flywheel concepts, and building greatness to last (clock building, not the time telling and preserve the core/stimulate progress concepts. For further analysis of the Good to Great, I will shortly summarize the concept of how to make something good to be great explained in the book in the following section. I will also conclude this paper by commenting on the concept as my critique toward the theory of Good to Great.

2008 report on the Monitoring of good practices programs and independence for electricity and natural gas system operators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

Electricity and natural gas transmission system operators (TSO) and distribution system operators (DSO) are regulated operators that provide public service functions for the benefit of the network users and the consumers they serve. Accordingly, European and French law requires that they be under independent and nondiscriminatory obligations. In particular, they must develop a good practices program which includes a range of measures to prevent the risk of discriminatory practices in network access. Pursuant to Article L.134-15 of the Energy Code, the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) is publishing this year its 4. annual report on the monitoring of good practices programs and independence for electricity and natural gas system operators for the year 2008. This report is based on analysis of the 'reports on the implementation of good practices programs' submitted to the CRE by the operators in late 2008 and audits carried out by the CRE services in these companies in 2008

Case Study: What Makes a Good Case, Revisited: The Survey Monkey Tells All

Science.gov (United States)

Herried, Clyde Freeman; Prud'homme-Genereux, Annie; Schiller, Nancy A.; Herreid, Ky F.; Wright, Carolyn

2016-01-01

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. In this month's issue the authors provide a more definitive answer to the "What Makes a Good Case?" question based on a just-completed Survey Monkey survey given to NCCSTS teachers.

Monitoring of good practices programs and independence for electricity and natural gas system operators. Summary report 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-07-01

Electricity and natural gas transmission system operators (TSO) and distribution system operators (DSO) are regulated operators that provide public service functions for the benefit of the network users and the consumers they serve. Accordingly, European and French law requires that they be under independent and nondiscriminatory obligations. In particular, they must develop a good practices program which includes a range of measures to prevent the risk of discriminatory practices in network access. Pursuant to Article L.134-15 of the Energy Code, the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) is publishing this year its 7. annual report on the monitoring of good practices programs and independence for electricity and natural gas system operators for the year 2011. This report is based on analysis of the 'reports on the implementation of good practices programs' submitted to the CRE by the operators in late 2011 and audits carried out by the CRE services in these companies in 2011. These elements were supplemented and clarified by many exchanges with the operators, in particular during the committee hearings that took place in spring 2012 with each network operator. This report is structured around four cross-cutting themes, supplemented by individual analyses of each operator's situation. The cross-cutting issues address communication and user's awareness of the network operators, the new compliance officer function, TSO certification and, finally, the results of the 'mystery shopper' telephone survey carried out by the CRE. The individual situations analysed were those of the eight DSOs serving over 100,000 customers (ERDF, ES, URM, SRD and Geredis-Deux-Sevres for electricity, GrDF, Regaz-Bordeaux and Reseau GDS for natural gas) and the three TSOs (RTE for electricity and GRTgaz and TIGF for natural gas)

Multiple Attribute Decision Making Based Relay Vehicle Selection for Electric Vehicle Communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhao Qiang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Large-scale electric vehicle integration into power grid and charging randomly will cause serious impacts on the normal operation of power grid. Therefore, it is necessary to control the charging behavior of electric vehicle, while information transmission for electric vehicle is significant. Due to the highly mobile characteristics of vehicle, transferring information to power grid directly might be inaccessible. Relay vehicle (RV can be used for supporting multi-hop connection between SV and power grid. This paper proposes a multiple attribute decision making (MADM-based RV selection algorithm, which considers multiple attribute, including data transfer rate, delay, route duration. It takes the characteristics of electric vehicle communication into account, which can provide protection for the communication services of electric vehicle charging and discharging. Numerical results demonstrate that compared to previous algorithm, the proposed algorithm offer better performance in terms of throughput, transmission delay.

Making the Common Good Common

Science.gov (United States)

Chase, Barbara

2011-01-01

How are independent schools to be useful to the wider world? Beyond their common commitment to educate their students for meaningful lives in service of the greater good, can they educate a broader constituency and, thus, share their resources and skills more broadly? Their answers to this question will be shaped by their independence. Any…

What Does It Mean to Have an N of 1? Art Making, Education, Research, and the Public Good

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Graeme

2014-01-01

In this special issue, each author addresses how ABER work connects with and/or directly addresses society's need/s and the public good as perceived by the researcher. As there are many construals of the "public good" and the relation to art-making and the arts to this "public good," each author will conceptualize her/his…

Annual report on the Monitoring of good practices programs and independence for electricity and natural gas system operators - 2006

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

Electricity and natural gas transmission system operators (TSO) and distribution system operators (DSO) are regulated operators that provide public service functions for the benefit of the network users and the consumers they serve. Accordingly, European and French law requires that they be under independent and nondiscriminatory obligations. In particular, they must develop a good practices program which includes a range of measures to prevent the risk of discriminatory practices in network access. Pursuant to Article L.134-15 of the Energy Code, the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) is publishing this year its 2. annual report on the monitoring of good practices programs and independence for electricity and natural gas system operators for the year 2006. This report is based on analysis of the 'reports on the implementation of good practices programs' submitted to the CRE by the operators in late 2006 and audits carried out by the CRE services in these companies in 2006

Annual report on the Monitoring of good practices programs and independence for electricity and natural gas system operators - 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

Electricity and natural gas transmission system operators (TSO) and distribution system operators (DSO) are regulated operators that provide public service functions for the benefit of the network users and the consumers they serve. Accordingly, European and French law requires that they be under independent and nondiscriminatory obligations. In particular, they must develop a good practices program which includes a range of measures to prevent the risk of discriminatory practices in network access. Pursuant to Article L.134-15 of the Energy Code, the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) is publishing this year its 3. annual report on the monitoring of good practices programs and independence for electricity and natural gas system operators for the year 2007. This report is based on analysis of the 'reports on the implementation of good practices programs' submitted to the CRE by the operators in late 2007 and audits carried out by the CRE services in these companies in 2007

Gelled-electrolyte batteries for electric vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuphorn, H. (Accumulatorenfabrik Sonnenschein GmbH, Buedingen (Germany))

1992-09-15

Increasing problems of air pollution have pushed activities of electric vehicle projects world-wide and in spite of projects for developing new battery systems for high energy densities, today lead/acid batteries are almost the single system, ready for technical usage in this application. Valve-regulated lead/acid batteries with gelled electrolyte have the advantage that no maintenance is required and because the gel system does not cause problems with electrolyte stratification, no additional appliances for central filling or acid addition are required, which makes the system simple. Those batteries with high density active masses indicate high endurance results and field tests with 40 VW-CityStromers, equipped with 96 V/160 A h gel batteries with thermal management show good results during four years. In addition, gelled lead acid batteries possess superior high rate performance compared with conventional lead/acid batteries, which guarantees good acceleration results of the car and which makes the system recommendable for application in electric vehicles. (orig.).

Gelled-electrolyte batteries for electric vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Tuphorn, Hans

Increasing problems of air pollution have pushed activities of electric vehicle projects worldwide and in spite of projects for developing new battery systems for high energy densities, today lead/acid batteries are almost the single system, ready for technical usage in this application. Valve-regulated lead/acid batteries with gelled electrolyte have the advantage that no maintenance is required and because the gel system does not cause problems with electrolyte stratification, no additional appliances for central filling or acid addition are required, which makes the system simple. Those batteries with high density active masses indicate high endurance results and field tests with 40 VW-CityStromers, equipped with 96 V/160 A h gel batteries with thermal management show good results during four years. In addition, gelled lead/acid batteries possess superior high rate performance compared with conventional lead/acid batteries, which guarantees good acceleration results of the car and which makes the system recommendable for application in electric vehicles.

An integrated DEA-COLS-SFA algorithm for optimization and policy making of electricity distribution units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azadeh, A.; Ghaderi, S.F.; Omrani, H.; Eivazy, H.

2009-01-01

This paper presents an integrated data envelopment analysis (DEA)-corrected ordinary least squares (COLS)-stochastic frontier analysis (SFA)-principal component analysis (PCA)-numerical taxonomy (NT) algorithm for performance assessment, optimization and policy making of electricity distribution units. Previous studies have generally used input-output DEA models for benchmarking and evaluation of electricity distribution units. However, this study proposes an integrated flexible approach to measure the rank and choose the best version of the DEA method for optimization and policy making purposes. It covers both static and dynamic aspects of information environment due to involvement of SFA which is finally compared with the best DEA model through the Spearman correlation technique. The integrated approach would yield in improved ranking and optimization of electricity distribution systems. To illustrate the usability and reliability of the proposed algorithm, 38 electricity distribution units in Iran have been considered, ranked and optimized by the proposed algorithm of this study.

Making Complex Electrically Conductive Patterns on Cloth

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Andrew; Fink, Patrick W.; Dobbins, Justin A.; Lin, Greg Y.; Scully, Robert C.; Trevino, Robert

2008-01-01

A method for automated fabrication of flexible, electrically conductive patterns on cloth substrates has been demonstrated. Products developed using this method, or related prior methods, are instances of a technology known as 'e-textiles,' in which electrically conductive patterns ar formed in, and on, textiles. For many applications, including high-speed digital circuits, antennas, and radio frequency (RF) circuits, an e-textile method should be capable of providing high surface conductivity, tight tolerances for control of characteristic impedances, and geometrically complex conductive patterns. Unlike prior methods, the present method satisfies all three of these criteria. Typical patterns can include such circuit structures as RF transmission lines, antennas, filters, and other conductive patterns equivalent to those of conventional printed circuits. The present method overcomes the limitations of the prior methods for forming the equivalent of printed circuits on cloth. A typical fabrication process according to the present method involves selecting the appropriate conductive and non-conductive fabric layers to build the e-textile circuit. The present method uses commercially available woven conductive cloth with established surface conductivity specifications. Dielectric constant, loss tangent, and thickness are some of the parameters to be considered for the non-conductive fabric layers. The circuit design of the conductive woven fabric is secured onto a non-conductive fabric layer using sewing, embroidery, and/or adhesive means. The portion of the conductive fabric that is not part of the circuit is next cut from the desired circuit using an automated machine such as a printed-circuit-board milling machine or a laser cutting machine. Fiducials can be used to align the circuit and the cutting machine. Multilayer circuits can be built starting with the inner layer and using conductive thread to make electrical connections between layers.

The challenges of the electric sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrientos Penalosa, Miguel

1995-01-01

The author refers to the challenges of the electric sector, as is the structure of prices and good efficiency level, where the measures taken in the first group are not the solution but if they have an appropriate politics, they could make profitable the business of the energy distribution

Making a good group decision (low risk) in Singapore under an environment that has time and cost constraints

OpenAIRE

Loo, Sok Hiang Candy

2014-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited Organizations in Singapore operate in a highly competitive and fast-paced work environment that presents decision-making challenges at the individual, group, and organization levels. A key problem is achieving good decision fitness within time and cost constraints. While many decision-making theories and processes address the fundamental decision-making process, there is limited research on improving the group decision-making framework...

Sizewell: good value for consumers' money

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacKerron, G.

1984-01-01

For consumers, the overriding issues in electricity policy are always likely to be those which affect prices, both in the near future and over the longer term. It is therefore the 'need and economics' part of the overall case for Sizewell that consumers' representatives chose to scrutinize. This paper argues that there are no compelling short-term reasons to start construction of Sizewell at the earliest possible time. Further, long-term considerations suggest that there are good reasons not to make an early commitment to the Westinghouse four-loop design of PWR, either for Sizewell or for subsequent orders. (author)

Impacts of High Variable Renewable Energy Futures on Wholesale Electricity Prices, and on Electric-Sector Decision Making

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seel, Joachim [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Mills, Andrew D. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Wiser, Ryan H. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Deb, Sidart [LCG Consulting, Los Altos, CA (United States); Asokkumar, Aarthi [LCG Consulting, Los Altos, CA (United States); Hassanzadeh, Mohammad [LCG Consulting, Los Altos, CA (United States); Aarabali, Amirsaman [LCG Consulting, Los Altos, CA (United States)

2018-05-11

Increasing penetrations of variable renewable energy (VRE) can affect wholesale electricity price patterns and make them meaningfully different from past, traditional price patterns. Many long-lasting decisions for supply- and demand-side electricity infrastructure and programs are based on historical observations or assume a business-as-usual future with low shares of VRE. Our motivating question is whether certain electric-sector decisions that are made based on assumptions reflecting low VRE levels will still achieve their intended objective in a high VRE future. We qualitatively describe how various decisions may change with higher shares of VRE and outline an analytical framework for quantitatively evaluating the impacts of VRE on long-lasting decisions. We then present results from detailed electricity market simulations with capacity expansion and unit commitment models for multiple regions of the U.S. for low and high VRE futures. We find a general decrease in average annual hourly wholesale energy prices with more VRE penetration, increased price volatility and frequency of very low-priced hours, and changing diurnal price patterns. Ancillary service prices rise substantially and peak net-load hours with high capacity value are shifted increasingly into the evening, particularly for high solar futures. While in this report we only highlight qualitatively the possible impact of these altered price patterns on other demand- and supply-side electric sector decisions, the core set of electricity market prices derived here provides a foundation for later planned quantitative evaluations of these decisions in low and high VRE futures.

Method of making composition suitable for use as inert electrode having good electrical conductivity and mechanical properties

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, S.P.; Rapp, R.A.

1986-04-22

An improved inert electrode composition is suitable for use as an inert electrode in the production of metals such as aluminum by the electrolytic reduction of metal oxide or metal salt dissolved in a molten salt bath. The composition comprises one or more metals or metal alloys and metal compounds which may include oxides of the metals comprising the alloy. The alloy and metal compounds are interwoven in a network which provides improved electrical conductivity and mechanical strength while preserving the level of chemical inertness necessary for such an electrode to function satisfactorily. 8 figs.

Is climate change-centrism an optimal policy making strategy to set national electricity mixes?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vázquez-Rowe, Ian; Reyna, Janet L.; García-Torres, Samy; Kahhat, Ramzy

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The impact of climate-centric policies on other environmental impacts is uncertain. • Analysis of changing electricity grids of Peru and Spain in the period 1989–2013. • Life Cycle Assessment was the selected sustainability method to conduct the study. • Policies targeting GHG reductions also reduce air pollution and toxicity. • Resource usage, especially water, does not show the same trends as GHG emissions. - Abstract: In order to combat the threat of climate change, countries have begun to implement policies which restrict GHG emissions in the electricity sector. However, the development of national electricity mixes should also be sensitive to resource availability, geo-political forces, human health impacts, and social equity concerns. Policy focused on GHG goals could potentially lead to adverse consequences in other areas. To explore the impact of “climate-centric” policy making on long-term electricity mix changes, we develop two cases for Peru and Spain analyzing their changing electricity grids in the period 1989–2013. We perform a Life Cycle Assessment of annual electricity production to catalogue the improvements in GHG emissions relative to other environmental impacts. We conclude that policies targeting GHG reductions might have the co-benefit of also reducing air pollution and toxicity at the expense of other important environmental performance indicators such as water depletion. Moreover, as of 2013, both countries generate approximately equal GHG emissions per kWh, and relatively low emission rates of other pollutants compared to nations of similar development levels. Although climate-centric policy can lead to some positive environmental outcomes in certain areas, energy policy-making should be holistic and include other aspects of sustainability and vulnerability.

4-H After-School Program: Bloco Drum and Dance, Part 10. Making Good Nutrition and Exercise Part of the Program.

OpenAIRE

Conklin-Ginop, Evelyn L.; Junge, Sharon K.; Pulley, Karyn

2012-01-01

Part 10: Making Good Nutrition and Exercise Part of the Program. With this 11-part curriculum, you can set up an after-school program that teaches teens leadership, fitness, and good nutrition in an exciting music-and-dance environment.

Identifying the Effective Factors in Making Trust in Online Social Networks on the perspective of Iranian experts Using Fuzzy ELECTRE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elham Haghighi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available this paper attempts to rank the effective factors in making trust in social networks to provide the possibility of attracting and increasing users’ trust on these social networks for providers and designers of online social networks. Identifying the effective factors in making trust in social networks is a multi-criteria decision making problem and most of effective factors are ambiguous and uncertain, thereby this article uses Fuzzy ELECTRE to rank them. By implementing Fuzzy ELECTRE on gathered data, respectively «usability factor», «supporting up to date technology factor», «integrity» and «the rate of ethics factor» are on the top of effective factors in making trust in users. In general, «web features» and «technology features» have a higher degree of importance than «security features», «individual-social features» and «cultural features». Ranking of Fuzzy ELECTRE comparison ranking of Fuzzy TOPSIS and Fuzzy ELECTRE method becomes validate because Spearman correlation coefficients is 0/867. Result of sensitivity analysis on changing weight of criteria shows that Fuzzy ELECTRE isn’t affected by ambiguity and uncertainty in inputs.

Inverse Optimization and Forecasting Techniques Applied to Decision-making in Electricity Markets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saez Gallego, Javier

patterns that the load traditionally exhibited. On the other hand, this thesis is motivated by the decision-making processes of market players. In response to these challenges, this thesis provides mathematical models for decision-making under uncertainty in electricity markets. Demand-side bidding refers......This thesis deals with the development of new mathematical models that support the decision-making processes of market players. It addresses the problems of demand-side bidding, price-responsive load forecasting and reserve determination. From a methodological point of view, we investigate a novel...... approach to model the response of aggregate price-responsive load as a constrained optimization model, whose parameters are estimated from data by using inverse optimization techniques. The problems tackled in this dissertation are motivated, on one hand, by the increasing penetration of renewable energy...

Are Australian Universities Making Good Use of ICT for CSR Reporting?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raquel Garde Sánchez

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The higher education system in Australia has witnessed various government initiatives that have provided funding to integrate corporate social responsibility (CSR issues and thus contribute to the training of professionals with a strong sense of ethics, social values and concern for the repercussions of business activities in society. There are increasing demands from stakeholders for more transparent and more accountable information, including questions related to CSR. This paper analyses the policies and communication strategies regarding CSR information applied in Australian universities and considers whether they are making good use of information and communication technologies (ICT to facilitate interaction with stakeholders. The results show that ICT have not been considered a relevant tool in terms of improving accountability regarding CSR concerns in Australian universities, although they could represent a differentiation factor in the competitive environment of higher education.

Reserving Charging Decision-Making Model and Route Plan for Electric Vehicles Considering Information of Traffic and Charging Station

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haoming Liu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available With the advance of battery energy technology, electric vehicles (EV are catching more and more attention. One of the influencing factors of electric vehicles large-scale application is the availability of charging stations and convenience of charging. It is important to investigate how to make reserving charging strategies and ensure electric vehicles are charged with shorter time and lower charging expense whenever charging request is proposed. This paper proposes a reserving charging decision-making model for electric vehicles that move to certain destinations and need charging services in consideration of traffic conditions and available charging resources at the charging stations. Besides, the interactive mechanism is described to show how the reserving charging system works, as well as the rolling records-based credit mechanism where extra charges from EV is considered to hedge default behavior. With the objectives of minimizing driving time and minimizing charging expenses, an optimization model with two objective functions is formulated. Then the optimizations are solved by a K shortest paths algorithm based on a weighted directed graph, where the time and distance factors are respectively treated as weights of corresponding edges of transportation networks. Case studies show the effectiveness and validity of the proposed route plan and reserving charging decision-making model.

Monitoring of good practices programs and independence for electricity and natural gas system operators in 2015 and 2016. Follow-up report, January 2017

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-01-01

Electricity and natural gas transmission system operators (TSO) and distribution system operators (DSO) are regulated operators that provide public service functions for the benefit of the network users and the consumers they serve. Accordingly, European and French law requires that they be under independent and nondiscriminatory obligations. In particular, they must develop a good practices program which includes a range of measures to prevent the risk of discriminatory practices in network access. Pursuant to Article L.134-15 of the Energy Code, the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) is publishing this year its 10. annual report on the monitoring of good practices programs and independence for electricity and natural gas system operators for the 2015-2016 period. This report is based on analysis of the 'reports on the implementation of good practices programs' submitted to the CRE by the operators in 2015-2016 and audits carried out by the CRE services in these companies during the same period

Bioenergy good practice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birse, J.; Chambers, K.

2000-07-01

This report gives details of a project to make the Good Practice Guidelines, which were developed to help the UK Bioenergy industry, the national and local governments, and the public, more widely available. Details concerning the designing of a Good Practice Programme, and the proposed codes of Good Practice programme are given, and general relevant good practice guidance documents are discussed. The stakeholder survey and workshop, and the proposed codes of a Good Practice Programme are presented in Annexes. (UK)

Green marketing, renewables, and free riders: increasing customer demand for a public good

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiser, R.; Pickle, S.

1997-09-01

Retail electricity competition will allow customers to select their own power suppliers and some customers will make purchase decisions based, in part, on their concern for the environment. Green power marketing targets these customers under the assumption that they will pay a premium for ``green`` energy products such as renewable power generation. But renewable energy is not a traditional product because it supplies public goods; for example, a customer supporting renewable energy is unable to capture the environmental benefits that their investment provides to non-participating customers. As with all public goods, there is a risk that few customers will purchase ``green`` power and that many will instead ``free ride`` on others` participation. By free riding, an individual is able to enjoy the benefits of the public good while avoiding payment. This report reviews current green power marketing activities in the electric industry, introduces the extensive academic literature on public goods, free riders, and collective action problems, and explores in detail the implications of this literature for the green marketing of renewable energy. Specifically, the authors highlight the implications of the public goods literature for green power product design and marketing communications strategies. They emphasize four mechanisms that marketers can use to increase customer demand for renewable energy. Though the public goods literature can also contribute insights into the potential rationale for renewable energy policies, they leave most of these implications for future work (see Appendix A for a possible research agenda).

Realization of an automatic set up to measure electrical characteristic of solid state detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manfredotti, C.; Crosetto, D.; Gabutti, A.; Gervino, G.; Varesio, R.

1986-01-01

An automatic set-up is described to study electrical properties of silicon detectors for nuclear research. Particularly, I-V characteristics from silicon junction prototype detectors and amorphous samples to test the data acquisition system, are presented. This set-up joins a low cost to good versatility that makes it very useful in wide application ranges in silicon detector electrical characterization

Is it good to make happy people?

Science.gov (United States)

Rachels, Stuart

1998-04-01

Would it be good, other things being equal, for additional people to exist whose lives would be worth living? I examine and reject several arguments for the answer that it would not be good; then I offer opposing arguments that I believe are more successful. Thus, I agree with utilitarians who say that it is better for there to be more happy people. Next I argue for the stronger claim that the happiness of potential people is as important as that of adults. Potential quality of life, then, matters in a host of bioethical issues: abortion, commercial surrogacy, the treatment of defective newborns, and so on. What is the practical upshot of all this? I reject the idea that we must do whatever is necessary to prolong life worth living. But I also reject the view that the side-effects of overpopulation always outweigh the value of realizing potential happiness. So I advocate a middle position, which I do not identify precisely. Even from this middle position, however, potential happiness is more important that is commonly assumed in bioethics.

Optimal Decision Making Framework of an Electric Vehicle Aggregator in Future and Pool markets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rashidizadeh-Kermani, Homa; Najafi, Hamid Reza; Anvari-Moghaddam, Amjad

2018-01-01

An electric vehicle (EV) aggregator, as an agent between power producers and EV owners, participates in the future and pool market to supply EVs’ requirement. Because of uncertain nature of pool prices and EVs’ behavior, this paper proposed a two stage scenario-based model to obtain optimal decis...... electricity markets, a sensitivity analysis over risk factor is performed. The numerical results demonstrate that with the application of the proposed model, the aggregator can supply EVs with lower purchases from markets....... decision making of an EV aggregator. To deal with mentioned uncertainties, the aggregator’s risk aversion is applied using conditional value at risk (CVaR) method in the proposed model. The proposed two stage risk-constrained decision making problem is applied to maximize EV aggregator’s expected profit...... in an uncertain environment. The aggregator can participate in the future and pool market to buy required energy of EVs and offer optimal charge/discharge prices to the EV owners. In this model, in order to assess the effects of EVs owners’ reaction to the aggregator’s offered prices on the purchases from...

Developing a DSR-HNS policy making framework for electric energy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyar-Naimi, H.; Vaez-Zadeh, S.

2012-01-01

Sustainable Development (SD) has played a major role as a foundation of several policy making frameworks developed mainly by international organizations. In this paper, some critical points regarding the origination and formulation of the SD concept are discussed. It is argued that the SD concerns with selected sectors and regions rather than the whole society and all regions of the world. To tackle these shortcomings, the conventional definition of SD is extended in this paper according to a broad philosophy of harmonizing key aspects of human, nature and systems performances over generations. Based on this extended definition, an improved Driving Force–State–Response (DSR-HNS) policy making framework is introduced. The main contribution is the modeling of the state block by human, nature and systems components to design overall and coherent policies. A procedure using the framework is also elaborated to monitor the current policies and design new ones, which provides a dynamic, nonlinear, feedback controlled policy making practice, not accommodated by existing policy making frameworks. Finally, a case study is presented to evaluate the effectiveness of the modified framework and the proposed model. The study assesses Iran's electric power generation system from sustainability point of view and develops new policies. - Highlights: ► Some critical points regarding the Sustainable Development (SD) concept are discussed. ► Based on this extended definition, a policy making framework is introduced. ► A policy making procedure based on the framework is elaborated. ► A case study is presented to evaluate the effectiveness of the modified framework. ► New policies are developed for Iran's power generation system.

The role of nuclear energy meeting electricity needs in Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rising, R.

2017-01-01

Demand for electricity has risen dramatically regardless of economic shocks while accelerating rise in world electricity consumption. Decarbonizing electricity generation - need for low life cycle emissions: Nuclear energy is among the best and makes quick, lasting decarbonization possible. Harmonized regulatory processes: Enhance standardization, harmonize and update global codes and standards. Nuclear is regulated, financed and managed outside of normal protocols without an expansion of nuclear, many economies will fall short of their net mid-century carbon dioxide emission goal and society will fall short of the 2-degree scenario. Timely licensing of new technologies. In effective safety paradigm it good to embrace a holistic approach to society risks from electricity generation so that health and environmental benefits of all sources are maximized

Calibrating the social value of prospective new goods: The case of hydrogen fuel cell electric Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Topel, Robert H.

2018-01-01

Economic studies of the value of a new good or product innovation are typically retrospective: after a new good has been developed and marketed to consumers, data on prices and consumer choices can be used to estimate welfare gains. This paper calibrates the prospective welfare gains in the United States from a nascent vehicle platform, fuel cell electric vehicles (FCVs), that may or may not succeed in competition with existing vehicle platforms. Prospective gains are due to three main sources: (1) possibly reduced carbon emissions compared to existing vehicle alternatives; (2) the monopsony benefit to the U.S. from reducing world oil demand and hence the price of oil; (3) national security benefits due to reduced "oil dependence", mitigating the impact of oil price shocks on national income. I find that the benefits of reduced carbon emissions are likely to be quite small because reduced oil demand in the U.S. as only a small impact on world oil consumption and carbon emissions. Net monopsony benefits to U.S. consumers are much larger.

Electric passenger and goods vehicles: A review of UK activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Escombe, F.; Rawnsley, A.

1993-01-01

The production of electric-powered vehicles has been reduced to only a few hundred, after several thousand had been produced in Great Britain during the past five years. In the framework of this article, the different components of electric-powered vehicles are being examined regarding the economical situation: such as the vehicle itself, the batteries, the motor and the vehicle control. (BWI) [de

Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis for Health Care Decision Making--An Introduction: Report 1 of the ISPOR MCDA Emerging Good Practices Task Force.

Science.gov (United States)

Thokala, Praveen; Devlin, Nancy; Marsh, Kevin; Baltussen, Rob; Boysen, Meindert; Kalo, Zoltan; Longrenn, Thomas; Mussen, Filip; Peacock, Stuart; Watkins, John; Ijzerman, Maarten

2016-01-01

Health care decisions are complex and involve confronting trade-offs between multiple, often conflicting, objectives. Using structured, explicit approaches to decisions involving multiple criteria can improve the quality of decision making and a set of techniques, known under the collective heading multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA), are useful for this purpose. MCDA methods are widely used in other sectors, and recently there has been an increase in health care applications. In 2014, ISPOR established an MCDA Emerging Good Practices Task Force. It was charged with establishing a common definition for MCDA in health care decision making and developing good practice guidelines for conducting MCDA to aid health care decision making. This initial ISPOR MCDA task force report provides an introduction to MCDA - it defines MCDA; provides examples of its use in different kinds of decision making in health care (including benefit risk analysis, health technology assessment, resource allocation, portfolio decision analysis, shared patient clinician decision making and prioritizing patients' access to services); provides an overview of the principal methods of MCDA; and describes the key steps involved. Upon reviewing this report, readers should have a solid overview of MCDA methods and their potential for supporting health care decision making. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis for Health Care Decision Making--Emerging Good Practices: Report 2 of the ISPOR MCDA Emerging Good Practices Task Force.

Science.gov (United States)

Marsh, Kevin; IJzerman, Maarten; Thokala, Praveen; Baltussen, Rob; Boysen, Meindert; Kaló, Zoltán; Lönngren, Thomas; Mussen, Filip; Peacock, Stuart; Watkins, John; Devlin, Nancy

2016-01-01

Health care decisions are complex and involve confronting trade-offs between multiple, often conflicting objectives. Using structured, explicit approaches to decisions involving multiple criteria can improve the quality of decision making. A set of techniques, known under the collective heading, multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA), are useful for this purpose. In 2014, ISPOR established an Emerging Good Practices Task Force. The task force's first report defined MCDA, provided examples of its use in health care, described the key steps, and provided an overview of the principal methods of MCDA. This second task force report provides emerging good-practice guidance on the implementation of MCDA to support health care decisions. The report includes: a checklist to support the design, implementation and review of an MCDA; guidance to support the implementation of the checklist; the order in which the steps should be implemented; illustrates how to incorporate budget constraints into an MCDA; provides an overview of the skills and resources, including available software, required to implement MCDA; and future research directions. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transportation of hazardous goods

CERN Multimedia

TS Department

2008-01-01

A general reminder: any transportation of hazardous goods by road is subject to the European ADR rules. The goods concerned are essentially the following: Explosive substances and objects; Gases (including aerosols and non-flammable gases such as helium and nitrogen); Flammable substances and liquids (inks, paints, resins, petroleum products, alcohols, acetone, thinners); Toxic substances (acids, thinners); Radioactive substances; Corrosive substances (paints, acids, caustic products, disinfectants, electrical batteries). Any requests for the transport of hazardous goods must be executed in compliance with the instructions given at this URL: http://ts-dep.web.cern.ch/ts-dep/groups/he/HH/adr.pdf Heavy Handling Section TS-HE-HH 73793 - 160364

Electricity, health and the environment: Comparative assessment in support of decision making. Proceedings of a symposium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The main objective of the Symposium was to enhance and strengthen information sharing and co-operation between interested and affected parties in the field of electricity demand analysis and supply planning, aiming at implementing sustainable policies in the power sector, taking into account economic, social, health and environmental aspects. To meet this objective, the Symposium sessions addressed the following topics: key issues in the decision making process; assessment of health and environmental impacts; integrated framework for comparative assessment; implementation of comparative assessment; country case studies; and comparative assessment in decision making. A closing round table focused on challenges for international co-operation aiming at implementation of sustainable electricity policies. In addition to the main sessions, poster presentations illustrated results from comparative assessment studies carried out in different countries, and software demonstration provided opportunities for participants to gain information about state of the art computer tools, databases and analytical models that are available for use in decision support studies. Refs, figs, tabs

From public good to private exploitation : electricity deregulation, privatization and continental integration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffin Cohen, M.

2002-07-01

A study was conducted to examine the initiative of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on energy taking place through negotiations on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), which coincide with the U.S. drive for integrated continental energy policy. These negotiations will affect the nature of the electricity industry in Canada. It was noted that if the U.S. proposal for energy in GATS succeeds, it would support complete electricity deregulation, privatization of power generation, and full-scale continental pricing. This report includes several chapters. The chapter on electricity deregulation deals with changes in the electricity industry and the U.S. drive for energy. The GATS chapter describes the main features of GATS and what it covers, including general obligations, disciplines and negotiations. The chapter on the electricity industry in Canada describes major features, major electrical utilities, exports and the state of deregulation in Canada's 10 provinces. The chapter on GATS implications for electrical utilities focused on deregulation and market power, the implications for developing nations and general environmental issues. It was cautioned that if a Canadian agreement were to include electricity as a covered industry, it could erode the security of supply, drive prices up and have negative consequences for energy conservation. 137 refs., 8 tabs

Economic impact assessment and operational decision making in emission and transmission constrained electricity markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nanduri, Vishnu; Kazemzadeh, Narges

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We develop a bilevel game-theoretic model for allowance and electricity markets. ► We solve the model using a reinforcement learning algorithm. ► Model accounts for transmission constraints, cap-and-trade constraints. ► Study demonstrated on 9-bus electric power network. ► Obtain insights about supply shares, impact of transmission constraints, and cost pass through. -- Abstract: Carbon constrained electricity markets are a reality in 10 northeastern states and California in the US, as well as the European Union. Close to a Billion US Dollars have been spent by entities (mainly generators) in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in procuring CO 2 allowances to meet binding emissions restrictions. In the near future, there are expected to be significant impacts due to the cap-and-trade program, especially when the cap stringency increases. In this research we develop a bilevel, complete-information, matrix game-theoretic model to assess the economic impact and make operational decisions in carbon-constrained restructured electricity markets. Our model is solved using a reinforcement learning approach, which takes into account the learning and adaptive nature of market participants. Our model also accounts for all the power systems constraints via a DC-OPF problem. We demonstrate the working of the model and compute various economic impact indicators such as supply shares, cost pass-through, social welfare, profits, allowance prices, and electricity prices. Results from a 9-bus power network are presented.

Does good critical thinking equal effective decision-making among critical care nurses? A cross-sectional survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Ludin, Salizar Mohamed

2018-02-01

A critical thinker may not necessarily be a good decision-maker, but critical care nurses are expected to utilise outstanding critical thinking skills in making complex clinical judgements. Studies have shown that critical care nurses' decisions focus mainly on doing rather than reflecting. To date, the link between critical care nurses' critical thinking and decision-making has not been examined closely in Malaysia. To understand whether critical care nurses' critical thinking disposition affects their clinical decision-making skills. This was a cross-sectional study in which Malay and English translations of the Short Form-Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version (SF-CTDI-CV) and the Clinical Decision-making Nursing Scale (CDMNS) were used to collect data from 113 nurses working in seven critical care units of a tertiary hospital on the east coast of Malaysia. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling in October 2015. Critical care nurses perceived both their critical thinking disposition and decision-making skills to be high, with a total score of 71.5 and a mean of 48.55 for the SF-CTDI-CV, and a total score of 161 and a mean of 119.77 for the CDMNS. One-way ANOVA test results showed that while age, gender, ethnicity, education level and working experience factors significantly impacted critical thinking (pnurses' critical thinking and clinical decision-making (r=0.637, p=0.001). While this small-scale study has shown a relationship exists between critical care nurses' critical thinking disposition and clinical decision-making in one hospital, further investigation using the same measurement tools is needed into this relationship in diverse clinical contexts and with greater numbers of participants. Critical care nurses' perceived high level of critical thinking and decision-making also needs further investigation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Renewable Electricity Standards: Good Practices and Design Considerations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cox, Sadie [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Esterly, Sean [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-01-02

In widespread use globally, renewable electricity standards (RES) are one of the most widely adopted renewable energy policies and a critical regulatory vehicle to accelerate renewable energy deployment. This policy brief provides an introduction to key RES design elements, lessons from country experience, and support resources to enable more detailed and country-specific RES policy design.

Retailing residential electricity : A concept that makes sense?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacDonald, C.

2003-07-01

A heated debate centres around the deregulation of the electricity industry and the retailing of residential electricity. An assessment of the current situation in the industry was provided in this paper to provide a basis for discussion. The experience gained both in Alberta and Texas in residential retail was examined. The main issue of concern is whether residential customers will benefit from deregulation of the electricity sector. The Retail Energy Deregulation (RED) Index provides a benchmark for those jurisdictions considering the residential options. Deregulation has not led to significant benefits to residential customers in most jurisdictions. The electricity industry will always require a central dispatch/market process that will have to designed, governed, regulated, modified regularly. The benefits to residential consumers are not expected for a very long time. Standard market design is an issue that will require attention. refs., 7 figs

Good Concrete Activity Is Good Mental Activity

Science.gov (United States)

McDonough, Andrea

2016-01-01

Early years mathematics classrooms can be colourful, exciting, and challenging places of learning. Andrea McDonough and fellow teachers have noticed that some students make good decisions about using materials to assist their problem solving, but this is not always the case. These experiences lead her to ask the following questions: (1) Are…

Information Quality in Regulatory Decision Making: Peer Review versus Good Laboratory Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarty, Lynn S; Borgert, Christopher J; Mihaich, Ellen M

2012-07-01

There is an ongoing discussion on the provenance of toxicity testing data regarding how best to ensure its validity and credibility. A central argument is whether journal peer-review procedures are superior to Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards employed for compliance with regulatory mandates. We sought to evaluate the rationale for regulatory decision making based on peer-review procedures versus GLP standards. We examined pertinent published literature regarding how scientific data quality and validity are evaluated for peer review, GLP compliance, and development of regulations. Some contend that peer review is a coherent, consistent evaluative procedure providing quality control for experimental data generation, analysis, and reporting sufficient to reliably establish relative merit, whereas GLP is seen as merely a tracking process designed to thwart investigator corruption. This view is not supported by published analyses pointing to subjectivity and variability in peer-review processes. Although GLP is not designed to establish relative merit, it is an internationally accepted quality assurance, quality control method for documenting experimental conduct and data. Neither process is completely sufficient for establishing relative scientific soundness. However, changes occurring both in peer-review processes and in regulatory guidance resulting in clearer, more transparent communication of scientific information point to an emerging convergence in ensuring information quality. The solution to determining relative merit lies in developing a well-documented, generally accepted weight-of-evidence scheme to evaluate both peer-reviewed and GLP information used in regulatory decision making where both merit and specific relevance inform the process.

What makes a good sports parent?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Søbirk Petersen

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Two practical measures that have been introduced in an effort to stop sports parents from behaving badly will be critically discussed. The first measure is known under the slogan quiet weekends'. These prohibit parents from attending games in which their child is participating. Although this strategy calls attention to an important issue, it is unfair. The second, and far more elaborate, measure is to have a set of ethical guidelines informing parents how they should behave towards their child and others in the context of sport. Two central values tend to run through these guidelines: namely parental concern for the child's autonomy and parental concern for the child's well-being. These values are discussed as I apply them to cases in what can be called a grey area, where it is not obvious what is morally right or wrong. In the concluding discussion a tentative checklist will be presented which good sports parents can use when they are confronted with ethical issues.http://dx.doi.org/10.5324/eip.v4i1.1738

Extreme daily increases in peak electricity demand: Tail-quantile estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sigauke, Caston; Verster, Andréhette; Chikobvu, Delson

2013-01-01

A Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD) is used to model extreme daily increases in peak electricity demand. The model is fitted to years 2000–2011 recorded data for South Africa to make a comparative analysis with the Generalized Pareto-type (GP-type) distribution. Peak electricity demand is influenced by the tails of probability distributions as well as by means or averages. At times there is a need to depart from the average thinking and exploit information provided by the extremes (tails). Empirical results show that both the GP-type and the GPD are a good fit to the data. One of the main advantages of the GP-type is the estimation of only one parameter. Modelling of extreme daily increases in peak electricity demand helps in quantifying the amount of electricity which can be shifted from the grid to off peak periods. One of the policy implications derived from this study is the need for day-time use of electricity billing system similar to the one used in the cellular telephone/and fixed line-billing technology. This will result in the shifting of electricity demand on the grid to off peak time slots as users try to avoid high peak hour charges. - Highlights: ► Policy makers should design demand response strategies to save electricity. ► Peak electricity demand is influenced by tails of probability distributions. ► Both the GSP and the GPD are a good fit to the data. ► Accurate assessment of level and frequency of extreme load forecasts is important.

Development of electrically heated rods with resistive element of graphite or carbon/carbon composites for simulating transients in nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polidoro, H.A.

1987-01-01

Thermo-hydraulic problems, in nuclear plants are normally analysed by the use of electrically heated rods. The direct or indirect heater rods are limited in their use because, for high temperatures and high heat flux, the heating element temperature approach its melting point. The use of platinum or tantalum is not economically viable. Graphite and carbon/carbon composites are alternative materials because they are good electrical conductors and have good mechanical properties at high temperatures. Graphite and carbon/carbon composites were used to make heating elements for testing by indirect heating. The swaging process used to reduce the cladding diameter prevented the fabrication of graphite heater rods. Carbon/carbon composite used to make heating elements gave good results up to a heat flux of 100 W/cm 2 . It is easy to verify that this value can be exceeded if the choice of the complementary materials for insulator and cladding improved. (author) [pt

The application of financial options theory to electric utility decision making in integrated resource planning and maintenance shutdowns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Felder, F.

1995-01-01

Increased competition in wholesale power generation will allow electric utilities to use financial models to improve their decision making. This competition will result in the creation of electricity spot, futures, and forward markets, which will provide necessary information for utility executives to used advance financial tools, such as random walk models and options theory. These models will allow executives to place a value on risk. Once this value is known, executives can determine how best to manage that risk, whether by entering into financial transactions, adjusting their operational and planning decisions, or both

Using the VOICE tool to make good farmer programming

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2014-04-23

Apr 23, 2014 ... broadcasters can take the time they need to complete the module, ... For many reasons, other radio stations find it more difficult to travel to the field. .... Some extension officers will have a good grasp of what farmers' real needs.

The electric car as a source of exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities; El coche electrico como fuente de explotacion de oportunidades emprendedoras

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montoro Sanchez, M. A.; Romero Martinez, A. M.

2010-07-01

Energy and environmental crisis along, with technological advances in new kinds of batteries and electric cars, is making the electric car emerges strongly as a great opportunity in the automotive sector. In fact, political leaders see it as a lever to exit the economic crisis as a challenge and an opportunity not only for auto makers, but also for suppliers of related goods and services to the sector and producers and distributors of electricity. (Author) 32 refs.

Intelligent Decision-Making System with Green Pervasive Computing for Renewable Energy Business in Electricity Markets on Smart Grid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Park JongHyuk

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is about the intelligent decision-making system for the smart grid based electricity market which requires distributed decision making on the competitive environments composed of many players and components. It is very important to consider the renewable energy and emission problem which are expected to be monitored by wireless communication networks. It is very difficult to predict renewable energy outputs and emission prices over time horizon, so it could be helpful to catch up those data on real time basis using many different kinds of communication infrastructures. On this backgrounds this paper provides an algorithm to make an optimal decision considering above factors.

