Critical Study of the Development of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine at Cliff Searle The WritePass Journal

Critical Study of the Development of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine at Cliff Searle Abstract Critical Study of the Development of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine at Cliff Searle AbstractProject IntroductionTypes of Wind TurbineWind Turbine Theory  Betz LimitCyclic LoadingReynolds NumberSolidityTip Speed ratioProject DefinitionProject AimsProject DeliverablesBackgroundLiterature ReviewDesign Concept GenerationAssessmentDesign ConceptDetailed DesignBlade DesignMaterial Selection and ManufactureCAD DesignManufactureBladesAssemblyTestingTheory  Procedure ResultsAnalysisEvaluation and DiscussionConclusionRecommendationsReferencesRelated Abstract The completion of this project would not have been possible without the help and assistance of my supervisor Prof. Paul Wagstaff and Kingston University lab technicians Dean Wells and Cliff Searle. Tremendous thanks must be given for all of their time and efforts in aiding with this investigation. It served as a good insight to the nature of an engineering project and the considerations which must be taken in order to stick to given deadlines. Project Introduction Types of Wind Turbine The type of turbine is defined by its method of creating rotation; lift or drag based. An example of a drag based turbine is the Savonius Wind Turbine design, Fig 1. Whereas a drag powered turbine uses the pressure difference on either side of the turbines axis to force rotation, a lift powered turbine utilises pressure differences around the surface of the blade itself. All modern turbines are lift based machines as even though drag based designs have improved significantly, the limitations involved are much greater than those of lift based turbines. According to Gipe, (1995, p171) â€Å"When examining the portion of the frontal area covered by the wind turbines blades, lift devices easily produce at least 50 times more power per unit blade area than drag devices.† Lift devices are then further defined by the orientation of their rotating axis or prop shaft; either vertical or horizontal axis. The two solutions each have their own relative advantages and disadvantages and therefore are suited for different applications. Horizontal axis wind turbines face the wind and use the lift produced to rotate the blades perpendicular to the wind direction. The gearbox and generator are usually located in the ‘hub’ at the top of the tower. Horizontal axis systems operate at a lower RPM but higher torque and can be more efficient than equivalently sized vertical axis systems. As they can be manufactured on a much larger scale they can produce much higher maximum power ratings also. Modern turbines incorporate a pitching device to allow the blades to reduce the lift they provide in high winds in order to prevent damage to the system without completely shutting down. The size of the large horizontal turbines however means they require larger average wind speeds to overcome the very large inertial forces to self start. It also then makes them very expensive to produce, transport, install and maintain. This is not helped by the fact the machinery is located at the top of the high towers. Horizontal systems must also face the wind in order to extract its energy so requires a yaw mechanism so it can reorient itself when the wind changes direction. This occurs electronically via internal motors with the larger turbines although simpler devices such a tailfin can be incorporated into smaller designs. This extra mechanical requirement only adds to the cost of installing and maintaining a large horizontal axis turbine. Figure 2 Vestas V164 7.0MW HAWT c/o vestas.com Horizontal axis wind turbines therefore, such as the Vestas V164, Fig 2, are usually deployed where the wind is relatively high, constant and predictable, usually either offshore or in sparsely populated areas to minimise visual impact for local residents. Vertical axis wind turbines operate at a higher RPM but lower torque than equivalent horizontal turbines. They can also accept wind from any direction so require no yaw mechanisms for when the wind changes direction. As they are generally smaller they create less visual objection and rotate with less noise. The fact the gearbox and mechanisms do not need to be as high as horizontal axis wind turbines means they are cheaper to install and maintain. If the wind speed does exceed the maximum, unlike the horizontal, the vertical axis turbine cannot pitch down its blades and must shut down to prevent the system being damaged. It is for these reasons that vertical turbines are suited to urban areas where wind direction can be lower and more unpredictable, as well as having less impact on the people living in the area. A common vertical axis wind turbine being installed is the Quiet Revolution QR5, Fig 3. Wind Turbine Theory   In order to complete the project successfully a solid understanding of the wind turbine principles that will affect its performance must be grasped so that they are considered during the design process. The aim of the turbine is to convert the energy in the wind into a useful form of energy, namely electrical energy. It does the by capturing the wind and rotating to drive a generator which converts the kinetic energy into stored electrical energy. The turbine blades of lift based devices are airfoil profile shapes which utilise the lift produced to convert it to a rotational force, i.e. Torque. The lift acts perpendicular to mean chord on a symmetrical airfoil profile. Because of this a vertical axis turbine can only utilise a certain component of this lift force due to the nature of its rotation. Figure 4 VAWT Blade Vector Diagram c/o traviscarrigan.com An optimum angle of attack must be achieved so that the profile is generating enough lift although with vertical axis wind turbines, if the angle of attack is too high the drag increases to the point where the resultant torque output is reduced. Horizontal axis turbines can operate at much higher angles of attack so that more of the lift is converted to rotational torque. Betz Limit The energy transfer between kinetic energy in the wind and the turbine cannot be 100% efficient. The limit of the maximum fraction of power any turbine can extract from the wind can be shown mathematically to be 16/27 – or 59.3%. This occurs when the velocity reduction ratio (b) is 1/3, Swift-Hook (2011). The velocity reduction ratio is the ratio between the relative speeds of the incoming wind to the wind leaving the turbine. The turbine system will also inevitably not be 100% mechanically efficient so the Betz limit of 59.3% is an ideal that can never be achieved. The most efficient modern turbines operate at 35-40% efficiency. Cyclic Loading As it is only when the blades are travelling into the wind they create lift, and therefore rotational force, the torque output of the turbine operates cyclically. Some turbine designs, such as