Monitoring of good practices programs and independence for electricity and natural gas system operators - 2013-2014 report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monteil, Anne; Casadei, Cecile

2014-12-01

This report results from the analysis of 'reports on the implementation of good practices programs' transmitted to the CRE (the French Commission for energy regulation) at the beginning of 2014 by those in charge of operators compliance. The report is structured in two thematic files, completed by individual analyses of the situation of each operator. These thematic files respectively address the processing of claims by the different natural gas operators, and the processing by ERDF of requests of connection to the grid of renewable energy production installations in the South-West of France. For each operator, the analysis comprises an assessment of independence, and an assessment of the compliance with the good practice program by the operator. For these individual analyses, the report makes a distinction between distribution network operators (ERDF, GRDF, Electricite de Strasbourg, Geredis, SRD, URM, Regaz-Bordeaux, Reseau GDS) and transport network operators (RTE, GRTgaz, TIGF)

Online forecasting of electrical load for distributed management of plug-in electric vehicles

OpenAIRE

Basu , Kaustav; Ovalle , Andres; Guo , Baoling; Hably , Ahmad; Bacha , Seddik; Hajar , Khaled

2016-01-01

International audience; The paper aims at making online forecast of electrical load at the MV-LV transformer level. Optimal management of the Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEV) charging requires the forecast of the electrical load for future hours. The forecasting module needs to be online (i.e update and make forecast for the future hours, every hour). The inputs to the predictor are historical electrical and weather data. Various data driven machine learning algorithms are compared to derive t...

Effects of non-uniformities on electrical conduction in weakly ionized plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Numano, M.; Murakami, Y.; Nitta, T.

1989-01-01

The effect of non-uniformities on the flow of electric current in weakly ionized plasmas is investigated by taking into account the ion slip as well as the Hall current. An Ohm's law for a non-uniform plasma is derived, from which the formula previously obtained by Numano, i.e. an extension of Rosa's equation, is obtainable as a special case. Making use of this new Ohm's law, the effective electrical conductivity and the effective Hall parameter are determined for isotropically turbulent plasmas. It is found that when the ion-slip effect is absent they are in good agreement with the results obtained previously. (author)

How Engineers Make Markets Organizing Electricity System Decarbonization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jenle, Rasmus Ploug; Pallesen, Trine

2017-01-01

construction process undertaken by scientists at the Technical University of Denmark, this article shows how engineers have approached the task by designing markets as technical control systems. It is demonstrated that EcoGrid has been designed by modeling a retail electricity market on three different...... conceptions of control systems as found in the discipline of control systems engineering. By tracing the origins of EcoGrid, this article documents the governing of electricity consumers through what we here call a synthetic market, i.e. a market artifact devised to attain goals. These findings about...

Economic Impact Assessment of Wind Power Integration: A Quasi-Public Goods Property Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huiru Zhao

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The integration of wind power into power grid will bring some impacts on the multiple subjects of electric power system. Economic impacts of wind power integration on multiple subjects of China’s electric power system were quantitatively assessed from Quasi-public goods property perspective in this paper. Firstly, the Quasi-public goods property of transmission services provided by power grid corporations was elaborated. Secondly, the multiple subjects of China’s electric power system, which include electricity generation enterprises (EGEs, power grid corporations (PGCs, electricity consumers (ECs, and environment, were detailed analyzed. Thirdly, based on the OPF-based nodal price model and transmission service cost allocation model, the economic impact assessment model of wind power integration was built from Quasi-public goods property perspective. Then, the IEEE-24 bus system employed in this paper was introduced according to current status of China’s electric power system, and the modeling of wind turbine was also introduced. Finally, the simulation analysis was performed, and the economic impacts of wind power integration on EGEs, PGCs, ECs and Environment were calculated. The results indicate, from Quasi-public goods property perspective, the wind power integration will bring positive impacts on EGEs, PGCs and Environment, while negative impacts on ECs. The findings can provide references for power system managers, energy planners, and policy makers.

Bikes, helmets, and public health: decision-making when goods collide.

Science.gov (United States)

Bateman-House, Alison

2014-06-01

How ought public officials address policy choices that entail trade-offs between desirable public health goods? Increasing cycling improves public health both by promoting physical activity and by decreasing vehicle use, thus reducing vehicular emissions. Proponents of bicycle helmets argue that, used properly, they protect individual cyclists; however, there is concern that mandating helmet use may result in a decrease in cycling. In 2012, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg opposed a bicycle helmet mandate, concerned that it would have a negative impact on the city's cycling rate, which he had sought to increase. The mayor did not explain his rationale, leaving constituents unsure why he opposed the proposal. This case study underscores the challenge of creating public policy in the context of competing public health goods.

Research on electricity market operation mechanism and its benefit of demand side participation

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Shuai; Yan, Xu; Qin, Li-juan; Lin, Xi-qiao; Zeng, Bo

2017-08-01

Demand response plays an important role in maintaining the economic stability of the system, and has the characteristics of high efficiency, low cost, fast response, good environmental benefits and so on. Demand side resource is an important part of electricity market. The research of demand side resources in our country is still in the initial stage, but the opening of the electricity sales side provides a broad prospect for the development of electricity market. This paper summarizes the main types of demand side resources in our country, analyzes the economic principle of demand response from the micro perspective, puts forward some suggestions on the operation mechanism of China’s demand side resources participating in the electricity market under the condition of electricity sales side opening, analyzes the current situation of pricing in the electricity wholesale market and sets up the pricing strategy of the centralized wholesale market with the demand side power supply participating in quotation, which makes the social and economic benefits reach the maximum.

Reliable electricity. The effects of system integration and cooperative measures to make it work

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hagspiel, Simeon [Koeln Univ. (Germany). Energiewirtschaftliches Inst.; Koeln Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Economics

2017-12-15

We investigate the effects of system integration for reliability of supply in regional electricity systems along with cooperative measures to support it. Specifically, we set up a model to contrast the benefits from integration through statistical balancing (i.e., a positive externality) with the risk of cascading outages (a negative externality). The model is calibrated with a comprehensive dataset comprising 28 European countries on a high spatial and temporal resolution. We find that positive externalities from system integration prevail, and that cooperation is key to meet reliability targets efficiently. To enable efficient solutions in a non-marketed environment, we formulate the problem as a cooperative game and study different rules to allocate the positive and negative effects to individual countries. Strikingly, we find that without a mechanism, the integrated solution is unstable. In contrast, proper transfer payments can be found to make all countries better off in full integration, and the Nucleolus is identified as a particularly promising candidate. The rule could be used as a basis for compensation payments to support the successful integration and cooperation of electricity systems.

Reliable electricity. The effects of system integration and cooperative measures to make it work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagspiel, Simeon; Koeln Univ.

2017-01-01

We investigate the effects of system integration for reliability of supply in regional electricity systems along with cooperative measures to support it. Specifically, we set up a model to contrast the benefits from integration through statistical balancing (i.e., a positive externality) with the risk of cascading outages (a negative externality). The model is calibrated with a comprehensive dataset comprising 28 European countries on a high spatial and temporal resolution. We find that positive externalities from system integration prevail, and that cooperation is key to meet reliability targets efficiently. To enable efficient solutions in a non-marketed environment, we formulate the problem as a cooperative game and study different rules to allocate the positive and negative effects to individual countries. Strikingly, we find that without a mechanism, the integrated solution is unstable. In contrast, proper transfer payments can be found to make all countries better off in full integration, and the Nucleolus is identified as a particularly promising candidate. The rule could be used as a basis for compensation payments to support the successful integration and cooperation of electricity systems.

Electricity decision-making: New techniques for calculating statewide economic impacts from new power supply and demand-side management programs

Science.gov (United States)

Tegen, Suzanne Isabel Helmholz

This dissertation introduces new techniques for calculating and comparing statewide economic impacts from new coal, natural gas and wind power plants, as well as from demand-side management programs. The impetus for this work was two-fold. First, reviews of current literature and projects revealed that there was no standard way to estimate statewide economic impacts from new supply- and demand-side electricity options. Second, decision-makers who were interviewed stated that they were overwhelmed with data in general, but also lacked enough specific information about economic development impacts to their states from electricity, to make informed choices. This dissertation includes chapters on electricity decision-making and on economic impacts from supply and demand. The supply chapter compares different electricity options in three states which vary in natural resource content: Arizona, Colorado and Michigan. To account for differing capacity factors, resources are compared on a per-megawatt-hour basis. The calculations of economic impacts from new supply include: materials and labor for construction, operations, maintenance, fuel extraction, fuel transport, as well as property tax, financing and landowner revenues. The demand-side chapter compares residential, commercial and industrial programs in Iowa. Impact calculations include: incremental labor and materials for program planning, installation and operations, as well as sales taxes and electricity saved. Results from supply-side calculations in the three states analyzed indicate that adding new wind power can have a greater impact to a state's economy than adding new gas or coal power due to resource location, taxes and infrastructure. Additionally, demand-side management programs have a higher relative percentage of in-state dollar flow than supply-side solutions, though demand-side programs typically involve fewer MWh and dollars than supply-side generation. Methods for this dissertation include researching

Good Practices for Transforming Education

Science.gov (United States)

Benavente, Ana; Panchaud, Christine

2008-01-01

This text is a guide to the reading and interpretation of the "good practices" that are developing in the countries participating in this project and elsewhere. A systematic approach to the factors making up a "good practice" has enabled us to share our analyses in a more structured manner and to reflect on their potential for…

Good Teachers, Good Schools: How to Create a Successful School

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, David

2009-01-01

"Good schools think 'with' people and not 'to' people" argues David Hudson in this thought provoking practical guide for those wanting to bridge the gap between middle and senior management roles, and make a difference in their schools. Accessibly and engagingly written and packed with real-life examples, this book will prove essential…

The True Cost of Electric Power. An Inventory of Methodologies to Support Future Decision-making in Comparing the Cost and Competitiveness of Electricity Generation Technologies. Summary for policy-makers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burtraw, Dallas; Krupnick, Alan

2012-06-01

In energy markets across the world, market prices for fossil fuels are often lower than the prices of energy generated from renewable sources, such as solar, wind, and bio-fuels. These market prices, however, don't take into account the 'true costs' of the energy being sold, because they ignore the external costs to society caused by pollution and its resulting burdens, including damages to public health and the environment. Accounting for these externalities can as much as double the cost of some fossil fuels and, in some cases, make them more expensive than renewables. Because renewable forms of energy have far lower external costs than energy generated from fossil fuels, if one can implement policies that incorporate those costs into the price of electricity generated from all technologies, the playing field levels out and renewables can compete on a more fair and economically justified basis. The challenge, of course, is determining those 'true costs'. Estimating the true costs of electricity generation is both complex and controversial. It is complex because it must take into account several factors, including the population density near a power plant, the fuel it uses, and its pollution abatement technology. It is controversial because it requires assumptions and decisions to be made that the public does not like or does not understand. These include monetizing some types of risks (for example, to health) and ignoring others, such as occupational risks from coal mining when they are already 'internalized' by the coal company in the wages it pays. Finally, these approaches are certain to be controversial because they can affect billions of dollars in investments in electricity generation. This report, The True Cost of Electric Power, examines the various methods that have been used to measure such 'true' costs and looks at how such estimates can be used in company decision-making and public policy to ensure that

Prophylactic and thermovision measurements of electric machines and equipment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jedlicka, R; Brestovansky, L [Atomova Elektraren Bohunice, Jaslovske Bohunice (Slovakia)

1997-12-31

High-voltage measurements of generators, unit and service transformers and some significant motor drives used at a nuclear power plant are described in this paper. Thermovision measurements of electric machines and distribution systems are dealt with in the second part of the paper. Power electric equipment represent one of the most significant components of a nuclear power plant. Turbine mechanical energy is converted into the electrical energy within these equipment. Power generated by generators is transformed by transformers so that it can achieve appropriate parameters for both the transmission over the distribution system and the power plant service power supply. The service power supply switchboards and cables provide supply to motors and other consumers necessary for the nuclear power plant technological process. The whole complex of equipment has to be maintained in good technical conditions. It is necessary to make thermovision and prophylactic measurements to identify and verify the electric equipment technical condition. The mentioned measurements warn the operation staff in advance against both gradual deterioration of power connection contact resistances, i.e. power connections overheating, and the machine insulation systems condition deterioration. The operation staff try to prevent the electric equipment operation accidents by early removing the detected failures, thus, improving the nuclear safety. In order to provide the above-mentioned activities a special prophylactic measurement group was established at the NPP Bohunice in 1983. The group specialists make following types of measurements. 1. Prophylactic measurements of electric machines. Prophylactics of 220 MW generators and 6 MW service power generators; Prophylactics of both unit and service transformers and VHV bushings; Prophylactics of major 6 kV motor drives. 2. Thermovision measurements of current connections. (Abstract Truncated)

Prophylactic and thermovision measurements of electric machines and equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jedlicka, R.; Brestovansky, L.

1996-01-01

High-voltage measurements of generators, unit and service transformers and some significant motor drives used at a nuclear power plant are described in this paper. Thermovision measurements of electric machines and distribution systems are dealt with in the second part of the paper. Power electric equipment represent one of the most significant components of a nuclear power plant. Turbine mechanical energy is converted into the electrical energy within these equipment. Power generated by generators is transformed by transformers so that it can achieve appropriate parameters for both the transmission over the distribution system and the power plant service power supply. The service power supply switchboards and cables provide supply to motors and other consumers necessary for the nuclear power plant technological process. The whole complex of equipment has to be maintained in good technical conditions. It is necessary to make thermovision and prophylactic measurements to identify and verify the electric equipment technical condition. The mentioned measurements warn the operation staff in advance against both gradual deterioration of power connection contact resistances, i.e. power connections overheating, and the machine insulation systems condition deterioration. The operation staff try to prevent the electric equipment operation accidents by early removing the detected failures, thus, improving the nuclear safety. In order to provide the above-mentioned activities a special prophylactic measurement group was established at the NPP Bohunice in 1983. The group specialists make following types of measurements. 1. Prophylactic measurements of electric machines. Prophylactics of 220 MW generators and 6 MW service power generators; Prophylactics of both unit and service transformers and VHV bushings; Prophylactics of major 6 kV motor drives. 2. Thermovision measurements of current connections. Measurements enumarated in paragraph 1 are made on disconnected electric

How to Give a Good Talk?

OpenAIRE

Legout , Arnaud

2013-01-01

Why should you give great talks? How to make great slides? How to give a talk? How to make good presentations?; 3rd cycle; Warning: download the powerpoint version to get animations. Animated slides in the PDF version may look cluttered.

Analytical solutions of electric potential and impedance for a multilayered spherical volume conductor excited by time-harmonic electric current source: application in brain EIT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao Chunyan; Lei Yinzhao

2005-01-01

A model of a multilayered spherical volume conductor with four electrodes is built. In this model, a time-harmonic electric current is injected into the sphere through a pair of drive electrodes, and electric potential is measured by the other pair of measurement electrodes. By solving the boundary value problem of the electromagnetic field, the analytical solutions of electric potential and impedance in the whole conduction region are derived. The theoretical values of electric potential on the surface of the sphere are in good accordance with the experimental results. The analytical solutions are then applied to the simulation of the forward problem of brain electrical impedance tomography (EIT). The results show that, for a real human head, the imaginary part of the electric potential is not small enough to be ignored at above 20 kHz, and there exists an approximate linear relationship between the real and imaginary parts of the electric potential when the electromagnetic parameters of the innermost layer keep unchanged. Increase in the conductivity of the innermost layer leads to a decrease of the magnitude of both real and imaginary parts of the electric potential on the scalp. However, the increase of permittivity makes the magnitude of the imaginary part of the electric potential increase while that of the real part decreases, and vice versa

Good performance in nuclear projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

The nuclear industry has demonstrated good performance in many areas relating to the design, engineering, construction and operation of nuclear facilities. This report of an international symposium held in Tokyo highlights examples of good performance in nuclear projects which can aid the industry in seeking even better performance, thus strengthening the contribution nuclear energy can make to sustainable economic growth

Green power. Renewable electricity purchasing by Leicester City Council

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-05-01

This case study describes the use of renewable energy by Leicester City Council in the East Midlands. The Council, which has a long-term commitment to sustainable energy and the environment, employs over 14,000 people. A contract was first negotiated with East Midlands Electricity (now PowerGen) to supply the Council's New Walk Centre with green electricity in 1995. Some of the green energy is supplied by the Milford Mill hydroelectric plant. Use of building energy monitoring systems (BEMSs) and other good practice has allowed the Council to achieve a 20% saving in its electricity bill. The Council has also negotiated contracts to supply two smaller sites (a recycling facility called Planet Works and the city's Energy Efficiency centre) with green electricity generated by Beacon Energy, a small renewable energy company which operates two 25 kW wind turbines and two 3 kW arrays of photovoltaic cells at a site some 15 miles from Leicester. The exemption given to renewable energy from the climate change levy makes these schemes even more economic; a worked example is provided to demonstrate the impact of the climate change levy on electricity costs at the New Walk Centre. Six steps to follow when seeking to connect to green electricity are advised

Enhanced electricity system analysis for decision making - A reference book[Inter-agency joint project on data bases and methodologies for comparative assessment of different energy sources for electricity generation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-06-01

The objective of electricity system analysis in support of decision making is to provide comparative assessment results upon which relevant policy choices between alternative technology options and supply strategies can be based. This reference book offers analysts, planners and decision makers documented information on enhanced approaches to electricity system analysis, that can assist in achieving this objective. The book describes the main elements of comprehensive electricity system analysis and outlines an advanced integrated analysis and decision making framework for the electric power sector. Emphasis is placed on mechanisms for building consensus between interested and affected parties, and on aspects of planning that go beyond the traditional economic optimisation approach. The scope and contents of the book cover the topics to be addressed in decision making for the power sector and the process of integrating economic, social, health and environmental aspects in the comparative assessment of alternative options and strategies. The book describes and discusses overall frameworks, processes and state of the art methods and techniques available to analysts and planners for carrying out comparative assessment studies, in order to provide sound information to decision makers. This reference book is published as part of a series of technical reports and documents prepared in the framework of the inter-agency joint project (DECADES) on databases and methodologies for comparative assessment of different energy sources for electricity generation. The overall objective of the DECADES project is to enhance capabilities for incorporating economic, social, health and environmental issues in the comparative assessment of electricity generation options and strategies in the process of decision making for the power sector. The project, established in 1992, is carried out jointly by the European Commission (EC), the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

Predicting Baseline for Analysis of Electricity Pricing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, T. [Ulsan National Inst. of Science and Technology (Korea, Republic of); Lee, D. [Ulsan National Inst. of Science and Technology (Korea, Republic of); Choi, J. [Ulsan National Inst. of Science and Technology (Korea, Republic of); Spurlock, A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sim, A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Todd, A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Wu, K. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2016-05-03

To understand the impact of new pricing structure on residential electricity demands, we need a baseline model that captures every factor other than the new price. The standard baseline is a randomized control group, however, a good control group is hard to design. This motivates us to devlop data-driven approaches. We explored many techniques and designed a strategy, named LTAP, that could predict the hourly usage years ahead. The key challenge in this process is that the daily cycle of electricity demand peaks a few hours after the temperature reaching its peak. Existing methods rely on the lagged variables of recent past usages to enforce this daily cycle. These methods have trouble making predictions years ahead. LTAP avoids this trouble by assuming the daily usage profile is determined by temperature and other factors. In a comparison against a well-designed control group, LTAP is found to produce accurate predictions.

Preparing future fisheries professionals to make good decisions

Science.gov (United States)

Colvin, Michael E.; Peterson, James T.

2017-01-01

Future fisheries professionals will face decision-making challenges in an increasingly complex field of fisheries management. Though fisheries students are well trained in the use of the scientific method to understand the natural world, they are rarely exposed to structured decision making (SDM) as part of an undergraduate or graduate education. Specifically, SDM encourages users (e.g., students, managers) to think critically and communicate the problem and then identify specific, measurable objectives as they relate to the problem. Next, users must think critically and creatively about management alternatives that can be used to meet the objectives—there must be more than one alternative or there is no decision to be made. Lastly, the management alternatives are evaluated with regard to how likely they are to succeed in terms of multiple, possibly completing, objectives, such as how stakeholder groups value outcomes of management actions versus monetary cost. We believe that exposure to SDM and its elements is an important part of preparing future fisheries professional to meet the challenges they may face. These challenges include reduced budgets, the growth of potentially competing natural resource interest groups, and stakeholder desire to be involved in management decisions affecting public trust resources, just to name a few.

Towards good environmental governance in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heldeweg, Michiel A.

2005-01-01

This article is about good governance, as presented in the 2001 EC White Paper, in relation to environmental legal policy making in Europe. First a concise analysis is made of the concept of good governance. Then, in a ``tour d’horizon’’, environmental policy programmes, legal cornerstones and

Defining decision making: a qualitative study of international experts' views on surgical trainee decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Rennie, Sarah C; van Rij, Andre M; Jaye, Chrystal; Hall, Katherine H

2011-06-01

Decision making is a key competency of surgeons; however, how best to assess decisions and decision makers is not clearly established. The aim of the present study was to identify criteria that inform judgments about surgical trainees' decision-making skills. A qualitative free text web-based survey was distributed to recognized international experts in Surgery, Medical Education, and Cognitive Research. Half the participants were asked to identify features of good decisions, characteristics of good decision makers, and essential factors for developing good decision-making skills. The other half were asked to consider these areas in relation to poor decision making. Template analysis of free text responses was performed. Twenty-nine (52%) experts responded to the survey, identifying 13 categories for judging a decision and 14 for judging a decision maker. Twelve features/characteristics overlapped (considered, informed, well timed, aware of limitations, communicated, knowledgeable, collaborative, patient-focused, flexible, able to act on the decision, evidence-based, and coherent). Fifteen categories were generated for essential factors leading to development of decision-making skills that fall into three major themes (personal qualities, training, and culture). The categories compiled from the perspectives of good/poor were predominantly the inverse of each other; however, the weighting given to some categories varied. This study provides criteria described by experts when considering surgical decisions, decision makers, and development of decision-making skills. It proposes a working definition of a good decision maker. Understanding these criteria will enable clinical teachers to better recognize and encourage good decision-making skills and identify poor decision-making skills for remediation.

STUDY ON THE INTERRELATION BETWEEN AURICULAR GOOD CONDUCTION POINT STIMULATION AND THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECT

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

胡智慧; 陈巩荪

2001-01-01

Although, the essence of otopoints remains unknown at the moment, many medical workers have termed them temporarily as "auricular specific stimulating points". They give an explanation that when the internal organs or the body trunk is out of order, tender points, changes of the cutaneous electrical resistance, appearance, colour, etc. may occur at some sites of the auri-cle. The medical workers can use these reactions as a reference for making a diagnosis and stimulate these sites to prevent and treat diseases. These reaction points are also the otopoint. Therefore, the otopoint is also called as tenderpoint, or good conduction point, reaction point, stimulating point or treatment point.

Making equipment to process paddy water for providing drinking water by using Ozone-UVC& Ultrafiltration

Science.gov (United States)

Styani, E.; Dja'var, N.; Irawan, C.; Hanafi

2018-01-01

This study focuses on making equipment which is useful to process paddy water to be consumable as drinking water by using ozone-UVC and ultrafiltration. The equipment which is made by the process of ozone-UVC and ultrafiltration or reverse osmosis is driven by electric power generated from solar panels. In the experiment, reverse osmosis system with ozone-UVC reactor proves to be good enough in producing high quality drinking water.

Informed decision making about predictive DNA tests: arguments for more public visibility of personal deliberations about the good life.

Science.gov (United States)

Boenink, Marianne; van der Burg, Simone

2010-05-01

Since its advent, predictive DNA testing has been perceived as a technology that may have considerable impact on the quality of people's life. The decision whether or not to use this technology is up to the individual client. However, to enable well considered decision making both the negative as well as the positive freedom of the individual should be supported. In this paper, we argue that current professional and public discourse on predictive DNA-testing is lacking when it comes to supporting positive freedom, because it is usually framed in terms of risk and risk management. We show how this 'risk discourse' steers thinking on the good life in a particular way. We go on to argue that empirical research into the actual deliberation and decision making processes of individuals and families may be used to enrich the environment of personal deliberation in three ways: (1) it points at a richer set of values that deliberators can take into account, (2) it acknowledges the shared nature of genes, and (3) it shows how one might frame decisions in a non-binary way. We argue that the public sharing and discussing of stories about personal deliberations offers valuable input for others who face similar choices: it fosters their positive freedom to shape their view of the good life in relation to DNA-diagnostics. We conclude by offering some suggestions as to how to realize such public sharing of personal stories.

Electrically conductive polymer concrete coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Fontana, Jack J.; Elling, David; Reams, Walter

1990-01-01

A sprayable electrically conductive polymer concrete coating for vertical d overhead applications is described. The coating is permeable yet has low electrical resistivity (<10 ohm-cm), good bond strength to concrete substrates, and good weatherability. A preferred formulation contains about 60 wt % calcined coke breeze, 40 wt % vinyl ester with 3.5 wt % modified bentonite clay. Such formulations apply evenly and provide enough rigidity for vertical or overhead structures so there is no drip or sag.

Making a Simple Self-Starting Electric Motor

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Seok-In; Choi, Jung-In; Hong, Seok-Cheol

2009-01-01

A simple electric motor has a problem in that the current applied to the motor per se can rarely trigger its rotation. Usually such motors begin to rotate after the rotor is slightly turned by hand (i.e., manual starting). In a "self-starting" motor, the rotor starts to rotate spontaneously as soon as the current is applied. This paper describes…

Benefits of a good quality assurance program to an electric utility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahoney, W.J. (Detroit Edison, Detroit, MI (United States))

1994-10-01

A good quality assurance program at a coal mine or power plant should be timely and consistent. The quality analysis is accurate due to a complete sampling of the coal stream loaded into the unit train. The sample analysis is accurate because standardized testing procedures are applied. A good coal quality assurance program includes: coal quality analysis of the delivered coal; bias testing of mechanical coal samplers; dust control during coal handling; and freeze conditioning during the winter. 2 figs., 2 plates

49 CFR 218.97 - Good faith challenge procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Good faith challenge procedures. 218.97 Section... Derails § 218.97 Good faith challenge procedures. (a) Employee responsibility. An employee shall inform the railroad or employer whenever the employee makes a good faith determination that the employee has...

Good teaching is good teaching: A narrative review for effective medical educators.

Science.gov (United States)

Berman, Anthony C

2015-01-01

Educators have tried for many years to define teaching and effective teachers. More specifically, medical educators have tried to define what characteristics are common to successful teachers in the healthcare arena. The goal of teacher educators has long been to determine what makes an effective teacher so that they could do a better job of preparing future teachers to have a positive impact on the learning of their students. Medical educators have explored what makes some of their colleagues more able than others to facilitate the development of healthcare professionals who can successfully and safely meet the needs of future patients. Although there has historically been disagreement regarding the characteristics that need be developed in order for teachers to be effective, educational theorists have consistently agreed that becoming an effective teacher is a complex task. Such discussions have been central to deciding what education at any level is really all about. By exploring the literature and reflecting upon the personal experiences encountered in his lengthy career as a teacher, and as a teacher of teachers, the author reaches the conclusions that teaching is both art and science, that "good teaching is good teaching" regardless of the learning environment or the subject to be explored, and that the characteristics making up an effective medical educator are really not much different than those making up effective educators in any other area. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

How Good is OpenMP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy G. Mattson

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The OpenMP standard defines an Application Programming Interface (API for shared memory computers. Since its introduction in 1997, it has grown to become one of the most commonly used API's for parallel programming. But success in the market doesn't necessarily imply successful computer science. Is OpenMP a "good" programming environment? What does it even mean to call a programming environment good? And finally, once we understand how good or bad OpenMP is; what can we do to make it even better? In this paper, we will address these questions.

Ho-doped SrBi{sub 2}Nb{sub 2}O{sub 9} multifunctional ceramics with bright green emission and good electrical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Lei; Hao, Jigong; Li, Wei [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng (China); Xu, Zhijun; Chu, Ruiqing [School of Environmental and Materials Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai (China)

2017-10-15

Ho{sup 3+}-doped SrBi{sub 2}Nb{sub 2}O{sub 9} multifunctional ferroelectric ceramics with bright green light emission and good electrical properties were fabricated in this work. Under blue light excitation, samples showed bright green light with two typical emission bands: a strong green emission centered at 545 nm corresponding to the intra f-f transition from the excited {sup 5}S{sub 2} to the ground state {sup 5}I{sub 8} and a relatively weak red emission located 653 nm induced by the {sup 5}F{sub 5} → {sup 5}I{sub 8} transition of Ho{sup 3+}. Due to the concentration quenching effect, the intensity of emission was strongly dependent on the doping concentration. Furthermore, the electrical properties have improved by Ho{sup 3+} doping. At x = 0.004, samples exhibit optimal electrical properties with high Curie temperature (T{sub c} = 441 C) and large 2P{sub r} and d{sub 33} values (2P{sub r} = 15.54 μC cm{sup -2}, d{sub 33} = 19 pC/N). These results demonstrate that the SBN-xHo ceramics possess excellent multifunctional properties to achieve a variety of applications. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Non-conventional rule of making a periodically varying different-pole magnetic field in low-power alternating current electrical machines with using ring coils in multiphase armature winding

Science.gov (United States)

Plastun, A. T.; Tikhonova, O. V.; Malygin, I. V.

2018-02-01

The paper presents methods of making a periodically varying different-pole magnetic field in low-power electrical machines. Authors consider classical designs of electrical machines and machines with ring windings in armature, structural features and calculated parameters of magnetic circuit for these machines.

DIAMOND: A model of incremental decision making for resource acquisition by electric utilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gettings, M.; Hirst, E.; Yourstone, E.

1991-02-01

Uncertainty is a major issue facing electric utilities in planning and decision making. Substantial uncertainties exist concerning future load growth; the lifetimes and performances of existing power plants; the construction times, costs, and performances of new resources being brought online; and the regulatory and economic environment in which utilities operate. This report describes a utility planning model that focuses on frequent and incremental decisions. The key features of this model are its explicit treatment of uncertainty, frequent user interaction with the model, and the ability to change prior decisions. The primary strength of this model is its representation of the planning and decision-making environment that utility planners and executives face. Users interact with the model after every year or two of simulation, which provides an opportunity to modify past decisions as well as to make new decisions. For example, construction of a power plant can be started one year, and if circumstances change, the plant can be accelerated, mothballed, canceled, or continued as originally planned. Similarly, the marketing and financial incentives for demand-side management programs can be changed from year to year, reflecting the short lead time and small unit size of these resources. This frequent user interaction with the model, an operational game, should build greater understanding and insights among utility planners about the risks associated with different types of resources. The model is called DIAMOND, Decision Impact Assessment Model. In consists of four submodels: FUTURES, FORECAST, SIMULATION, and DECISION. It runs on any IBM-compatible PC and requires no special software or hardware. 19 refs., 13 figs., 15 tabs.

Electrical installations and regulations

CERN Document Server

Whitfield, J F

1966-01-01

Electrical Installations and Regulations focuses on the regulations that apply to electrical installations and the reasons for them. Topics covered range from electrical science to alternating and direct current supplies, as well as equipment for providing protection against excess current. Cables, wiring systems, and final subcircuits are also considered, along with earthing, discharge lighting, and testing and inspection.Comprised of 12 chapters, this book begins with an overview of electrical installation work, traits of a good electrician, and the regulations governing installations. The r

What makes segmentation good? A case study in boreal forest habitat mapping

OpenAIRE

Räsänen, Aleksi; Rusanen, Antti; Kuitunen, Markku; Lensu, Anssi

2013-01-01

Segmentation goodness evaluation is a set of approaches meant for deciding which segmentation is good. In this study, we tested different supervised segmentation evaluation measures and visual interpretation in the case of boreal forest habitat mapping in Southern Finland. The data used were WorldView-2 satellite imagery, a lidar digital elevation model (DEM), and a canopy height model (CHM) in 2 m resolution. The segmentation methods tested were the fractal net evolution approach (FNEA) and ...

Research, development and innovation in the electrical energy sector of Brazil: toward a tool for the support of the decision-making process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Machado, Fernando Vieira; Salles-Filho, Sergio; Brittes, Jose Juiz Pereira; Corder, Solange Maria; Boer, Denile Cominato [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil)

2008-07-01

The objective of this article is to present a tool to help in the decision making process for the allocation of resources for research, development and innovation in the electrical energy sector in Brazil. It provides a computerized tool for the management of a portfolio of projects which contains myriads of information of projects of research, development, and innovation financed by companies in the area of the generation, transmission and distribution of electrical energy in Brazil. This tool permits the collection and analysis of this information with a view to evaluating the direction and progress of investments made in the past five years. The electrical energy sector of Brazil invests hundreds of millions of reals each year in research and development (henceforth 'R and D'). The investment of these resources is required by a set of federal laws. This legal framework is a consequence of the process of the privatization of the sector which began in 1997. The investment of the financial resources in R and D projects is supervised by the Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (henceforth 'ANEEL'). It is the responsibility of ANEEL to evaluate and approve proposed R and D projects, and monitor their results, as per the 'Handbook of R and D of the Electrical Energy Sector.' This tool for supporting the decision-making process serves exactly the purpose of helping both ANEEL in the approval of resources under its supervision, as well as helping companies within the electrical energy sector in the management of applied resources. Almost one billion reals (approximately US $500,000,000) were invested in more than 3000 projects from 1998 to 2006. The data base associated with these projects already contains information concerning 1412 projects from 1998 to 2004, permitting significant analyses of the results and impacts of the allocation of resources. (author)

Why shared decision making is not good enough: lessons from patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Olthuis, G.J.; Leget, C.J.W.; Grypdonck, M.H.F.

2014-01-01

A closer look at the lived illness experiences of medical professionals themselves shows that shared decision making is in need of a logic of care. This paper underlines that medical decision making inevitably takes place in a messy and uncertain context in which sharing responsibilities may impose

Energy carriers within Europe: electricity and SNG

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lucas, N J.D.

1977-03-01

The general aim of this paper is to make a case for substitute natural gas as an energy carrier with prospects for growth that are at least as good as those of electricity and a life expectancy as long as one can reasonably plan for. The bulk of the paper analyzes the determinants of commercial competition between SNG and electricity. Space heat is treated in detail because this is generally seen as the area in which rapid expansion of electricity sales is possible. The provision of process heat to industry is dealt with superficially. The principal conclusion is that, for space heating and some industrial process heating and over a wide range of future costs for fossil and nuclear fuels, SNG from the marginal source of bulk fuel will be of lower cost than electricity from an integrated system of nuclear generating stations and fossil-fired stations using the same marginal source of fossil fuel. This conclusion may be difficult to accept because it conflicts with intuition. In Europe now there is a good case for installing more nuclear plants if what is wanted is base-load power. There are also mines producing coal at higher cost than imported oil. The short-term economic pressure, therefore, is to install nuclear plants and retreat from coal. Moreover, natural gas from the North Sea and even LNG from distant sources is cheaper than SNG from indigenous coal is likely to be. If one believes that indigenous oil and gas will be available in large quantities, or if one believes it will be possible to import oil without difficulty or political risk, then it is right to ignore SNG as an energy carrier; but the fashionable perception of the future is that indigenous production and/or imports will be restricted by physical shortage or political constraint so that, at the margin, heat will be supplied from nuclear fuel. In these circumstances SNG appears a better carrier of energy for heat than electricity. (MCW)

Simultaneous day-ahead forecasting of electricity price and load in smart grids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shayeghi, H.; Ghasemi, A.; Moradzadeh, M.; Nooshyar, M.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • This paper presents a novel MIMO-based support vector machine for forecasting. • Considered uncertainties for better simulation for filtering in input data. • Used LSSVM technique for learning. • Proposed a new modification for standard artificial bee colony algorithm to optimize LSSVM engine. - Abstract: In smart grids, customers are promoted to change their energy consumption patterns by electricity prices. In fact, in this environment, the electricity price and load consumption are highly corrected such that the market participants will have complex model in their decisions to maximize their profit. Although the available forecasting mythologies perform well in electricity market by way of little or no load and price interdependencies, but cannot capture load and price dynamics if they exist. To overcome this shortage, a Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) model is presented which can consider the correlation between electricity price and load. The proposed model consists of three components known as a Wavelet Packet Transform (WPT) to make valuable subsets, Generalized Mutual Information (GMI) to select best input candidate and Least Squares Support Vector Machine (LSSVM) based on MIMO model, called LSSVM-MIMO, to make simultaneous load and price forecasts. Moreover, the LSSVM-MIMO parameters are optimized by a novel Quasi-Oppositional Artificial Bee Colony (QOABC) algorithm. Some forecasting indices based on error factor are considered to evaluate the forecasting accuracy. Simulations carried out on New York Independent System Operator, New South Wales (NSW) and PJM electricity markets data, and showing that the proposed hybrid algorithm has good potential for simultaneous forecasting of electricity price and load

Global Public Goods and The Role of Emerging Power: Considering the Concept of Impure Public Goods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Rieshøj Yi

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The existing analysis of global public goods over-emphasizes the significance of public. Great power as a main provider has played an active role in these strategic initiatives, which may be ignored. In fact, main power has thought about the possible free-riders when providing public goods and making its foreign strategic plan. China’s announcement to “welcome the neighbouring countries to be a free-rider and benefit from China’s rise” is a good example. It is necessary to think about the theory of public goods and take another look at the free-riding phenomenon. The concept of impure public goods may be useful and effective when we understand the reason why global public goods are being provided and are relatively efficient. As an emerging power, China should have a clear strategy on global public goods with a possible “marketing” viewpoint, including more initiatives and specific measures, so that the global public goods provision may be more diverse and well-planned.

Knowledge asymmetries about product "goodness"

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kampf, Constance

and actions towards workers, and findings of independent researchers.  Currently, differing perspectives on product "goodness" are being addressed and mediated by NGOs and B-corporations, as they work with private companies and corporations to communicate product information to consumers.  One organization...... focused on scenarios where shoppers were asked about CSR in their product decisions found that: "...when consumers are given information that they trust about a company's level of social responsibility, it affects how they evaluate the company and their purchase intentions. Furthermore, a low price did.......  Asymmetries in knowledge about product "goodness" make it difficult for ethically inspired consumers to make informed decisions about the products they purchase.  These knowledge asymmetries emerge from differing perspectives on guidelines for consumer safety set by government bodies, CSR initiatives...

Lone ranger decision making versus consensus decision making: Descriptive analysis

OpenAIRE

Maite Sara Mashego

2015-01-01

Consensus decision making, concerns group members make decisions together with the requirement of reaching a consensus that is all members abiding by the decision outcome. Lone ranging worked for sometime in a autocratic environment. Researchers are now pointing to consensus decision-making in organizations bringing dividend to many organizations. This article used a descriptive analysis to compare the goodness of consensus decision making and making lone ranging decision management. This art...

Competition in electricity markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, W.

1996-01-01

This article examines expanded wholesale and retail competition and the effect that they are likely to have on the electric power industry. The author believes that expanded wholesale competition is good and will bring immediate benefit to all electric consumers; however, based on the experience of the natural gas industry and the electric power industry in California and other parts of the world, the author counsels caution in moving toward expanded retail competition

The ethics of big data as a public good: which public? Whose good?

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Linnet

2016-12-28

International development and humanitarian organizations are increasingly calling for digital data to be treated as a public good because of its value in supplementing scarce national statistics and informing interventions, including in emergencies. In response to this claim, a 'responsible data' movement has evolved to discuss guidelines and frameworks that will establish ethical principles for data sharing. However, this movement is not gaining traction with those who hold the highest-value data, particularly mobile network operators who are proving reluctant to make data collected in low- and middle-income countries accessible through intermediaries. This paper evaluates how the argument for 'data as a public good' fits with the corporate reality of big data, exploring existing models for data sharing. I draw on the idea of corporate data as an ecosystem involving often conflicting rights, duties and claims, in comparison to the utilitarian claim that data's humanitarian value makes it imperative to share them. I assess the power dynamics implied by the idea of data as a public good, and how differing incentives lead actors to adopt particular ethical positions with regard to the use of data.This article is part of the themed issue 'The ethical impact of data science'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Application of fuzzy – Neuro to model weather parameter variability impacts on electrical load based on long-term forecasting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danladi Ali

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Long-term load forecasting provides vital information about future load and it helps the power industries to make decision regarding electrical energy generation and delivery. In this work, fuzzy – neuro model is developed to forecast a year ahead load in relation to weather parameter (temperature and humidity in Mubi, Adamawa State. It is observed that: electrical load increased with increase in temperature and relative humidity does not show notable effect on electrical load. The accuracy of the prediction is obtained at 98.78% with the corresponding mean absolute percentage error (MAPE of 1.22%. This confirms that fuzzy – neuro is a good tool for load forecasting. Keywords: Electrical load, Load forecasting, Fuzzy logic, Back propagation, Neuro-fuzzy, Weather parameter

Food Science for the Public Good

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Cassandra

If you are interested in food science, looking for a meaningful career path, and are motivated by the desire to make a difference, you may find that a career working for the public good can be very rewarding. Often, such opportunities address issues of social responsibility, sustainability, public health, and/or economic development. Food scientists who choose this path typically have an interest in social and public health issues, and are usually driven by the achievement of some sort of social, health, or societal gain. As food science in itself is a very broad discipline, applying this knowledge for the public good can also take a variety of paths. Whether you're interested in manufacturing, food safety, nutrition, food policy, product development, quality control, marketing and sales, or any other discipline that makes up the diverse field of food science, various opportunities exist to make a difference to society.

Risk perception & strategic decision making :general insights, a framework, and specific application to electricity generation using nuclear energy.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brewer, Jeffrey D.

2005-11-01

The objective of this report is to promote increased understanding of decision making processes and hopefully to enable improved decision making regarding high-consequence, highly sophisticated technological systems. This report brings together insights regarding risk perception and decision making across domains ranging from nuclear power technology safety, cognitive psychology, economics, science education, public policy, and neural science (to name a few). It forms them into a unique, coherent, concise framework, and list of strategies to aid in decision making. It is suggested that all decision makers, whether ordinary citizens, academics, or political leaders, ought to cultivate their abilities to separate the wheat from the chaff in these types of decision making instances. The wheat includes proper data sources and helpful human decision making heuristics; these should be sought. The chaff includes ''unhelpful biases'' that hinder proper interpretation of available data and lead people unwittingly toward inappropriate decision making ''strategies''; obviously, these should be avoided. It is further proposed that successfully accomplishing the wheat vs. chaff separation is very difficult, yet tenable. This report hopes to expose and facilitate navigation away from decision-making traps which often ensnare the unwary. Furthermore, it is emphasized that one's personal decision making biases can be examined, and tools can be provided allowing better means to generate, evaluate, and select among decision options. Many examples in this report are tailored to the energy domain (esp. nuclear power for electricity generation). The decision making framework and approach presented here are applicable to any high-consequence, highly sophisticated technological system.

Bottom-up realization and electrical characterization of a graphene-based device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maffucci, A; Micciulla, F; Cataldo, A; Bellucci, S; Miano, G

2016-01-01

We propose a bottom-up procedure to fabricate an easy-to-engineer graphene-based device, consisting of a microstrip-like circuit where few-layer graphene nanoplatelets are used to contact two copper electrodes. The graphene nanoplatelets are obtained by the microwave irradiation of intercalated graphite, i.e., an environmentally friendly, fast and low-cost procedure. The contact is created by a bottom-up process, driven by the application of a DC electrical field in the gap between the electrodes, yielding the formation of a graphene carpet. The electrical resistance of the device has been measured as a function of the gap length and device temperature. The possible use of this device as a gas sensor is demonstrated by measuring the sensitivity of its electrical resistance to the presence of gas. The measured results demonstrate a good degree of reproducibility in the fabrication process, and the competitive performance of devices, thus making the proposed technique potentially attractive for industrial applications. (paper)

Good Teaching: Aligning Student and Administrator Perceptions and Expectations

Science.gov (United States)

Nabaho, Lazarus; Oonyu, Joseph; Aguti, Jessica Norah

2017-01-01

Extant literature attests to limited systematic inquiry into students' perceptions of good teaching in higher education. Consequently, there have been calls for engaging students in construing what makes good university teaching. This interpretivist study investigated final-year undergraduate students' perceptions of good teaching at Makerere…

Electrical biopsy of irradiated intestinal tissue with a simple electrical impedance spectroscopy system for radiation enteropathy in rats—a pilot study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Yu-Jie; Lu, Yi-Yu; Chen, Cheng-Yu; Cheng, Kuo-Sheng; Huang, Eng-Yen

2011-01-01

Electrical impedance is one of the most often used parameters for characterizing material properties, especially in biomedical applications. Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), used for revealing both resistive and capacitive characteristics, is good for use in tissue characterization. In this study, a portable and simple EIS system based on a commercially available chip was used to assess rat intestinal tissues following irradiation. The EIS results were fitted to a resistor and capacitor electrical circuit model to solve the electrical properties of the tissue. The variation in the tissue's electrical characteristics was compared to the morphological and histological findings. From the experimental results, it was clear that the electrical properties, based on receiver operation curve analysis, demonstrated good detection performance relative to the histological changes. The electrical parameters of the tissues could be used to distinguish the tissue's status for investigation, which introduced a concept of 'electrical biopsy', and this 'electrical biopsy' approach may be used to complement histological examinations

Economic analysis of electric heating based on critical electricity price

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Feng; Sun, Zhijie; Zhou, Xinnan; Fu, Chengran; Yang, Jie

2018-06-01

The State Grid Corporation of China proposes an alternative energy strategy, which will make electric heating an important task in the field of residential electricity consumption. This article takes this as the background, has made the detailed introduction to the inhabitant electric heating technology, and take the Zhangjiakou electric panels heating technology as an example, from the expense angle, has carried on the analysis to the electric panels heating economy. In the field of residential heating, electric panels operating costs less than gas boilers. After customers implying energy-saving behavior, electric panels operating cost is even lower than coal-fired boilers. The critical price is higher than the execution price, which indicates that the economic performance of the electric panels is significantly higher than that of the coal boiler.

U.S. international trade in transportation-related goods

Science.gov (United States)

2003-06-01

Trade in motor vehicles and parts makes up three : of every four dollars that the U.S. trades in : transportation-related goods. : Canada is the United States' leading trade partner : in transportation-related goods, followed by : Japan and Mexic...

"Everyone just ate good food": 'Good food' in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasnain, Saher

2018-08-01

In recent years, consumption of alternatively produced foods has increased in popularity in response to the deleterious effects of rapidly globalising and industrialised food systems. Concerns over food safety in relation to these changes may result from elevated levels of risk and changing perceptions associated with food production practices. This paper explores how the middle class residents of Islamabad, Pakistan, use the concept of 'good food' to reconnect themselves with nature, changing food systems, and traditional values. The paper also demonstrates how these ideas relate to those of organic, local, and traditional food consumption as currently used in more economically developed states in the Global North. Through research based on participant observation and semi-structured interviews, this paper illustrates that besides price and convenience, purity, freshness, association with specific places, and 'Pakistani-ness' were considered as the basis for making decisions about 'good food'. The results show that while individuals are aware of and have some access to imported organic and local food, they prefer using holistic and culturally informed concepts of 'good food' instead that reconnect them with food systems. I argue that through conceptualisations of 'good food', the urban middle class in Islamabad is reducing their disconnection and dis-embeddedness from nature, the food systems, and their social identities. The paper contributes to literature on food anxieties, reconnections in food geography, and 'good food' perceptions, with a focus on Pakistan. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Approach to Multi-Criteria Group Decision-Making Problems Based on the Best-Worst-Method and ELECTRE Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xinshang You

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a novel approach to cope with the multi-criteria group decision-making problems. We give the pairwise comparisons based on the best-worst-method (BWM, which can decrease comparison times. Additionally, our comparison results are determined with the positive and negative aspects. In order to deal with the decision matrices effectively, we consider the elimination and choice translation reality (ELECTRE III method under the intuitionistic multiplicative preference relations environment. The ELECTRE III method is designed for a double-automatic system. Under a certain limitation, without bothering the decision-makers to reevaluate the alternatives, this system can adjust some special elements that have the most influence on the group’s satisfaction degree. Moreover, the proposed method is suitable for both the intuitionistic multiplicative preference relation and the interval valued fuzzy preference relations through the transformation formula. An illustrative example is followed to demonstrate the rationality and availability of the novel method.

AutoCAD electrical 2013 for electrical control designers

CERN Document Server

Tickoo, Sham; CADCIM Technologies

2013-01-01

The AutoCAD Electrical 2013 for Electrical Control Designers textbook has been written to assist the engineering students and the practicing designers learn the application of various AutoCAD Electrical tools and options for creating electrical control designs. After reading this textbook, the users will be able to create professional electrical-control drawings easily and effectively. Moreover, the users will be able to automate various control engineering tasks such as building circuits, numbering wires, creating bills of materials, and many more. The textbook takes the users across a wide spectrum of electrical control drawings through progressive examples and numerous illustrations and exercises, thereby making it an ideal guide for both the novice and the advanced users. Salient Features of the Textbook Consists of 14 chapters that are organized in a pedagogical sequence covering various tools and features of AutoCAD Electrical such as schematic drawings, parametric and non-parametric PLC modules, Circu...

The Electric Vehicle Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Jingyu; Liu, Yingqi; Kokko, Ari

2014-01-01

In order to respond to the energy crisis and environment problem, countries carry out their research and promotion about electric vehicles. As the ten cities one thousand new energy buses started in 2009, the new energy vehicles have been greatly developed in China, while the development...... in three aspects-city environment, government and stakeholders. Then the paper discusses the promotion ways and role of government and consumer. Finally, the paper offers some suggestions to promote electric vehicles in China: focusing on feasibility and adaptability of electric vehicles, playing...... of electric vehicles is not that good. This paper selects four cities-Los Angeles, Kanagawa, Hamburg, Amsterdam-that promote electric vehicles successfully and deeply analyzes the development of electric vehicles in these four cities and analyzes the factors that affect the development of electric vehicles...

Electric conductivity of TlInTe2 monocrystal in strong electric fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zarbaliev, M.M.; Godzhaev, Eh.M.; Gadzhiev, V.A.

1980-01-01

Electric condUctivity of the TlInTe 2 single crystal in strong electric fields has been studied in the range of 77-300 K. The electron part of the TlInTe 2 dielectric constant has been found to be 4. The dependence of the activation energy of current carriers on the electric field strength is constructed and the value of the activation energy of current carriers in the absence of an electric field is determined by the extrapolation method. The results of the experiments are in good agreement with the Frenkel-Pool theory, and this affords grounds for asserting that the obtained dependences of electric conductivity on temperature and the electric field strength are defined by variation in the current carrier concentration due to action of the thermal-electron ionization mechanism

Deliberation before determination: the definition and evaluation of good decision making.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elwyn, G.; Miron-Shatz, T.

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVES: In this article, we examine definitions of suggested approaches to measure the concept of good decisions, highlight the ways in which they converge, and explain why we have concerns about their emphasis on post-hoc estimations and post-decisional outcomes, their prescriptive concept of

The decision making of an electric power producer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giger, F.

2002-01-01

How can choose an electric power producer when he has to decide an investment of a supplementary power plant? Which were the criteria to choose a small or a medium power reactor? In this framework, the economical profitability, the technical feasibility and the associated risks are discussed. (A.L.B.)

Designing a New Electricity Consumer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pallesen, Trine; Jenle, Rasmus Ploug

The paper reports on a smart grid experiment for the making of a new retail electricity market integrating fluctuating electricity generation into electricity systems. An outline of design challenges faced by the market engineers when dealing with different and lacking conceptions of consumers...

Electricity and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-09-01

The objective of the Symposium was to provide a comprehensive assessment of the environmental and health factors as well as the economic factors involved in supplying electricity services, and to suggest a framework within which these issues should be taken into account in making future plans and decisions on electricity production and use. The potential role of different ways of meeting electricity service requirements was also to be analysed, taking into consideration both demand side and supply side options in the light of their comparative economic, environmental and health related impacts. Four Expert Groups considered key issues: the environmental implications of energy and electricity supply and demand; energy sources and technologies for electricity generation; comparative environmental and health effects of different energy systems for electricity generation; and the incorporation of environmental and health impacts into policy, planning and decision making for the electricity sector. During the Symposium, keynote addresses and invited papers presented by leading experts and policy makers provided additional related information. In this volume the background papers are presented. The proceedings have been published separately, and the individual papers in both volumes have been indexed separately for INIS. Refs, figs and tabs

An encyclopedia on domestic electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-12-01

This book describes the footprint of domestic electrification with domestic energy and the role of electrification, basic knowledge on domestic electrification, the basic things electric equipment in domestic, materials, part and making, demand of electricity, electrification and life, various electric equipment in the kitchen, rationalization of house chore, environment and hygiene like electric iron, electric stove, electric mat and dining wagon, beauty treatment and health, refinement and entertainment and lighting in houses.

A good Darwinian? Winwood Reade and the making of a late Victorian evolutionary epic.

Science.gov (United States)

Hesketh, Ian

2015-06-01

In 1871 the travel writer and anthropologist W. Winwood Reade (1838-1875) was inspired by his correspondence with Darwin to turn his narrow ethnological research on West African tribes into the broadest history imaginable, one that would show Darwin's great principle of natural selection at work throughout the evolutionary history of humanity, stretching back to the origins of the universe itself. But when Martyrdom of Man was published in 1872, Reade confessed that Darwin would not likely find him a very good Darwinian, as he was unable to show that natural selection was anything more than a secondary law that arranges all details. When it came to historicising humans within the sweeping history of all creation, Reade argued that the primary law was that of development, a less contentious theory of human evolution that was better suited to Reade's progressive and teleological history of life. By focussing on the extensive correspondence between Reade and Darwin, this paper reconstructs the attempt to make an explicitly Darwinian evolutionary epic in order to shed light on the moral and aesthetic demands that worked to give shape to Victorian efforts to historicise humans within a vastly expanding timeframe. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A micro-structured Si-based electrodes for high capacity electrical double layer capacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krikscikas, Valdas; Oguchi, Hiroyuki; Hara, Motoaki; Kuwano, Hiroki; Yanazawa, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

We challenged to make basis for Si electrodes of electric double layer capacitors (EDLC) used as a power source of micro-sensor nodes. Mcroelectromechanical systems (MEMS) processes were successfully introduced to fabricate micro-structured Si-based electrodes to obtain high surface area which leads to high capacity of EDLCs. Study of fundamental properties revealed that the microstructured electrodes benefit from good wettability to electrolytes, but suffer from electric resistance. We found that this problem can be solved by metal-coating of the electrode surface. Finally we build an EDLC consisting of Au-coated micro-structured Si electrodes. This EDLC showed capacity of 14.3 mF/cm 2 , which is about 530 times larger than that of an EDLC consisting of flat Au electrodes

Study on radioactivity in consumer goods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-01-01

Consumer goods containing radionuclides are increasingly utilized, sometimes for having chemical or technological properties which nonradioactive materials cannot fulfill (e.g. uranium paints) or it may be that radioactivity is especially required (e.g. fluorescent paints, fire-alarm-boxes, electronic instruments). The present study makes a compilation of consumer goods containing radioactive substances which are available to the general public in the nine countries of the Community, carries out a medium and long term study to assess how accumulated radiation from these goods could affect the population as a whole, and proposes measures to minimize the effects of such accumulation

Neutron visual sensing techniques making good use of computer science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kureta, Masatoshi

2009-01-01

Neutron visual sensing technique is one of the nondestructive visualization and image-sensing techniques. In this article, some advanced neutron visual sensing techniques are introduced. The most up-to-date high-speed neutron radiography, neutron 3D CT, high-speed scanning neutron 3D/4D CT and multi-beam neutron 4D CT techniques are included with some fundamental application results. Oil flow in a car engine was visualized by high-speed neutron radiography technique to make clear the unknown phenomena. 4D visualization of pained sand in the sand glass was reported as the demonstration of the high-speed scanning neutron 4D CT technique. The purposes of the development of these techniques are to make clear the unknown phenomena and to measure the void fraction, velocity etc. with high-speed or 3D/4D for many industrial applications. (author)

7 CFR 1700.28 - Electric Program.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Electric Program. 1700.28 Section 1700.28 Agriculture... GENERAL INFORMATION Agency Organization and Functions § 1700.28 Electric Program. RUS, through the Electric Program, makes loans and loan guarantees for rural electrification and the furnishing of electric...

Risk perception and strategic decision making :general insights, a framework, and specific application to electricity generation using nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brewer, Jeffrey D.

2005-01-01

The objective of this report is to promote increased understanding of decision making processes and hopefully to enable improved decision making regarding high-consequence, highly sophisticated technological systems. This report brings together insights regarding risk perception and decision making across domains ranging from nuclear power technology safety, cognitive psychology, economics, science education, public policy, and neural science (to name a few). It forms them into a unique, coherent, concise framework, and list of strategies to aid in decision making. It is suggested that all decision makers, whether ordinary citizens, academics, or political leaders, ought to cultivate their abilities to separate the wheat from the chaff in these types of decision making instances. The wheat includes proper data sources and helpful human decision making heuristics; these should be sought. The chaff includes ''unhelpful biases'' that hinder proper interpretation of available data and lead people unwittingly toward inappropriate decision making ''strategies''; obviously, these should be avoided. It is further proposed that successfully accomplishing the wheat vs. chaff separation is very difficult, yet tenable. This report hopes to expose and facilitate navigation away from decision-making traps which often ensnare the unwary. Furthermore, it is emphasized that one's personal decision making biases can be examined, and tools can be provided allowing better means to generate, evaluate, and select among decision options. Many examples in this report are tailored to the energy domain (esp. nuclear power for electricity generation). The decision making framework and approach presented here are applicable to any high-consequence, highly sophisticated technological system

Choice of electricity provider in California after deregulation

Science.gov (United States)

Keanini, Rasa Ilze

Surveys often ask consumers how much they are willing to pay for certain goods and services, without requiring the consumer to actually pay for the good or service. Such surveys, termed stated preference studies, find that consumers value renewable electricity. This result is in contrast to actual experiences in recently deregulated electricity markets in several states, including California. When given the opportunity to choose in California, only one to two percent of the population opted for renewable electricity products. This dissertation used data from residential customers who chose an alternative electricity product in California's deregulated electricity market to determine the value placed on the renewable attribute of electricity products. This dissertation begins by taking a historical look at the electricity market of the nation and specifically California. From 1998 through 2001, California's electricity market was deregulated to include retail competition. This dissertation used data from electric service providers to reveal the factors influencing residential customer's choice of electricity product. Discrete choice models were used to determine the factors influencing electricity product choice. The results indicated that both price and renewable content had an effect on choice of product. Additionally, a more complicated model jointly estimating the discrete choice of electricity product with the continuous choice of electricity consumption (kWh) was specified and estimated.

4 Challenges & Solutions to Getting a Good Night's Sleep

Science.gov (United States)

A good night’s sleep makes you feel better and gives you the energy you need to face the world. But, some women have trouble getting a good night’s sleep. Here are some of the reasons women have trouble sleeping and some things you can do to get a good night’s rest.

Electrically tunable whispering gallery mode microresonator based on a grapefruit-microstructured optical fiber infiltrated with nematic liquid crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chengkun; Zhang, Hao; Liu, Bo; Lin, Shiwei; Li, Yuetao; Liu, Haifeng

2017-08-01

An electrically tunable whispering gallery mode (WGM) microresonator based on an HF-etched microstructured optical fiber (MOF) infiltrated with nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Experimental results indicate that as the peak-to-peak voltage of the applied AC electric field increases from 160 to 220 V, WGM resonance peaks gradually move toward a shorter wavelength region by 0.527 nm with a wavelength sensitivity up to 0.01  nm/V for a TM1691 mode, and the Q-factor for each WGM resonance peak rapidly decreases with the increment of applied electric voltage. The proposed electrically controlled WGM tuning scheme shows a linear resonance wavelength shift with good spectral reversibility, which makes it a promising candidate to serve as an integrated functional photonic device in practical use and in related fundamental scientific studies.

Design, construction and experimental study of Electric Cum Solar Oven-II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nandwani, S.S.

1987-11-01

As in many developing countries, 35-40% of the population of Costa Rica still use firewood for domestic cooking. Considering the fact that Costa Rica is blessed with good sunshine, good hydroelectric potential, and a good electric network, a hybrid solar oven was thought to be useful. In the present paper the construction and working of a new type of Electric Cum Solar Oven (ECSO) has been described. This oven can be used for cooking and baking any type of meal at any time during the year employing solar and/or electric energy but consuming the minimum quantity of electric energy in case it is required. (author). 9 refs, 6 figs, 1 tab

3D Printing Electrically Small Spherical Antennas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kim, Oleksiy S.

2013-01-01

3D printing is applied for rapid prototyping of an electrically small spherical wire antenna. The model is first printed in plastic and subsequently covered with several layers of conductive paint. Measured results are in good agreement with simulations.......3D printing is applied for rapid prototyping of an electrically small spherical wire antenna. The model is first printed in plastic and subsequently covered with several layers of conductive paint. Measured results are in good agreement with simulations....

Advanced ceramic composite for high energy resistors. Characterization of electrical and physical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farrokh, Fattahi; Navid, Tagizadegan; Naser, Tabatabaei

2005-01-01

Full text : There is a need to characterize and apply advanced materials to improve the performance of components used in pulse power systems. One area for innovation is the use of bulk electrically conductive ceramics for non-inductive, high energy and high power electrical resistors. Standard Ceramics, Inc. has developed a unique silicon carbide structural ceramic composite which exhibits electrical conductivity. The new conductive bulk ceramic material has a controlled microstructure, which results an improved homogeneity, making the material suitable for use as a non-inductive, high energy resistor. The new material has higher density, highee peak of temperature limit and greater physical strength compared with bulk ceramics currently used for pulsed power resistors. This paper describes characterization of the material's physical and electrical properties and relates them to improvements in low-power density, as compared to existing components would be expected and derived from specific properties such as good thermal conductivity, high strength, thermal shock resistance and high temperature capability. The bulk resistor approach that weas proposed offers high reliability through better mechanical properties and simplicity of construction

Electricity and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

The objective of the Symposium was to provide a comprehensive assessment of the environmental and health factors as well as the economic factors involved in supplying electricity services, and to suggest a framework within which these issues should be taken into account in making future plans and decisions on electricity production and use. The potential role of different ways of meeting electricity service requirements was also to be analysed, taking into consideration both demand side and supply side options in the light of their comparative economic, environmental and health related impacts. Four Expert Groups considered key issues: the environmental implications of energy and electricity supply and demand; energy sources and technologies for electricity generation; comparative environmental and health effects of different energy systems for electricity generation; and the incorporation of environmental and health impacts into policy, planning and decision making for the electricity sector. During the Symposium, keynote addresses and invited papers presented by leading experts and policy makers provided additional related information. The Proceedings contain all the addresses and papers presented (which are also indexed separately) together with summaries of the discussions that took place. The Key Issues Papers are presented in a separate publication. Refs, figs and tabs

Research on Effective Supply Mode of Rural Public Goods

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2011-01-01

On the basis of definition and classification of rural public goods, this paper analyses the status quo of public goods supply in vast rural areas of China, and it indicates that the electricity and communication facility in rural areas have not yet been popularized; the culture and education facility is critically backward; the medical care and social warfare institutions are short. It points out the rational supply model of public goods as follows: the government plays dominant role in the public goods supply with a large amount of investments, related to the quality of living and production of multitudinous farmers; small wieldy quasi-public goods that can be easily supplied and marginalized public goods can introduce multiplex supply main body under the framework of government guidance. According to this model, corresponding policy suggestions are put forward as follows: increase financial inputs, and perfect local financial system; actively encourage the majority of farmers in rural areas to participate in public goods supply mechanism, so that the supply has pertinence; vigorously develop multiplex supply system of rural public goods, to ensure effective supply.

Non-contact magnetic coupled power and data transferring system for an electric vehicle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuda, Y.; Sakamoto, H.

2007-01-01

We have developed a system which transmits electric power and communication data simultaneously in a non-contact method using a magnetic coupling coil. Already, we are developing the fundamental technology of a non-contact charging system, and this is applied in electric shavers, electric toothbrushes, etc. Moreover, basic experiments are being conducted for applying this non-contact charging system to electric equipments such as an electric vehicle (EV), which is a zero emission vehicle and environmentally excellent and will be the transportation means of the next generation. The technology can also be applied in other electronic equipment, etc. However, since the power supply route for these individual devices is independent, the supply system is complicated. EV also has to perform the transmission of electric power and the transmission of information (data), such as the amount of the charge, in a separate system, and thus is quite complicated. In this study, by performing simultaneously the transmission of electric power and information (data) using magnetic coupling technology in which it does not contact, the basic experiment aimed at attaining and making unification of a system simple was conducted, and the following good results were obtained: (1) Electric power required for load can be transmitted easily by non-contact. (2) A signal can easily be transmitted bidirectionally by non-contact. (3) This system is reliable, and is widely applicable

Making the connection. The relationship between fuel poverty, electricity disconnection, and prepayment metering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Sullivan, Kimberley C.; Howden-Chapman, Philippa L.; Fougere, Geoff

2011-01-01

Fuel poverty, or inability to afford adequate heating for a reasonable outlay of expenditure, is a significant and under-researched problem in New Zealand. The connection between fuel poverty, and electricity disconnection or 'self-disconnection' is analysed for four cities using prepayment metering to pay for electricity. A price comparison analysis on a government-sponsored website showed that prepayment metering was more expensive than other payment options. This website analysis was supplemented by qualitative data from older people with chronic respiratory disease expressing their views about electricity disconnection and prepayment metering. We show that prepayment metering for electricity is more expensive than other payment methods in New Zealand and that older people's insights provide valuable context to these issues. Under the present payment schedule, the use of prepayment metering to pay for electricity is not a suitable policy instrument to address fuel poverty, which remains problematic. The deregulated electricity market continues to lead to increases in the real price of residential electricity and in the number of people in fuel poverty. We offer policy suggestions for reducing fuel poverty in New Zealand. (author)

The electricity certificate system, 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2008-07-01

The electricity certificate system is now in its sixth year. Since the start, both the system and the market have developed, and have undergone a number of changes. In January 2007, the Swedish Energy Agency published a report on the system, 'The electricity certificate system, 2006', to provide easily accessible information on the development of the system and to improve general understanding of it. With the passing of another year, it is now time for the third edition, 'The electricity certificate system, 2008', describing the market status of the electricity certificate system, with statistics from 2003 to 2007. This year's special theme chapter describes current support systems for renewable electricity production throughout the EU. The report also contains expanded information and statistics on biofuels, together with a new chapter that describes planned expansion of renewable electricity production up to 2012. The chapter on consumers' contribution to renewable electricity production has also been updated. A new feature this year is provided in the form of a number of tables at the end of the report, complementing the text. Through annual publication of the report, we hope to create a means of continuously developing the statistical material and analyses, in order to assist those involved in the market, and all other interested persons, to follow achievement of the objectives set out in the Government's Bill No. 205/06:154, 'Renewable electricity with green certificates'. We welcome views on the content and presentation of the report in order further to improve it. The target for the certificate system is to increase, by 2016, the annual production of electricity from renewable sources by 17 TWh relative to its production in 2002. So far, the actual production of renewable electricity is less than the indicative stage target for 2007. Nevertheless, progress is regarded as good, as there are many planned projects

The Current Dilemma and Future Path of China’s Electric Vehicles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xingping Zhang

2014-03-01

Full Text Available China had set an ambitious development target of electric vehicles (EVs to mitigate the environmental pollution. However, the actual situation of EVs far lagged behind the goals. This paper analyzes the elements impeding EVs’ development, which are identified into four contributors, including deficient EV subsidy policies, embarrassed EV market, local protectionism, and unmatched charging infrastructure. Based on the actual situation of China, this paper discusses corresponding policy suggestions and explores the alternative roadmap of EVs. In the initial development stage of EVs, it is important to select the appropriate charging mode for EVs according to different characteristics across users. Moreover, the development of hybrid electric vehicle (HEV may open the EV market faster than battery electric vehicle (BEV. In addition, the low-speed EVs may be a good choice for the rural market and should be well developed. With the promotion of EVs, China central and local governments should make rational policies to promote EVs’ development, which is the crucial force to drive the uptake of EVs.

Making EDM Electrodes By Stereolithography

Science.gov (United States)

Barlas, Philip A.

1988-01-01

Stereolithography is computer-aided manufacturing technique. Used to make models and molds of electrodes for electrical-discharge machining (EDM). Eliminates intermediate steps in fabrication of plastic model of object used in making EDM electrode to manufacture object or mold for object.

Deregulating electricity in the American states

Science.gov (United States)

Terbush, Thomas Lee

This dissertation develops nine stylized facts that summarize the major consequences of deregulation and tests these against recent experience in the electric utility industry. The experience of the electric utility industry matches the predictions of the stylized facts, except in one instance: although real electricity prices fell between 1982 and 1999, real prices fell less in states that deregulated. This dissertation presents three possible explanations for this discrepancy. First, through dynamic efficiency, consumers may benefit in the long run through lower rates and better service in the electricity market, or deregulation may be a public good that benefits electricity consumers through economy-wide improvements in efficiency. Second, higher prices may be a long-run outcome as predicted by the theory of the second best. Or third, both regulators and utilities may use deregulation to generate new rents. Because the original rents from regulation had dissipated, new rents could be generated under deregulation by making consumers pay off the utilities and then creating more new rents through re-regulation of the industry. Close examination tends to support the first and third explanations, although the second-best explanation cannot yet be ruled out completely. Higher prices appear to be a transitional phenomenon, resulting from a short-term payoff from consumers to incumbent utilities that was required to move deregulation forward. This payoff occurs as residential and commercial consumers bear relatively higher rates over three to five years to compensate utilities for stranded costs, investments thought to be unrecoverable under full competition. All states are benefiting from deregulation, but states that are deregulating are benefiting less while stranded costs are being recovered. This dissertation also examines California electricity deregulation and finds that the experience in California conforms with to the stylized facts, and that certain structural

Electricity trade under financial market supervision; Der Stromhandel unter Finanzmarktaufsicht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hagena, Martin

2011-07-01

With the competitive opening of the electricity market at European and national level, the goods electricity became a freely traded commodity. The author of the contribution under consideration describes the legal consequences related to financial market for trading electricity in the context of the current Directive 2004/39/EC now under consideration of the commodity futures trading in its representational scope. The statements clearly indicate that the power market is a goods market with its own laws and not a classical financial market. It considers what characteristics exist in electricity trading and whether and how they are considered for regulatory purposes.

Electrical bushing for a superconductor element

Science.gov (United States)

Mirebeau, Pierre; Lallouet, Nicolas; Delplace, Sebastien; Lapierre, Regis

2010-05-04

The invention relates to an electrical bushing serving to make a connection at ambient temperature to a superconductor element situated in an enclosure at cryogenic temperature. The electrical bushing passes successively through an enclosure at intermediate temperature between ambient temperature and cryogenic temperature, and an enclosure at ambient temperature, and it comprises a central electrical conductor surrounded by an electrically insulating sheath. According to the invention, an electrically conductive screen connected to ground potential surrounds the insulating sheath over a section that extends from the end of the bushing that is in contact with the enclosure at cryogenic temperature at least as far as the junction between the enclosure at intermediate temperature and the enclosure at ambient temperature. The invention is more particularly applicable to making a connection to a superconductor cable.

Business making decisions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enrique Benjamín Franklin Fincowsky

2011-06-01

Full Text Available People and organizations make better or get wrong as consequence of making decisions. Sometimes making decisions is just a trial and error process. Some others, decisions are good and the results profitable with a few of mistakes, most of the time because it’s considered the experience and the control of a specific field or the good intention of who makes them. Actually, all kinds of decisions bring learning. What is important is the intention, the attitude and the values considered in this process. People from different scenes face many facts and circumstances—almost always out of control—that affect the making decisions process. There is not a unique way to make decisions for all companies in many settings. The person who makes a decision should identify the problem, to solve it later using alternatives and solutions. Even though, follow all the steps it’s not easy as it seems. Looking back the conditions related to the decisions, we can mention the followings: uncertainty, risk and certainty. When people identify circumstances and facts, as well as its effects in a possible situation, they will make decisions with certainty. As long as the information decreases and it becomes ambiguous the risk becomes an important factor in the making decisions process because they are connected to probable objectives (clear or subjective (opinion judgment or intuition. To finish, uncertainty, involves people that make a decision with no or little information about circumstances or criteria with basis

Analysis of electricity price in Danish competitive electricity market

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Weihao; Chen, Zhe; Bak-Jensen, Birgitte

2012-01-01

electricity markets in some ways, is chosen as the studied power system. 10 year actual data from the Danish competitive electricity market are collected and analyzed. The relationship among the electricity price (both the spot price and the regulation price), the consumption and the wind power generation...... in an electricity market is investigated in this paper. The spot price and the regulation price generally decrease when the wind power penetration in the power system increases or the consumption of the power system decreases. The statistical characteristics of the spot price and the regulation price for different...... consumption periods and wind power penetration are analyzed. Simulation results show that the findings of this paper are useful for wind power generation companies to make the optimal bidding strategy so that the imbalance cost of trading wind power on the electricity market could be reduced....

Making Good Choices: Districts Take the Lead. Comprehensive School Reform.

Science.gov (United States)

North Central Regional Educational Lab., Oak Brook, IL.

Public schools across the country are aiming to improve student performance by engaging in comprehensive school reform (CSR). This guide was created to help school districts make CSR an integral part of their strategies for improving student achievement. Five components for CSR are described: (1) Strategizing, whereby the district supports CSR by…

ISLAM, BUDAYA KORUPSI DAN GOOD GOVERNANCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Fawaid

2012-03-01

Full Text Available AbstractThe phenomenon and corruption action still becomes a fact that cannot be finished. One of causes is mentality of the world. It makes the cause why corruption becomes a massive culture. Beside restraining orientation of the world, good governance must become the priority. The result is that corruption does not become the culture anymore, and slowly but sure, it can be eliminated, or at least it can decrease.Kata-kata kuncikorupsi, budaya korupsi, indeks persepsi korupsi, good governance

Solar-coupled electric vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willer, B.

1993-01-01

An electrical drive is an alternative to the present internal combustion engines. The electric car produces no exhaust gas where it is used and drives practically noiselessly. The energy required for driving is usually taken from an electro-chemical battery. The necessary electricity generation generates emission and CO 2 , depending on the primary energy used. An alternative is provided by electricity generation with the aid of regenerative energy. Apart from hydroelectric and wind energy, solar energy can make a considerable contribution in the future. (orig.) [de

Matrix diffusion studies by electrical conductivity methods. Comparison between laboratory and in-situ measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohlsson, Y.; Neretnieks, I.

1998-01-01

Traditional laboratory diffusion experiments in rock material are time consuming, and quite small samples are generally used. Electrical conductivity measurements, on the other hand, provide a fast means for examining transport properties in rock and allow measurements on larger samples as well. Laboratory measurements using electrical conductivity give results that compare well to those from traditional diffusion experiments. The measurement of the electrical resistivity in the rock surrounding a borehole is a standard method for the detection of water conducting fractures. If these data could be correlated to matrix diffusion properties, in-situ diffusion data from large areas could be obtained. This would be valuable because it would make it possible to obtain data very early in future investigations of potentially suitable sites for a repository. This study compares laboratory electrical conductivity measurements with in-situ resistivity measurements from a borehole at Aespoe. The laboratory samples consist mainly of Aespoe diorite and fine-grained granite and the rock surrounding the borehole of Aespoe diorite, Smaaland granite and fine-grained granite. The comparison shows good agreement between laboratory measurements and in-situ data

Industry evolution, rational agents and the transition to sustainable electricity production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Safarzynska, Karolina, E-mail: ksafarzy@wu.ac.at [Institute for the Environment and Regional Development, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business, Nordbergstrasse 15 (UZA4, 4B), A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M. van den, E-mail: jeroen.bergh@uab.es [ICREA, Barcelona (Spain); Institute for Environmental Science and Technology and Department of Economics and Economic History, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Edifici Cn-Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra (Spain); Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, and the Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University Amsterdam (Netherlands); Fellow of Tinbergen Institute and NAKE (Netherlands)

2011-10-15

Guiding a transition to low carbon electricity requires a good understanding of the substitution of old by new technologies in the electricity industry. With the aim of explaining historical change from coal to gas in the British electricity industry, we develop a formal model of technological change, where energy technologies diffuse through the construction of new power plants. We considered two model versions: with rational and boundedly rational investors. In each model version, we look at the causal relations between price and output setting mechanisms, fuel and labour use, and investment decisions for different institutional arrangements. We quantify model parameters on data for the United Kingdom. We find that the version of the model with rational investors is capable of replicating well core features of UK electricity history. This includes a rapid diffusion of gas in electricity production, the evolution of the average size of newly installed plants, and a high percentage of electricity sales covered by (forward) contracts-for-difference. In this model setting, nuclear and renewable energies have no chance to diffuse on the market. In the version of the model with boundedly rational investors, nuclear power typically dominates electricity production. We discuss implications of our modelling results for making a transition to low carbon electricity in the future. - Highlights: > We propose a model of a transition from coal to gas in electricity production. > Energy technologies diffuse through the construction of new power plants. > We considered two model versions: with rational and boundedly rational investors. > We quantify model parameters on data for the UK for the period 1990-2002. > We draw policy conclusions for guiding a transition to low carbon electricity.

Industry evolution, rational agents and the transition to sustainable electricity production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Safarzynska, Karolina; Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M. van den

2011-01-01

Guiding a transition to low carbon electricity requires a good understanding of the substitution of old by new technologies in the electricity industry. With the aim of explaining historical change from coal to gas in the British electricity industry, we develop a formal model of technological change, where energy technologies diffuse through the construction of new power plants. We considered two model versions: with rational and boundedly rational investors. In each model version, we look at the causal relations between price and output setting mechanisms, fuel and labour use, and investment decisions for different institutional arrangements. We quantify model parameters on data for the United Kingdom. We find that the version of the model with rational investors is capable of replicating well core features of UK electricity history. This includes a rapid diffusion of gas in electricity production, the evolution of the average size of newly installed plants, and a high percentage of electricity sales covered by (forward) contracts-for-difference. In this model setting, nuclear and renewable energies have no chance to diffuse on the market. In the version of the model with boundedly rational investors, nuclear power typically dominates electricity production. We discuss implications of our modelling results for making a transition to low carbon electricity in the future. - Highlights: → We propose a model of a transition from coal to gas in electricity production. → Energy technologies diffuse through the construction of new power plants. → We considered two model versions: with rational and boundedly rational investors. → We quantify model parameters on data for the UK for the period 1990-2002. → We draw policy conclusions for guiding a transition to low carbon electricity.

Electricity consumption and ICT in the French service sector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Collard, Fabrice [Toulouse Univ., (GREMAQ-CNRS, IDEI), Toulouse (France); Feve, Patrick [GREMAQ-Univ. de Toulouse 1, Toulouse, 31 (France); Portier, Franck [Toulouse Univ., (GREMAQ, LEERNA, IDEI, IUF, CEPR), Toulouse (France)

2005-05-01

The paper documents the evolution of electricity use and the development of information and communication (IC) technologies in the French service sector. To that purpose, we put together two data sets documenting electricity consumption and the diffusion of IC capital goods. Using a simple factor demand model, we estimate the structural parameters of the model using both the time series and the cross-sectional dimension of the data, and allow for a specific effect of IC capital goods on the efficiency of electricity in production. We obtain robust results showing that, once controlled for technical progress, prices, and heated areas, electricity intensity of production increases with computers and software, while it decreases with the diffusion of communication device. (Author)

Substantial Goodness and Nascent Human Life.

Science.gov (United States)

Floyd, Shawn

2015-09-01

Many believe that moral value is--at least to some extent--dependent on the developmental states necessary for supporting rational activity. My paper rejects this view, but does not aim simply to register objections to it. Rather, my essay aims to answer the following question: if a human being's developmental state and occurrent capacities do not bequeath moral standing, what does? The question is intended to prompt careful consideration of what makes human beings objects of moral value, dignity, or (to employ my preferred term) goodness. Not only do I think we can answer this question, I think we can show that nascent human life possesses goodness of precisely this sort. I appeal to Aquinas's metaethics to establish the conclusion that the goodness of a human being--even if that being is an embryo or fetus--resides at the substratum of her existence. If she possesses goodness, it is because human existence is good.

Annual report on compliance with the codes of good conduct and independence of electricity grid and natural gas network operators. November 2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-11-01

In France, system operators belong to groups that also conduct business in the energy sector, in fields governed by competition rules. They could therefore be tempted to use their privileged position to their group's benefit, which would disadvantage end consumers. Non-discriminatory access to electricity and gas transmission and distribution networks is at the core of the market opening to competition approach implemented by the European Union since the end of the 1990's. EU and national enactments in force highlight two tools to ensure nondiscrimination: compliance programmes and independence of system operators with regard to their parent companies. Firstly, compliance programs contain measures taken to ensure that discrimination is completely excluded and that their application is subject to appropriate monitoring. Secondly, system operator independence plays a part in preventing discrimination against competitors with other business activities (generation, supply, etc.) within the same group. In application of these enactments, every electricity or natural gas transmission or distribution system operator serving more than 100,000 customers provided CRE, the Energy Regulatory Commission, with their annual reports on the application of their compliance programs. This document is CRE's November 2005 report about compliance programmes and independence of electricity and natural gas system operators. It has been prepared using the codes of good conduct and the annual reports supplied by network operators. CRE also launched a public consultation of the market players in October 2005 and listened to what the network operators had to say. Moreover, it carried out a certain number of checks on operators' practices

Differentiating and evaluating common good and public good: making implicit assumptions explicit in the contexts of consent and duty to participate.

Science.gov (United States)

Bialobrzeski, A; Ried, J; Dabrock, P

2012-01-01

The notions 'common good' and 'public good' are mostly used as synonyms in bioethical discussion of biobanks, but have different origins. As a consequence, they should be applied differently. In this article, the respective characteristics are worked out and then subsequently examined which consent models emerge from them. Distinguishing normative and descriptive traits of both concepts, it turns out that one concept is unjustly used, and that the other one fits better to the context of a plural society. A reflected use of these differing concepts may help to choose an appropriate form of consent and allows public trust in biobank research to deepen. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Nuclear waste: good news

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gay, Michel

2014-01-01

The author states that the problem of nuclear wastes is solved. He states that 90 per cent of radioactive wastes are now permanently managed and that technical solutions for deep geological storage and for transmutation will soon solve the problem for the remaining 10 pc. He states that geological storage will be funded (it is included in electricity price). He denounces why these facts which he consider as good news, do not prevail. He proposes several documents in appendix: a text explaining the nuclear fuel cycle in France, and an extract of a report made by the national inventory of radioactive materials and wastes

Verifiable Distribution of Material Goods Based on Cryptology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radomír Palovský

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Counterfeiting of material goods is a general problem. In this paper an architecture for verifiable distribution of material goods is presented. This distribution is based on printing such a QR code on goods, which would contain digitally signed serial number of the product, and validity of this digital signature could be verifiable by a customer. Extension consisting of adding digital signatures to revenue stamps used for state-controlled goods is also presented. Discussion on possibilities in making copies leads to conclusion that cryptographic security needs to be completed by technical difficulties of copying.

Artificially injected charged particles as a tool for the measurement of the electric field in the magnetosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pirre, M.

1982-01-01

Two methods of measuring the parallel electric field in the magnetosphere using artificially injected charged particles are discussed. One method uses electrons to measure the parallel electric field in the vicinity of the spacecraft. It is shown that a very good accuracy can be achieved for such a measurement. The principle of this method is briefly reviewed, the minimum theoretical value measurable by the method is shown, and the limitations on it due to the spacecraft environment are discussed. Most important among the latter is the high level of turbulence about the spacecraft. The second method uses ions to measure the electric potential along the magnetic field lines if the associated parallel electric field is directed downward. For such a field at a lower altitude, Li ions are used to maximize the returning fluxes and to increase the probability of detection. Rockets are more suitable than satellites to make such measurements. 17 references

Making the connection: The relationship between fuel poverty, electricity disconnection, and prepayment metering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Sullivan, Kimberley C., E-mail: kimberley.osullivan@otago.ac.n [Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, PO Box 7343, Wellington 6242 (New Zealand); Howden-Chapman, Philippa L.; Fougere, Geoff [Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, PO Box 7343, Wellington 6242 (New Zealand)

2011-02-15

Fuel poverty, or inability to afford adequate heating for a reasonable outlay of expenditure, is a significant and under-researched problem in New Zealand. The connection between fuel poverty, and electricity disconnection or 'self-disconnection' is analysed for four cities using prepayment metering to pay for electricity. A price comparison analysis on a government-sponsored website showed that prepayment metering was more expensive than other payment options. This website analysis was supplemented by qualitative data from older people with chronic respiratory disease expressing their views about electricity disconnection and prepayment metering. We show that prepayment metering for electricity is more expensive than other payment methods in New Zealand and that older people's insights provide valuable context to these issues. Under the present payment schedule, the use of prepayment metering to pay for electricity is not a suitable policy instrument to address fuel poverty, which remains problematic. The deregulated electricity market continues to lead to increases in the real price of residential electricity and in the number of people in fuel poverty. We offer policy suggestions for reducing fuel poverty in New Zealand. - Research highlights: {yields} Fuel poverty is a significant and under-researched problem in New Zealand. {yields} Prepayment metering is more expensive than other electricity payment options in NZ. {yields} Older people express fear of disconnection and find using prepayment stressful. {yields} Prepayment metering, as currently used in New Zealand, may contribute to fuel poverty. {yields} Better regulation of domestic pricing structures could reduce fuel poverty in NZ.

Research on Relation between El Nino Climate and Summer Electricity Consumption

Science.gov (United States)

Miao, B.; Lin, J. Y.; Liu, C.

2018-01-01

El Nino is a typical climate phenomena. Such phenomena would have influence on climate in China and furthermore impact the electricity condition. This paper is purposed to explore how El Nino phenomena affecting electricity and make prediction on summer electricity consumption. Since meteorological characteristics are complex and multiplex, a variety of meteorological factors should be considered and the paper used Body Feeling Temperature to measure it. Furthermore, to make prediction on summer electricity, the paper used the Pearson Analysis to measure the correlation between weather and electricity and then extracted the weather-used electricity from the whole society electricity using least square method. Finally, the paper built the model on relation between weather-used electricity and body feeling temperature, and took Beijing as an example to make electricity prediction. The prediction idea and model the paper put forward is reliable and practicable.

Gender Play and Good Governance

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Mark

2008-01-01

Like good government, thoughtful care of children requires those in power, whether teachers or parents, to recognize when it is appropriate for them to step back from day-to-day decision-making while still working behind the scenes to ensure an organizational structure that supports the independence and equitable development of those they serve.…

Electrical contacts principles and applications

CERN Document Server

Slade, Paul G

2013-01-01

Covering the theory, application, and testing of contact materials, Electrical Contacts: Principles and Applications, Second Edition introduces a thorough discussion on making electric contact and contact interface conduction; presents a general outline of, and measurement techniques for, important corrosion mechanisms; considers the results of contact wear when plug-in connections are made and broken; investigates the effect of thin noble metal plating on electronic connections; and relates crucial considerations for making high- and low-power contact joints. It examines contact use in switch

Making death 'good': instructional tales for dying in newspaper accounts of Jade Goody's death.

Science.gov (United States)

Frith, Hannah; Raisborough, Jayne; Klein, Orly

2013-03-01

Facilitating a 'good' death is a central goal for hospices and palliative care organisations. The key features of such a death include an acceptance of death, an open awareness of and communication about death, the settling of practical and interpersonal business, the reduction of suffering and pain, and the enhancement of autonomy, choice and control. Yet deaths are inherently neither good nor bad; they require cultural labour to be 'made over' as good. Drawing on media accounts of the controversial death of UK reality television star Jade Goody, and building on existing analyses of her death, we examine how cultural discourses actively work to construct deaths as good or bad and to position the dying and those witnessing their death as morally accountable. By constructing Goody as bravely breaking social taboos by openly acknowledging death, by contextualising her dying as occurring at the end of a life well lived and by emphasising biographical continuity and agency, newspaper accounts serve to position themselves as educative rather than exploitative, and readers as information-seekers rather than ghoulishly voyeuristic. We argue that popular culture offers moral instruction in dying well which resonates with the messages from palliative care. © 2012 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2012 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The Good, the Right & the Fair

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjerris, Mickey; Nielsen, Morten Ebbe Juul; Sandøe, Peter

The Good, the Right, and the Fair is a comprehensive introduction to contemporary moral and political philosophy especially suited for undergraduate students in medicine and the life sciences. The book covers first questions concerning the good: What makes a life worth living? Is it only humans who...... matter morally? Is welfare all that matters? It then proceeds to a discussion of the right: How ought we to act? The major ethical theories of the western tradition are presented and their strengths and weaknesses discussed. Finally, key aspects of the philosophical discussion of the fair, including...

Estimator's electrical man-hour manual

CERN Document Server

Page, John S

1999-01-01

This manual's latest edition continues to be the best source available for making accurate, reliable man-hour estimates for electrical installation. This new edition is revised and expanded to include installation of electrical instrumentation, which is used in monitoring various process systems.

Electrical properties study under radiation of the 3D-open-shell-electrode detector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manwen Liu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Since the 3D-Open-Shell-Electrode Detector (3DOSED is proposed and the structure is optimized, it is important to study 3DOSED’s electrical properties to determine the detector’s working performance, especially in the heavy radiation environments, like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC and it’s upgrade, the High Luminosity (HL-LHC at CERN. In this work, full 3D technology computer-aided design (TCAD simulations have been done on this novel silicon detector structure. Simulated detector properties include the electric field distribution, the electric potential distribution, current-voltage (I-V characteristics, capacitance-voltage (C-V characteristics, charge collection property, and full depletion voltage. Through the analysis of calculations and simulation results, we find that the 3DOSED’s electric field and potential distributions are very uniform, even in the tiny region near the shell openings with little perturbations. The novel detector fits the designing purpose of collecting charges generated by particle/light in a good fashion with a well defined funnel shape of electric potential distribution that makes these charges drifting towards the center collection electrode. Furthermore, by analyzing the I-V, C-V, charge collection property and full depletion voltage, we can expect that the novel detector will perform well, even in the heavy radiation environments.

Modeling of Electric Demand for Sustainable Energy and Management in India Using Spatio-Temporal DMSP-OLS Night-Time Data

Science.gov (United States)

Tripathy, Bismay Ranjan; Sajjad, Haroon; Elvidge, Christopher D.; Ting, Yu; Pandey, Prem Chandra; Rani, Meenu; Kumar, Pavan

2018-04-01

Changes in the pattern of electric power consumption in India have influenced energy utilization processes and socio-economic development to greater extent during the last few decades. Assessment of spatial distribution of electricity consumption is, thus, essential for projecting availability of energy resource and planning its infrastructure. This paper makes an attempt to model the future electricity demand for sustainable energy and its management in India. The nighttime light database provides a good approximation of availability of energy. We utilized defense meteorological satellite program-operational line-scan system (DMSP-OLS) nighttime satellite data, electricity consumption (1993-2013), gross domestic product (GDP) and population growth to construct the model. We also attempted to examine the sensitiveness of electricity consumption to GDP and population growth. The results revealed that the calibrated DMSP and model has provided realistic information on the electric demand with respect to GDP and population, with a better accuracy of r 2 = 0.91. The electric demand was found to be more sensitive to GDP ( r = 0.96) than population growth ( r = 0.76) as envisaged through correlation analysis. Hence, the model proved to be useful tool in predicting electric demand for its sustainable use and management.

What Sways People's Judgment of Sleep Quality? A Quantitative Choice-Making Study With Good and Poor Sleepers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramlee, Fatanah; Sanborn, Adam N; Tang, Nicole K Y

2017-07-01

We conceptualized sleep quality judgment as a decision-making process and examined the relative importance of 17 parameters of sleep quality using a choice-based conjoint analysis. One hundred participants (50 good sleepers; 50 poor sleepers) were asked to choose between 2 written scenarios to answer 1 of 2 questions: "Which describes a better (or worse) night of sleep?". Each scenario described a self-reported experience of sleep, stringing together 17 possible determinants of sleep quality that occur at different times of the day (day before, pre-sleep, during sleep, upon waking, day after). Each participant answered 48 questions. Logistic regression models were fit to their choice data. Eleven of the 17 sleep quality parameters had a significant impact on the participants' choices. The top 3 determinants of sleep quality were: Total sleep time, feeling refreshed (upon waking), and mood (day after). Sleep quality judgments were most influenced by factors that occur during sleep, followed by feelings and activities upon waking and the day after. There was a significant interaction between wake after sleep onset and feeling refreshed (upon waking) and between feeling refreshed (upon waking) and question type (better or worse night of sleep). Type of sleeper (good vs poor sleepers) did not significantly influence the judgments. Sleep quality judgments appear to be determined by not only what happened during sleep, but also what happened after the sleep period. Interventions that improve mood and functioning during the day may inadvertently also improve people's self-reported evaluation of sleep quality. © Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press [on behalf of the Sleep Research Society].

The value of electricity and reserve services in low carbon electricity systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vijay, Avinash; Fouquet, Nicolas; Staffell, Iain; Hawkes, Adam

2017-01-01

Highlights: •A power dispatch model is used to simulate electricity and reserve prices. •Good agreement is observed between modelled and historic prices in 2015. •Higher renewables and CCS with lower fossil fuels leads to lower electricity prices. •Contrary to expectation, gone green scenario leads to lowest increase in reserve price. •Flexible aggregated demand response likely to offer significant economic benefits. -- Abstract: Decarbonising electricity systems is essential for mitigating climate change. Future systems will likely incorporate higher penetrations of intermittent renewable and inflexible nuclear power. This will significantly impact on system operations, particularly the requirements for flexibility in terms of reserves and the cost of such services. This paper estimates the interrelated changes in wholesale electricity and reserve prices using two novel methods. Firstly, it simulates the short run marginal cost of generation using a unit commitment model with post-processing to achieve realistic prices. It also introduces a new reserve price model, which mimics actual operation by first calculating the day ahead schedules and then letting deviations from schedule drive reserve prices. The UK is used as a case study to compare these models with traditional methods from the literature. The model gives good agreement with and historic prices in 2015. In a 2035 scenario, increased renewables penetration reduces mean electricity prices, and leads to price spikes due to expensive plants being brought online briefly to cope with net load variations. Contrary to views previously held in literature, a renewable intensive scenario does not lead to a higher reserve price than a fossil fuel intensive scenario. Demand response technology is shown to offer sizeable economic benefits when maintaining system balance. More broadly, this framework can be used to evaluate the economics of providing reserve services by aggregating decentralised energy

Do good and poor readers make use of morphemic structure in English word recognition?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lynne G. Duncan

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The links between oral morphological awareness and the use of derivational morphology are examined in the English word recognition of 8-year-old good and poor readers. Morphological awareness was assessed by a sentence completion task. The role of morphological structure in lexical access was examined by manipulating the presence of embedded words and suffixes in items presented for lexical decision. Good readers were more accurate in the morphological awareness task but did not show facilitation for real derivations even though morpho-semantic information appeared to inform their lexical decisions. The poor readers, who were less accurate, displayed a strong lexicality effect in lexical decision and the presence of an embedded word led to facilitation for words and inhibition for pseudo-words. Overall, the results suggest that both good and poor readers of English are sensitive to the internal structure of written words, with the better readers showing most evidence of morphological analysis.

Making Team Differences Work

Science.gov (United States)

Strathman, Beth

2015-01-01

Most district and school leaders understand that recruiting group members who have differing backgrounds, perspectives, talents, and personalities makes for good decision-making. Unfortunately, simply assembling a variety of top-notch individuals does not necessarily mean their talents and perspectives will be fully considered. Beth Strathman…

Steel making

CERN Document Server

Chakrabarti, A K

2014-01-01

"Steel Making" is designed to give students a strong grounding in the theory and state-of-the-art practice of production of steels. This book is primarily focused to meet the needs of undergraduate metallurgical students and candidates for associate membership examinations of professional bodies (AMIIM, AMIE). Besides, for all engineering professionals working in steel plants who need to understand the basic principles of steel making, the text provides a sound introduction to the subject.Beginning with a brief introduction to the historical perspective and current status of steel making together with the reasons for obsolescence of Bessemer converter and open hearth processes, the book moves on to: elaborate the physiochemical principles involved in steel making; explain the operational principles and practices of the modern processes of primary steel making (LD converter, Q-BOP process, and electric furnace process); provide a summary of the developments in secondary refining of steels; discuss principles a...

Time series models of environmental exposures: Good predictions or good understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnett, Adrian G; Stephen, Dimity; Huang, Cunrui; Wolkewitz, Martin

2017-04-01

Time series data are popular in environmental epidemiology as they make use of the natural experiment of how changes in exposure over time might impact on disease. Many published time series papers have used parameter-heavy models that fully explained the second order patterns in disease to give residuals that have no short-term autocorrelation or seasonality. This is often achieved by including predictors of past disease counts (autoregression) or seasonal splines with many degrees of freedom. These approaches give great residuals, but add little to our understanding of cause and effect. We argue that modelling approaches should rely more on good epidemiology and less on statistical tests. This includes thinking about causal pathways, making potential confounders explicit, fitting a limited number of models, and not over-fitting at the cost of under-estimating the true association between exposure and disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 94.221 - Application of good engineering judgment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... judgment in making all decisions called for under this part, including but not limited to selections... was not made in good faith, or that the decision was not made with a rational basis, the Administrator... Administrator may reject any such decision by a manufacturer if it is not based on good engineering judgment or...

GOOD GOVERNANCE: NORMATIVE VS. DESCRIPTIVE DIMENSION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ciprian IFTIMOAEI

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The concept of “good governance” was used for the first time in the 1989 World Bank Report – Sub-Saharan Africa: From Crisis to Sustainable Growth. A Long-Term Perspective Study – and has already made history in international studies, especially after the breakdown of the communist regimes. The governance has to do with authority, decision-making and accountability.The good governance is defined as the capacity of the government to manage a nation’s affaires, to provide economic development, welfare for citizens, and social protection for the poor. In this article,the concept of good governance is analysed according to two main dimensions: the normative dimension which comprises principles, values and norms that are guiding the international community and the governments in the management of policymaking process;the descriptive dimension which refers to the practical aspects of implementing the good governance’s standards as policies, programmes and structural reforms with the aim of solving or ameliorating the problems of developing countries.

Aging evaluation of electrical circuits using the ECCAD [Electrical Circuit Characterization and Diagnostic] system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edson, J.L.

1988-01-01

As a part of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Nuclear Plant Aging Research Program, an aging assessment of electrical circuits was conducted at the Shippingport Atomic Power Station Decommissioning Project. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Electrical Circuit Characterization and Diagnostic (ECCAD) system in identifying circuit conditions, to determine the present condition of selected electrical circuits, and correlate the results with aging effects. To accomplish this task, a series of electrical tests was performed on each circuit using the ECCAD system, which is composed of commercially available electronic test equipment under computer control. Test results indicate that the ECCAD system is effective in detecting and identifying aging and service wear in selected electrical circuits. The major area of degradation in the circuits tested was at the termination/connection points, whereas the cables were in generally good condition

Mounting Thin Samples For Electrical Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Matus, L. G.; Summers, R. L.

1988-01-01

New method for mounting thin sample for electrical measurements involves use of vacuum chuck to hold a ceramic mounting plate, which holds sample. Contacts on mounting plate establish electrical connection to sample. Used to make electrical measurements over temperature range from 77 to 1,000 K and does not introduce distortions into magnetic field during Hall measurements.

Removal of Heavy Metals from Steel Making Waste Water by Using Electric Arc Furnace Slag

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. L. Beh

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This work investigated the reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD, biological oxygen demand (BOD, total suspended solids (TSS and the concentration of heavy metals of wastewater from a steel making plant. Adsorption experiments were carried out by electric arc furnace slag (EAFS in a fixed-bed column mode. The raw wastewater did not meet the standard B limitations, having high values of BOD, COD, TSS, Iron, Zinc, Manganese and Copper. After passing through the fixed bed column, BOD, COD and TSS values decreased to 1.6, 6.3 and <2 mgL-1, respectively while the concentration of Iron, Zinc, Manganese and Copper were 0.08, 0.01, 0.03 and 0.07 mgL-1, respectively. The results confirmed that EAFS can be used as an efficient adsorbent for producing treated water that comply with the Standard B limitations for an industrial effluent.

Conceptual Models Core to Good Design

CERN Document Server

Johnson, Jeff

2011-01-01

People make use of software applications in their activities, applying them as tools in carrying out tasks. That this use should be good for people--easy, effective, efficient, and enjoyable--is a principal goal of design. In this book, we present the notion of Conceptual Models, and argue that Conceptual Models are core to achieving good design. From years of helping companies create software applications, we have come to believe that building applications without Conceptual Models is just asking for designs that will be confusing and difficult to learn, remember, and use. We show how Concept

A percolation approach to study the high electric field effect on electrical conductivity of insulating polymer

Science.gov (United States)

Benallou, Amina; Hadri, Baghdad; Martinez-Vega, Juan; El Islam Boukortt, Nour

2018-04-01

The effect of percolation threshold on the behaviour of electrical conductivity at high electric field of insulating polymers has been briefly investigated in literature. Sometimes the dead ends links are not taken into account in the study of the electric field effect on the electrical properties. In this work, we present a theoretical framework and Monte Carlo simulation of the behaviour of the electric conductivity at high electric field based on the percolation theory using the traps energies levels which are distributed according to distribution law (uniform, Gaussian, and power-law). When a solid insulating material is subjected to a high electric field, and during trapping mechanism the dead ends of traps affect with decreasing the electric conductivity according to the traps energies levels, the correlation length of the clusters, the length of the dead ends, and the concentration of the accessible positions for the electrons. A reasonably good agreement is obtained between simulation results and the theoretical framework.

Effect of gamma radiation on the electrical properties of Polyaniline/silicon carbide heterojunctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Felix, Jorlandio F.; Cunha, Diego L. da; Aziz, Mohsin; Silva, Eronides F. da; Taylor, David; Henini, Mohamed; Azevedo, Walter M. de

2014-01-01

Polyaniline thin films have been deposited by a very simple technique on p-type Silicon Carbide (SiC) substrates to fabricate heterojunctions devices with good electrical properties. In this work two heterojunctions devices of Polyaniline (PANI) on p-type 4H–SiC and 6H–SiC substrates were electrically characterized using current- voltage (I-V) in the temperature range 20–430 K Capacitance–frequency (C-f) measurements. Furthermore, impedance and capacitance measurements are carried out to study the effect of gamma irradiation on these devices. Additionally, we demonstrate not only the ease of fabrication of PANI/p-SiC heterostructures, but also we show strong indication that these heterostructures have potential applications as sensors of gamma irradiation. - Highlights: • We demonstrate the fabrication of PANI/p-SiC devices with good electrical properties. • The electrical characteristics of the devices present good reproducibility. • We show that the PANI/p-SiC devices are good candidates for gamma irradiation sensors

How Can ABER Serve the Public Good? A Critical Brechtian Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Blumenfeld-Jones, Donald

2014-01-01

In this special issue, each author addresses how ABER work connects with and/or directly addresses society's need/s and the public good as perceived by the researcher. As there are many construals of the "public good" and the relation to art-making and the arts to this "public good," each author will conceptualize her/his…

Wind Farms Community Engagement Good Practice Review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aitken, Mhairi; Haggett, Claire; Rudolph, David Philipp

2014-01-01

This report sets out the findings of a review of community engagement for wind farm developments. We focus in particular on the engagement carried out by developers with communities. The aims of the study were to evaluate current good practice for engaging people in decision making about on......- and offshore wind farms in different European countries; to evaluate the effect that different practices have on public opinion and acceptance; and to make relevant recommendations for Scottish policy and planning....

Choosing the right system to manage electricity derivatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasey, G.

1998-01-01

The alternatives available and the considerations entering into the choice of the right system to manage electricity derivatives are reviewed. The choice of system will be influenced by a variety of factors, among them : (1) business issues, (2) business processes, (3) functionality, (4) technology, (5) integration into the enterprise, and (6) internal and external competition. The system chosen will need to be integrated into the enterprise. Beyond that,it will need executive commitment, dedicated internal resources, qualified assistance from the vendor, willingness to revisit the business processes and make changes when needed, and training and more training. Some factors to take into account when choosing a system vendor are also discussed. Among these good fit to business, system performance, flexibility, reliability, and customization capacity are the most important

49 CFR 214.503 - Good-faith challenges; procedures for notification and resolution.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Good-faith challenges; procedures for notification... Roadway Maintenance Machines and Hi-Rail Vehicles § 214.503 Good-faith challenges; procedures for... vehicle shall inform the employer whenever the employee makes a good-faith determination that the machine...

Evaluation and comparison of electric propulsion motors for submarines

OpenAIRE

Harbour, Joel P.

2001-01-01

CIVINS (Civilian Institutions) Thesis document The Navy has announced its conviction to make its warships run on electric power through the decision to make its newest line of destroyers propelled with an electric propulsion system. Several ship construction firms and electric motor manufacturers are thus striving to develop enabling technology, including high power density motors. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate some of the proposed motor designs for use in a submarine. Permanen...

Leaking electricity in domestic appliances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meier, Alan; Rosen, Karen

1999-01-01

Many types of home electronic equipment draw electric power when switched off or not performing their principal functions. Standby power use (or ''leaking electricity'') for most appliances ranges from 1 - 20 watts. Even though standby use of each device is small, the combined standby power use of all appliances in a home can easily exceed 50 watts. Leaking electricity is already responsible for 5 to 10 percent of residential electricity use in the United States and over 10 percent in Japan. An increasing number of white goods also have standby power requirements. There is a growing international effort to limit standby power to around one watt per device. New and existing technologies are available to meet this target at little or no extra cost

Bipolar lead-acid battery for hybrid electric vehicles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schmal, D.; Saakes, M.; Veen, W.R. ter; Raadschelders, J.W.; Have, P.T.J.H. ten

2000-01-01

In hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) the requirements on batteries are very different from those for battery electric vehicles (BEV). A high power (bipolar) lead-acid battery could be a good alternative for other types of batteries under development for this application. It is potentially cheap and

Assembling markets for wind power. An inquiry into the making of market devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pallesen, T.

2013-04-15

This project studies the making of a market for wind power in France. Markets for wind power, as well as markets for other renewable energies, are often referred to as 'political markets: On the one hand, wind power has the potential to reduce CO{sub 2}-emissions and thus stall the effects of electricity generation on climate change; and on the other hand, as an economic good, wind power is said to suffer from 'disabilities', such as high costs, fluctuating and unpredictable generation, etc. Therefore, because of its performance as a good, it is argued that the survival of wind power in the market is premised on different instruments, some of which I will refer to as 'prosthetic devices'. This thesis inquires into two such prosthetic devices: The feed-in tariff and the wind power development zones (ZDE) as they are negotiated and practiced in France, and the ways in which they affect the making of markets for wind power. In this thesis, it is argued that while the two devices frame the price of wind power and the location of turbines, they also affect and address questions of costs, profitability, and efficiency; and as such, they may be investigated as market devices. (Author)

In Your View: What Is a Good Science Teacher?

Science.gov (United States)

Piggott, Andy

2014-01-01

Search the Internet for the qualities of a good teacher and you'll find that an entire range of ideas are offered. Having spent half a working life as a science teacher and the remainder as a science education consultant (and, for a period, an Ofsted team inspector!), the author would like to attempt to tease out what makes a "good science…

Norms and economic motivation in the Swedish green electricity market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ek, Kristina; Soederholm, Patrik

2008-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide an econometric analysis of the most important determinants of Swedish households' choice to pay a price premium for 'green' electricity. We draw on recent developments in the literature on integrating norm-motivated behavior into neoclassical consumer theory, and assume that individuals have a preference for keeping a self-image as a morally responsible person. Consumer behavior in the 'green market place' will then be heavily determined by how purchases of different goods affect this self-image. The analysis is based on postal survey responses from 655 Swedish households, which are analyzed within a binary choice econometric framework. The results indicate that the impact of choosing 'green' on the household budget largely influences the choice between 'green' and 'brown' electricity, as does the degree of perceived personal responsibility for the issue and the felt ability to affect the outcome in a positive way. We find limited support for the notion that perceptions about others' behavior in general affect individual moral norms and ultimately expressed behavior, but this is also complemented by the influence of explicit social influence. The difficulty in observing others' purchases makes it however difficult to distinguish between social and moral norms in the case of 'green' electricity. (author)

Certifying green electricity in the EC single market. Presentation of different models and their importance for the freedom of movement of goods; Gruenstromzertifikate im EG-Binnenmarkt. Eine Darstellung verschiedener Modelle und ihrer Bedeutung fuer die Warenverkehrsfreiheit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, Thorsten; Bitsch, Christian [Wuerzburg Univ. (Germany). Forschungsstelle Umweltenergierecht

2008-11-15

With the guideline 2001/77/EG, certificates of origin were introduced in the European Community in order to prove the production of a certain quantity of electricity from renewable energies. These certificates of origin are designated as green electricity certificates and are established as economic goods. In the political debate according to the development of the European legislation, these plans are criticised. Different alternative models were developed. Actually the introduction of two different certificate types is discussed. Under this aspect, the authors of the contribution under consideration report on the different models. The task of the green electricity certificates in the European single market and the consequences for the present discussion are described.

Cyberwarfare on the Electricity Infrastructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murarka, N.; Ramesh, V.C.

2000-03-20

The report analyzes the possibility of cyberwarfare on the electricity infrastructure. The ongoing deregulation of the electricity industry makes the power grid all the more vulnerable to cyber attacks. The report models the power system information system components, models potential threats and protective measures. It therefore offers a framework for infrastructure protection.

Electricity demand and supply to 2020

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertel, E.

1991-01-01

This paper will attempt to make projections of energy and electricity demand, and the possible share of nuclear generation in global supply, up to 2020. This horizon has been chosen because the long lead times prevailing in the energy sector imply long-term planning, even though the degree of uncertainty is quite large when looking several decades ahead. Electricity demand, as well as primary energy consumption, depends on many technical and economic factors, obviously including demography. Using statistical data for past decades, it is possible to quantify by econometric methods and the links between energy and electricity consumption and economic parameters. The models defined may then be used to make projections of future electricity consumption. The share of nuclear electricity in primary energy supply can be estimated by taking into account the various constraints and lead times limiting the deployment of nuclear generating capacity, and the shares of other energy sources in electricity generation in each country or region. It should be emphasized that the scenarios presented below are illustrative, and are not forecasts of future energy and electricity demand. Because of the method adopted and the assumptions made, the scenarios reflect a 'conventional wisdom'. However, they do incorporate concerns for environmental protection and improvements regarding energy efficiency. (author)

Energetic sustainability of the electric sector: towards a model of support for planning and decision making; Sustentabilidade energetica do setor eletrico: em direcao a um modelo de apoio ao planejamento e a tomada de decisao

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Machado, Fernando Vieira; Jannuzzi, Gilberto de Martino; Guimaraes, Roberto [Universidade Estadual de campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil)

2008-07-01

The objective of this article is to present in the form still preliminary a proposal of a computational model of support to the planning and decision-making process to investors, planners and regulators of the electric sector so that be possible to make sure the supply of electricity with sustainability and low economics and social impacts. The support to the decision-making process depends of interactions of economical, social, technological and environmental aspects that here are exposed by the use of dynamics models for ecosystems services: MIMES (Multi-scale Integrated Model of the Earth's System) and Simile. The quantitative models are important so that the planners can adopt effectively the concept of sustainability in public politics. The activity of modeling of sustainability for the electrical sector requires an interdisciplinary vision to adapt the different involved concepts and, so, to structure the model in the better way. (author)

Energetic sustainability of the electric sector: towards a model of support for planning and decision making; Sustentabilidade energetica do setor eletrico: em direcao a um modelo de apoio ao planejamento e a tomada de decisao

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Machado, Fernando Vieira; Jannuzzi, Gilberto de Martino; Guimaraes, Roberto [Universidade Estadual de campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil)

2008-07-01

The objective of this article is to present in the form still preliminary a proposal of a computational model of support to the planning and decision-making process to investors, planners and regulators of the electric sector so that be possible to make sure the supply of electricity with sustainability and low economics and social impacts. The support to the decision-making process depends of interactions of economical, social, technological and environmental aspects that here are exposed by the use of dynamics models for ecosystems services: MIMES (Multi-scale Integrated Model of the Earth's System) and Simile. The quantitative models are important so that the planners can adopt effectively the concept of sustainability in public politics. The activity of modeling of sustainability for the electrical sector requires an interdisciplinary vision to adapt the different involved concepts and, so, to structure the model in the better way. (author)

Production inefficiency of electricity markets with hydro generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philpott, Andy; Guan, Ziming; Khazaei, Javad; Zakeri, Golbon

2010-01-01

Electricity market designs that decentralize decision making for participants can lead to inefficiencies in the presence of nonconvexity or missing markets. This has been shown in the case of unit-commitment problems that can make a decentralized market equilibrium less efficient than a centrally planned solution. Less attention has been focused on systems with large amounts of hydro-electric generation. We describe the results of an empirical study of the New Zealand wholesale electricity market that attempts to quantify production efficiency losses by comparing market outcomes with a counterfactual central plan. (author)

Alberta's electricity forwards market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrews, D.

2002-01-01

This paper outlined how the province of Alberta is starting over with a wholesale electricity market. Wholesalers have retreated back to the real-time market. The Watt-Ex standard market design position paper, issued in October 2002, examines wholesale market issues. The author notes that the biggest constraint to competitive electricity market is the reliance on real-time markets to price a good portion of transactions. Doing so, creates extreme price volatility and ineffective price signals because demand and supply have only a limited ability to respond to prices

Consumer knowledge and electricity consumption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crawshaw, A J.E.; Williams, D I; Crawshaw, C M

1985-12-01

Householders in all-electric homes were asked to rank their electrical appliances in terms of annual running cost. By comparing this with an individually calculated correct order, an assessment of their knowledge was made. On this measure overall knowledge was good, but half the sample underestimated the running costs of key high-energy using appliances (space heating, hot-water, cooking). This specific lack of knowledge is critical, and was found to be correlated with higher bills. 16 references.

Modeling of Electric Demand for Sustainable Energy and Management in India Using Spatio-Temporal DMSP-OLS Night-Time Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Tripathy, Bismay Ranjan; Sajjad, Haroon; Elvidge, Christopher D; Ting, Yu; Pandey, Prem Chandra; Rani, Meenu; Kumar, Pavan

2018-04-01

Changes in the pattern of electric power consumption in India have influenced energy utilization processes and socio-economic development to greater extent during the last few decades. Assessment of spatial distribution of electricity consumption is, thus, essential for projecting availability of energy resource and planning its infrastructure. This paper makes an attempt to model the future electricity demand for sustainable energy and its management in India. The nighttime light database provides a good approximation of availability of energy. We utilized defense meteorological satellite program-operational line-scan system (DMSP-OLS) nighttime satellite data, electricity consumption (1993-2013), gross domestic product (GDP) and population growth to construct the model. We also attempted to examine the sensitiveness of electricity consumption to GDP and population growth. The results revealed that the calibrated DMSP and model has provided realistic information on the electric demand with respect to GDP and population, with a better accuracy of r 2  = 0.91. The electric demand was found to be more sensitive to GDP (r = 0.96) than population growth (r = 0.76) as envisaged through correlation analysis. Hence, the model proved to be useful tool in predicting electric demand for its sustainable use and management.

Good leadership for good quality

OpenAIRE

Franzon, Vilma Maria

2016-01-01

Good leadership is important if you like to have high quality in the results. My experience in the production of the television industry is that conditions for good leadership is insufficient. Therefore, I have tried to get answers for those two questions in my exam report: What are the characteristics of good leadership? What are the prerequisites for good leadership out of production? The method I used is a literature study and observation. I have read a number of books and research studies...

Rational bandits: Plunder, public goods, and the Vikings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter; Svendsen, Gert Tinggaard

2003-01-01

The paper applies and extends insights from Mancur Olson's study of state making to the Vikings. In a world of roving bandits, a sub-optimal provision of public goods exists, most notably of security. Roving banditry leads to over-plundering and zero profits for the plunderers, which makes statio...... of the process being reflected in the variation in the number of raids and the amount of wealth extracted. Udgivelsesdato: DEC...

Defining Good Deals in Business Collectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Ayukawa

2011-03-01

Full Text Available In the context of a current project at Carleton University to create creating a deal-making platform, this article presents the results of a recent review of the literature to determine: What is a good deal? This is question is asked from the perspective of the stakeholders in the development of a software-based collaboration tool that is designed to help streamline deal development between members. The stakeholders include the creators, the users, and the investors. We answer this question by examining several streams in the literature, all centered on understanding deals and deal-making processes. These streams explore the concept of a win-win deal, how value may be seen differently, and the group processes involved in deal making. A key contribution from this review suggests that deal goodness can be separated based on a Me-We construct: the impact to each and every stakeholder of the deal and the impact to the entire collective (not just the deal stakeholders. This implies one can separate the platform management problem into actor-centric (Me and linkage-centric (We domains. This is consistent with the notion of players balancing their self interest with the other stakeholders in the deal (Me-We. This is also consistent with the prospect of managing ecosystem health based on player and network-based metrics.

Electricity unplugged

Science.gov (United States)

Karalis, Aristeidis

2009-02-01

The judge was driving back late one cold winter night. Entering the garage, the battery-charging indicator in his wirelessly powered electric car came on. "Home at last," crossed his mind. He swiped his personal smartcard on the front-door detector to be let in. He heard a "charging" beep from his mobile phone. The blinking cursor on the half-finished e-mail on the laptop had been waiting all day on the side table. He picked the computer up and walked towards his desk. "Good evening, your honour. Your wirelessly heated robe," said the butler-robot as it approached from the kitchen. Putting on the electric garment, he sat on the medical desk chair. His artificial heart was now beating faster.

Electroless Ni-B plating for electrical contact applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dervos, C. T.

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Electroless Ni-B plating has been tried on steel substrate in an effort to employ low-cost starting materials for electrical contacts or connectors. By selected conditions of heat treatment in a high vacuum environment the plating can acquire Cr-equivalent hardness without the effluents of the hard chromium plating process. The surfaces were characterized under scanning electron microscope and by XRD. The fabricated materials were tested under corrosion conditions by polarization measurements. Semispherical nickel plated steel joints were tested in a computer controlled contact make-break apparatus, under simultaneous application of a mechanical and a low-voltage electrical load for 20,000 cycles. After heat treatment the plating acquires a crystalline structure with very good adhesion to the substrate material. Corrosion decreases and increased hardness is obtained. The surface is also characterized by good electrical properties during aging accelerated tests.

Se ha investigado la deposición de Ni-B por vía química sobre un substrato de acero, con el fin de poder emplear materiales de bajo coste para los contactos o conectores eléctricos. Mediante condiciones específicas de tratamiento térmico en un ambiente de alto vacío, la deposición puede alcanzar durezas equivalentes al cromo (Cr sin los efluentes del proceso de cromado duro. Las superficies se caracterizaron en el microscopio electrónico de barrido y mediante DRX. Los materiales fabricados se ensayaron bajo condiciones de corrosión utilizando mediciones de polarización. Se ensayaron las juntas semiesféricas de acero niquelado en un equipo de contactos controlado por ordenador bajo la aplicación simultánea de una carga mecánica y de una carga eléctrica de bajo voltaje durante 20.000 ciclos. Después del tratamiento térmico, el recubrimiento adquiere una estructura cristalina con muy buena adherencia al material del substrato. Se consigue una menor corrosión y mayor

What Makes for Good Collaboration and Communication in Maternity Care? : A Scoping Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Isabel van Helmond; Irene Korstjens; Jessica Mesman; Marianne Nieuwenhuijze; Klasien Horstman; Hubertina Scheepers; Mark Spaanderman; Judit Keulen; Raymond de Vries

2015-01-01

Problems with communication and collaboration among perinatal caregivers threaten the quality and safety of care given to mothers and babies. Good communication and collaboration are critical to safe care for mothers and babies. In this study the researchers focused on studies examining the factors

Good supervision and PBL

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Otrel-Cass, Kathrin

This field study was conducted at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Aalborg University with the intention to investigate how students reflect on their experiences with supervision in a PBL environment. The overall aim of this study was to inform about the continued work in strengthening supervision...... at this faculty. This particular study invited Master level students to discuss: • How a typical supervision process proceeds • How they experienced and what they expected of PBL in the supervision process • What makes a good supervision process...

Good Governance According to Islamic Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamad Ismail Bin Mohamad Yunus

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract The objectives of the professional agencies must embody provisions that promote good governance and embrace values of integrity and accountability and seek support from the public and the government of the day to provide an independent view on all matters. The universal truth is that everything should be done in the public good. Professionals form the backbone of human infrastructure in any economy, politics, social and legal growth. Their contributions through professional performance enhance the good delivery system that facilitates policies making and management for public sector. They provide the skills and talent in balancing the pursuits of maximization of services. The expression “good governance” has been constantly used lately in both public sector as well as private sector in Malaysia. In the context of a private body, it should be within the framework of the statute, which governs the body and also its constitution. In the public sector, it means that the administrators should act professionally and not to abuse or misuse the power or authority given to them. They are regarded as the trustees of the public at large. The scope of this article is on good public governance in the public sector or to be exact, good governmental administration as interpreted by the judiciary especially through its judicial review power and Islamic Perspective based on the principles of Maqasid As Shariah (Objectives of Islamic Law.   Keywords: Good Governance, Public Sector, Malaysian Law, Islamic Perspective, Maqasid As-Shariah.

Good Faith, Bad Faith? Making an Effort in Dispute Resolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tania Sourdin

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The behaviour of those engaged in negotiation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR processes that are undertaken or required before or after litigation is increasingly the subject of legislative regulation. Recent case law has also more clearly articulated the characteristics of good faith as well as other standards such as 'genuine effort' and explored to a limited extent the behavioural indicators and approaches that could be used to determine the meaning and scope of these types of concepts. Arguably, the growth in mandatory (rather than voluntary ADR may require the articulation of clearer conduct obligations as ADR participants may be disinclined to negotiate or may be relatively unsophisticated or unaware of their negotiation behaviour. This article explores the development of conduct obligations and notes that whilst the requirements need to be linked to the circumstances of each dispute, there are some clear differences in terms of how these requirements are more generally interpreted by lawyers and others.

Industry evolution, rational agents and the transition to sustainable electricity production

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Safarzynska, K.E.; van den Bergh, J.C.J.M.

2011-01-01

Guiding a transition to low carbon electricity requires a good understanding of the substitution of old by new technologies in the electricity industry. With the aim of explaining historical change from coal to gas in the British electricity industry, we develop a formal model of technological

"A Clean Amateur Makes a Good Professional": On de­viance, professionalism and doping in elite sport - illustrated by the case of Danish cycling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Ask

2006-01-01

norms are reflected in today's professional and amateur riders' attitude to doping. With the analysis of the labelling of drug-using athletes as deviant outsiders new light is introduced to the debate of the relation between the use of drugs in elite sport and the expectations and demands......"A Clean Amateur Makes a Good Professional" examines why athletes who are using (or are alleged of using) illegal drugs notoriously are labelled as deviant outsiders by the media as well as by the sporting authorities. By contrasting today's situation with previous times where the professional...

Developments in batteries and fuel cells for electric and hybrid electric vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, R.

2013-01-01

Due to ever increasing threats of climate change, urban air pollution and costly and depleting oil and gas sources a lot of work is being done for the development of electric vehicles. Hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and all electric vehicles are powered by batteries or by hydrogen and fuel cells are the main types of vehicles being developed. Main types of batteries which can be used for electric vehicles are lead-acid, Ni-Cd, Nickel-Metal-Hybrid ( NiMH) and Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries which are discussed and compared. Lithium ion battery is the mostly used battery. Developments in the lithium ion batteries are discussed and reviewed. Redox flow batteries are also potential candidates for electric vehicles and are described. Hybrid electric vehicles can reduce fuel consumption considerably and is a good midterm solution. Electric and hybrid electric vehicles are discussed. Electric vehicles are necessary to mitigate the effects of pollution and dependence on oil. For all the electric vehicles there are two options: batteries and fuel Cells. Batteries are useful for small vehicles and shorter distances but for vehicle range greater than 150 km fuel cells are superior to batteries in terms of cost, efficiency and durability even using natural gas and other fuels in addition to hydrogen. Ultimate solution for electric vehicles are hydrogen and fuel cells and this opinion is also shared by most of the automobile manufacturers. Developments in fuel cells and their applications for automobiles are described and reviewed. Comparisons have been done in the literature between batteries and fuel cells and are described. (author)

Report for the Prime Minister. Making the future French electric power organization a success

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumont, J.L.

1998-01-01

This report from the French Deputy of the Meuse region aims at taking stock of four main questions raised by the future organization of the French electric power industry in the context of the opening of the European power market: the public utility of electric power, the future missions of Electricite de france (EdF) company, the questions in relation with the personnel status in the electric power industry, and the status of the regulating authority. In order to give some elements of answer to these questions, the report has been divided into 2 parts: part 1 presents the power production, transport and distribution in the future electric power regulation (the renewal of nuclear facilities, the building of non-nuclear units, the exploitation of the power distribution network, the accounting dissociation and the transparency of accountancy, the organization of network access, the eligible clients, the direct power lines, the obligations of purchase, the distribution and the role of local authorities). Part 2 presents the four main stakes of the modernization of the French electric power sector: the electric power public utility (public concern and rights, government policy, sustain of innovation, environment protection and energy mastery, the transportation and distribution networks, the role of operators and the financing), the future evolution of EdF (missions and organization, future of the public company), the social modernization of the electric power sector (present day status, adaptation, evolution, pensions), the organization and role of the future regulation authority. The propositions of the author are reported in the appendix. (J.S.)

Good-parent beliefs of parents of seriously ill children.

Science.gov (United States)

Feudtner, Chris; Walter, Jennifer K; Faerber, Jennifer A; Hill, Douglas L; Carroll, Karen W; Mollen, Cynthia J; Miller, Victoria A; Morrison, Wynne E; Munson, David; Kang, Tammy I; Hinds, Pamela S

2015-01-01

Parents' beliefs about what they need to do to be a good parent when their children are seriously ill influence their medical decisions, and better understanding of these beliefs may improve decision support. To assess parents' perceptions regarding the relative importance of 12 good-parent attributes. A cross-sectional, discrete-choice experiment was conducted at a children's hospital. Participants included 200 parents of children with serious illness. Ratings of 12 good-parent attributes, with subsequent use of latent class analysis to identify groups of parents with similar ratings of attributes, and ascertainment of whether membership in a particular group was associated with demographic or clinical characteristics. The highest-ranked good-parent attribute was making sure that my child feels loved, followed by focusing on my child's health, making informed medical care decisions, and advocating for my child with medical staff. We identified 4 groups of parents with similar patterns of good-parent-attribute ratings, which we labeled as: child feels loved (n=68), child's health (n=56), advocacy and informed (n=55), and spiritual well-being (n=21). Compared with the other groups, the child's health group reported more financial difficulties, was less educated, and had a higher proportion of children with new complex, chronic conditions. Parents endorse a broad range of beliefs that represent what they perceive they should do to be a good parent for their seriously ill child. Common patterns of how parents prioritize these attributes exist, suggesting future research to better understand the origins and development of good-parent beliefs among these parents. More important, engaging parents individually regarding what they perceive to be the core duties they must fulfill to be a good parent may enable more customized and effective decision support.

Is trade openness good for environment in South Korea? The role of non-fossil electricity consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shun

2018-04-01

The paper investigates the linkage of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions, per capita real output, share of non-fossil electricity consumption, and trade openness in South Korea from 1971 to 2013. The empirical results indicate that the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) is supported by autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) test. Both short- and long-run estimates indicate that increasing non-fossil electricity consumption can mitigate environmental degradation, and increasing trade aggravates carbon dioxide emissions. By Granger causality, long-run causalities are found in both equations of CO 2 emissions and trade openness, as well as exports and imports. In the short-run, evidence indicates feedback linkage between output and trade, unidirectional linkages from trade to emissions, from emissions to output, and from output to non-fossil electricity use. Therefore, South Korea should strengthen the sustainable economy, consume clean energy, and develop green trade.

Electricity Demand Forecasting Using a Functional State Space Model

OpenAIRE

Nagbe , Komi; Cugliari , Jairo; Jacques , Julien

2018-01-01

In the last past years the liberalization of the electricity supply, the increase variability of electric appliances and their use, and the need to respond to the electricity demand in the real time had made electricity demand forecasting a challenge. To this challenge, many solutions are being proposed. The electricity demand involves many sources such as economic activities, household need and weather sources. All this sources make hard electricity demand forecasting. To forecast the electr...

Detection of Alkylating Agents using Electrical and Mechanical Means

Science.gov (United States)

Gerchikov, Yulia; Borzin, Elena; Gannot, Yair; Shemesh, Ariel; Meltzman, Shai; Hertzog-Ronen, Carmit; Tal, Shay; Stolyarova, Sara; Nemirovsky, Yael; Tessler, Nir; Eichen, Yoav

2011-08-01

Alkylating agents are reactive molecules having at least one polar bond between a carbon atom and a good leaving group. These often simple molecules are frequently used in organic synthesis, as sterilizing agents in agriculture and even as anticancer agents in medicine. Unfortunately, for over a century, some of the highly reactive alkylating agents are also being used as blister chemical warfare agents. Being relatively simple to make, the risk is that these will be applied by terrorists as poor people warfare agents. The detection and identification of such alkylating agents is not a simple task because of their high reactivity and simple structure of the reactive site. Here we report on new approaches to the detection and identification of such alkylating agents using electrical (organic field effect transistors) and mechanical (microcantilevers) means.

Detection of Alkylating Agents using Electrical and Mechanical Means

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerchikov, Yulia; Borzin, Elena; Gannot, Yair; Shemesh, Ariel; Meltzman, Shai; Hertzog-Ronen, Carmit; Eichen, Yoav; Tal, Shay; Stolyarova, Sara; Nemirovsky, Yael; Tessler, Nir

2011-01-01

Alkylating agents are reactive molecules having at least one polar bond between a carbon atom and a good leaving group. These often simple molecules are frequently used in organic synthesis, as sterilizing agents in agriculture and even as anticancer agents in medicine. Unfortunately, for over a century, some of the highly reactive alkylating agents are also being used as blister chemical warfare agents. Being relatively simple to make, the risk is that these will be applied by terrorists as poor people warfare agents. The detection and identification of such alkylating agents is not a simple task because of their high reactivity and simple structure of the reactive site. Here we report on new approaches to the detection and identification of such alkylating agents using electrical (organic field effect transistors) and mechanical (microcantilevers) means.

Detection of Alkylating Agents using Electrical and Mechanical Means

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gerchikov, Yulia; Borzin, Elena; Gannot, Yair; Shemesh, Ariel; Meltzman, Shai; Hertzog-Ronen, Carmit; Eichen, Yoav [Schulich Department of Chemistry, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000, Haifa (Israel) (Israel); Tal, Shay [Present address: Systems Biology Department, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 (United States); Stolyarova, Sara; Nemirovsky, Yael; Tessler, Nir, E-mail: chryoav@tx.technion.ac.il [Department of Electrical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000, Haifa (Israel)

2011-08-17

Alkylating agents are reactive molecules having at least one polar bond between a carbon atom and a good leaving group. These often simple molecules are frequently used in organic synthesis, as sterilizing agents in agriculture and even as anticancer agents in medicine. Unfortunately, for over a century, some of the highly reactive alkylating agents are also being used as blister chemical warfare agents. Being relatively simple to make, the risk is that these will be applied by terrorists as poor people warfare agents. The detection and identification of such alkylating agents is not a simple task because of their high reactivity and simple structure of the reactive site. Here we report on new approaches to the detection and identification of such alkylating agents using electrical (organic field effect transistors) and mechanical (microcantilevers) means.

THE ROLE OF GOOD GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prof

Emerging trends point to good governance as a panacea towards .... to Third World countries by the western countries after the cold war era between USA and USSR. ... active participation of the citizens with the government in policy making, .... Academic experts in public administration and several American public ...

Electric automobile: Commercialization prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabasso, L.

1992-01-01

Performance results during one-month test driving of a small FIAT car (normally equipped with a 30-45 Hp internal combustion engine), retrofitted to operate with a set of electric batteries delivering 15 Hp, demonstrated that, unless the design of an electric car's transmission and control systems are based completely on electric power operation, the vehicle loses its competitiveness with conventional cars. Making reference to the findings of an ENEA (Italian Agency for New Technology, Energy and Environment) electric powered vehicle R ampersand D program, this paper assesses the feasibility of electric powered vehicles and points out their major drawbacks: battery volume, weight, cost and recharging requirements in densely populated urban environments. The paper also notes that mass conversion to these vehicles by itself will not solve the urban traffic congestion problem for which optimum traffic control and parking areas are required

Using donation mechanisms to value nonuse benefits from public goods

Science.gov (United States)

Patricia A. Champ; Richard C. Bishop; Thomas C. Brown; Daniel W. McCollum

1997-01-01

This paper discusses an experiment in which the value for an unfamiliar environmental good, whose total value has a large nonuse component, is verified using a revealed-preference method. As we were unable to observe preferences via an incentive compatible mechanism, we collected voluntary contributions toward the provision of the good. We make a case for interpreting...

Doing Arts-Based Educational Research for the Public Good: An Impossible Possibility?

Science.gov (United States)

O'Donoghue, Donal

2014-01-01

In this special issue, each author addresses how arts-based educational research (ABER) work connects with and/or directly addresses society's need/s and the public good as perceived by the researcher. As there are many construals of the "public good" and the relation to art-making and the arts to this "public good," each…

Phase transition and electrical properties of strontium orthovanadate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pati, Biswajit; Choudhary, R.N.P.; Das, Piyush R.

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Highly crystallized Sr 3 V 2 O 8 ceramic has a structural and micro-structural stability. •The low values of ε r and tan δ make this material useful for microwave applications. •The material exhibits good ferroelectric properties suitable for memory devices. •The dielectric relaxation is of non Debye-type and ac conductivity obeys Jonscher power law. •The small value of dc activation energy suggests the conduction initiates with a small energy. -- Abstract: The current research work reports the study of phase transition and transport mechanism in lead-free strontium orthovanadate (Sr 3 V 2 O 8 ), prepared using a high-temperature solid-state reaction technique. Preliminary X-rays diffraction studies exhibit the formation of a single-phase compound in the trigonal crystal system. Study of microstructure of gold-coated pellet by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows well-defined and homogeneous grains in the morphology. Detailed studies of dielectric parameters (ε r and tan δ) of the compound as a function of temperature at some selected frequencies reveal their independence for a wide range of temperatures. An anomaly in relative permittivity (ε r ) suggests the existence of a ferroelectric–paraelectric phase transition of diffuse-type in the material that confirms through the detailed studies of its electric polarization. Detailed studies of impedance and related parameters exhibit that the electrical properties of the material are strongly dependent on temperature, and bear a good correlation with its microstructure (i.e., bulk, grain boundary, etc.). The decrease in value of bulk resistance on increasing temperature suggests the negative temperature co-efficient of resistance (NTCR) behavior of the material. Studies of electric modulus indicate the presence of hopping conduction mechanism in the system with non-exponential type of conductivity relaxation. The nature of variation of dc conductivity with temperature confirms the

Electrode Cooling Effect on Out-Of-Phase Electrothermal Streaming in Rotating Electric Fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiyu Liu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this work, we focus on investigating electrothermal flow in rotating electric fields (ROT-ETF, with primary attention paid to the horizontal traveling-wave electrothermal (TWET vortex induced at the center of the electric field. The frequency-dependent flow profiles in the microdevice are analyzed using different heat transfer models. Accordingly, we address in particular the importance of electrode cooling in ROT-ETF as metal electrodes of high thermal conductivity, while substrate material of low heat dissipation capability is employed to develop such microfluidic chips. Under this circumstance, cooling of electrode array due to external natural convection on millimeter-scale electrode pads for external wire connection occurs and makes the internal temperature maxima shift from the electrode plane to a bit of distance right above the cross-shaped interelectrode gaps, giving rise to reversal of flow rotation from a typical repulsion-type to attraction-type induction vortex, which is in good accordance with our experimental observations of co-field TWET streaming at frequencies in the order of reciprocal charge relaxation time of the bulk fluid. These results point out a way to make a correct interpretation of out-of-phase electrothermal streaming behavior, which holds great potential for handing high-conductivity analytes in modern microfluidic systems.

What is good governance in the context of drug policy?

Science.gov (United States)

Singleton, Nicola; Rubin, Jennifer

2014-09-01

The concept of governance is applied in a wide range of contexts, but this paper focuses on governance in relation to public administration, i.e. states and how they take action, and specifically governance of particular policy areas. In the current context of financial austerity and an era of globalisation, policy-makers face pressures and challenges from a growing range of interests and local, national and supranational actors. Drug policy is an example of a particularly contentious and polarised area in which governance-related challenges abound. In response to these challenges, interest has grown in developing agreed policy governance standards and processes and articulating policy-making guidelines, including the use of available evidence to inform policy-making. Attempts have been made to identify 'policy fundamentals' - factors or aspects of policy-making apparently associated with successful policy development and implementation (Hallsworth & Rutter, 2011; Laughrin, 2011) and, in the drug policy field, Hughes et al. (2010) reflecting on the co-ordination of Australian drug policy highlighted some of what they considered principles of good governance. But how useful is the concept of 'good governance'; how well can it be defined, and to what purpose? As part of a wider project considering the governance of drug policy, RAND Europe and the UK Drug Policy Commission undertook a targeted review of other research and sought expert views, from within and beyond drug policy, on principles, processes, structures and stakeholders associated with good drug policy governance. From this emerged some perceived characteristics of good governance that were then used by the UK Drug Policy Commission to assess the extent to which drug policy making in the UK fits with these perceived good governance characteristics, and to suggest possible improvements. Particular consideration was given to the range of interests at stake, the overarching aims of drug policy and the

Making PMT halftone prints

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corey, J.D.

1977-05-01

In the printing process for technical reports presently used at Bendix Kansas City Division, photographs are reproduced by pasting up PMT halftone prints on the artwork originals. These originals are used to make positive-working plastic plates for offset lithography. Instructions for making good-quality halftone prints using Eastman Kodak's PMT materials and processes are given in this report. 14 figures.

Good Practices for Real-World Data Studies of Treatment and/or Comparative Effectiveness: Recommendations from the Joint ISPOR-ISPE Special Task Force on Real-World Evidence in Health Care Decision Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Marc L; Sox, Harold; Willke, Richard J; Brixner, Diana L; Eichler, Hans-Georg; Goettsch, Wim; Madigan, David; Makady, Amr; Schneeweiss, Sebastian; Tarricone, Rosanna; Wang, Shirley V; Watkins, John; Mullins, C Daniel

2017-09-01

Real-world evidence (RWE) includes data from retrospective or prospective observational studies and observational registries and provides insights beyond those addressed by randomized controlled trials. RWE studies aim to improve health care decision making. The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) and the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE) created a task force to make recommendations regarding good procedural practices that would enhance decision makers' confidence in evidence derived from RWD studies. Peer review by ISPOR/ISPE members and task force participants provided a consensus-building iterative process for the topics and framing of recommendations. The ISPOR/ISPE Task Force recommendations cover seven topics such as study registration, replicability, and stakeholder involvement in RWE studies. These recommendations, in concert with earlier recommendations about study methodology, provide a trustworthy foundation for the expanded use of RWE in health care decision making. The focus of these recommendations is good procedural practices for studies that test a specific hypothesis in a specific population. We recognize that some of the recommendations in this report may not be widely adopted without appropriate incentives from decision makers, journal editors, and other key stakeholders. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Forecasting of electricity prices with neural networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gareta, Raquel [Centro de Investigacion de Recursos y Consumos Energeticos (CIRCE), Universidad de Zaragoza, Centro Politecnico Superior, Maria de Luna, 3, 50018 Zaragoza (Spain); Romeo, Luis M. [Centro de Investigacion de Recursos y Consumos Energeticos (CIRCE), Universidad de Zaragoza, Centro Politecnico Superior, Maria de Luna, 3, 50018 Zaragoza (Spain)]. E-mail: luismi@unizar.es; Gil, Antonia [Centro de Investigacion de Recursos y Consumos Energeticos (CIRCE), Universidad de Zaragoza, Centro Politecnico Superior, Maria de Luna, 3, 50018 Zaragoza (Spain)

2006-08-15

During recent years, the electricity energy market deregulation has led to a new free competition situation in Europe and other countries worldwide. Generators, distributors and qualified clients have some uncertainties about the future evolution of electricity markets. In consequence, feasibility studies of new generation plants, design of new systems and energy management optimization are frequently postponed. The ability of forecasting energy prices, for instance the electricity prices, would be highly appreciated in order to improve the profitability of utility investments. The development of new simulation techniques, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), has provided a good tool to forecast time series. In this paper, it is demonstrated that the Neural Network (NN) approach can be used to forecast short term hourly electricity pool prices (for the next day and two or three days after). The NN architecture and design for prices forecasting are described in this paper. The results are tested with extensive data sets, and good agreement is found between actual data and NN results. This methodology could help to improve power plant generation capacity management and, certainly, more profitable operation in daily energy pools.

Forecasting of electricity prices with neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gareta, Raquel; Romeo, Luis M.; Gil, Antonia

2006-01-01

During recent years, the electricity energy market deregulation has led to a new free competition situation in Europe and other countries worldwide. Generators, distributors and qualified clients have some uncertainties about the future evolution of electricity markets. In consequence, feasibility studies of new generation plants, design of new systems and energy management optimization are frequently postponed. The ability of forecasting energy prices, for instance the electricity prices, would be highly appreciated in order to improve the profitability of utility investments. The development of new simulation techniques, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), has provided a good tool to forecast time series. In this paper, it is demonstrated that the Neural Network (NN) approach can be used to forecast short term hourly electricity pool prices (for the next day and two or three days after). The NN architecture and design for prices forecasting are described in this paper. The results are tested with extensive data sets, and good agreement is found between actual data and NN results. This methodology could help to improve power plant generation capacity management and, certainly, more profitable operation in daily energy pools

Saving electricity in a hurry. Dealing with temporary shortfalls in electricity supplies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none

2005-07-01

Blackouts are normally the result of imbalances in electricity supply and demand. A brief blackout is mostly an inconvenience. But persistent shortfalls ? those lasting days, weeks, or months ? can cause economic disruption and danger to human life in our technology-rich societies. Saving Electricity in a Hurry describes some of the recent power shortfalls, from Norway to New Zealand, from Tokyo to Arizona and the policies these regions used to quickly reduce their power consumption. How did the whole country of Sweden cut its power consumption by 4% in only three days? How did California save 14% in only a few months? While the temporary shortfalls in electricity supplies described in this book are relatively rare events, they disproportionately shape future energy policies. Saving Electricity in a Hurry shows that countries can quickly reduce electricity consumption without harming the economy as much as blackouts or unplanned curtailments. The strategies are diverse, unique and often surprisingly cheap. They include mass media campaigns ? where a good joke can save a Megawatt ? improvements in equipment efficiency and quickly adjusting electricity prices. This book explains how California replaced a million traffic signals with energy-saving models, how millions of Tokyo residents raised their thermostat settings, and how New Zealanders took shorter showers, all quickly enough to help avoid imminent blackouts. Finally, it connects these policies to the traditional goal of ?saving electricity slowly?.

Good Teaching: Aligning Student and Administrator Perceptions and Expectations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lazarus Nabaho

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Literature attests to limited systematic inquiry into students’ conceptions of good teaching in higher education. Resultantly, there have been calls for engaging students in construing what makes good university teaching and in developing a richer conception of teaching excellence. This interpretivist study that is based on views of final year university students from six academic disciplines investigated students’ conceptions of good teaching at Makerere University in Uganda. Students conceived good teaching as being student-centred, demonstrating strong subject and pedagogical knowledge, being approachable, being responsive, being organised, and being able to communicate well. Most of the conceptions of good teaching hinge  on what the teacher does (the means rather than affording high quality student learning (an end. It can therefore been concluded that good teaching is a multi-dimensional construct that defies a single definition and cannot be assured and assessed using a single indicator.

Switching conditions in the electric power system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsukushi, M.; Hirasawa, K.; Kurosawa, Y.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that a circuit breaker must be capable of making, carrying, and interrupting the current under both normal and abnormal conditions, especially in the case of a short-circuit fault. Before installing a circuit breaker, it is necessary to estimate the maximum short-circuit current that can occur in the electric power system and then select a circuit breaker that can interrupt and make the estimated current. Many types of short-circuit faults occur in electric power systems

Residential Electricity Consumption in Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edyta Ropuszyńska-Surma

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Key factors influencing electricity consumption in the residential sector in Poland have been identified. A fixed-effects model was used, which includes time effects, and a set of covariates, based on the model developed by Houthakker et al. This model estimates electricity demand by using lagged values of the dependent variable along with current and lagged values of electricity prices, and other variables that affect electricity demand such as: population, economic growth, income per capita, price of related goods, etc. The model has been identified according to the research results of the authors and those obtained by Bentzen and Engsted. The set of covariates was extended to the lagged electricity price given by a tariff (taken from two years previous to the time of interest and heating degree days index, a very important factor in European Union countries, where the climate is temperate. The authors propose four models of residential electricity demand, for which a confidence interval of 95% has been assumed. Estimation was based on Polish quarterly data for the years 2003-2013. (original abstract

A Methodology for Making Early Comparative Architecture Performance Evaluations

Science.gov (United States)

Doyle, Gerald S.

2010-01-01

Complex and expensive systems' development suffers from a lack of method for making good system-architecture-selection decisions early in the development process. Failure to make a good system-architecture-selection decision increases the risk that a development effort will not meet cost, performance and schedule goals. This research provides a…

Electrical Vehicles Activities Around the World

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schauer, Gerd; Garcia-Valle, Rodrigo

2013-01-01

engine. In the 1990s research and demonstrations intensified and built a good basis for actual development of electrical vehicles. Discussion of the results achieved and lessons learned from millions of kilometers of road testing is worthwhile but in addition to technological developments such as light...... which have jointly changed how mobility is viewed in recent years. We describe key points concerning such field testing and the renaissance in electric vehicles that occurred around 2010. We discuss progress in lithium battery technology for high power and high energy density, improvement in integrated...... business models, and the availability of high-performance electric vehicles have become key enablers of this new technology. In this regard, it is promising that electric vehicles will soon be a part of a green transport solution (green mobility) powered by renewable energy and a new smart electricity...

The electrical conductivity of CuCrZr alloy after SPD processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lipińska, M; Bazarnik, P; Lewandowska, M

2014-01-01

CuCrZr alloys exhibit very good relation between mechanical properties and electrical conductivity. However, for its use in some advanced applications improvement of mechanical strength while preserving high electrical conducting is required. Therefore, in this work a CuCrZr alloy was subjected to a series of thermo-mechanical treatments, including solution annealing and water quenching, SPD processing (using hydrostatic extrusion and ECAP) as well as aging in order to improve mechanical strength. The influence of these processing procedures on microstructure features and mechanical properties was determined by TEM observation and microhardness measurements, respectively. Electrical conductivity of the samples was measured by four-points method. The results have shown that it is possible to improve mechanical strength while preserving good electrical conductivity by a proper combination of SPD processing and heat treatment

Electrical resistivity probes

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ki Ha; Becker, Alex; Faybishenko, Boris A.; Solbau, Ray D.

2003-10-21

A miniaturized electrical resistivity (ER) probe based on a known current-voltage (I-V) electrode structure, the Wenner array, is designed for local (point) measurement. A pair of voltage measuring electrodes are positioned between a pair of current carrying electrodes. The electrodes are typically about 1 cm long, separated by 1 cm, so the probe is only about 1 inch long. The electrodes are mounted to a rigid tube with electrical wires in the tube and a sand bag may be placed around the electrodes to protect the electrodes. The probes can be positioned in a borehole or on the surface. The electrodes make contact with the surrounding medium. In a dual mode system, individual probes of a plurality of spaced probes can be used to measure local resistance, i.e. point measurements, but the system can select different probes to make interval measurements between probes and between boreholes.

Electrical estimating methods

CERN Document Server

Del Pico, Wayne J

2014-01-01

Simplify the estimating process with the latest data, materials, and practices Electrical Estimating Methods, Fourth Edition is a comprehensive guide to estimating electrical costs, with data provided by leading construction database RS Means. The book covers the materials and processes encountered by the modern contractor, and provides all the information professionals need to make the most precise estimate. The fourth edition has been updated to reflect the changing materials, techniques, and practices in the field, and provides the most recent Means cost data available. The complexity of el

Electrical. Teacher's Guide. Building Maintenance Units of Instruction.

Science.gov (United States)

East Texas State Univ., Commerce. Occupational Curriculum Lab.

This teaching guide on electrical building maintenance, one in a series of six publications designed for building maintenance instructors in Texas, is designed to give students an understanding of electricity in order to know how to make basic repairs to the electrical systems in a building. Introductory material provides teachers with information…

Solar Electricity for Homes

Science.gov (United States)

Roman, Harry T.

2012-01-01

Every day, the sun showers the Earth with millions of times more energy than its people use. The only problem is that energy is spread out over the entire Earth's surface and must be harvested. Engineers are learning to capture and use some of this energy to make electricity for homes. Solar panels make up the heart of a solar system. They can be…

Virtual goods recommendations in virtual worlds.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kuan-Yu; Liao, Hsiu-Yu; Chen, Jyun-Hung; Liu, Duen-Ren

2015-01-01

Virtual worlds (VWs) are computer-simulated environments which allow users to create their own virtual character as an avatar. With the rapidly growing user volume in VWs, platform providers launch virtual goods in haste and stampede users to increase sales revenue. However, the rapidity of development incurs virtual unrelated items which will be difficult to remarket. It not only wastes virtual global companies' intelligence resources, but also makes it difficult for users to find suitable virtual goods fit for their virtual home in daily virtual life. In the VWs, users decorate their houses, visit others' homes, create families, host parties, and so forth. Users establish their social life circles through these activities. This research proposes a novel virtual goods recommendation method based on these social interactions. The contact strength and contact influence result from interactions with social neighbors and influence users' buying intention. Our research highlights the importance of social interactions in virtual goods recommendation. The experiment's data were retrieved from an online VW platform, and the results show that the proposed method, considering social interactions and social life circle, has better performance than existing recommendation methods.

Outlook for California's electric utility industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frank, S.E.

1996-01-01

This article describes how the Southern California Edison Company deals with revolutionary change as the state's electricity industry reinvents itself. The topics of the article include how competition has make things better for SCEC's employees, customers, and shareholders, and an outline of the principal features of the electric utility industry in California

"What makes life good?" Developing a culturally grounded quality of life measure for Alaska Native college students.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Dinghy Kristine B; Lopez, Ellen D S; Mekiana, Deborah; Ctibor, Alaina; Church, Charlene

2013-01-01

Alaska Native (AN) college students experience higher attrition rates than their non-Native peers. Understanding the factors that contribute to quality of life ("what makes life good") for AN students will help inform supportive programs that are congruent with their culture and college life experiences. Co-develop a conceptual model and a measure of quality of life (QOL) that reflects the experiences of AN college students. Six focus groups were conducted with 26 AN college students. Within a community-academic partnership, interactive data collection activities, co-analysis workgroup sessions and an interactive findings forum ensured a participant-driven research process. Students identified and operationally defined eight QOL domains (values, culture and traditions, spirituality, relationships, basic needs, health, learning and leisure). The metaphor of a tree visually illustrates how the domains values, culture and traditions and spirituality form the roots to the other domains that appear to branch out as students navigate the dual worldviews of Native and Western ways of living. The eight QOL domains and their items identified during focus groups were integrated into a visual model and an objective QOL measure. The hope is to provide a useful tool for developing and evaluating university-based programs and services aimed toward promoting a positive QOL and academic success for AN students.

Search for electric dipole moments in storage rings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lenisa Paolo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The JEDI collaboration aims at making use of storage ring to provide the most precise measurement of the electric dipole moments of hadrons. The method makes exploits a longitudinal polarized beam. The existence an electric dipole moment would generate a torque slowly twisting the particle spin out of plan of the storage ring into the vertical direction. The observation of non zero electric dipole moment would represent a clear sign of new physics beyond the Standard Model. Feasiblity tests are presently undergoing at the COSY storage ring Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany, to develop the novel techniques to be implemented in a future dedicated storage ring.

Properties making a chaotic system a good Pseudo Random Number Generator

OpenAIRE

Falcioni, Massimo; Palatella, Luigi; Pigolotti, Simone; Vulpiani, Angelo

2005-01-01

We discuss two properties making a deterministic algorithm suitable to generate a pseudo random sequence of numbers: high value of Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy and high-dimensionality. We propose the multi dimensional Anosov symplectic (cat) map as a Pseudo Random Number Generator. We show what chaotic features of this map are useful for generating Pseudo Random Numbers and investigate numerically which of them survive in the discrete version of the map. Testing and comparisons with other generat...

Electric Vehicle Careers: On the Road to Change

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, James

2012-01-01

Many occupations related to electric vehicles are similar to those that help to make and maintain all types of automobiles. But the industry is also adding some nontraditional jobs, and workers' skill sets must evolve to keep up. This article describes careers related to electric vehicles. The first section is about the electric vehicle industry…

Norms and economic motivation in the Swedish green electricity market

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ek, Kristina; Soederholm, Patrik [Luleaa University of Technology, Economics Unit, 971 87 Luleaa (Sweden)

2008-12-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide an econometric analysis of the most important determinants of Swedish households' choice to pay a price premium for 'green' electricity. We draw on recent developments in the literature on integrating norm-motivated behavior into neoclassical consumer theory, and assume that individuals have a preference for keeping a self-image as a morally responsible person. Consumer behavior in the 'green market place' will then be heavily determined by how purchases of different goods affect this self-image. The analysis is based on postal survey responses from 655 Swedish households, which are analyzed within a binary choice econometric framework. The results indicate that the impact of choosing 'green' on the household budget largely influences the choice between 'green' and 'brown' electricity, as does the degree of perceived personal responsibility for the issue and the felt ability to affect the outcome in a positive way. We find limited support for the notion that perceptions about others' behavior in general affect individual moral norms and ultimately expressed behavior, but this is also complemented by the influence of explicit social influence. The difficulty in observing others' purchases makes it however difficult to distinguish between social and moral norms in the case of 'green' electricity. (author)

Good, BETTA, best? The role of industry structure in electricity reform in Scotland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prandini, Alberto

2007-01-01

This paper examines the effects of industry structure on the effectiveness of the restructuring process of the electricity industry in Scotland, with particular reference to the unbundling of electricity transmission. The analysis is carried out with respect to a set of goals designed to reflect Ofgem's statutory duties, namely: to promote competition (as a proxy of consumer interests), to signal the need for investments in generation, load and transmission expansion and to ensure efficient use of the network by licensees. The assessment of the 1990-2005 regulatory framework reveals major efficiency and competitive flaws and we argue that vertical integration of Scottish incumbents had a substantial role in determining this unsatisfactory performance. The paper discusses whether, and to what extent, the separation of transmission ownership and management under BETTA can be expected to deliver benefits to consumers with respect to the three goals assumed: we find that BETTA does in fact improve the performance of the restructuring process and we comment on the pros and cons of the separation between ownership and control of the grid brought about by BETTA. The final section examines the issues unaddressed, or only partially addressed, under the BETTA reform and argues in favour of a GB-wide Transco model

Issues of law concerning the boycotting of electricity rate payments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Studenkowski, W.

1981-01-01

It is for the first time that a Regional Court has handed down a decision on the so-called boycotting of electricity rate payments at first instance. Above all, the Court has confirmed the right of the electricity supply utility to shut off electricity. In the future, this will make it easier to make use of power stoppages vis-a-vis electricity rate payment boycotters after giving the warning required according to Sect. 30 (2) of the General Conditions and Terms Governing Electricity Supply. Fortunately, the Court's decision clearly subscribes to the maintenance of our constitutional order. It does not allow a civil action to be turned into a forum of political debate an the pros and cons of the peaceful utilization of nuclear energy. (HSCH) [de

WHAT MAKES THINGS GO.

Science.gov (United States)

Mobilization for Youth, Inc., New York, NY.

THE INITIAL QUESTION IN THE TITLE IS ANSWERED THROUGH SIMPLE EXPERIMENTS FOR CULTURALLY DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. MUSCLES, RUNNING, WATER, WIND, STEAM, FAST BURNING AND ELECTRICITY ARE FOUND TO "MAKE THINGS GO." USING THESE BASIC DISCOVERIES, VOCABULARY IS BUILT UP BY WORKING WITH DIFFERENT WORDS RELATING TO THE…

The Effect of Electrical Impedance Matching on the Electromechanical Characteristics of Sandwiched Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Transducers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuan Yang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available For achieving the power maximum transmission, the electrical impedance matching (EIM for piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers is highly required. In this paper, the effect of EIM networks on the electromechanical characteristics of sandwiched piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers is investigated in time and frequency domains, based on the PSpice model of single sandwiched piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer. The above-mentioned EIM networks include, series capacitance and parallel inductance (I type and series inductance and parallel capacitance (II type. It is shown that when I and II type EIM networks are used, the resonance and anti-resonance frequencies and the received signal tailing are decreased; II type makes the electro-acoustic power ratio and the signal tailing smaller whereas it makes the electro-acoustic gain ratio larger at resonance frequency. In addition, I type makes the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient increase and II type makes it decrease; II type make the power spectral density at resonance frequency more dramatically increased. Specially, the electro-acoustic power ratio has maximum value near anti-resonance frequency, while the electro-acoustic gain ratio has maximum value near resonance frequency. It can be found that the theoretically analyzed results have good consistency with the measured ones.

Bidirectional DC-DC converter fed drive for electric vehicle system ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Batteries are the primary energy-storage devices in ground vehicles. Now days battery fed electric drives are commonly being used for electric vehicles applications, due to various advantages, such as: nearly zero emission, guaranteed load leveling, good transient operation and energy recovery during braking operation.

Electricity disclosure: The troubled birth of a new policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boardman, Brenda; Palmer, Jane

2007-01-01

As of October 2005, consumers in the EU15 have, in theory, become part of the decision-making process behind determining the national electricity generation mix in their countries. Under European liberalisation legislation, electricity suppliers within the EU are required to provide all customers, both domestic and non-domestic, with information about how their electricity has been generated and to make available details of the consequent environmental impacts. As part of a liberalised market, these 'electricity labels' will play an important role if consumers are to exert the power of choice. Analysis of a pan-European telephone survey involving 3000 participants across 10 countries identifies the potential impact of electricity disclosure. Evidence from the UK demonstrates the many pitfalls between theory and practice and the limited options consumers have at present to influence the generation mix

A Comprehensive Analysis for Widespread use of Electric Vehicles

OpenAIRE

Yu Zhou; Zhaoyang Dong; Xiaomei Zhao

2011-01-01

This paper mainly investigates the environmental and economic impacts of worldwide use of electric vehicles. It can be concluded that governments have good reason to promote the use of electric vehicles. First, the global vehicles population is evaluated with the help of grey forecasting model and the amount of oil saving is estimated through approximate calculation. After that, based on the game theory, the amount and types of electricity generation needed by electronic ...

Students' and teachers' cognitions about good teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Beishuizen, J J; Hof, E; van Putten, C M; Bouwmeester, S; Asscher, J J

2001-06-01

Good teachers have been studied ever since Plato described how Socrates taught by asking questions of his audience. Recent findings shed light on two characteristics of good teachers: their personality and their ability. However, more attention has been paid to teachers' practices and opinions than to students' views. The study reported here attempted to deepen our understanding of what students think about good teachers. Students of four age groups (7, 10, 13, and 16 years of age) and teachers from primary and secondary schools were asked to write an essay on the good teacher. The correspondence between conceptual items in the essays was investigated by determining the extent to which they were used in the same essays to describe good teachers. Correspondence analysis revealed two dimensions. The first dimension reflected the preference of students and teachers for describing the good teacher in terms of either personality or ability characteristics. The second dimension was interpreted as an orientation in the essays towards either attachment to, detachment from or commitment to school and teachers. Students and teachers were compared to establish the amount of (dis)agreement about what makes a good teacher. Primary school students described good teachers primarily as competent instructors, focusing on transfer of knowledge and skills, whereas secondary school students emphasised relational aspects of good teachers. Teachers, however, considered good teachers in the first place a matter of establishing personal relationships with their students. Consequently, primary school students and teachers disagreed about the characteristics of good teachers. In secondary education, disagreements between teachers and students were relatively small. The research method of collecting free essays and utilising correspondence analysis to represent conceptual items and groups of participants seems promising as long as a theoretical framework is available to interpret the

Value assessment of hydrogen-based electrical energy storage in view of electricity spot market

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

You, Shi; Hu, Junjie; Zong, Yi

2016-01-01

electricity spot market that has high price volatility due to its high share of wind power. An economic dispatch model is developed as a mixed-integer programming (MIP) problem to support the estimation of variable cost of such a system taking into account a good granularity of the technical details. Based...

One year monitoring of 26 electric vehicles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kieft, J. van de; Bolech, M.; Koffrie, R.; Goethem, S. van; Kievit, O.

2012-01-01

The Dutch government regards electric driving as a very promising option to make our future automobility more sustainable, to strenghten the Dutch energy position and to give our economy a structural boost. Therefore, it was decided to gain experience of electric driving through field tests with the

Managing relationships between electric power industry restructuring and grid reliability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, R.J.

2005-01-01

The electricity system is a critical infrastructure, and its continued and reliable functioning is essential to the nation's economy and well-being. However, the inter-dependency of electricity networks is not completely understood. The economic impact of outages was discussed in this white paper. It was suggested that moving to a restructured environment has degraded the reliability of the bulk system. New institutional arrangements and approaches to information management are needed. It was suggested that reliability practices caused the 2003 blackout, and not technical failures. Uncertainties in the restructured market were discussed, as well as incentives to maintain system adequacy. Examples of deregulation in other countries were presented. Organizational complexities were reviewed, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) requirements and the new layers of complexity that have been added to the decision-making process in the light of restructuring. Planning and connectivity issues were reviewed. The need for design standards in power grid control centres was discussed. Difficulties in collecting data from different control centres were considered. Issues concerning the lack of investment in research and development were discussed, with particular reference to the urgent need for coordinated research programs. The looming manpower crisis in the electric power industry was also discussed. Recommendations included ensuring that the transmission system can support a market structure; building a national reliability centre; solving the manpower crisis; and testing market designs before deploying them. It was concluded that good engineering design principles, including experimental economic testing, should be required of any new electricity market design before authorizing its use. 31 refs., 1 tab., 6 figs

Risk-informed decision-making analysis for the electrical raceway fire barrier systems on a BWR-4 plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Ching-Hui; Lin, Tsu-Jen; Kao, Tsu-Mu; Chen, Chyn-Rong

2003-01-01

This paper describes a risk-informed decision-making approach used to resolve the fire barrier issue in a BWR-4 nuclear plant where Appendix R separation requirements cannot be met without installing additional fire protection features such as electrical raceway fire barrier system. The related risk measures in CDF (core damage frequency) and LERF (large early release frequency) of the fire barrier issue can be determined by calculating the difference in plant risks between various alternative cases and that met the requirement of the Appendix R. In some alternative cases, additional early-detection and fast-response fire suppression systems are suggested. In some other cases, cable re-routing of some improper layout of non-safety related cables are required. Sets of fire scenarios are re-evaluated more detailed by reviewing the cable damage impact for the BWR-4 plant. The fire hazard model, COMPBRM III-e, is used in this study and the dominant results in risk measures are benchmarked with the CFD code, FDS 2.0, to ensure that the risk impact of fire barrier is estimated accurately in the risk-informed decision making. The traditional deterministic qualitative methods, such as defense-in-depth, safety margin and post-fire safety shutdown capability are also proceeded. The value-impact analysis for proposed alternatives of fire wrapping required by Appendix R has been completed for technical basis of the exemption on Appendix R application. The outcome of the above analysis should be in compliance with the regulatory guidelines (RG) 1.174 and 1.189 for the applications in the risk-informed decision-making of the fire wrapping issues. (author)

Fully electric waste collection

CERN Multimedia

Anaïs Schaeffer

2015-01-01

Since 15 June, Transvoirie, which provides waste collection services throughout French-speaking Switzerland, has been using a fully electric lorry for its collections on the CERN site – a first for the region!   Featuring a motor powered by electric batteries that charge up when the brakes are used, the new lorry that roams the CERN site is as green as can be. And it’s not only the motor that’s electric: its waste compactor and lifting mechanism are also electrically powered*, making it the first 100% electric waste collection vehicle in French-speaking Switzerland. Considering that a total of 15.5 tonnes of household waste and paper/cardboard are collected each week from the Meyrin and Prévessin sites, the benefits for the environment are clear. This improvement comes as part of CERN’s contract with Transvoirie, which stipulates that the firm must propose ways of becoming more environmentally friendly (at no extra cost to CERN). *The was...

Review article: what makes a good healthcare quality indicator? A systematic review and validation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Peter; Shepherd, Michael; Wells, Susan; Le Fevre, James; Ameratunga, Shanthi

2014-04-01

Indicators measuring aspects of performance to assess quality of care are often chosen arbitrarily. The present study aimed to determine what should be considered when selecting healthcare quality indicators, particularly focusing on the application to emergency medicine. Structured searches of electronic databases were supplemented by website searches of quality of care and benchmarking organisations, citation searches and discussions with experts. Candidate attributes of 'good' healthcare indicators were extracted independently by two authors. The validity of each attribute was independently assessed by 16 experts in quality of care and emergency medicine. Valid and reliable attributes were included in a critical appraisal tool for healthcare quality indicators, which was piloted by emergency medicine specialists. Twenty-three attributes were identified, and all were rated moderate to extremely important by an expert panel. The reliability was high: alpha = 0.98. Twelve existing tools explicitly stated a median (range) of 14 (8-17) attributes. A critical appraisal tool incorporating all the attributes was developed. This was piloted by four emergency medicine specialists who were asked to appraise and rank a set of six candidate indicators. Although using the tool took more time than implicit gestalt decision making: median (interquartile range) 190 (43-352) min versus 17.5 (3-34) min, their rankings changed after using the tool. To inform the appraisal of quality improvement indicators for emergency medicine, a comprehensive list of indicator attributes was identified, validated, developed into a tool and piloted. Although expert consensus is still required, this tool provides an explicit basis for discussions around indicator selection. © 2014 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

The System of Fast Charging Station for Electric Vehicles with Minimal Impact on the Electrical Grid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petr Chlebis

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The searching and utilization of new energy sources and technologies is a current trend. The effort to increase the share of electricity production from renewable energy sources is characteristic for economically developed countries. The use of accumulation of electrical energy with a large number of decentralized storage units is most preferred, as well as the focus on the production of energy at the point of its consumption. Modern cogeneration units are a good example. This paper describes the accumulation of electrical energy for equalizing the power balance of electric charging stations with high instantaneous power. The possibility of re-utilization of electrical energy from the charged vehicle in the case of lack of electricity in the power grid is solved at the same time. This paper also deals with the selection of appropriate concept of accumulation system and its cooperation with both renewable and distribution networks. Details of the main power components including the results obtained from the system implementation are also described in this paper.

Procurement model for copper and polymer electrical products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Sremac

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Procurement model for copper and polymer electrical products. Electrical cable structure (wire, insulation, filling and mantle is in accordance with the technical specifications of individual cable components in terms of the incorporated materials. Materials used in cable manufacture are copper, aluminum, rubber and polyvinyl chloride. One of the key issues in managing the flow of goods pertains to the timing of procurement. The combination of the two concepts can take advantage of individual strengths of fuzzy logic and neural networks in hybrid systems of homogeneous structure. The model has high practical significance, as, with minor modifications, it can be applied in any enterprise responsible for managing the goods flows.

20 CFR 404.989 - Good cause for reopening.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...) The evidence that was considered in making the determination or decision clearly shows on its face... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Good cause for reopening. 404.989 Section 404.989 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY...

A CONTROLLABLE MICROSWITCH, A METHOD OF MAKING IT, AND USE OF SUCH A MICROSWITCH

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

1996-01-01

A controllable microswitch comprises a closed cavity having a plurality of contact electrodes, a movable switch body capable of making and breaking an electrical connection between the contact electrodes, and a plurality of control electrodes capable of generating an electrical field to control t...... to an electrical voltage source and for remote-controlled connection and disconnection of an electrical apparatus.......A controllable microswitch comprises a closed cavity having a plurality of contact electrodes, a movable switch body capable of making and breaking an electrical connection between the contact electrodes, and a plurality of control electrodes capable of generating an electrical field to control...... the position of the switch body. The switch body is formed by a diaphragm which is provided with a conducting surface and which divides the cavity into two subcavities. A method of making such a microswitch is moreover disclosed. The microswitch may be used for power regulation of systems connected...

Centralized or decentralized electricity production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boer, H.A. de.

1975-01-01

Because of low overall efficiency in electric power generation, it is argued that energy provision based on gas, combined with locally decentralized electricity production, saves for the Netherlands slightly more fossile fuel than nuclear technologies and makes the country independent of uranium resources. The reason the Netherlands persues this approach is that a big part of the energy is finally used for heating in the normal or moderate temperatures

Sharing the Costs of Access to a Set of Public Goods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hougaard, Jens Leth

2018-01-01

A group of agents share assess to a set of public goods. Each good has a cost and the total cost of all goods must be shared among the agents. Agents preferences are described by subsets of goods that provides the agent with service. As such, demands are binary, and it is further assumed...... that agents prefer a low cost share, but other differences in their individual preferences are irrelevant, making demand fully inelastic. The model captures central aspects of several classes of practical problems and therefore has many potential applications. The paper surveys some recent axiomatic...

Young Scientists Explore Electricity & Magnetism. Book 7--Intermediate Level. A Good Apple Activity Book.

Science.gov (United States)

DeBruin, Jerry

Designed to develop creativity in young learners, this book contains interdisciplinary activities which focus on the theme of electricity and magnetism. Activity pages are provided that can serve as front and back covers of a student booklet and the suggested activities can be duplicated for insertion between the covers resulting in a booklet for…

Method of electric powertrain matching for battery-powered electric cars

Science.gov (United States)

Ning, Guobao; Xiong, Lu; Zhang, Lijun; Yu, Zhuoping

2013-05-01

The current match method of electric powertrain still makes use of longitudinal dynamics, which can't realize maximum capacity for on-board energy storage unit and can't reach lowest equivalent fuel consumption as well. Another match method focuses on improving available space considering reasonable layout of vehicle to enlarge rated energy capacity for on-board energy storage unit, which can keep the longitudinal dynamics performance almost unchanged but can't reach lowest fuel consumption. Considering the characteristics of driving motor, method of electric powertrain matching utilizing conventional longitudinal dynamics for driving system and cut-and-try method for energy storage system is proposed for passenger cars converted from traditional ones. Through combining the utilization of vehicle space which contributes to the on-board energy amount, vehicle longitudinal performance requirements, vehicle equivalent fuel consumption level, passive safety requirements and maximum driving range requirement together, a comprehensive optimal match method of electric powertrain for battery-powered electric vehicle is raised. In simulation, the vehicle model and match method is built in Matlab/simulink, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) is chosen as a test condition. The simulation results show that 2.62% of regenerative energy and 2% of energy storage efficiency are increased relative to the traditional method. The research conclusions provide theoretical and practical solutions for electric powertrain matching for modern battery-powered electric vehicles especially for those converted from traditional ones, and further enhance dynamics of electric vehicles.

To Make Good Decision: A Group DSS for Multiple Criteria Alternative Rank and Selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen-Shu Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Decision making is a recursive process and usually involves multiple decision criteria. However, such multiple criteria decision making may have a problem in which partial decision criteria may conflict with each other. An information technology, such as the decision support system (DSS and group DSS (GDSS, emerges to assist decision maker for decision-making process. Both the DSS and GDSS should integrate with a symmetrical approach to assist decision maker to take all decision criteria into consideration simultaneously. This study proposes a GDSS architecture named hybrid decision-making support model (HDMSM and integrated four decision approaches (Delphi, DEMATEL, ANP, and MDS to help decision maker to rank and select appropriate alternatives. The HDMSM consists of five steps, namely, criteria identification, criteria correlation calculation, criteria evaluation, critical criteria selection, and alternative rank and comparison. Finally, to validate the proposed feasibility of the proposed model, this study also conducts a case study to find out the important indexes of corporate social responsibility (CSR from multiple perspectives. As the case study demonstrates the proposed HDMSM enables a group of decision makers to implement the MCDM effectively and help them to analyze the relation and degree of mutual influence among different evaluation factors.

An assessment of South African prepaid electricity experiment, lessons learned, and their policy implications for developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tewari, D.D.; Shah, Tushaar

2003-01-01

This study reviews the economics, logistics, and technology underlying the South African experiment of prepaid electricity. Although this experiment has resulted into benefiting large masses of small and dispersed consumers, it has also generated a set of new problems that could not be visualized at the inception of the experiment. The success of this program can be largely attributed to a number of factors, including a good marketing campaign, innovative tariff schedules, better planning and management, and so on. Lessons learned from this experiment are useful for policy-making purposes in other developing countries of Africa and Asia

Good Practice and Recommendations for Research Team Leadership

Science.gov (United States)

2017-05-01

which makes the junior researcher receptive to branching out. Again, one avenue that facilitates expanding their skill set is the assignment detail...bit of “flavor” can be added by sharing with the audience any surprises, difficulties, or lessons learned along the way. A good team leader should

How can we make user instructions motivational?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steehouder, M.F.; Loorbach, N.R.

2004-01-01

Good technical instructions are often viewed as 'cool, concise and professional', but there are good arguments to pay attention to their persuasive and motivational aspects as well. Until now, only analyses of existing instructions have been published, while guidelines for making instructions

Electricity and emission allowance markets from Finnish viewpoint. Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kara, M.

2006-05-01

production capacity would lower electricity prices. There are also high barriers for market entry. Due to emissions trading and the good precipitation situation in the Nordic countries, a record level of electricity was imported to Finland in 2005, approximately one-fifth of electricity consumption. Approximately two-thirds of the imports came from Russia. This study makes several improvement suggestions that would affect market activities. These include clearer financing principles for building new transmission lines, increased Nordic cooperation in power exchange surveillance and restraining the growth in electricity imports. The study also suggests that players who gain windfall profits should be obliged to maintain otherwise possibly unproductive condensing power plants in reserve. (orig.)

Interpretation of electrokinetic measurements with porous films: role of electric conductance and streaming current within porous structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Yaroshchuk, Andriy; Luxbacher, Thomas

2010-07-06

It is shown that in tangential electrokinetic measurements with porous films the porous structure makes contribution not only to the cell electric conductance (as demonstrated previously) but also to the observed streaming current. Both of these contributions give rise to dependences of streaming-potential and streaming-current coefficients on the channel height. However, due to the combined contribution of two phenomena, the dependence of streaming-potential coefficient on the channel height may be rather complicated and not allow for simple extrapolation. At the same time, the dependences of streaming-current coefficient and cell electric conductance on the channel height turn out linear and can be easily extrapolated to zero channel heights. This enables one to determine separately the contributions of external surface of porous film and of its porous structure to the streaming current and of the channel and porous structure to the cell electric conductance. This procedure is illustrated by the measurements of tangential electrokinetic phenomena and electric conductance with Millipore mixed-cellulose membrane filters of various average pore sizes (from 0.025 to 5 mum) in the so-called adjustable-gap cell of SurPASS electrokinetic instrument (Anton Paar GmbH). The design of this cell allows for easy and quasi-continuous variation of channel height as well as accurate determination of cell electric conductance, streaming-current coefficient, and channel height (from the cell hydraulic permeability). The quality of linear fits of experimental data has been found to be very good, and thus, the extrapolation procedures were quite reliable and accurate. Zeta-potentials could be determined of both external film and internal pore surfaces. It is demonstrated that the porous structures make considerable contributions to both streaming-current coefficient and cell electric conductance especially in the case of filters with larger pores. It is also found that, rather

Making the connection: The B.C. Hydro electric system and how it is operated

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

British Columbia Hydro supplies electric energy to 93% of the province's population through an integrated electric system. Of the electricity supplied, 95% is generated at 29 hydroelectric plants, with the remainder coming from thermal plants burning fossil fuels. BC Hydro's high voltage transmission and distribution network consists of 17,600 km of lines 60 kV and above and 51,400 km of lines below 60 kV. A description of system operations begins with the principles of hydroelectric generation, with a brief note on thermal generation for peaking or short-term energy production. Non-power operations measures designed to minimize environmental impacts and enhance social benefits are also outlined along with electricity trade with other provinces and the USA. Planning of long- and short-term system operations is also reviewed. An analysis of system components is presented for the Peace, Columbia, Lower Mainland/Coastal/Fraser, and Vancouver Island regions. Finally, information is given on the 29 hydroelectric and 3 thermal plants, including drainage basin, reservoir description and map, inflow, capacity, turbine type, storage, operating constraints, and average energy capability. 51 figs

The Relationship Between Electricity Price and Wind Power Generation in Danish Electricity Markets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Weihao; Chen, Zhe; Bak-Jensen, Birgitte

2010-01-01

of competitive electricity markets in some ways, is chosen as the studied power system. The relationship between the electricity price (both the spot price and the regulation price) and the wind power generation in an electricity market is investigated in this paper. The spot price, the down regulation price...... and the up regulation price generally decreases when the wind power penetration in the power system increases. The statistical characteristics of the spot price for different wind power penetration are analyzed. The findings of this paper may be useful for wind power generation companies to make the optimal...... bidding strategy and may be also useful for the optimal operation of modern power systems with high wind power penetrations....

Selected Topics on Decision Making for Electric Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Sweda, Timothy Matthew

Electric vehicles (EVs) are an attractive alternative to conventional gasoline-powered vehicles due to their lower emissions, fuel costs, and maintenance costs. Range anxiety, or the fear of running out of charge prior to reaching one's destination, remains a significant concern, however. In this dissertation, we address the issue of range anxiety by developing a set of decision support tools for both charging infrastructure providers and EV drivers. In Chapter 1, we present an agent-based information system for identifying patterns in residential EV ownership and driving activities to enable strategic deployment of new charging infrastructure. Driver agents consider their own driving activities within the simulated environment, in addition to the presence of charging stations and the vehicle ownership of others in their social networks, when purchasing a new vehicle. The Chicagoland area is used as a case study to demonstrate the model, and several deployment scenarios are analyzed. In Chapter 2, we address the problem of finding an optimal recharging policy for an EV along a given path. The path consists of a sequence of nodes, each representing a charging station, and the driver must decide where to stop and how much to recharge at each stop. We present efficient algorithms for finding an optimal policy in general instances with deterministic travel costs and homogeneous charging stations, and also for two specialized cases. In addition, we develop two heuristic procedures that we characterize analytically and explore empirically. We further analyze and test our solution methods on model variations that include stochastic travel costs and nonhomogeneous charging stations. In Chapter 3, we study the problem of finding an optimal routing and recharging policy for an electric vehicle in a grid network. Each node in the network represents a charging station and has an associated probability of being available at any point in time or occupied by another vehicle. We

Electrical conductivity of (La,Sr)MnO3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowotny, J.; Rekas, M.; Sorrell, C.C.

1998-01-01

Defect disorder model for undoped and Sr-doped LaMnO 3 was derived from non-stoichiometry data reported in literature. This model is checked against the electrical conductivity data. The regimes corresponding to oxygen deficit and oxygen excess will be discussed. A good agreement between the random defect model and experimental data of the electrical conductivity was revealed. Copyright (1998) Australasian Ceramic Society

Heavy ion fusion- Using heavy ions to make electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Celata, C.M.

2004-01-01

The idea of using nuclear fusion as a source of commercial electrical power has been pursued worldwide since the 1950s. Two approaches, using magnetic and inertial confinement of the reactants, are under study. This paper describes the difference between the two approaches, and discusses in more detail the heavy-ion-driven inertial fusion concept. A multibeam induction linear accelerator would be used to bring ∼100 heavy ion beams to a few GeV. The beams would then heat and compress a target of solid D-T. This approach is unique among fusion concepts in its ability to protect the reaction chamber wall from neutrons and debris

Climate and Electricity Annual 2011 - Data and Analyses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-05-27

Electricity use is growing worldwide, providing a range of energy services: lighting, heating and cooling, specific industrial uses, entertainment, information technologies, and mobility. Because its generation remains largely based on fossil fuels, electricity is also the largest and the fastest-growing source of energy-related CO2 emissions, the primary cause of human-induced climate change. Forecasts from the IEA and others show that 'decarbonising' electricity and enhancing end-use efficiency can make major contributions to the fight against climate change. Global and regional trends on electricity supply and demand indicate the magnitude of the decarbonisation challenge ahead. As climate concerns become an essential component of energy policy-making, the generation and use of electricity will be subject to increasingly strong policy actions by governments to reduce their associated CO2 emissions. Despite these actions, and despite very rapid growth in renewable energy generation, significant technology and policy challenges remain if this unprecedented essential transition is to be achieved. This publication provides an authoritative resource on progress to date in this area, with statistics related to CO2 and the electricity sector across ten regions of the world. It also presents topical analyses on meeting the challenge of rapidly curbing CO2 emissions from electricity, from both a policy and technology perspective.

Evaluation and suggestions for optional electrical engineering classes curriculum changes in elementary school

OpenAIRE

Štulac, Anja

2014-01-01

The aim of the thesis is to make a survey about teaching of elective subject in the 8th or 9th grade named electrical engineering. The findings could be helpful to teachers of electrical engineering, engineering and technology, physics, as well as for amateur electrical engineering enthusiasts. It is also aimed at those who seek to make changes in the optional electrical engineering course curriculum which represents a plan of work for teachers of this course. It is therefore an important fac...

THE MAKING OF DECISION MAKING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonardo Yuji Tamura

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Quantum Electronics was a Brazilian startup in the 1990's that was acquired by an American equity fund in 2012. They are currently the largest manufacturer of vehicle tracking and infotainment systems. The company was founded by three college friends, who are currently executives at the company: Camilo Santos, Pedro Barbosa and Luana Correa. Edward Hutter was sent by the equity fund to take over the company’s finances, but is having trouble making organizational decisions with his colleagues. As a consultant, I was called to help them improve their decision making process and project prioritization. I adapted and deployed our firm's methodology, but, in the end, its adequacy is shown to be very much in question. The author of this case study intends to explore how actual organizational decisions rely on different decision models and their assumptions, .as well as demonstrate that a decision model is neither absolutely good nor bad as its quality is context dependent.

Battery Electric Vehicles can reduce greenhouse has emissions and make renewable energy cheaper in India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gopal, Anand R [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Witt, Maggie [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sheppard, Colin [Humboldt State Univ., Arcata, CA (United States); Harris, Andrew [Humboldt State Univ., Arcata, CA (United States)

2015-07-01

India's National Mission on Electric Mobility (NMEM) sets a countrywide goal of deploying 6 to 7 million hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) by 2020. There are widespread concerns, both within and outside the government, that the Indian grid is not equipped to accommodate additional power demand from battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Such concerns are justified on the grounds of India's notorious power sector problems pertaining to grid instability and chronic blackouts. Studies have claimed that deploying BEVs in India will only

Kong Zi on Good Governance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moses Aaron T. Angeles

2008-12-01

Full Text Available This paper will delve into the problem of Good Governance in the light of Kong Zi. What makes up a Just State? What are the elements that constitute a prosperous Kingdom? What principles of Confucianism can we employ to achieve a just and humane society? These are the primary questions that we will try to investigate as we go along. The paper will be thus divided into three essential parts: The Notion of Li and the Sovereign, The ConfucianMoral Ideal, and lastly, The Great Commonwealth.

Approval of radioactive consumer goods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paynter, R.A.

1992-01-01

The 1980 Euratom Directive obliges the UK to draw up a system of prior authorization for the use of radioactive substances in a range of consumer products, and the Government intends to make regulations to fulfil the requirements of the Directive. These regulations will empower NRPB to approve such products prior to their supply to the public. In this brief article, the NRPB reviews the criteria against which to consider any proposed use of radioactive substances, considers radiological production standards for products and discusses the questions of the labelling of radioactive consumer goods. (UK)

The electric sector: alternative energetic sources and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erber, P.

1989-01-01

This work makes a report of the electric sector, its alternative sources and the environment. It reports also the main sources for electric power generation and analyses its impact on the environment. (A.C.A.S.)

The active electric sense of weakly electric fish: from electric organ discharge to sensory processing and behaviour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krahe Rüdiger

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Sensory systems have been shaped by evolution to extract information that is relevant for decision making. In order to understand the mechanisms used by sensory systems for filtering the incoming stream of sensory input, it is important to have a quantitative understanding of the natural sensory scenes that are to be processed. Weakly electric fish lead a rather cryptic nocturnal life in often turbid tropical rainforest streams. They produce electric discharges and sense perturbations of their selfgenerated electric field for prey detection and navigation, and also use their active sense for communication in the context of courtship and aggression. The fact that they produce their electric signals throughout day and night permits the use of electrode arrays to track the movements of multiple individual fish and monitor their communication interactions, thus offering a window into their electrosensory world. This approach yields unprecedented access to information on the biology of these fishes and also on the statistical properties of the sensory scenes that are to be processed by their electrosensory system. The electrosensory system shares many organizational features with other sensory systems, in particular, the use of multiple topographic maps. In fact, the sensory surface (the skin is represented in three parallel maps in the hindbrain, with each map covering the receptor organ array with six different cell types that project to the next higher level of processing. Thus, the electroreceptive body surface is represented a total of 18 times in the hindbrain, with each representation having its specific filter properties and degree of response plasticity. Thus, the access to the sensory world of these fish as well as the manifold filtering of the sensory input makes these fish an excellent model system for exploring the cell-intrinsic and network characteristics underlying the extraction of behaviourally relevant sensory information.

Price sensitive electric power consumption in households. Final report; Prisfoelsomt elforbrug i husholdninger. Slutrapport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Togeby, M.; Hay, C. (Ea Energianalyse A/S, Copenhagen (Denmark))

2009-08-15

To gain experience with electric power consumption in households based on demand response a demonstration project was carried out for households with electric heating. More than 500 households with high power consumption (over 15,000 kWh / yr) participated. Participating households were divided into four groups: 1) a group with automation equipment ('Devi') installed, which automatically controls the electric heating in relation to electricity price signals based on pre-defined standards, 2) a group with electronics equipment ('Electronic House Keeper') installed which can show price signals so that the participant himself can control the electric heating in relation thereto, 3) a group who daily received an e-mail or a text message indicating the fluctuations in electricity prices, so that the participant can control the electric heating in relation to the received information, 4) a control group who did not have knowledge of or participated in the experiment. The main results of the project are that consumption must be controlled through automation. A real impact of the experiment can only be seen for the Devi group, which had automation equipment installed, and not for the email / text message group who had to manually respond to price signals. There must be opportunities for higher degree of differentiation. The automatics should be coupled to multiple thermostats, and the control should be detailed, for example, with control based on the individual thermostat in each room. The thermal comfort is essential. The participants want to manage and move their electricity consumption directly via 'Electronic House Keeper'. They would welcome the opportunity to have all household appliances connected to the solution, making it possible to turn on / off these depending on prices. Good information and communication are crucial to participants' motivation. (ln)

What Makes a "Good Group"? Exploring the Characteristics and Performance of Undergraduate Student Groups

Science.gov (United States)

Channon, S. B.; Davis, R. C.; Goode, N. T.; May, S. A.

2017-01-01

Group work forms the foundation for much of student learning within higher education, and has many educational, social and professional benefits. This study aimed to explore the determinants of success or failure for undergraduate student teams and to define a "good group" through considering three aspects of group success: the task, the…

Energy management systems on board of electric vehicles, based on power electronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guidi, Giuseppe

2009-03-15

storage components and of the electrical drive train in general, rather than being a mere component-level optimization of well established topologies. A novel converter topology is proposed for hybridization of the energy source with a supercapacitor-based power buffer being used to assist the main traction battery. From the functional point of view, the topology implements a bidirectional DC/DC converter. Making use of the fact that the battery terminal voltage is close to constant, an arrangement for the supercapacitors is devised allowing for bidirectional power flow by using power electronics devices of lower ratings than the ones needed in conventional DC/DC converters. At the same time, much smaller magnetic components are needed. Theoretical analysis of the operation of the proposed converter is given, allowing for optimized design. A full-scale experimental prototype rated at 30 kW, intended for use in a pure EV, has been built and tested. Results validate the theory and show that no particular impediment exist to the deployment of the concept in practical applications. Another concept introduced in the thesis is an architecture where the traction inverter is embedded in the energy storage device. The latter is constituted by several modules, as in the case of modern Li-ion battery systems, and each module is equipped with a local power electronics interface, making it functionally equivalent to a controllable voltage source. The result is a modular, distributed system that can be engineered to have very high reliability and also to exhibit self-healing properties. A prototype with a minimum number of modules has been built and tested. Results confirm the effectiveness of the system, and make it a good candidate for deployment in applications where reliability is the most important requirement. (Author). 107 refs., 93 figs., 16 tabs

Analysis of Wheel Hub Motor Drive Application in Electric Vehicles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sun Yuechao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Based on the comparative analysis of the performance characteristics of centralized and distributed drive electric vehicles, we found that the wheel hub motor drive mode of the electric vehicles with distributed drive have compact structure, high utilization ratio of interior vehicle space, lower center of vehicle gravity, good driving stability, easy intelligent control and many other advantages, hence in line with the new requirements for the development of drive performance of electric vehicles, and distributed drive will be the ultimate mode of electric vehicles in the future.

Possible use of electric cars as balancing instrument

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tirez, Andreas; Luickx, Patrick; Woitrin, Dominique

2010-09-15

A massive introduction of electric cars is foreseeable in the mid to long term. Implementing a 'vehicle-to-grid' setting makes it possible to use these cars to deliver ancillary services to the electricity system. In this paper, the possibility of delivering active reserves in the Belgian control area is analyzed. We assume one million electric cars that can be connected to the Belgian grid. Based on our simulation, electric cars could be used for delivering all primary, all secondary and part of the tertiary reserves. Using electric cars as a balancing instrument would facilitate absorbing intermittent energy into the electricity system.

A life-cycle based decision-making framework for electricity generation system planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Norrie, S.J.; Fang, L. [Ryerson Polytechnic Univ., Toronto, ON (Canada). Environmental Applied Science and Management Graduate Program

2006-07-01

This paper proposed a framework for the consideration of multiple objectives in the long-term planning of electricity generation systems. The framework was comprised of 3 components: (1) information based on life-cycle inventories of electricity generation technologies; (2) a set of alternative scenarios to be evaluated and ranked using the framework; and (3) stakeholder values for decision objectives. Scenarios were developed to represent a set of future conditions, and values were derived through the use of questionnaires. Planning for electricity generation in Ontario was selected as a test case for the DM framework. Three scenarios were presented: (1) a business as usual scenario characterized by large, central power plants; (2) a mix of central power plants, distributed generation, and advanced conventional fuel technologies; and (3) small-scale distributed and renewable energy sources and aggressive demand-side management. The life-cycle based information from the scenario evaluation was used to estimate the performance of each scenario on the established decision criteria. Results showed that scenario 3 was the closest to achieving the fundamental objectives according to the decision criteria. It was concluded that the DM framework showed that the use of holistic environmental information and preferential information for multiple objectives can be integrated into a framework that openly and consistently evaluates a set of alternative scenarios. 31 refs., 7 tabs., 4 figs.

Dissemination of electric vehicles in urban areas: Major factors for success

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ajanovic, Amela; Haas, Reinhard

2016-01-01

Problems of transport become more pressing with increasing urbanisation. Although EVs (electric vehicles) are considered to contribute to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution caused by passenger car transport, their use is still very modest. The core objective of this paper is to identify the major impact factors for the broader dissemination of EVs in urban areas. We compare and analyse cities selected in nine different countries which are active in dissemination of EVs. The most important recommendation for policy makers is that all monetary and non-monetary promotion measures implemented should depend on the environmental benignity of the electricity generation mix. From society's point of view the promotion of EVs make sense only if it is ensured that a major share of electricity they use is generated from renewables. Since the final goal is not just to increase the number of EVs but to reduce emissions, cities also have to consider other e-mobility options such as trolleybuses, metros, trams and electro buses, as well as promote walking and biking, especially for short distances. - Highlights: • Oslo is a good example in use of EVs (electric vehicles) in urban areas. • Monetary and non-monetary measures could increase the attractiveness of EVs. • Most of the policies implemented will be abolished with the increasing number of EVs. • All environmental benefits of EVs could be reached only in combination with renewable energy. • Cities have to consider also e-mobility options for public transport.

Auction development for the price-based electric power industry

Science.gov (United States)

Dekrajangpetch, Somgiat

The restructuring of the electric power industry is to move away from the cost-based monopolistic environment of the past to the priced-based competitive environment. As the electric power industry is restructuring in many places, there are still many problems that need to be solved. The work in this dissertation contributes to solve some of the electric power auction problems. The majority of this work is aimed to help develop good markets. A LaGrangian relaxation (LR) Centralized Daily Commitment Auction (CDCA) has been implemented. It has been shown that the solution might not be optimal nor fair to some generation companies (GENCOs) when identical or similar generating units participate in a LR CDCA based auction. Supporting information for bidding strategies on how to change unit data to enhance the chances of bid acceptance has been developed. The majority of this work is based on Single Period Commodity Auction (SPCA). Alternative structures for the SPCA are outlined. Whether the optimal solution is degenerated is investigated. Good pricing criteria are summarized and the pricing method following good pricing criteria is developed. Electricity is generally considered as a homogeneous product. When availability level is used as additional characteristic to distinct electricity, electricity can be considered a heterogeneous product. The procedure to trade electricity as a heterogeneous product is developed. The SPCA is formulated as a linear program. The basic IPLP algorithm has been extended so that sensitivity analysis can be performed as in the simplex method. Sensitivity analysis is used to determine market reach. Additionally, sensitivity analysis is used in combination with the investigation of historical auction results to provide raw data for power system expansion. Market power is a critical issue in electric power deregulation. Firms with market power have an advantage over other competitor firms in terms of market reach. Various approaches to

Renewables in Electricity Markets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ordoudis, Christos; Papakonstantinou, Athanasios; Pinson, Pierre

2014-01-01

Electricity is nowadays commonly exchanged through electricity markets, designed in a context where dispatchable generators, with non-negligible marginal costs, were dominating. By depending primarily on conventional (fossil, hydro and nuclear) power generation based on marginal pricing...... not designed to take into account the uncertainty brought by the substantial variability and limited predictability associated with stochastic sources, most notably wind power and solar energy. Due to these developments, the need for decision making models able to account for the uncertainty introduced by high...... from renewables, and on the adaption of electricity market designs and power system operations to the aforementioned characteristics of renewables. Additionally, the aim of the research group is supplemented by providing the appropriate frameworks for secure future investments in the field...

Life cycle assessment of electricity generation in Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santoyo-Castelazo, E.; Gujba, H.; Azapagic, A.

2011-01-01

This paper presents for the first time a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study of electricity generation in Mexico. The electricity mix in Mexico is dominated by fossil fuels, which contribute around 79% to the total primary energy; renewable energies contribute 16.5% (hydropower 13.5%, geothermal 3% and wind 0.02%) and the remaining 4.8% is from nuclear power. The LCA results show that 225 TWh of electricity generate about 129 million tonnes of CO 2 eq. per year, of which the majority (87%) is due to the combustion of fossil fuels. The renewables and nuclear contribute only 1.1% to the total CO 2 eq. Most of the other LCA impacts are also attributed to the fossil fuel options. The results have been compared with values reported for other countries with similar electricity mix, including Italy, Portugal and the UK, showing good agreement. -- Highlights: → This paper presents for the first time a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study of electricity generation in Mexico. → 129 million tonnes of CO 2 eq. per year are emitted from 225 TWh of electricity generated per year of which 87% is due to the combustion of fossil fuels. → Coal technologies generate 1094 g CO 2 eq./kWh, heavy fuel oil 964 g CO 2 eq./kWh, and gas 468 g CO 2 eq./kWh; by contrast, nuclear and hydro emit 12 g CO 2 eq./kWh. → Heavy fuel oil contributes most to the life cycle environmental impacts (59-97%). → The results show good agreement with values reported for other countries with similar electricity mix, including Italy, Portugal and the UK.

Electricity networks: how 'natural' is the monopoly?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuenneke, Rolf W.

1999-01-01

This article deals with the changing economic characteristics of the electricity network. Traditionally, electricity networks are considered natural monopolies for various kinds of market failures coincide in this essential part of the electricity infrastructure. Technological induced complementarities between nodes and links are causing network externalities, economies of scale, a high degree of mono-functionality, collective good characteristics and an inherent tendency towards concentrated market structures. It is argued that recent technological trends imply a dramatic change of the network economics, leading to possibilities of inter- and intra-network competition, as well as inter fuel competition. The possible implications for the regulatory framework of this sector are addressed. (Author)

Studies regarding the influence of brown flaxseed flour addition in wheat flour of a very good quality for bread making on bread quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georgiana Gabriela CODINA

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to incorporate brown flaxseed into bread in order to improve it quality. For this purpose, different levels of whole ground brown flaxseed (5%, 10%, 15% and 20% were used to substitute wheat flour 650 type of a very good quality for bread making. The bread samples obtained were analyzed from the physical, colour, crumb cell, textural and sensory characteristics point of view. Samples containing 10% of brown flaxseed were with the highest values for loaf volume, porosity and elasticity. The control sample had lowerest redness and greenness value. The maximum hardness was found for bread with 20% brown flaxseed addition. With the increase level of brown flaxseed addition large cells can be noticed in crumb structure of bread. Samples containing 20% of flaxseed were rated poorest in tase, texture, overall acceptability, appearance. Our results indicated that brown flaxseed addition could be added to a typical bread formulation up to levels of 10% with a good overall acceptability offering promising healthy and nutritious alternative to consumers. Between bread flour characteristics at different brown flaxseed flour substitution levels principal component analysis shown significant correlations (p < 0.05 between bread physical characteristics (loaf volume, porosity, elasticity and bread  overall acceptability.

Levelized Costs for Nuclear, Gas and Coal for Electricity, under the Mexican Scenario

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palacios, J.C.; Alonso, G.; Ramirez, R.; Gomez, A.; Ortiz, J.; Longoria, L.C.

2004-10-06

In the case of new nuclear power stations, it is necessary to pay special attention to the financial strategy that will be applied, time of construction, investment cost, and the discount and return rate. The levelized cost quantifies the unitary cost of the electricity (the kWh) generated during the lifetime of the nuclear power plant; and allows the immediate comparison with the cost of other alternative technologies. The present paper shows levelized cost for different nuclear technologies and it provides comparison among them as well as with gas and coal electricity plants. For the calculations we applied our own methodology to evaluate the levelized cost considering investment, fuel and operation and maintenance costs, making assumptions for the Mexican market, and taking into account the gas prices projections. The study also shows comparisons using different discount rates (5% and 10%), and some comparisons between our results and an OECD 1998 study. The results are i n good agreement and shows that nuclear option is cost competitive in Mexico on the basis of levelized costs.

Levelized Costs for Nuclear, Gas and Coal for Electricity, under the Mexican Scenario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palacios, J.C.; Alonso, G.; Ramirez, R.; Gomez, A.; Ortiz, J.; Longoria, L.C.

2004-01-01

In the case of new nuclear power stations, it is necessary to pay special attention to the financial strategy that will be applied, time of construction, investment cost, and the discount and return rate. The levelized cost quantifies the unitary cost of the electricity (the kWh) generated during the lifetime of the nuclear power plant; and allows the immediate comparison with the cost of other alternative technologies. The present paper shows levelized cost for different nuclear technologies and it provides comparison among them as well as with gas and coal electricity plants. For the calculations we applied our own methodology to evaluate the levelized cost considering investment, fuel and operation and maintenance costs, making assumptions for the Mexican market, and taking into account the gas prices projections. The study also shows comparisons using different discount rates (5% and 10%), and some comparisons between our results and an OECD 1998 study. The results are i n good agreement and shows that nuclear option is cost competitive in Mexico on the basis of levelized costs

What makes a 'good group'? Exploring the characteristics and performance of undergraduate student groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Channon, S B; Davis, R C; Goode, N T; May, S A

2017-03-01

Group work forms the foundation for much of student learning within higher education, and has many educational, social and professional benefits. This study aimed to explore the determinants of success or failure for undergraduate student teams and to define a 'good group' through considering three aspects of group success: the task, the individuals, and the team. We employed a mixed methodology, combining demographic data with qualitative observations and task and peer evaluation scores. We determined associations between group dynamic and behaviour, demographic composition, member personalities and attitudes towards one another, and task success. We also employed a cluster analysis to create a model outlining the attributes of a good small group learning team in veterinary education. This model highlights that student groups differ in measures of their effectiveness as teams, independent of their task performance. On the basis of this, we suggest that groups who achieve high marks in tasks cannot be assumed to have acquired team working skills, and therefore if these are important as a learning outcome, they must be assessed directly alongside the task output.

Promoting sustainable economic growth in South Africa through the production and export of low-carbon environmental goods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antoinette van Niekerk

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Many countries, particularly those in the developing world, are under increasing pressure to improve their growth rates in order to tackle pressing economic problems at the domestic level. Increasing export volumes can make a positive contribution to a country’s economic growth rate, but it can also endanger the environment. How to reconcile the often conflicting phenomena of increased export activity, stronger economic growth and a lower carbon footprint is the focus of this study. A core outcome of the study was the creation of a single list using a cross-section of international sources, of low-carbon environmental goods, and their ranking according to their inherent ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, South Africa’s capacity to produce them, and their economic benefits, as reflected in the export opportunities they present. These export opportunities were revealed through the application of the Decision Support Model (DSM, an export market selection tool that incorporates a systematic filtering and screening system. The results of the analysis should help guide policymakers in their strategic deliberations on which export sectors to incentivise and support with a view to encouraging more ‘green’ growth in South Africa in the years ahead. diffusion of such goods. If the production and export of environmental goods were to increase, it could have a potentially positive effect on economic and environmental objectives, such as raising economic growth rates and lowering greenhouse gas intensity, respectively. For the purpose of this study, an analysis of four existing lists of environmental goods led to the identification of 39 core environmental goods. These 39 goods were ranked according to three criteria: i the potential environmental benefits of each environmental good, using consensus among role players as a proxy; ii South Africa’s capacity to produce each environmental good, using the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA

'Animateurs' and animation: what makes a good commissioning manager?

Science.gov (United States)

Checkland, Kath; Snow, Stephanie; McDermott, Imelda; Harrison, Stephen; Coleman, Anna

2012-01-01

To examine the managerial behaviours adopted by commissioning managers in English primary care trusts (PCTs), and to explore the impact of these behaviours. Qualitative case studies were undertaken in four PCTs, focusing on staff engaged in the commissioning of hospital services. Both formal and informal observation were undertaken (150 hours), and 41 in-depth interviews conducted with managers and general practitioners (GPs). Managers adopted many managerial behaviours familiar from the literature, including sharing information, and networking inside and outside the organization. Multiple organizational layers and unclear decision-making processes hindered this activity. In addition, some managers with responsibility for facilitating practice-based commissioning (PbC) adopted a managerial mode that we have called being an 'animateur'. This approach involved the active management of disparate groups of people over whom the manager had no authority, and appeared to be a factor in determining success. It was facilitated by managerial autonomy and was more prevalent where managers were seen to have legitimacy. Some organizational practices appeared to inhibit its development. From 2012/13 it is planned that GPs will be taking more responsibility for commissioning in the English NHS. This research suggests that managers of the new commissioning organizations will require a deep and contextualized understanding of the NHS and that it is important that organizational processes do not inhibit managerial behaviour. Legitimacy may be an issue in contexts were managers are automatically transferred from their existing appointments.

Electricity market opening and electricity generation system's expansion in Slovenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosnjek, Z.; Vidmar, M.; Bregar, Z.

2000-01-01

Slovenia is rapidly adopting the European Union (EU) legislation to make itself ready to be admitted the fifteen EU member countries. In the area of energy or electricity supply industry, Slovenia has consequently enforced the Energy law, which in its essence follows the idea of the Directive 96/92/EC. Globally, the Directive defines common rules of the internal electricity market within EU. Any EU member country is responsible for assuring a competitive electricity market and implementing corresponding instruments as foreseen by the Directive. The share of the national market opening is calculated on the basis of eligible customers' consumption versus the overall consumption in a particular member country. Also, the Directive defines the rate of the electricity market opening. It is interesting to note that the EU member countries have been opening their national electricity markets at a greater speed than specified by the Directive. The overall Slovenian Electricity Supply Industry shall have to adapt itself to new imperatives, whereby the greatest changes will by all means take place in the area of electricity generation. As the reaction of eligible domestic market customers is quite unpredictable, the direct electricity import from foreign countries can only be estimated on a variant basis. EU countries that have deregulated their electricity market have been, step by step, gaining valuable experiences. The majority of them show a considerable pressure on having prices of the EPS generation sector reduced. A similar development can by all means be expected in Slovenia, too. it is expected that the major burden of the electricity market liberalisation and electric power interconnecting within EU will be carried by the EPS generation sector. The analyses of developed variants show that the burden, imposed by the transition onto the market economy, will be predominantly carried by the coal fired electricity supply industry. Further development of electricity

Improved di-electric composition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharp, R C

1915-03-29

An improved di-electric composition is disclosed composed of pitch or bitumen which is melted, and to which is added, while molten, a quantity of finely ground or pulverized spent shale, the whole being mixed or stirred to make a homogeneous composition, substantially as described.

Twenty-First Century Energy Policy Making in New Hampshire: Lessons for Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Herndon, Henry Phillip

In this thesis I investigate the organizational field that is New Hampshire's energy policy-making community as it engages with the state regulatory institution, the Public Utilities Commission, to grapple the challenges of designing a 21st century electricity marketplace. The Public Utilities Commission structure and function are evolving. Historically, the Commission has used adjudicative proceedings to carry out a ratemaking function for monopoly utilities. The Commission's adjudicative process is evolving to become increasingly collaborative as it begins to carry out its new function of 21st century electricity market design. I analyze both the new structure (collaboration) and the new function (21 st century electricity market design) of the Commission through three in-depth case studies of dockets (policy-making processes): Energy Efficiency Resource Standard, Electric Grid Modernization, and Net Metering. My findings identify ways in which the Public Utilities Commission structure for making energy policy decisions is flexible and may be shaped by stakeholders engaging in policy processes. Stakeholders have the power to collectively design regulatory proceedings to incorporate greater opportunities for collaboration to better suit the challenges posed by a 21st century electricity sector. I provide recommendations on how that redesign should occur.

Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Electricity Sector Using Smart Electric Grid Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lamiaa Abdallah

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Approximately 40% of global CO2 emissions are emitted from electricity generation through the combustion of fossil fuels to generate heat needed to power steam turbines. Burning these fuels results in the production of carbon dioxide (CO2—the primary heat-trapping, “greenhouse gas” responsible for global warming. Applying smart electric grid technologies can potentially reduce CO2 emissions. Electric grid comprises three major sectors: generation, transmission and distribution grid, and consumption. Smart generation includes the use of renewable energy sources (wind, solar, or hydropower. Smart transmission and distribution relies on optimizing the existing assets of overhead transmission lines, underground cables, transformers, and substations such that minimum generating capacities are required in the future. Smart consumption will depend on the use of more efficient equipment like energy-saving lighting lamps, enabling smart homes and hybrid plug-in electric vehicles technologies. A special interest is given to the Egyptian case study. Main opportunities for Egypt include generating electricity from wind and solar energy sources and its geographical location that makes it a perfect center for interconnecting electrical systems from the Nile basin, North Africa, Gulf, and Europe. Challenges include shortage of investments, absence of political will, aging of transmission and distribution infrastructure, and lack of consumer awareness for power utilization.

"How to Be Good": Media Representations of Parenting

Science.gov (United States)

Assarsson, Liselott; Aarsand, Pal

2011-01-01

Expectations of parenting are highly prescribed and the media is an important channel for adults learning what this role entails. The pedagogical role of the media involves making judgements on what counts as valid and desirable parenting practices and suggest goals to be(come) the "good parent"--a construct which appears to take no…

The earth’'s electric field sources from sun to mud

CERN Document Server

Kelley, Michael C

2013-01-01

The Earth's Electric Field provides you with an integrated and comprehensive picture of the generation of the terrestrial electric fields, their dynamics and how they couple/propagate through the medium. The Earth's Electric Field provides basic principles of terrestrial electric field related topics, but also a critical summary of electric field related observations and their significance to the various related phenomena in the atmosphere. For the first time, Kelley brings together information on this topic in a coherent way, making it easy to gain a broad overview of the critical processes in an efficient way. If you conduct research in atmospheric science, physics, atmospheric chemistry, space plasma physics, and solar terrestrial physics, you will find this book to be essential reading. The only book on the physics of terrestrial electric fields and their generation mechanisms, propagation and dynamics-making it essential reading for scientists conducting research in upper atmospheric, ionospheric, magnet...

An analytics of electricity consumption characteristics based on principal component analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Junshu

2018-02-01

Abstract . More detailed analysis of the electricity consumption characteristics can make demand side management (DSM) much more targeted. In this paper, an analytics of electricity consumption characteristics based on principal component analysis (PCA) is given, which the PCA method can be used in to extract the main typical characteristics of electricity consumers. Then, electricity consumption characteristics matrix is designed, which can make a comparison of different typical electricity consumption characteristics between different types of consumers, such as industrial consumers, commercial consumers and residents. In our case study, the electricity consumption has been mainly divided into four characteristics: extreme peak using, peak using, peak-shifting using and others. Moreover, it has been found that industrial consumers shift their peak load often, meanwhile commercial and residential consumers have more peak-time consumption. The conclusions can provide decision support of DSM for the government and power providers.

Electric fields and monopole currents in compact QED

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zach, M.; Faber, M.; Kainz, W.; Skala, P.

1995-01-01

The confinement in compact QED is known to be related to magnetic monopoles. Magnetic currents form a solenoid around electric flux lines between a pair of electric charges. This behaviour can be described by the dual version of Maxwell-London equations including a fluctuating string. We use a definition of magnetic monopole currents adjusted to the definition of the electric field strength on a lattice and get good agreement for field and current distributions between compact QED and the predictions of dual Maxwell-London equations. Further we show that the monopole fluctuations in the vacuum are suppressed by the flux tube. ((orig.))

The electricity market reinvention by regional renewal

OpenAIRE

Fontaine, Sebastian

2016-01-01

Just one hundred years ago, electricity was classified as a luxury good. Since renewable energies entered the German market 25 years ago, they slowly started to change some fundamental conditions. The ubiquity of electrical devices in our daily life is not something we think about anymore in the industrialised world. It has become as normal as breathing. Yet unlike air, power has to be obtained and distributed. The constant availability of current is therefore not a given thing, but something...

CALCULATION OF A MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTIC OF ELECTRIC TRACTION MOTOR OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Phuong Le Ngo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The traction characteristic of an electric vehicle is the main characteristic of mechanical system that reflects its key performance indicators. Implementation of the traction characteristic is based on controlling angular speed and torque of electric traction motor in an automatic control system. The static mechanical characteristic of an electric traction motor in an automatic control system is the most important characteristic that determines weight, size and operating characteristics of an electric traction motor and serves as the basis for design. The most common variants of constructive implementation of a traction electric drive are analyzed, and a scheme is chosen for further design. Lagrange’s equation for electric mechanical system with one degree of freedom is written in generalized coordinates. In order to determine the generalized forces, elementary operation of all moments influencing on a moving car has been calculated. The resulting equation of motion of the electric vehicle corresponding to the design scheme, as well as the expressions for calculation of characteristic points of static mechanical characteristics of traction motor (i.e. the maximum and minimum time, minimum power are obtained. In order to determine the nominal values of the angular velocity and the power of electric traction motor, a method based on ensuring the movement of the vehicle in the standard cycle has been developed. The method makes it possible to calculate characteristic points of the mechanical characteristic with the lowest possible power rating. The algorithm for calculation of mechanical characteristics of the motor is presented. The method was applied to calculate static mechanical characteristic of an electric traction motor for a small urban electric truck.

Concentrating solar thermal power as a viable alternative in China's electricity supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung-Ling Chien, John; Lior, Noam

2011-01-01

Study of low-carbon and pollution renewable alternatives for China revealed that concentrating solar thermal (CST) electric power generation was underemphasized in China's renewable energy plan. The analysis shows the competitive viability of CST: (1) China has the key prerequisites to make CST power generation economical including high-quality insolation and appropriate land, (2) CST's proven history, scale, and dispatchability makes it a good utility-scale power option, especially in the economically underdeveloped Western regions, (3) while CST power is currently more expensive than coal-fired electricity on a nominal basis, when costs of externalities are accounted for, CST, at 11.4 US cents/kWh, can become 57% cheaper than scrubbed coal and 29% cheaper than nuclear power, (4) CST power continues dropping in cost due to economies of scale and technological improvements and can potentially realize a levelized electricity cost of around 4 cents/kWh within ten years, (5) it would significantly rise in competitiveness if and when China completes the extensive smart grid for connecting its solar-abundant western regions with the high-demand eastern regions, (6) CST has the potential to positively impact Western China's economy, but proper policy and deal structure must be in place to ensure that the local community shares the benefit. - Highlights: ► We analyze inclusion of concentrating solar thermal (CST) power in China. ► We find that CST needs emphasis in China's renewable energy plan. ► The analysis shows that CST is competitive with coal if externalities are considered. ► We recommend a policy that would develop CST power generation in western regions. ► This would be of significant benefit to Western China's economy and to China.

Evaluation of Electric Power Procurement Strategies by Stochastic Dynamic Programming

Science.gov (United States)

Saisho, Yuichi; Hayashi, Taketo; Fujii, Yasumasa; Yamaji, Kenji

In deregulated electricity markets, the role of a distribution company is to purchase electricity from the wholesale electricity market at randomly fluctuating prices and to provide it to its customers at a given fixed price. Therefore the company has to take risk stemming from the uncertainties of electricity prices and/or demand fluctuation instead of the customers. The way to avoid the risk is to make a bilateral contact with generating companies or install its own power generation facility. This entails the necessity to develop a certain method to make an optimal strategy for electric power procurement. In such a circumstance, this research has the purpose for proposing a mathematical method based on stochastic dynamic programming and additionally considering the characteristics of the start-up cost of electric power generation facility to evaluate strategies of combination of the bilateral contract and power auto-generation with its own facility for procuring electric power in deregulated electricity market. In the beginning we proposed two approaches to solve the stochastic dynamic programming, and they are a Monte Carlo simulation method and a finite difference method to derive the solution of a partial differential equation of the total procurement cost of electric power. Finally we discussed the influences of the price uncertainty on optimal strategies of power procurement.

Shadows and lights of the italian electricity industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lanza, Salvatore; Silva, Francesco

2006-01-01

The passage of the electricity industry from a public monopoly vertically integrated to a decentralized and competitive system poses organizational, institutional, economic and technical problems whose complexity must be taken in due account. The recent electricity reform in Italy is a good test to verity the capabilities of the policy maker to design and implement such a difficult process. Inadequate competencies, doubts, conflicts and institutional rigidities produced a sub-optimal result [it

Guidebook on good practice in the management of uranium mining and mill operations and the preparation for their closure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-12-01

Over the past fifty years the uranium industry has moved from a labor-intensive industry to a 'high-tech' and capital intensive industry. Organization of knowledge, manpower and material had to change to meet the demands of several stakeholders inherent to any project and to constantly adapt to technological innovations. Today, the mission of a uranium operation is not only to make a profit while selling yellow cake to electrical power stations but also to address issues regarding safety, health, environment and demands of the regulators and the public and assure the sustainability of the operations. Good mining practice begins with the proper planning and forecasting from the discovery of a deposit to decommissioning of a mine. This report describes and defines what is considered as good practice in the various activities of a mining operation and provides an overview of the management of a single operation. As technologies are progressing rapidly in the mining industry, and as this industry is transitional, this report emphasizes the importance of training employees at all levels of the organization. The statement on good practices for the various activities of a mining operation will be useful for organizations which are planning to open new mines or intend to modernize ongoing operations. Practical examples are given in the case of histories for four different countries. The objective of this publication is not to provide strict rules on the application of good practice but to give general guidelines that can be consulted and used in many different countries

Portfolio optimization in electricity markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Min; Wu, Felix F.

2007-01-01

In a competitive electricity market, Generation companies (Gencos) face price risk and delivery risk that affect their profitability. Risk management is an important and essential part in the Genco's decision making. In this paper, risk management through diversification is considered. The problem of energy allocation between spot markets and bilateral contracts is formulated as a general portfolio optimization problem with a risk-free asset and n risky assets. Historical data of the PJM electricity market are used to demonstrate the approach. (author)

Market research for electric utilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shippee, G.

1999-01-01

Marketing research is increasing in importance as utilities become more marketing oriented. Marketing research managers need to maintain autonomy from the marketing director or ad agency and make sure their work is relevant to the utility's operation. This article will outline a model marketing research program for an electric utility. While a utility may not conduct each and every type of research described, the programs presented offer a smorgasbord of activities which successful electric utility marketers often use or have access to

Science communication in policy making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Coumou, Hilde; van der Werf Kulichova, Z.; Wehrmann, C.

2014-01-01

Policy making regarding application of agricultural biotechnology has been controversial. This study investigates what determines the motivation of European biotech scientists to actively participate in policy making. To do this, a conceptual framework was developed based on the Theory of Planned...... Behavior. The framework was operationalized in semi-structured interviews with 17 European biotech scientists to collect data about their motivation to involve in GMO policy making. The results of this qualitative study suggest that the attitude of the scientists towards active participation in policy...... making is dependent on their view of the way science and decision making relate to each other. The respondents who are currently active in policy making seem to be driven by commitment to the public good. However, many respondents feel social pressure from environmental NGOs to withdraw from engagement...

Flywheel in an all-electric propulsion system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lundin, Johan

2011-07-01

Energy storage is a crucial condition for both transportation purposes and for the use of electricity. Flywheels can be used as actual energy storage but also as power handling device. Their high power capacity compared to other means of storing electric energy makes them very convenient for smoothing power transients. These occur frequently in vehicles but also in the electric grid. In both these areas there is a lot to gain by reducing the power transients and irregularities. The research conducted at Uppsala Univ. and described in this thesis is focused on an all-electric propulsion system based on an electric flywheel with double stator windings. The flywheel is inserted in between the main energy storage (assumed to be a battery) and the traction motor in an electric vehicle. This system has been evaluated by simulations in a Matlab model, comparing two otherwise identical drivelines, one with and one without a flywheel. The flywheel is shown to have several advantages for an all-electric propulsion system for a vehicle. The maximum power from the battery decreases more than ten times as the flywheel absorbs and supplies all the high power fluxes occurring at acceleration and braking. The battery delivers a low and almost constant power to the flywheel. The amount of batteries needed de- creases whereas the battery lifetime and efficiency increases. Another benefit the flywheel configuration brings is a higher energy efficiency and hence less need for cooling. The model has also been used to evaluate the flywheel functionality for an electric grid application. The power from renewable intermittent energy sources such as wave, wind and current power can be smoothened by the fly- wheel, making these energy sources more efficient and thereby competitive with a remaining high power quality in the electric grid

Feasibility study on data collection in the electricity sector for the household goods, home entertainment, office, communications and industrial areas; Machbarkeitsstudie Datenerhebung im Elektrizitaetsbereich, Bereiche Hausgeraete, Unterhaltungselektronik, Buero- und Kommunikationsgeraete, Industrie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huser, A. [Encontrol GmbH, Niederrohrdorf (Switzerland); Schaltegger, B. [Meyer und Schaltegger AG, St. Gallen (Switzerland); Baumgartner, W. [Basics AG, Zuerich (Switzerland)

2001-07-01

To improve the data situation, and as a management instrument, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy wants to create a quantitative overview of the consumption of electrical energy. In a feasibility study carried out for this purpose, the current data situation was investigated and it showed in which range of applications and at what cost detailed information could be gathered. The investigation is part of a comprehensive study concerning the opportunities for improvement of the electrical energy statistics. In principle, the entire electrical energy consumption of Switzerland will be covered. This report embraces the household equipment, entertainment electronic equipment, office and communications equipment and the industrial consumer groups. In various sectors, survey and calculation models can be supplied that provide data of a high quality. It can be shown that a massive improvement in the data situation, compared to the current situation, can be achieved at a moderate cost. In the case of household equipment, entertainment electronic equipment, office and communications equipment, good quality data can be ascertained with a bottom-up estimate. Various empirical studies, as well as the linking of this data, are necessary for this. Because of the complexity and diversity of equipment in the industrial consumer group, other methodological estimates will be proposed. (author)

Small-scale CDM projects in a competitive electricity industry: How good is a simplified baseline methodology?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shrestha, Ram M.; Abeygunawardana, A.M.A.K.

2007-01-01

Setting baseline emissions is one of the principal tasks involved in awarding credits for greenhouse gas emission (GHG) mitigation projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). An emission baseline has to be project-specific in order to be accurate. However, project-specific baseline calculations are subject to high transaction costs, which disadvantage small-scale projects. For this reason, the CDM-Executive Board (CDM-EB) has approved simplified baseline methodologies for selected small-scale CDM project categories. While the simplified methods help reduce the transaction cost, they may also result in inaccuracies in the estimation of emission reductions from CDM projects. The purpose of this paper is to present a rigorous economic scheduling method for calculating the GHG emission reduction in a hypothetical competitive electricity industry due to the operation of a renewable energy-based power plant under CDM and compare the GHG emission reduction derived from the rigorous method with that obtained from the use of a simplified (i.e., standardized) method approved by the CDM-EB. A key finding of the paper is that depending upon the level of power demand, prices of electricity and input fuels, the simplified method can lead to either significant overestimation or substantial underestimation of emission reduction due to the operation of renewable energy-based power projects in a competitive electricity industry

Deconstructing the Rosenfeld curve: Making sense of California's low electricity intensity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudarshan, Anant

2013-01-01

Regulatory regimes that have increased household energy efficiency are of widespread interest to policymakers today. A prominent example is the state of California where electricity intensities in the residential sector have stayed near constant since the 1970s in sharp contrast to nationwide trends in the United States. A structural model of residential energy consumption is used to show that the use of energy intensities alone to evaluate the success of California efficiency programs is misleading and glosses over important policy independent factors. We quantify important effects of price, climate conditions and demographic characteristics on energy consumption in California. We also provide evidence of split incentive considerations in residential energy consumption patterns. We conclude that while state policy may have had some effect on efficiency, caution needs to be exercised in using the California example to inform expectations from similar measures in other regions. - Highlights: • We model electricity and heating fuel consumption in US households. • We use the structural model to estimate price elasticities. • California energy intensities are strongly influenced by policy independent factors. • The role of energy efficiency policy in lowering intensities is limited. • Evidence of split incentive considerations in energy demand

Multiple electrical phase transitions in Al substituted barium hexaferrite

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Sunil; Supriya, Sweety; Kar, Manoranjan

2017-12-01

Barium hexaferrite is known to be a very good ferromagnetic material. However, it shows very good dielectric properties, i.e., the dielectric constant is comparable to that of the ferroelectric material. However, its crystal symmetry does not allow it to be a ferroelectric material. Hence, the electrical properties have revived the considerable research interest on these materials, not only for academic interest, but also for technological applications. There are a few reports on temperature dependent dielectric behavior of these materials. However, the exact cause of dielectric as well as electrical conductivity is yet to be established. Hence, Al (very good conducting material) substituted barium hexaferrite (BaFe12-xAlxO19, x = 0.0-4.0) has been prepared by following the modified sol-gel method to understand the ac and DC electrical properties of these materials. The crystal structure and parameters have been studied by employing the XRD and FTIR techniques. There are two transition temperatures, which have been observed in the temperature dependent ac dielectric and DC resistivity measurement. The response of dielectric behaviors to temperature is similar to that of the ferroelectric material; however, the dielectric polarization is due to the polaron hopping, which is evident from the DC resistivity analysis. Hence, the present observations lead to understand the electrical properties of barium hexaferrite. The frequency dependent dielectric dispersion can be understood by the modified Debye model. More interestingly, the dielectric constant decreases and DC resistivity increases with the increase in the Al concentration, which has the correlation between bond length modifications in the crystal due to substitution.

Utilizing reliability concepts in the development of IEEE recommended good practices for nuclear plant maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gradin, L.P.

1986-01-01

This paper presents information describing the concern for nuclear power plant electrical equipment maintenance and the IEEE Nuclear Power Engineering Committee's method to address that concern. That method includes the creation of Working Group 3.3, ''Maintenance Good Practices'' which is developing specific maintenance good practice documents, supporting technical information exchange, and providing a vehicle to promote practices which can reduce cost and enhance plant safety. The foundation for that effort is the utilization of Reliability concepts

Electric field detection of coherent synchrotron radiation in a storage ring generated using laser bunch slicing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katayama, I.; Shimosato, H.; Bito, M.; Furusawa, K.; Adachi, M.; Zen, H.; Kimura, S.; Katoh, M.; Shimada, M.; Yamamoto, N.; Hosaka, M.; Ashida, M.

2012-01-01

The electric field of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) generated by laser bunch slicing in a storage ring has been detected by an electro-optic sampling method. The gate pulses for sampling are sent through a large-mode-area photonic-crystal fiber. The observed electric field profile of the CSR is in good agreement with the spectrum of the CSR observed using Fourier transform far-infrared spectrometry, indicating good phase stability in the CSR. The longitudinal density profiles of electrons modulated by laser pulses were evaluated from the electric field profile.

Towards low energy mobility using light and ultralight electric vehicles

OpenAIRE

Van den Bossche, Alex; Sergeant, Peter; Hofman, Isabelle

2012-01-01

Electrical vehicles are seriously considered today. However their energy needs depend seriously on the way how they are designed, ranging from electric bicycles to the electrical utility vehicle, it can differ from 1kWh to more than 20kWh/100km. One can look at the problem if it is better to use compressed natural gas in a vehicle directly or is it better to make electricity first and use that electricity in an electric vehicle. A special attention is given to the development of ultra-ligh...

A General Overview of Electric Road Vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamblin, Veronique

2018-01-01

In July 2017 Nicolas Hulot, the French Minister of Ecological and Inclusive Transition, presented a climate plan featuring an end to electricity generation from coal by 2022, a reduction in the nuclear component of electricity supply by one third, a total ban on the sale of petrol or diesel cars by 2040 and an incentive scheme designed gradually to remove polluting vehicles from the roads. Other European partners are following suit and promoting the spread of electric vehicles (Norway, Germany, Netherlands etc.). Yet is this the panacea that will meet the targets for greenhouse gas reduction in the battle against climate change? Futuribles examines the question in this issue with two articles: the first of these by Pierre Bonnaure, above, assesses the forces driving the spread of electric cars and the impediments to that process; this second article by Veronique Lamblin offers a general over - view of electric road vehicles (passenger cars, heavy good vehicles, bicycles etc.) throughout the world. (author)

Representing and intervening: 'doing' good care in first trimester prenatal knowledge production and decision-making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schwennesen, Nete; Koch, Lene

2012-01-01

This article investigates processes of knowledge production and decision-making in the practice of the first trimester prenatal risk assessment (FTPRA) at an ultrasound clinic in Denmark. On the basis of ethnographic material and interviews with professionals facilitating FTPRAs in Denmark, we draw...... attention to the active engagement of health professionals in this process. Current professional and policy debate over the use of prenatal testing emphasises the need for informed choice making and for services that provide prospective parents with what is referred to as 'non-directive counselling...... of reducing emotional suffering and supporting a pregnant woman's ability to make meaningful choices on the basis of uncertain knowledge. As such, these practices can be seen as representing another (caring) solution to the problem of paternalism and authoritarian power. In opposition to an ethics aiming...

Decision Making in Action

Science.gov (United States)

Orasanu, Judith; Statler, Irving C. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

The importance of decision-making to safety in complex, dynamic environments like mission control centers and offshore installations has been well established. NASA-ARC has a program of research dedicated to fostering safe and effective decision-making in the manned spaceflight environment. Because access to spaceflight is limited, environments with similar characteristics, including aviation and nuclear power plants, serve as analogs from which space-relevant data can be gathered and theories developed. Analyses of aviation accidents cite crew judgement and decision making as causes or contributing factors in over half of all accidents. A similar observation has been made in nuclear power plants. Yet laboratory research on decision making has not proven especially helpful in improving the quality of decisions in these kinds of environments. One reason is that the traditional, analytic decision models are inappropriate to multidimensional, high-risk environments, and do not accurately describe what expert human decision makers do when they make decisions that have consequences. A new model of dynamic, naturalistic decision making is offered that may prove useful for improving decision making in complex, isolated, confined and high-risk environments. Based on analyses of crew performance in full-mission simulators and accident reports, features that define effective decision strategies in abnormal or emergency situations have been identified. These include accurate situation assessment (including time and risk assessment), appreciation of the complexity of the problem, sensitivity to constraints on the decision, timeliness of the response, and use of adequate information. More effective crews also manage their workload to provide themselves with time and resources to make good decisions. In brief, good decisions are appropriate to the demands of the situation. Effective crew decision making and overall performance are mediated by crew communication. Communication

Electric rate operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maillard, D.

1993-01-01

The share of nuclear power in EDF production implies multiple rate structures. How are these rates determined. What are the new applications of electricity, and in particular those that make use of the especially low summer prices for electricity. These are topics of interest to the man in the street (witness EDF's recent 'red-white-blue' rates). This prompted the 'Nuclear Power in the Financial, Energy and Economic situation' department of France's nuclear power company to organize a conference bringing together an expert on rates - M.P. Bernard, head of the rate fixing service at the EDF's headquarters - and representatives from suppliers of equipment taking advantage of the various EDF rate options

Handling stolen goods in Iranian and English criminal law

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sayyed Mohammad Hoseini

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Handling stolen goods has been recognized as an independent offence in both Iranian and English law. Committing this offence, tacitly support those actions that are called theft. However, penal policy of Iran’s legislator does not provide effective fighting against the handlers of stolen goods. In others words, comparing the two Iranian and English legal system, make this issue clear that criminalization of stolen goods has some restrictions about physical element as well as the amount of relevant punishment that we can have more effective fighting against supporting factors of larceny with eliminating them and hereto, in the course of exercising appropriate reaction to the handlers, reducing the offence of theft. The article seeks to recommend some solutions for a better penal policy, such as increasing punishment of the offence and extending the scope of its physical behaviour, through comparative analysis of the offence of stolen goods; meanwhile different elements of the offence have been studied.

Proceedings of the CERI 2003 electricity conference : electricity restructuring in transition. CD-ROM ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

The restructuring of the electric power industry was reviewed from a North American perspective. This conference focused on how current market structures can be improved to benefit all participants. The current issues for future development of power generation and transmission were discussed. The conference was divided into seven sessions as follows: (1) market design issues, (2) Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC's) wholesale market platform, (3) does retail competition make sense, (4) the future direction of the Alberta market, (5) the status of restructured electricity markets, (6) resource mix in a greenhouse gas (GHG)-constrained world, and (7) electricity supply from oil sands cogeneration. A total of eleven papers were selected and indexed separately for inclusion in this database. refs., tabs., figs

Model Design on Emergency Power Supply of Electric Vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuanliang Zhao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available According to the mobile storage characteristic of electric vehicles, an emergency power supply model about the electric vehicles is presented through analyzing its storage characteristic. The model can ensure important consumer loss minimization during power failure or emergency and can make electric vehicles cost minimization about running, scheduling, and vindicating. In view of the random dispersion feature in one area, an emergency power supply scheme using the electric vehicles is designed based on the K-means algorithm. The purpose is to improve the electric vehicles initiative gathering ability and reduce the electric vehicles gathering time. The study can reduce the number of other emergency power supply equipment and improve the urban electricity reliability.

Electricity remains a serious workplace hazard.

Science.gov (United States)

Proctor, Laura; Kuchibotla, Srin

2013-08-01

Anyone who works in an industrial environment or is employed in the utility, mass transit, industrial goods manufacturing, or telecommunications industry - as well as many others - may be at risk for electrocution. Electric shock costs workers' lives and results in painful and debilitating injuries every year. Lockout/tagout procedures protect against electrocution, as do rubber insulating gloves, which must be worn any time workers are exposed to energized parts operating at 50 volts or higher. Some newer styles of rubber insulating gloves not only protect against electric shock, but also offer the dexterity and flexibility workers need for hours of comfortable wear.

Market research for electric utilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shippee, G.

1999-12-01

Marketing research is increasing in importance as utilities become more marketing oriented. Marketing research managers need to maintain autonomy from the marketing director or ad agency and make sure their work is relevant to the utility's operation. This article will outline a model marketing research program for an electric utility. While a utility may not conduct each and every type of research described, the programs presented offer a smorgasbord of activities which successful electric utility marketers often use or have access to.

Static Measurements on HTS Coils of Fully Superconducting AC Electric Machines for Aircraft Electric Propulsion System

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Benjamin B.; Hunker, Keith R.; Hartwig, Jason; Brown, Gerald V.

2017-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been developing the high efficiency and high-power density superconducting (SC) electric machines in full support of electrified aircraft propulsion (EAP) systems for a future electric aircraft. A SC coil test rig has been designed and built to perform static and AC measurements on BSCCO, (RE)BCO, and YBCO high temperature superconducting (HTS) wire and coils at liquid nitrogen (LN2) temperature. In this paper, DC measurements on five SC coil configurations of various geometry in zero external magnetic field are measured to develop good measurement technique and to determine the critical current (Ic) and the sharpness (n value) of the super-to-normal transition. Also, standard procedures for coil design, fabrication, coil mounting, micro-volt measurement, cryogenic testing, current control, and data acquisition technique were established. Experimentally measured critical currents are compared with theoretical predicted values based on an electric-field criterion (Ec). Data here are essential to quantify the SC electric machine operation limits where the SC begins to exhibit non-zero resistance. All test data will be utilized to assess the feasibility of using HTS coils for the fully superconducting AC electric machine development for an aircraft electric propulsion system.

The Art of Doing Good Where Passion Meets Action

CERN Document Server

Bronfman, Charles

2012-01-01

How to turn personal passion into an organization with impact For anyone setting out to change the world, launching a nonprofit venture can be a powerful way to enact change. Whether bringing donated eyeglasses to children who have never seen clearly, revamping inner city schools, or bringing solar cookers to refugee camps, the act of doing good can be life-changing. Yet starting a nonprofit?and running it well?can also pose challenges. The Art of Doing Good is an essential companion for anyone looking to start an organization that makes a real difference. Drawing from their own leadership r

Kenyan and Ethiopian distance runners: what makes them so good?

Science.gov (United States)

Wilber, Randall L; Pitsiladis, Yannis P

2012-06-01

Since the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, Kenyan and Ethiopian runners have dominated the middle- and long-distance events in athletics and have exhibited comparable dominance in international cross-country and road-racing competition. Several factors have been proposed to explain the extraordinary success of the Kenyan and Ethiopian distance runners, including (1) genetic predisposition, (2) development of a high maximal oxygen uptake as a result of extensive walking and running at an early age, (3) relatively high hemoglobin and hematocrit, (4) development of good metabolic "economy/efficiency" based on somatotype and lower limb characteristics, (5) favorable skeletal-muscle-fiber composition and oxidative enzyme profile, (6) traditional Kenyan/Ethiopian diet, (7) living and training at altitude, and (8) motivation to achieve economic success. Some of these factors have been examined objectively in the laboratory and field, whereas others have been evaluated from an observational perspective. The purpose of this article is to present the current data relative to factors that potentially contribute to the unprecedented success of Kenyan and Ethiopian distance runners, including recent studies that examined potential links between Kenyan and Ethiopian genotype characteristics and elite running performance. In general, it appears that Kenyan and Ethiopian distance-running success is not based on a unique genetic or physiological characteristic. Rather, it appears to be the result of favorable somatotypical characteristics lending to exceptional biomechanical and metabolic economy/efficiency; chronic exposure to altitude in combination with moderate-volume, high-intensity training (live high + train high), and a strong psychological motivation to succeed athletically for the purpose of economic and social advancement.

Device for the measurement of electrically conductive bulk goods led through a pipeline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thyssen, H.; Breuer, G.

1978-01-01

The measuring section employed to detect the passage of spherical, graphite coated, electrically conducting fuel and/or blanket elements consists of a metal tube as the first electrode and another electrode, which is insulated from the first one, between which a spark gap is triggered by a sphere passing between them. The circuitry of the two electrodes includes a DC generator and a high ohmic resistor. The indication signals are generated by amplitude modulation by the interaction of the high ohmic resistor, the spark gap and a stray capacitance connected in parallel with the spark gap. The signals can be fed to the data processing system. (RW) [de

Stratum Electricity Markets: Toward Multi-temporal Distributed Risk Management for Sustainable Electricity Provision

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zhiyong (Richard)

Motivated by the overall challenge of ensuring long-term sustainable electricity service, we view this challenge as a long-term decision making problem under uncertainties. We start by recognizing that, independent of the industry organization, the uncertainties are enormous and often exogenous to the energy service providers. They are multi-dimensional and are result of fundamental drivers, ranging from the supply side, through the demand side, to the regulatory and policy sides. The basic contribution of this thesis comes from the recognition that long-term investments for ensuring reliable and stable electricity service critically depend on how these uncertainties are perceived, valued and managed by the different stakeholders within the complex industry organization such as the electric power industry. We explain several reasons why price signals obtained from current short-term electricity markets alone are not sufficient enough for long-term sustainable provision. Some enhancements are presented in the thesis to improve the short-term electricity market price signals to reflect the true cost of operation. New market mechanisms and instruments are needed to facilitate the stakeholders to better deal with long-term risks. The problems of ensuring long-term stable reliable service in the sense of the traditional resource adequacy requirements are revisited in both the restructuring industry and regulated industry. We introduce a so-called Stratum Electricity Market (SEM) design as the basic market mechanism for solving the problem of long-term reliable electricity service through a series of interactive multi-lateral market exchange platforms for risks communication, management and evaluations over various time horizons and by the different groups of stakeholders. In other words, our proposed SEM is a basic IT-enabled framework for the decision making processes by various parties over different time. Because of the uniqueness of electricity as a commodity, the

Educational Goods and Values: A Framework for Decision Makers

Science.gov (United States)

Brighouse, Harry; Ladd, Helen F.; Loeb, Susanna; Swift, Adam

2016-01-01

This article articulates a framework suitable for use when making decisions about education policy. Decision makers should establish what the feasible options are and evaluate them in terms of their contribution to the development, and distribution, of educational goods in children, balanced against the negative effect of policies on important…

What Does it Take to Get your Attention? : The influence of In-Store and Out-of-Store Factors on Visual Attention and Decision Making for Fast-moving Consumer Goods

OpenAIRE

Shams, Poja

2013-01-01

Decision making for fast-moving consumer goods involves a choice between numerous similar alternatives. Under such demanding circumstances, a decision is made for one product. The decision is dependent on the interaction between the environment and the mind of the consumer, both of which are filled with information that can influence the outcome. The aim of this dissertation is to explore how the mind and the environment guides attention towards considered and chosen products in consumer deci...

Batteries for electric and hybrid-electric vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Cairns, Elton J; Albertus, Paul

2010-01-01

Batteries have powered vehicles for more than a century, but recent advances, especially in lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, are bringing a new generation of electric-powered vehicles to the market. Key barriers to progress include system cost and lifetime, and derive from the difficulty of making a high-energy, high-power, and reversible electrochemical system. Indeed, although humans produce many mechanical and electrical systems, the number of reversible electrochemical systems is very limited. System costs may be brought down by using cathode materials less expensive than those presently employed (e.g., sulfur or air), but reversibility will remain a key challenge. Continued improvements in the ability to synthesize and characterize materials at desired length scales, as well as to use computations to predict new structures and their properties, are facilitating the development of a better understanding and improved systems. Battery research is a fascinating area for development as well as a key enabler for future technologies, including advanced transportation systems with minimal environmental impact.

Making good cider out of bad apples – Signaling expectations boosts cooperation among would-be free riders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nagatsu, Michiru; Larsen, Karen; Karabegovic, Mia

2018-01-01

The present study investigates how group-cooperation heuristics boost voluntary contributions in a repeated public goods game. We manipulate two separate factors in a two-person public goods game: i) group composition (Selfish Subjects vs. Conditional Cooperators) and ii) common knowledge about...... group composition (Information vs. No Information). In addition, we let the subjects signal expectations of the other’s contributions in the experiment’s second phase. Common knowledge of Selfish type alone slightly dampens contributions but dramatically increases contributions when signaling...

Letting people off the hook: when do good deeds excuse transgressions?

Science.gov (United States)

Effron, Daniel A; Monin, Benoît

2010-12-01

Three studies examined when and why an actor's prior good deeds make observers more willing to excuse--or license--his or her subsequent, morally dubious behavior. In a pilot study, actors' good deeds made participants more forgiving of the actors' subsequent transgressions. In Study 1, participants only licensed blatant transgressions that were in a different domain than actors' good deeds; blatant transgressions in the same domain appeared hypocritical and suppressed licensing (e.g., fighting adolescent drug use excused sexual harassment, but fighting sexual harassment did not). Study 2 replicated these effects and showed that good deeds made observers license ambiguous transgressions (e.g., behavior that might or might not represent sexual harassment) regardless of whether the good deeds and the transgression were in the same or in a different domain--but only same-domain good deeds did so by changing participants' construal of the transgressions. Discussion integrates two models of why licensing occurs.

Electric field induced instabilities in free emulsion films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tchoukov, P.; Dabros, T. [Natural Resources Canada, Devon, AB (Canada); Mostowfi, F. [Schlumberger DBR Technology Center, Edmonton, AB (Canada); Panchev, N. [Champion Technologies Inc., Houston, TX (United States); Czarnecki, J. [Alberta Univ., Edmonton, AB (Canada). Dept. of Chemical and Materials Engineering

2009-07-01

This presentation reported on a study that investigated the mechanism of electric field-induced breakdown of free emulsion films. Instability patterns were observed on the plane of a water-oil-water film following electric polarization. The length-scales of the instabilities were measured by analyzing images immediately after applying the electric field. Linear stability analysis was used to calculate the theoretical dominant wavelengths. The calculated values were found to be in good agreement with measured values. The films were formed in a thin film apparatus modified so that the oil film separated 2 aqueous phase compartments, each in contact with a platinum electrode. This enabled the measurement of disjoining pressure while applying the electric field to the film. It was concluded that breakdown of thin films induced by electric field has many applications, including electrostatic de-emulsification/desalination of crude oil and emulsion stability measurements. It was concluded that electroporation and dielectric breakdown may be responsible for electric field-induced breakdown. This study also presented evidence of an increase in electric field-induced instabilities in emulsion films resulting in rupture. tabs., figs.

The problems of simulating electrical power systems within the energy economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuma, I.

1984-01-01

The article examines the problems of developing an electrical power system within the framework of the energy economy as a whole and an energy complex. Whereas in the past it was possible to forecast the development of such a system relatively accurately for ten years or more, the situation is now much more difficult. For the purposes of making forecasts, formalized mathematical methods have been developed and used systematically for many years both in research and in forecasting. For electricity demand, these include balance methods, methods of direct and indirect extrapolation, methods of simple and multiple correlation, methods of international comparison, multicomponent combined models of consumption and so on. The main problem in using them lies in the extremely limited validity of statistically compared interrelationships between a limited number of values in the context of explicitly step-wise changes in the domestic and world economy, in the power production of a country and so forth, which means that these methods do not produce good results. The report analyses the importance of the interrelationship between forecasts of the direction of electrical power development and the power complex as a whole and stresses that the main problem of forecasting the development of electrical power and its individual elements lies in selecting the right approach and deciding how to organize the use of methods in a situation where complex economic conditions operate simultaneously. The article also examines one of the possible ways of improving methods for forecasting energy consumption for the period considered. This consists in using data obtained from the analysis and consideration of factors affecting energy consumption in individual major areas of the economy

Decision Making in the Airplane

Science.gov (United States)

Orasanu, Judith; Shafto, Michael G. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

The Importance of decision-making to safety in complex, dynamic environments like mission control centers, aviation, and offshore installations has been well established. NASA-ARC has a program of research dedicated to fostering safe and effective decision-making in the manned spaceflight environment. Because access to spaceflight is limited, environments with similar characteristics, including aviation and nuclear power plants, serve as analogs from which space-relevant data can be gathered and theories developed. Analyses of aviation accidents cite crew judgement and decision making as causes or contributing factors in over half of all accidents. Yet laboratory research on decision making has not proven especially helpful In improving the quality of decisions in these kinds of environments. One reason is that the traditional, analytic decision models are inappropriate to multi-dimensional, high-risk environments, and do not accurately describe what expert human decision makers do when they make decisions that have consequences. A new model of dynamic, naturalistic decision making is offered that may prove useful for improving decision making in complex, isolated, confined and high-risk environments. Based on analyses of crew performance in full-mission simulators and accident reports, features that define effective decision strategies in abnormal or emergency situations have been identified. These include accurate situation assessment (including time and risk assessment), appreciation of the complexity of the problem, sensitivity to constraints on the decision, timeliness of the response, and use of adequate information. More effective crews also manage their workload to provide themselves with time and resources to make good decisions. In brief, good decisions are appropriate to the demands of the situation. Effective crew decision making and overall performance are mediated by crew communication. Communication contributes to performance because it assures that

Power exchange game in the electricity market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pyykko, S.; Partanen, J.; Viljainen, S.; Lassila, J.; Honkapuro, S.; Tahvanainen, K.

2006-01-01

Since it is not economically reasonable to build parallel electricity networks, in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, electricity distribution is protected by monopoly. However, electricity production and selling have been opened up to competition by connecting the transmission networks of these countries together, and it is possible to produce electricity where it is cheapest. A common electricity power market, called Nord Pool, has been created where electricity can be bought, sold or used as an exchange product. In order to help students understand the operation of electricity markets and the use of different electricity exchange products, the Department of Electrical Engineering at Lappeenranta University developed a scheme in which the theory can be used in practice. In the scheme, students are given the responsibility to manage the electricity markets of power companies in order analyze, plan and make decisions, which are skills required on the open power markets. The paper provided an introduction to the electricity markets in Nordic countries and discussed Nord Pool and its products. Information about education at the Department of Electrical Engineering at Lappeenranta University of Technology was also presented. The paper also provided details of the power exchange scheme on the electricity markets. 6 refs., 17 figs

The Good Investment.

Science.gov (United States)

Prescott, John E; Fresne, Julie A; Youngclaus, James A

2017-07-01

The authors reflect on the article in this issue entitled "Borrow or Serve? An Economic Analysis of Options for Financing a Medical School Education" by Marcu and colleagues, which makes a compelling case that a medical school education is a good investment, no matter what financing option students use, from federal service programs to federal loans. The lead author of this Commentary shares lessons learned from his own medical school education, which was funded by an Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship, and from his current position interacting with medical students across the United States.Regardless of the financing path they choose, all students should understand basic financial concepts and the details of the various pathways that are available to pay for their medical school education, as well as how each could potentially impact their own future and that of their families. One underappreciated aspect of financing a medical school education is that federal repayment scenarios can link loan payments to income, rather than debt levels, which means that all physicians are able to afford their loan payments no matter what specialty they practice, what they are paid, or where they live.Medical education, while expensive, remains the good investment. An MD degree can lead to a lifetime of personal fulfillment and societal contributions. Everyone, with rare exceptions, accepted to a U.S. medical school will be able to finance their medical education via a path that aligns with their personal values and priorities.

It's About Making Surfaces Invisible

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

It's About Making Surfaces Invisible ... light is reflected from the surface between two media. The in- tensity of ... The reflection from each new interface and the combined reflec- .... Let us see the requirements of a material for a good stamp. The.

Blow molding electric drives of Mechanical Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Bukhanov, S. S.; Ramazanov, M. A.; Tsirkunenko, A. T.

2018-03-01

The article considers the questions about the analysis of new possibilities, which gives the use of adjustable electric drives for blowing mechanisms of plastic production. Thus, the use of new semiconductor converters makes it possible not only to compensate the instability of the supply network by using special dynamic voltage regulators, but to improve (correct) the power factor. The calculation of economic efficiency in controlled electric drives of blowing mechanisms is given. On the basis of statistical analysis, the calculation of the reliability parameters of the regulated electric drives’ elements under consideration is given. It is shown that an increase in the reliability of adjustable electric drives is possible both due to overestimation of the electric drive’s installed power, and in simpler schemes with pulse-vector control.

Financial statistics of major US investor-owned electric utilities 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-12-01

The Financial Statistics of Major U.S. Investor-Owned Electric Utilities publication presents summary and detailed financial accounting data on the investor-owned electric utilities. The objective of the publication is to provide Federal and State Governments, industry, and the general public with current and historical data that can be used for making policy and decisions relating to investor-owned electric utility issues.

Electricity Consumption Forecasting Scheme via Improved LSSVM with Maximum Correntropy Criterion

OpenAIRE

Jiandong Duan; Xinyu Qiu; Wentao Ma; Xuan Tian; Di Shang

2018-01-01

In recent years, with the deepening of China’s electricity sales side reform and electricity market opening up gradually, the forecasting of electricity consumption (FoEC) becomes an extremely important technique for the electricity market. At present, how to forecast the electricity accurately and make an evaluation of results scientifically are still key research topics. In this paper, we propose a novel prediction scheme based on the least-square support vector machine (LSSVM) model with a...

Market data analysis and short-term price forecasting in the Iran electricity market with pay-as-bid payment mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bigdeli, N.; Afshar, K.; Amjady, N.

2009-01-01

Market data analysis and short-term price forecasting in Iran electricity market as a market with pay-as-bid payment mechanism has been considered in this paper. The data analysis procedure includes both correlation and predictability analysis of the most important load and price indices. The employed data are the experimental time series from Iran electricity market in its real size and is long enough to make it possible to take properties such as non-stationarity of market into account. For predictability analysis, the bifurcation diagrams and recurrence plots of the data have been investigated. The results of these analyses indicate existence of deterministic chaos in addition to non-stationarity property of the system which implies short-term predictability. In the next step, two artificial neural networks have been developed for forecasting the two price indices in Iran's electricity market. The models' input sets are selected regarding four aspects: the correlation properties of the available data, the critiques of Iran's electricity market, a proper convergence rate in case of sudden variations in the market price behavior, and the omission of cumulative forecasting errors. The simulation results based on experimental data from Iran electricity market are representative of good performance of the developed neural networks in coping with and forecasting of the market behavior, even in the case of severe volatility in the market price indices. (author)

Political determinants of electricity provision in small island developing states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boräng, Frida; Jagers, Sverker C.; Povitkina, Marina

2016-01-01

This paper approaches provision of affordable and reliable electricity in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as a case of public good provision. It aims to contribute to our understanding of how regime type and the quality of implementing institutions within political systems affect the prerequisites for successful electrification in SIDS. More specifically, we analyse the independent and interdependent effects of level of democracy and control of corruption on per capita household electricity consumption in SIDS, using data from 34 SIDS over the period 1996–2009. The results show that although the independent effects of level of democracy and control of corruption are sensitive to model specification, these two factors do have an interdependent impact on per capita household electricity consumption: democratization has positive effects on provision of electricity to the general population only when there is a certain level of corruption control in place. The results imply a) that it is important for policy actors to acknowledge the interaction between regime type and the quality of implementing institutions, and b) when planning electrification projects in SIDS, it is necessary to have information about the social and political context in order to design the most effective projects. - Highlights: • Effects of political institutions on household electricity consumption in SIDS. • Electrification is seen as an example of public good provision. • Democracy has a positive impact on electricity consumption when corruption is low. • Electrification projects can gain from being sensitive to institutional context.

Oxide Thin-Film Electronics using All-MXene Electrical Contacts

KAUST Repository

Wang, Zhenwei

2018-02-23

2D MXenes have shown great promise in electrochemical and electromagnetic shielding applications. However, their potential use in electronic devices is significantly less explored. The unique combination of metallic conductivity and hydrophilic surface suggests that MXenes can also be promising in electronics and sensing applications. Here, it is shown that metallic Ti3C2 MXene with work function of 4.60 eV can make good electrical contact with both zinc oxide (ZnO) and tin monoxide (SnO) semiconductors, with negligible band offsets. Consequently, both n-type ZnO and p-type SnO thin-film transistors (TFTs) have been fabricated entirely using large-area MXene (Ti3C2) electrical contacts, including gate, source, and drain. The n- and p-type TFTs show balanced performance, including field-effect mobilities of 2.61 and 2.01 cm2 V−1 s−1 and switching ratios of 3.6 × 106 and 1.1 × 103, respectively. Further, complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) inverters are demonstrated. The CMOS inverters show large voltage gain of 80 and excellent noise margin of 3.54 V, which is 70.8% of the ideal value. Moreover, the operation of CMOS inverters is shown to be very stable under a 100 Hz square waveform input. The current results suggest that MXene (Ti3C2) can play an important role as contact material in nanoelectronics.

Fundamental Study on Electrical Discharge Machining

OpenAIRE

Uno, Yoshiyuki; Nakajima, Toshikatsu; Endo, Osamu

1989-01-01

The generation mechanism of crater in electrical discharge machining is analyzed with a single pulse discharge device for alloy tool steel, black alumina ceramics, cermet and cemented carbide, investigating the gap voltage, the discharge current, the shape of crater, the wear of electrode and so on. The experimental analysis makes it clear that the shape of crater has a characteristic feature for the kind of workpiece. The shape of electrode, which changes with the wear by an electric spark, ...

Effect of calcium chloride concentration on output force in electrical actuator made of sodium alginate gel

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yuda; Zhao, Gang; Wei, Chengye; Liu, Shuang; Fu, Yu; Liu, Xvxiong

2018-01-01

As a kind of artificial muscle intelligent material, the biological gel electric driver has the advantages of low driving voltage, large strain, good biological compatibility, good flexibility, low price, etc. The application prospect is broad and it has high academic value. Alginate, as a common substance in sea, has characteristics of low cost, green and pollution-free. Therefore,this paper obtains biological gel electric actuator by sodium alginate and calcium chloride. Effects on output force of the electric actuator is researched by changing the crosslinking of calcium chloride concentration and the output force enhancement mechanism is analyzed in this paper.

geo-electrical exploration for groundwater within the premises of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2.2. Principle and Method. Electrical resistivity survey is usually designed to measure the electrical resistivity variation of the subsurface materials by making measurements at the earth surface. The common electrode arrays suitable for YES work are the Wenner and the Schlumberger arrays. Jn the Schlumberger array the.

The role of efficiency estimates in regulatory price reviews: Ofgem's approach to benchmarking electricity networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pollitt, Michael

2005-01-01

Electricity regulators around the world make use of efficiency analysis (or benchmarking) to produce estimates of the likely amount of cost reduction which regulated electric utilities can achieve. This short paper examines the use of such efficiency estimates by the UK electricity regulator (Ofgem) within electricity distribution and transmission price reviews. It highlights the place of efficiency analysis within the calculation of X factors. We suggest a number of problems with the current approach and make suggestions for the future development of X factor setting. (author)

New Balancing Equipment for Mass Production of Small and Medium-Sized Electrical Machines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Argeseanu, Alin; Ritchie, Ewen; Leban, Krisztina Monika

2010-01-01

The level of vibration and noise is an important feature. It is good practice to explain the significance of the indicators of the quality of electrical machines. The mass production of small and medium-sized electrical machines demands speed (short typical measurement time), reliability...

Advanced electric drives analysis, control, and modeling using MATLAB/Simulink

CERN Document Server

Mohan, Ned

2014-01-01

Advanced Electric Drives utilizes a physics-based approach to explain the fundamental concepts of modern electric drive control and its operation under dynamic conditions. Gives readers a "physical" picture of electric machines and drives without resorting to mathematical transformations for easy visualization Confirms the physics-based analysis of electric drives mathematically Provides readers with an analysis of electric machines in a way that can be easily interfaced to common power electronic converters and controlled using any control scheme Makes the MATLAB/Simulink files used in exampl

Factors affecting the cost and competitiveness of nuclear electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertel, E.; Stevens, G.H.

1996-01-01

The general context in which are carried out the investment choices of the electric sector has evolved in a significant way during these last years and the changes are to a certain extent irreversible. Economic globalization, deregulation of the electricity market, privatisation of electricity producers, and increasing awareness of environmental issues are modifying the policy-making landscape and the criteria and priorities of decision-makers in the power sector. Competitiveness remains a cornerstone for evaluating and choosing alternative technologies in the process of planning and decision-making for electricity system expansion or power plant replacement. Nevertheless, the production costs analysis inserts factors which were not taking before into account as for instance social impacts, health and environmental effects. These new approaches better reveal the total costs of the different production means. They will certainly lead to different choices than those based on the whole comparison of direct costs supported by producers. The economic studies carried out by the Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD (NEA) cover all the preceding aspects and give objective information on the competitiveness of nuclear electricity. The nuclear industry has today the necessary means to take up the challenges of the electricity new markets. (O.M.)

A strategic review of electricity systems models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foley, A.M.; O Gallachoir, B.P.; McKeogh, E.J.; Hur, J.; Baldick, R.

2010-01-01

Electricity systems models are software tools used to manage electricity demand and the electricity systems, to trade electricity and for generation expansion planning purposes. Various portfolios and scenarios are modelled in order to compare the effects of decision making in policy and on business development plans in electricity systems so as to best advise governments and industry on the least cost economic and environmental approach to electricity supply, while maintaining a secure supply of sufficient quality electricity. The modelling techniques developed to study vertically integrated state monopolies are now applied in liberalised markets where the issues and constraints are more complex. This paper reviews the changing role of electricity systems modelling in a strategic manner, focussing on the modelling response to key developments, the move away from monopoly towards liberalised market regimes and the increasing complexity brought about by policy targets for renewable energy and emissions. The paper provides an overview of electricity systems modelling techniques, discusses a number of key proprietary electricity systems models used in the USA and Europe and provides an information resource to the electricity analyst not currently readily available in the literature on the choice of model to investigate different aspects of the electricity system. (author)

A life-cycle approach to technology, infrastructure, and climate policy decision making: Transitioning to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and low-carbon electricity

Science.gov (United States)

Samaras, Constantine

In order to mitigate the most severe effects of climate change, large global reductions in the current levels of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are required in this century to stabilize atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations at less than double pre-industrial levels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) fourth assessment report states that GHG emissions should be reduced to 50-80% of 2000 levels by 2050 to increase the likelihood of stabilizing atmospheric CO2 concentrations. In order to achieve the large GHG reductions by 2050 recommended by the IPCC, a fundamental shift and evolution will be required in the energy system. Because the electric power and transportation sectors represent the largest GHG emissions sources in the United States, a unique opportunity for coupling these systems via electrified transportation could achieve synergistic environmental (GHG emissions reductions) and energy security (petroleum displacement) benefits. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which use electricity from the grid to power a portion of travel, could play a major role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector. However, this thesis finds that life cycle GHG emissions from PHEVs depend on the electricity source that is used to charge the battery, so meaningful GHG emissions reductions with PHEVs are conditional on low-carbon electricity sources. Power plants and their associated GHGs are long-lived, and this work argues that decisions made regarding new electricity supplies within the next ten years will affect the potential of PHEVs to play a role in a low-carbon future in the coming decades. This thesis investigates the life cycle engineering, economic, and policy decisions involved in transitioning to PHEVs and low-carbon electricity. The government has a vast array of policy options to promote low-carbon technologies, some of which have proven to be more successful than others. This thesis uses life

Assessing the sense of `good at' and `not good at' toward learning topics of mathematics with conjoint analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Izuta, Giido; Nishikawa, Tomoko

2017-05-01

Over the past years, educational psychology and pedagogy communities have focused on the metacognition formalism as a helpful approach to carry out investigations on the feeling of difficulty in mastering some classroom materials that students acquire through their subjective experiences of learning in schools. Motivated by hitherto studies, this work deals with the assessment of the awareness of `good at' and `not good at' that Japanese junior high school students have towards the main learning modules in their three years of mathematics. More specifically, the aims here are (i) to shed some light into how the awareness varies across the grades and gender; (ii) to get some insights into the extent to what the conjoint analysis can be applied to understand the students' feelings toward learning activities. To accomplish them, a conjoint analysis survey with three conjoint attributes, each with two levels, were designed to assess the learners' perceptions of `good at' and `not good at' with respect to arithmetic (algebraic operations), geometry and functions, which make up the three major modules of their curricula. The measurements took place in a public junior high school with 616 school children. It turned out that the conjoint analyses for boys and girls of each grade generated the partial utility and importance graphs which along with a pre-established precision of measurement allowed us to form groups of pupils according to their `sense of being good at' characteristics. Moreover, the results showed that the number of groups obtained differed for boys and girls as well as grades when the gender and school years were considered for comparisons. These findings suggesting that female students outnumbers their peers in number of `good at' despite the low number of females pursuing careers in mathematics and related fields imply that investigation on the causes of this juxtaposition has to be taken into account in the future.

Producers' approaches about good agricultural practices in Manisa and İzmir

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karabat Selcuk

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This study includes the agricultural enterprises which apply and do not apply good agricultural practices in Manisa and İzmir provinces. The basic purposes of this research are; to make a comparison between the enterprises apply and do not apply good agricultural practices, to determine the awareness of the producers to good agricultural practices, to specify the tendency of the farmers towards good agricultural practices and to present the factors affecting to good agriculture. In the scope of the study, 25 grape producers in Manisa and 20 mandarin producers in Izmir that apply good agricultural practices have been participated in a survey. Besides, the same survey was also conducted with the same number of producers which do not apply good agricultural practices. To analyze the data, simple calculations such as average, percentage, frequency and through the use of the crosstabs were used and the social-economic status of the producers and some technical and economical specifications of the enterprises were determined. The tendency of the producers towards performing good agricultural practices and the factors affecting to these tendencies have been observed. The tendency of the producers were determined by using Logit Regression Analysis.

How to make a good animation: A grounded cognition model of how visual representation design affects the construction of abstract physics knowledge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhongzhou Chen

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Visual representations play a critical role in teaching physics. However, since we do not have a satisfactory understanding of how visual perception impacts the construction of abstract knowledge, most visual representations used in instructions are either created based on existing conventions or designed according to the instructor’s intuition, which leads to a significant variance in their effectiveness. In this paper we propose a cognitive mechanism based on grounded cognition, suggesting that visual perception affects understanding by activating “perceptual symbols”: the basic cognitive unit used by the brain to construct a concept. A good visual representation activates perceptual symbols that are essential for the construction of the represented concept, whereas a bad representation does the opposite. As a proof of concept, we conducted a clinical experiment in which participants received three different versions of a multimedia tutorial teaching the integral expression of electric potential. The three versions were only different by the details of the visual representation design, only one of which contained perceptual features that activate perceptual symbols essential for constructing the idea of “accumulation.” On a following post-test, participants receiving this version of tutorial significantly outperformed those who received the other two versions of tutorials designed to mimic conventional visual representations used in classrooms.

Modeling of forced vibration phenomenon by making an electrical analogy with ANSYS finite element software

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Myriam Rocío Pallares Muñoz

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Designing mechanical systems which are submitted to vibration requires calculation methods which are very different to those u-sed in other disciplines because, when this occurs, the magnitude of the forces becomes secondary and the frequency with which the force is repeated becomes the most important aspect. It must be taken care of, given that smaller periodic forces can prompt disasters than greater static forces. The article presents a representative problem regarding systems having forced vibration, the mathematical treatment of differential equations from an electrical and mechanical viewpoint, an electrical analogy, numerical modeling of circuits using ANSYS finite element software, analysis and comparison of numerical modeling results compared to test values, the post-processing of results and conclusions regarding electrical analogy methodology when analysing forced vibra-tion systems.

Environmental Decision Analysis: Meeting the Challenges of Making Good Decisions at CALFED

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claire D Tomkins

2006-09-01

Full Text Available We present a methodology to support decision making at CALFED based on the principles of decision analysis, an analytical approach to decision making designed to handle complex decisions involving both uncertainty and multiple dimensions of value. The impetus for such an approach is a recognized need to enhance communication between scientists and management and between program elements within CALFED. In addition, the environmental decision analysis framework supports both the explicit representation of uncertainty in the decision problem and communication about risk, important elements of most environmental management decisions. The decision analysis cycle consists of four phases: 1 formulate, 2 evaluate, 3 appraise, and 4 decide. In phase one, we identify the objectives and also the alternatives, or possible actions. To facilitate inter-comparison between proposed actions, we recommend formulation of a set of common metrics for CALFED. In our pilot study, we introduced common metrics for salinity, winter-run Chinook salmon survival, and habitat health. The second phase focuses on quantifying possible impacts on the set of metrics, drawing on existing data, model runs, and expert opinions. For the evaluation phase, we employ tools such as decision trees to assess the system-wide impacts of a given action. In the final phase, tools such as expected cost-benefit analysis, value contribution diagrams, and 3-D tradeoff plots aid communication between various stakeholders, scientists, and managers. While decision analysis provides a spectrum of decision support tools, we emphasize that it does not dictate a solution but rather enhances communication about tradeoffs associated with different actions.

Getting to Gender Equality in Energy Infrastructure : Lessons from Electricity Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Projects

OpenAIRE

Orlando, Maria Beatriz; Janik, Vanessa Lopes; Vaidya, Pranav; Angelou, Nicolina; Zumbyte, Ieva; Adams, Norma

2018-01-01

Getting to Gender Equality in Electricity Infrastructure: Lessons from Electricity Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Projects examines the social and gender footprint of large-scale electricity generation, transmission, and distribution projects to establish a foundation on which further research and replication of good practices can be built. The main impact pathways analyzed are...

Good days and bad days in dementia: a qualitative chart review of variable symptom expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Rockwood, Kenneth; Fay, Sherri; Hamilton, Laura; Ross, Elyse; Moorhouse, Paige

2014-08-01

Despite its importance in the lived experience of dementia, symptom fluctuation has been little studied outside Lewy body dementia. We aimed to characterize symptom fluctuation in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mixed dementia. A qualitative analysis of health records that included notations on good days and bad days yielded 52 community-dwelling patients (women, n = 30; aged 39-91 years; mild dementia, n = 26, chiefly AD, n = 36). Good days/bad days were most often described as changes in the same core set of symptoms (e.g. less/more verbal repetition). In other cases, only good or only bad days were described (e.g., no bad days, better sense of humor on good days). Good days were typically associated with improved global cognition, function, interest, and initiation. Bad days were associated with frequent verbal repetition, poor memory, increased agitation and other disruptive behaviors. Clinically important variability in symptoms appears common in AD and mixed dementia. Even so, what makes a day "good" is not simply more (or less) of what makes a day "bad". Further investigation of the factors that facilitate or encourage good days and mitigate bad days may help improve quality of life for patients and caregivers.

Values in the electric power industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sayre, K. (ed.)

1977-01-01

A basic conclusion established by the seven essays presented is that nowhere within the complex decision-making process of the electric power industry is there any provision for systematically considering the curtailment of consumption as a serious alternative to continued expansion of power production. Six recommendations are summarized for concrete steps toward remedying this deficiency as a result of examining the essays. Continued expansion of power generation could result in desirable consequences of economic growth, jobs, ready transportation, and many consumer conveniences; undesirable consequences are: increasing air and water pollution, further depletion of nonrenewable resources, and increased dependence on foreign sources of energy. The papers are: A Cybernetic Analysis of Certain Energy Consumption Patterns, by Kenneth Sayre; Social and Environmental Value in Power Plant Licensing: A Study in the Regulation of Nuclear Power by Vaughn McKim; Legal and Economic Aspects of the Electric Utility's ''Mandate to Serve'', by Charles Murdock; Economies of Scale in the Electric Power Industry, by Kenneth Jameson; Dynamics of Growth in the U.S. Electric Power Industry, by Ellen Maher; Utilitarianism and Cost-Benefit Analysis: An Essay on the Relevance of Moral Philosophy to Bureaucratic Theory, by Alasdair MacIntyre; and An Ethical Analysis of Power Company Decision-Making, by Kenneth Goodpaster and Kenneth Sayre. (MCW)

HOW GOOD IS GOODS AND SERVICES TAX

OpenAIRE

Dr. Sreemoyee Guha Roy

2016-01-01

Goods and Services Tax is a broad based and a single comprehensive tax levied on goods and services consumed in an economy. GST is levied at every stage of the production-distribution chain with applicable set offs in respect of the tax remitted at previous stages. It is basically a tax on final consumption. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a value added tax to be implemented in India, the decision on which is pending. GST is the only indirect tax that directly affects all sectors and sect...

Electric Field Effects in RUS Measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Darling, Timothy W [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Ten Cate, James A [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Allured, Bradley [UNIV NEVADA, RENO; Carpenter, Michael A [CAMBRIDGE UNIV. UK

2009-09-21

Much of the power of the Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS) technique is the ability to make mechanical resonance measurements while the environment of the sample is changed. Temperature and magnetic field are important examples. Due to the common use of piezoelectric transducers near the sample, applied electric fields introduce complications, but many materials have technologically interesting responses to applied static and RF electric fields. Non-contact optical, buffered, or shielded transducers permit the application of charge and externally applied electric fields while making RUS measurements. For conducting samples, in vacuum, charging produces a small negative pressure in the volume of the material - a state rarely explored. At very high charges we influence the electron density near the surface so the propagation of surface waves and their resonances may give us a handle on the relationship of electron density to bond strength and elasticity. Our preliminary results indicate a charge sign dependent effect, but we are studying a number of possible other effects induced by charging. In dielectric materials, external electric fields influence the strain response, particularly in ferroelectrics. Experiments to study this connection at phase transformations are planned. The fact that many geological samples contain single crystal quartz suggests a possible use of the piezoelectric response to drive vibrations using applied RF fields. In polycrystals, averaging of strains in randomly oriented crystals implies using the 'statistical residual' strain as the drive. The ability to excite vibrations in quartzite polycrystals and arenites is explored. We present results of experimental and theoretical approaches to electric field effects using RUS methods.

Counter traction makes endoscopic submucosal dissection easier.

Science.gov (United States)

Oyama, Tsuneo

2012-11-01

Poor counter traction and poor field of vision make endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) difficult. Good counter traction allows dissections to be performed more quickly and safely. Position change, which utilizes gravity, is the simplest method to create a clear field of vision. It is useful especially for esophageal and colon ESD. The second easiest method is clip with line method. Counter traction made by clip with line accomplishes the creation of a clear field of vision and suitable counter traction thereby making ESD more efficient and safe. The author published this method in 2002. The name ESD was not established in those days; the name cutting endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) or EMR with hook knife was used. The other traction methods such as external grasping forceps, internal traction, double channel scope, and double scopes method are introduced in this paper. A good strategy for creating counter traction makes ESD easier.

Forecasting the Electricity Demand and Market Shares in Retail Electricity Market Based on System Dynamics and Markov Chain

OpenAIRE

Qingyou Yan; Chao Qin; Mingjian Nie; Le Yang

2018-01-01

Due to the deregulation of retail electricity market, consumers can choose retail electric suppliers freely, and market entities are facing fierce competition because of the increasing number of new entrants. Under these circumstances, forecasting the changes in all market entities, when market share stabilized, is important for suppliers making marketing decisions. In this paper, a market share forecasting model was established based on Markov chain, and a system dynamics model was construct...

Aging evaluation of electrical circuits using the ECCAD system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edson, J.L.

1988-01-01

As a part of the Nuclear Regulator Commission Nuclear Plant Aging Research Program, an aging assessment of electrical circuits was conducted at the Shippingport atomic power station decommissioning project. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of the electrical circuit characterization and diagnostic (ECCAD) system in identifying circuit conditions, to determine the present condition of selected electrical circuits, and correlate the results with aging effects. To accomplish this task, a series of electrical tests was performed on each circuit using the ECCAD system, which is composed of commercially available electronic test equipment under computer control. Test results indicate that the ECCAD system is effective in detecting and identifying aging and service wear in selected electrical circuits. The major area of degradation in the circuits tested was at the termination/connection points, whereas the cables were in generally good condition

High Energy Density and High Temperature Multilayer Capacitor Films for Electric Vehicle Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Treufeld, Imre; Song, Michelle; Zhu, Lei; Baer, Eric; Snyder, Joe; Langhe, Deepak

2015-03-01

Multilayer films (MLFs) with high energy density and high temperature capability (>120 °C) have been developed at Case Western Reserve University. Such films offer a potential solution for electric car DC-link capacitors, where high ripple currents and high temperature tolerance are required. The current state-of-the-art capacitors used in electric cars for converting DC to AC use biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), which can only operate at temperatures up to 85 °C requiring an external cooling system. The polycarbonate (PC)/poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) MLFs have a higher permittivity compared to that of BOPP (2.3), leading to higher energy density. They have good mechanical stability and reasonably low dielectric losses at 120 °C. Nonetheless, our preliminary dielectric measurements show that the MLFs exhibit appreciable dielectric losses (20%) at 120 °C, which would, despite all the other advantages, make them not suitable for practical applications. Our preliminary data showed that dielectric losses of the MLFs at 120 °C up to 400 MV/m and 1000 Hz originate mostly from impurity ionic conduction. This work is supported by the NSF PFI/BIC Program (IIP-1237708).

In situ electron holography of electric potentials inside a solid-state electrolyte: Effect of electric-field leakage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aizawa, Yuka; Yamamoto, Kazuo; Sato, Takeshi [Nanostructures Research Laboratory, Japan Fine Ceramics Center, 2-4-1 Mutsuno, Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 456-8587 (Japan); Murata, Hidekazu [Faculty of Science and Technology, Meijo University, 1-501 Shiogamaguchi, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 468-8502 (Japan); Yoshida, Ryuji; Fisher, Craig A.J. [Nanostructures Research Laboratory, Japan Fine Ceramics Center, 2-4-1 Mutsuno, Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 456-8587 (Japan); Kato, Takehisa; Iriyama, Yasutoshi [Department of Materials, Physics and Energy Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601 (Japan); Hirayama, Tsukasa, E-mail: t-hirayama@jfcc.or.jp [Nanostructures Research Laboratory, Japan Fine Ceramics Center, 2-4-1 Mutsuno, Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 456-8587 (Japan)

2017-07-15

In situ electron holography is used to observe changes of electric-potential distributions in an amorphous lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) solid-state electrolyte when different voltages are applied. 2D phase images are simulated by integrating the 3D potential distribution along the electron trajectory through a thin Cu/LiPON/Cu region. Good agreement between experimental and simulated phase distributions is obtained when the influence of the external electric field is taken into account using the 3D boundary-charge method. Based on the precise potential changes, the lithium-ion and lithium-vacancy distributions inside the LiPON layer and electric double layers (EDLs) are inferred. The gradients of the phase drops at the interfaces in relation to EDL widths are discussed. - Highlights: • Solid-state electrolyte LiPON has been observed by in situ electron holography. • Observed phase distributions are compared with those simulated numerically. • 3D electric fields around the specimen are taken into account in the simulation. • Electric-potential distributions inside LiPON have been obtained. • The lithium-ion and lithium-vacancy distributions inside the LiPON are inferred.

Numerical modeling of friction welding of bi-metal joints for electrical applications

Science.gov (United States)

Velu, P. Shenbaga; Hynes, N. Rajesh Jesudoss

2018-05-01

In the manufacturing industries, and more especially in electrical engineering applications, the usage of non-ferrous materials plays a vital role. Today's engineering applications relies upon some of the significant properties such as a good corrosion resistance, mechanical properties, good heat conductivity and higher electrical conductivity. Copper-aluminum bi-metal joint is one such combination that meets the demands requirements for electrical applications. In this work, the numerical simulation of AA 6061 T6 alloy/Copper was carried out under joining conditions. By using this developed model, the temperature distribution along the length of the dissimilar joint is predicted and the time-temperature profile has also been generated. Besides, a Finite Element Model has been developed by using the numerical simulation Tool "ABAQUS". This developed FEM is helpful in predicting various output parameters during friction welding of this dissimilar joint combination.

Social Cost Benefit Analysis for Environmental Policy-Making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Zeeuw, A.; In t Veld, R.; Van Soest, D.; Meuleman, L.; Hoogewoning, P.

2008-01-01

Review of the theoretical literature and the current debate on the valuation of environmental goods and services, on the discounting of future benefits and costs, and on how social cost benefit analysis (SCBAs) can be integrated in the policy and decision making process. It is concluded that SCBA can be a good decision support method in environmental policy-making if it is transparent and if all impacts are taken into account. Furthermore, the SCBA process should be participative, and politicians must be prepared to take responsibility for the assumptions behind the SCBA, including the assumptions on valuation and on the discount rate. Such a political role makes each SCBA a unique product of a politically responsible actor, and makes it possible for other stakeholders to have calculated an alternative SCBA based on their own assumptions. This Background Study also contains the proceedings of the international SCBA conference organised by RMNO on 16-17 January 2008

What is good medical ethics? A very personal response to a difficult question.

Science.gov (United States)

Farsides, Bobbie

2015-01-01

A personal reflection upon a career in medical ethics leads to four conclusions on what makes for 'good medical ethics'. Good medical ethics is practical in approach, philosophically well grounded, cross disciplinary, and while it might not be a necessary feature, the experience of the author suggests that it is the work of 'good people'. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

An electrical-heating and self-sensing shape memory polymer composite incorporated with carbon fiber felt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong, Xiaobo; Leng, Jinsong; Liu, Liwu; Liu, Yanju

2016-01-01

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) have the ability to adjust their stiffness, lock a temporary shape, and recover the permanent shape upon imposing an appropriate stimulus. They have found their way into the field of morphing structures. The electrically Joule resistive heating of the conductive composite can be a desirable stimulus to activate the shape memory effect of SMPs without external heating equipment. Electro-induced SMP composites incorporated with carbon fiber felt (CFF) were explored in this work. The CFF is an excellent conductive filler which can easily spread throughout the composite. It has a huge advantage in terms of low cost, simple manufacturing process, and uniform and tunable temperature distribution while heating. A continuous and compact conductive network made of carbon fibers and the overlap joints among them was observed from the microscopy images, and this network contributes to the high conductive properties of the CFF/SMP composites. The CFF/SMP composites can be electrical-heated rapidly and uniformly, and its’ shape recovery effect can be actuated by the electrical resistance Joule heating of the CFF without an external heater. The CFF/SMP composite get higher modulus and higher strength than the pure SMP without losing any strain recovery property. The high dependence of temperature and strain on the electrical resistance also make the composite a good self-sensing material. In general, the CFF/SMP composite shows great prospects as a potential material for the future morphing structures. (paper)

Electric power distribution. Elektrische Energieverteilung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fricke, H; Frohne, H; Vaske, P

1982-01-01

The first chapter on electric power supply networks discusses transmitting media, their characteristic values, and the dimensioning of electric lines and networks; cables are given particular attention. High-voltage d.c. transmission and reactive power compensation are discussed. The next chapter describes the calculation of short-circuits and earth leakages for various neutral circuits on the basis of symmetric components. The newly introduced mesh current method for complex calculation of electric networks makes use of the potential of pocket computers. Chapter 3 discusses protective devices, i.e. earth systems and electronic protection. The next two chapters describe switch gear and power plants, including recent technical changes. The final chapter, which discusses the electric power industry, has been rewritten and extended. Methods of calculation, e.g. annual cost and cash value, are applied to transmitting media and plants. There is an extensive appendix with characteristic values of cables and overhead lines, graphical symbols, distinguishing signs of wiring diagrams, a bibliography of books, DIN standards, VDE specifications, and formulas.

Diagnostics of Electric Equipment Windings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. I. Branovitsky

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents methodology and results of the investigations pertaining to study of influence of short-circuited turns on transient electrical processes in electric motor windings. Dependence of their damped speed and value of the difference signal, obtained at reciprocal subtraction of damped oscillation curves in absence and in presence of short-circuited turns, on number of turns in the tested windings. It has been determined that damped oscillation curves, immediately attributed to short-circuited turns, have peak values along temporary axis which are areas of the largest transient process sensitivity to КЗ turns.Methodology for diagnostics of single- and three-phase electric motor windings and also other electric equipment, being realized in DO-1 device, has been developed in the paper. The men­tioned device makes it possible to carry out visual comparison and quantitative analysis of damped oscillation curves in the tested windings with standard ones which are set in the device memory and their difference signals.

Canadian electricity and the economy : developing a North American energy perspective : a proposal for action on electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-05-01

This paper presented an overview of the Canadian electric power industry and provided a Canadian industry perspective on what could be done to improve the way in which electricity markets operate in a North American Energy Framework. The measures outlined by the Canadian Electricity Association are based on the solid policy framework already in place in Canada and the United States which have focused on making energy systems more market responsive and reducing environmental impacts. In the past decade, Canadian and U.S. energy markets have become more interdependent regarding oil and gas and electricity in particular. This paper argued the point that while this interdependence has benefited consumers and producers in both countries, it is important to take measures to ensure energy security. In particular, the paper focused on a domestic supply shortage in the U.S. and is aimed at decision-makers and policy advisors in Canada and the United States to strengthen the Canada-U.S electricity partnership

A new view to uncertainty in Electre III method by introducing interval numbers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Kazem Sayyadi

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The Electre III is a widely accepted multi attribute decision making model, which takes into account the uncertainty and vagueness. Uncertainty concept in Electre III is introduced by indifference, preference and veto thresholds, but sometimes determining their accurate values can be very hard. In this paper we represent the values of performance matrix as interval numbers and we define the links between interval numbers and concordance matrix .Without changing the concept of concordance, in our propose concept, Electre III is usable in decision making problems with interval numbers.

The role of risk in electricity resource planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicodemus, Gerd

1998-01-01

Sources of risk in electricity resource planning include: liberalisation electricity markets and environmental effects of energy choice. Market liberalisation favours more flexible, efficient options, risk-adjusted discount rates will account for different project risks, regulation shifts to incentive-based rather than direct control. Choice of social discount rate takes degree of environmental irreversibility into account (time period affected by economic activity) to preserve flexibility; 'public good' character of environmental risk requires lowering the discount rate. Elaborated risk-management policies are helpful in identifying cost-effective energy options

Mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of Cu-Cr and Cu-Cr-4% SiC nanocomposites for thermo-electric applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mula, Suhrit; Sahani, Pankajini; Pratihar, S.K.; Mal, Siddhartha; Koch, Carl C.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Ball-milled Cu-Cr and Cu-Cr-SiC nanopowders successfully consolidated by microwave sintering. → Addition of nanosize SiC in Cu-Cr leads to enhanced sintered density, wear and hardness. → A good combination of wear resistance, hardness and electrical conductivity resulted in Cu 94 Cr 6 -4% SiC. → Microwave suscepting SiC particles played a pivotal role in good densification retaining matrix grains 99 Cr 1 , Cu 94 Cr 6 , Cu 99 Cr 1 -4 wt.% SiC and Cu 94 Cr 6 -4 wt.% SiC (average particle size ∼30 nm). The 50 h ball-milled samples were uniaxially pressed, and then pellets were sintered at 800 deg. C, 900 deg. C and 1000 deg. C for a constant soaking period of 30 min by microwave sintering technique. Microstructural characterization was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Sintered compacts resulted a highly densified compacts (∼95% relative density) while retaining ultra-fine grains (100-200 nm) in the matrix. The mechanical properties, namely, hardness and wear resistance, and electrical conductivity of the sintered specimens were also evaluated. The best combination of mechanical properties (e.g. hardness ∼2.4 GPa) and electrical conductivity (60.3% of IACS) were obtained for Cu 94 Cr 6 -4 wt.% SiC sintered at 900 deg. C. This is possibly due to presence of ultra-fine grains in the bulk samples, good densification and proper bonding between particles. The results were analyzed in the light of interactions of microwaves between metallic matrix and microwave susceptive SiC particulates.

Particle electric dipole-moments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pendlebury, J M [Sussex Univ., Brighton (United Kingdom)

1997-04-01

The incentive to detect particle electric dipole-moments, as a window on time-reversal violation, remains undiminished. Efforts to improve the measurements for the neutron, the electron and some nuclei are still making rapid progress as more powerful experimental methods are brought to bear. A new measurement for the neutron at ILL is presented. (author). 7 refs.

Managing total corporate electricity/energy market risks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henney, A.; Keers, G.

1998-01-01

The banking industry has developed a tool kit of very useful value at risk techniques for hedging risk, but these techniques must be adapted to the special complexities of the electricity market. This paper starts with a short history of the use of value-at-risk (VAR) techniques in banking risk management and then examines the specific and, in many instances, complex risk management challenges faced by electric companies from the behavior of prices in electricity markets and from the character of generation and electric retailing risks. The third section describes the main methods for making VAR calculations along with an analysis of their suitability for analyzing the risks of electricity portfolios and the case for using profit at risk and downside risk as measures of risk. The final section draws the threads together and explains how to look at managing total corporate electricity market risk, which is a big step toward managing total corporate energy market risk

Forecasting residential electricity demand in provincial China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Hua; Liu, Yanan; Gao, Yixuan; Hao, Yu; Ma, Xiao-Wei; Wang, Kan

2017-03-01

In China, more than 80% electricity comes from coal which dominates the CO2 emissions. Residential electricity demand forecasting plays a significant role in electricity infrastructure planning and energy policy designing, but it is challenging to make an accurate forecast for developing countries. This paper forecasts the provincial residential electricity consumption of China in the 13th Five-Year-Plan (2016-2020) period using panel data. To overcome the limitations of widely used predication models with unreliably prior knowledge on function forms, a robust piecewise linear model in reduced form is utilized to capture the non-deterministic relationship between income and residential electricity consumption. The forecast results suggest that the growth rates of developed provinces will slow down, while the less developed will be still in fast growing. The national residential electricity demand will increase at 6.6% annually during 2016-2020, and populous provinces such as Guangdong will be the main contributors to the increments.

A long- and short-run analysis of electricity demand in Ciudad Juarez

Science.gov (United States)

Mendez-Carrillo, Ericka Cecilia

Economic growth and appliance saturation are increasing electricity consumption in Mexico. Annual frequency data from 1990 to 2012 are utilized to develop an error correction framework that sheds light on short- and long-run electricity consumption behavior in Ciudad Juarez, a large Mexican metropolitan economy at the border with the United States. The results for this study reveal that electricity is an inelastic normal good in this market. Moreover, natural gas is found to be a weak complement to electricity. With regards to the customer base in this urban economy, population, employment, and income exercise positive and statistically significant impacts on the demand for electricity hook-ups.

Effects of energetic particle precipitation on the atmospheric electric circuit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reagan, J.B.; Meyerott, R.E.; Evans, J.E.; Imhof, W.L.; Joiner, R.G.

1983-01-01

The solar particle event (SPE) of August 1972 is one of the largest that has occurred in the last 20 years. Since it is so well documented, it can serve as a good example of a major perturbation to the atmospheric electric system. In this paper, ion production rates and conductivities from the ground to 80 km at the peak intensity of the event on August 4 and for 30, 35, and 40 km for the 6-day duration of the event are presented. At the peak of the event, the proton and electron precipitation currents, the ohmic current, and the vertical electric field are calculated inside the polar cap. The particle precipitation currents at this time greatly exceed the normal air earth current at altitudes above 30 km and produce reversals in the vertical electric field at 28 km and above. Calculations are presented of the vertical electric field at altitudes near 30 km where balloon measurements were made. Good agreement between the calculated and the measured vertical electric field verifies our ability to calculate disturbed conductivities at these altitudes from satellite measurements of proton spectra incident on the atmosphere. Despite the fact that at the peak of the event the vertical electric field near 30 km was shorted out by the solar particles and that the current carried by the solar particles exceeded the fair weather air-earth current density in the stratosphere by large factors, it is concluded that the largest effect of an SPE of this magnitude on the atmospheric electric circuit is due to the Forbush decrease in the galactic cosmic ray flux rather than to the large increase in solar proton flux

Unlocking the electric mobility potential of Toronto: moving toward an electric mobility master plan for the city

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gleeson, A.; Scratch, K.

2010-10-01

This report is an analysis of the current state of electric transportation and its potential integration in the transportation system of the city of Toronto. In this document, electric vehicles include every mode of transport involving the use of energy drawn from the electricity grid, such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), extended range electric vehicles (EREV), battery electric vehicles (BEV), grid connected transit vehicles and electrified locomotives. An overview of the movement of people and goods, including the consideration of patterns of commuting and modes of transportation, is provided in the first section of this document. It has been demonstrated that most of the trips taking place in the city correspond to the predicted operating range of many EVs. Section one also provides a description of the local electricity grid system serving Toronto neighbourhoods and of the sources and movements of air contaminants. It gives a evaluation of the state of EV technologies and analyzes the economic and social factors that have an impact on the public perceptions regarding these technologies. Current policies and programs designed to promote market adoption of EVs around the world are outlined in the conclusion of this section. A simulation work was performed through a collaborative work with Toronto Hydro Electric System Limited in order to analyze the consequences of different EV charging scenarios on the electricity grid system. The results of this simulation are described in section two of the report. The document also presents the outcomes of the workshop on the implementation of an electric mobility master plan held in Toronto in April, 2010. 176 refs.

Large-Scale Consumption and Zero-Waste Recycling Method of Red Mud in Steel Making Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guoshan Ning

2018-03-01

Full Text Available To release the environmental pressure from the massive discharge of bauxite residue (red mud, a novel recycling method of red mud in steel making process was investigated through high-temperature experiments and thermodynamic analysis. The results showed that after the reduction roasting of the carbon-bearing red mud pellets at 1100–1200 °C for 12–20 min, the metallic pellets were obtained with the metallization ratio of ≥88%. Then, the separation of slag and iron achieved from the metallic pellets at 1550 °C, after composition adjustment targeting the primary crystal region of the 12CaO·7Al2O3 phase. After iron removal and composition adjustment, the smelting-separation slag had good smelting performance and desulfurization capability, which meets the demand of sulfurization flux in steel making process. The pig iron quality meets the requirements of the high-quality raw material for steel making. In virtue of the huge scale and output of steel industry, the large-scale consumption and zero-waste recycling method of red mud was proposed, which comprised of the carbon-bearing red mud pellets roasting in the rotary hearth furnace and smelting separation in the electric arc furnace after composition adjustment.

Electricity as (Big Data: Metering, spatiotemporal granularity and value

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mette Kragh-Furbo

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Electricity is hidden within wires and networks only revealing its quantity and flow when metered. The making of its properties into data is therefore particularly important to the relations that are formed around electricity as a produced and managed phenomenon. We propose approaching all metering as a situated activity, a form of quantification work in which data is made and becomes mobile in particular spatial and temporal terms, enabling its entry into data infrastructures and schemes of evaluation and value production. We interrogate the transition from the pre-digital into the making of bigger, more spatiotemporally granular electricity data, through focusing on those actors selling and materialising new metering technologies, data infrastructures and services for larger businesses and public sector organisations in the UK. We examine the claims of truth and visibility that accompany these shifts and their enrolment into management techniques that serve to more precisely apportion responsibility for, and evaluate the status of, particular patterns and instances of electricity use. We argue that whilst through becoming Big Data electricity flow is now able to be known and given identity in significantly new terms, enabling new relations to be formed with the many heterogeneous entities implicated in making and managing energy demand, it is necessary to sustain some ambivalence as to the performative consequences that follow for energy governance. We consider the wider application of our conceptualisation of metering, reflecting on comparisons with the introduction of new metering systems in domestic settings and as part of other infrastructural networks.

Electrically Conductive Anodized Aluminum Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Trung Hung

2006-01-01

Anodized aluminum components can be treated to make them sufficiently electrically conductive to suppress discharges of static electricity. The treatment was conceived as a means of preventing static electric discharges on exterior satin-anodized aluminum (SAA) surfaces of spacecraft without adversely affecting the thermal-control/optical properties of the SAA and without need to apply electrically conductive paints, which eventually peel off in the harsh environment of outer space. The treatment can also be used to impart electrical conductivity to anodized housings of computers, medical electronic instruments, telephoneexchange equipment, and other terrestrial electronic equipment vulnerable to electrostatic discharge. The electrical resistivity of a typical anodized aluminum surface layer lies between 10(exp 11) and 10(exp 13) Omega-cm. To suppress electrostatic discharge, it is necessary to reduce the electrical resistivity significantly - preferably to anodized surface becomes covered and the pores in the surface filled with a transparent, electrically conductive metal oxide nanocomposite. Filling the pores with the nanocomposite reduces the transverse electrical resistivity and, in the original intended outer-space application, the exterior covering portion of the nanocomposite would afford the requisite electrical contact with the outer-space plasma. The electrical resistivity of the nanocomposite can be tailored to a value between 10(exp 7) and 10(exp 12) Omega-cm. Unlike electrically conductive paint, the nanocomposite becomes an integral part of the anodized aluminum substrate, without need for adhesive bonding material and without risk of subsequent peeling. The electrodeposition process is compatible with commercial anodizing production lines. At present, the electronics industry uses expensive, exotic, electrostaticdischarge- suppressing finishes: examples include silver impregnated anodized, black electroless nickel, black chrome, and black copper. In

Electricity industry restructuring revisited: the case of Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Byoung-Hoon; Ahn, Hyeon-Hyo

2006-01-01

In 2004, the Korean Government suspended its electricity market reform based on the two-thirds majority recommendation of a six-member joint study team. This suspension effectively interrupts the basic plan adopted in 1998 by the previous administration to divest and privatize Korea Electric Power Corporation's (KEPCO's) generation segment in 2000-2002, implement transmission open access and wholesale competition by 2008, and introduce retail competition thereafter. This policy-decision followed the controversial debate on electricity market reform in Korea. Reform proponents claim that electricity can be treated as ordinary goods exchangeable in the competitive market, and any problems caused by the transition to the market system are manageable. By contrast, reform opponents argue that effective competition of the power industry is not yet feasible due to the idiosyncratic nature of electricity (e.g., low-price elasticity of demand and not being storable at low cost) as well as the country's isolated electricity network. In suspending the electricity reform, the current administration accepted the final conclusion of the joint study team in the Tripartite Commission on the ground that the alleged benefits of reform are theoretical and uncertain, while the real costs and risks are substantial. (author)

Biocompatible implants and methods of making and attaching the same

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rowley, Adrian P; Laude, Lucien D; Humayun, Mark S; Weiland, James D; Lotfi, Atoosa; Markland, Jr., Francis S

2014-10-07

The invention provides a biocompatible silicone implant that can be securely affixed to living tissue through interaction with integral membrane proteins (integrins). A silicone article containing a laser-activated surface is utilized to make the implant. One example is an implantable prosthesis to treat blindness caused by outer retinal degenerative diseases. The device bypasses damaged photoreceptors and electrically stimulates the undamaged neurons of the retina. Electrical stimulation is achieved using a silicone microelectrode array (MEA). A safe, protein adhesive is used in attaching the MEA to the retinal surface and assist in alleviating focal pressure effects. Methods of making and attaching such implants are also provided.

Optimal Operation of Electric Vehicles in Competitive Electricity Markets and Its Impact on Distribution Power Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Weihao; Chen, Zhe; Bak-Jensen, Birgitte

2011-01-01

represent the future of electricity markets in some ways, is chosen as the studied power system in this paper. The impact of the optimal operation strategy for electric vehicles together with the optimal load response to spot market price on the distribution power system with high wind power penetrations...... are also discussed in the paper. Simulation results show that the proposed optimal operation strategy is an effective measure to achieve minimum energy costs of the PEV. The optimal operation strategy of the PEV and the optimal load response may have significant effects on the distribution power system......Since the hourly spot market price is available one day ahead in Denmark, the electricity price could be transferred to the consumers and they may make some optimal charge and discharge schedules for their electric vehicles in order to minimize their energy costs. This paper presents an optimal...

The tariffs deadlock. Agreements and disagreements. Auctions make disappointments. Congestion: the auctions way. Energy in Switzerland. The fortnight of energy prices. Patrick Pierron: 'inverting steam'. Pierre Lepetit: 'the power has waken up'. Green electricity: is it necessary to establish a voluntaristic contribution?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corbier, M.Ch.; Schneid, O.

2001-01-01

This issue of 'Energies News' makes comments about the worldwide events of the moment in the domain of energy. Four articles concern the production, transportation and distribution of electricity after the transposition of the European directive and deal with the electricity tariffs, auctions and transit capacities. One short article summarizes the key-energy data of Switzerland in a couple of tables and graphs and a brief note presents the situation of the oil market after the September 11, 2001 terror events. One interview (P. Pierron, federal secretary of the CFDT syndicate) makes an analysis of the competition in the French and European energy market, while another interview (P. Lepetit, IFRI) analyzes the possible impacts of the September 11 events on the US energy policy. A last article analyzes the different solutions for the financing of the development of electricity produced from renewable energy sources and the opinion of the public with respect to an increase of electricity tariffs accordingly. (J.S.)

The Full Costs of Electricity Provision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horst Keppler, Jan; Rothwell, Geoffrey; Cometto, Marco; Deffrennes, Marc; Iracane, Daniel; Ha, Jaejoo; Paillere, Henri; ); Aspelund, Karl; Aydil, Ismail; ); Berthelemy, Michel; Devezeaux De Lavergne, Jean-Guy; Burtin, Alain; Crozat, Matthew P.; D'Haeseleer, William; Friedrich, Reiner; Gonzalez Jimenez, Antonio; Hirschberg, Stefan; Kiso, Jan-Ole; ); Lee, Manki; Le Masne, Dominique; ); Lundmark, Roger J.; Neumann, Doris; ); Politis, Savvas; ); Prin, Coralie; Skonieczny, Olgierd; Voss, Alfred

2018-01-01

Electricity provision touches upon every facet of life in OECD and non-OECD countries alike, and choosing how this electricity is generated - whether from fossil fuels, nuclear energy or renewables - affects not only economic outcomes but individual and social well-being in the broader sense. Research on the overall costs of electricity is an ongoing effort, as only certain costs of electricity provision are perceived directly by producers and consumers. Other costs, such as the health impacts of air pollution, damage from climate change or the effects on the electricity system of small-scale variable production are not reflected in market prices and thus diminish well-being in unaccounted for ways. Accounting for these social costs in order to establish the full costs of electricity provision is difficult, yet such costs are too important to be disregarded in the context of the energy transitions currently under way in OECD and NEA countries. This report draws on evidence from a large number of studies concerning the social costs of electricity and identifies proven instruments for internalising them so as to improve overall welfare. The results outlined in the report should lead to new and more comprehensive research on the full costs of electricity, which in turn would allow policy makers and the public to make better informed decisions along the path towards fully sustainable electricity systems

Future electric scenarios for urban logistics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2012-07-01

This report is produced by the SAFE Urban Logistics project - a Norden Energy and Transport project that aims to study and analyse the prospect of integrating electric vehicles in the goods distribution of urban areas. The goal of the project is to create next practice solutions, offer promising opportunities for urban logistics operations, in order to become both more efficient and more environmentally sustainable. The SAFE Urban Logistics aims to match business models for making the application of electric vehicles within inner city logistics happen. The project will also create proposals for sustainable suitable technical solutions associated with these business models. This is one out of four reports produced by the project. Read more about the project and get access to all the reports on www.safeproject.eu. This report is the final output of the project and describes four scenarios for the future of urban logistics based on the urbanization and potential political interventions. The described scenarios will be evaluated on environmental effects and describe a potential idea that can bring this future one step closer. An array of potential business and logistics models as well as technical solutions that could be applied in order to integrate EV's on a larger basis are added at the end of the document. It is supposed to act as inspiration for the strategic development of logistics companies as well as local and governmental policies. Knowledge and experiences in this report are mainly taken from Denmark, Norway and Sweden. When it comes to logistic recommendations and experiences, influence from other parts of Europe have also been included. (Author)

Future electric scenarios for urban logistics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2012-07-01

This report is produced by the SAFE Urban Logistics project - a Norden Energy and Transport project that aims to study and analyse the prospect of integrating electric vehicles in the goods distribution of urban areas. The goal of the project is to create next practice solutions, offer promising opportunities for urban logistics operations, in order to become both more efficient and more environmentally sustainable. The SAFE Urban Logistics aims to match business models for making the application of electric vehicles within inner city logistics happen. The project will also create proposals for sustainable suitable technical solutions associated with these business models. This is one out of four reports produced by the project. Read more about the project and get access to all the reports on www.safeproject.eu. This report is the final output of the project and describes four scenarios for the future of urban logistics based on the urbanization and potential political interventions. The described scenarios will be evaluated on environmental effects and describe a potential idea that can bring this future one step closer. An array of potential business and logistics models as well as technical solutions that could be applied in order to integrate EV's on a larger basis are added at the end of the document. It is supposed to act as inspiration for the strategic development of logistics companies as well as local and governmental policies. Knowledge and experiences in this report are mainly taken from Denmark, Norway and Sweden. When it comes to logistic recommendations and experiences, influence from other parts of Europe have also been included. (Author)

The history of 20 years of electrical safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-10-01

This book describes the establishment of Korea electrical safety corporation including the background and procession of the safety corporation, based on the building to make infrastructure and solve the difficulty, the time of growth in stability and development. Also it deals with personnel management and financial of the company. Next, it describes the operation of the each department, that is, regulant check, management agency of electrical safety, speciation task, and check for the request. Last, it deals with the voluntary service and safe management and technical development of the electrical safety check and study.

Minimum Q circularly polarized electrically small spherical antennas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kim, Oleksiy S.

2011-01-01

The radiation problem for the TM10- and TE10-mode electric current densities on the surface of a spherical magnetic-coated PEC core is solved analytically. The combination of the electric and magnetic dipole modes reduces the radiation Q of the antenna. Moreover, with an appropriately designed...... magnetic-coated PEC core the stored energies of these modes balance each other making the antenna self-resonant and at the same time ensuring a perfect circularly polarized radiation. Numerical results for a practical dual-mode electrically small antenna confirm the theoretical predictions. A 4-arm...