the Quiet Revolution QR5 vertical axis wind turbine, Fig 3, have blades which occupy a range of angular locations and create lift along its complete length. This reduces, if not eliminates, the cyclic loading effects. Reynolds Number The Reynolds number is a dimensionless value which represents a ratio between the inertial and viscous forces of an object moving through a fluid. As it travels through the molecules of the gas they effectively attach to the surface of the object, creating what in known as a ‘boundary layer’. This boundary layer effects the aerodynamic properties of the object as molecules outside of it react with it as they would the object itself. This boundary layer is very complex to calculate and predict. The Reynolds number serves to provide a numerical, more objective description of the surface conditions so that the behaviour of the object can be better predicted and compared in experimental conditions. The Reynolds number is calculated as follows: Where:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ï  = density of the fluid ÃŽ ¼ = dynamic viscosity of the fluid ÃŽ ½ = kinematic viscosity V = relative velocity of the object to the fluid L = the length the fluid travels The higher the Re number, the better the attached flow over the object. Wortman (1983, p76) notes however that ‘small scale model tests are of questionable value because aerodynamic performance of the blades deteriorates at low Reynolds numbers.’ Solidity The parameter ‘solidity’ is a ratio of the combined blade area to the total swept area of the turbine. It is a critical factor for designers of wind turbines. To determine the solidity the following equation can be used, Paraschivoiu (2002, p57): Where:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   n = number of blades C = chord length of the blades S = total swept area of the turbine L = the length the blades Tip Speed ratio A crucial factor in ensuring the turbine operates at maximum output is determining the optimum tip speed ratio, ÃŽ ». This is the ratio of tip speed compared with the speed of the wind which powers it. If the turbine rotates at a ÃŽ » which is too small most of the wind will pass undisturbed through the structure, meaning it is not extracting as much energy as possible. On the other hand if the blades travel at a ÃŽ » which is too high, the blades will be travelling through disturbed air from the previous one, lowering the aerodynamic efficiency, or even effectively acting as a wall blocking the wind from passing altogether (Manwell et al). Solidity of the blades will also have an effect on its output. Solidity is defined as the blade area divided by the total swept area of the turbine blades and the result is effectively a ratio. Project Definition The objective of this project is to redesign the existing vertical axis wind turbine and construct a functional model to test in the Kingston University wind tunnel. The project utilises previous investigations, most notably for the existing model components. Previous experiments have operated the turbine with a negative angle of attack meaning direct numerical comparisons will be limited. Recommendations on the design of the turbines construction will be taken on during the design phase in order to maximise the probability of a successful outcome. The parameters of the turbine will be defined based on basic wind turbine principles so that their effects can be observed on testing. Recommendations for further investigations or development of the current design will also be made. Project Aims The primary aim of the project is to gather experimental data to analyse in order to validate the design changes. During the design phase specific focus will be given to reducing the start up speed of the turbine as this will give the design a distinct advantage for real world applications. The method for achieving this will be to reduce the moment of inertia of the turbine by manufacturing a lighter blade design. The testing will also be based around investigating the effect of the augmenter on turbine output. Another parameter under investigation is the maximum achievable power of the turbine. This will be deduced by applying various loads under various wind velocities. Project Deliverables The deliverables associated with achieving the aims of the investigation are as follows: A Project Planning Report New blade concept design Detailed blade design CAD model Engineering Drawings Blade manufacture Complete turbine assembly Wind tunnel analysis Seminar presentation and Poster Final Report Background The turbine consists of an internal rotating structure surrounded by a metal augmenter which aims to direct the airflow onto the blades in a more controlled manner. The blades are a NACA 0018 symmetrical airfoil profile and are constructed out of fibreglass with a rapid prototype core mesh. The complete turbine can be seen in Fig 5. Figure 5 Previous Turbine Design The mechanism employed to allow a range of pitch angles (+5o to -10o) in the previous model can be seen below in Fig 6. The angle of attack was altered by rotating it about a pivot using a bracket with an extended slot. This was then secured in place by a small nut. It appears this was not strong enough as a shaft extending from the central spindle to the blade was also added to give extra strength to the trailing edge. Figure 6 Previous Pitch Fixing Mechanism There are 2 bearings mounted into two steel crosspieces to support the turbine, which in turn is supported by a large lattice framework. Below the turbine is a torque box hub concentric with the shaft. The augmenter consists of eight folded steel surfaces around the circumference to direct the airflow onto the incoming blades, simultaneously increasing its lift while decreasing the drag of the system as a whole by directing it away from the blades travelling out of the wind. The turbine is omni-directional meaning it should produce the same results regardless of wind direction. The upper and lower surfaces connecting the vertical surfaces are tapered toward the turbine to direct more of the available wind onto the blades. The previous model had been completed yet was not constructed to the optimum configuration that has been described. Also the maximum wind speed had been exceeded when it was placed in the wind tunnel which led to a catastrophic failure of the model as the RPM was too high and an imbalance in the rotor mass led to vibration, causing a collision between the turbine and augmenter. The augmenter was also distorted. Literature Review Ben Davis (2009) Ben Davis investigated various blade vertical lean angles to assess the optimum configuration. The conclusion was that 0o, i.e. no lean, gave the best power output results. The absolute data and results will not be comparable for this investigation though as the blades were pitched at a negative angle of 10o. David Camacho – Kingston University David Camacho identified that the ratio of the blades height (h) and the diameter of their rotation (d) plays a vital role in the overall efficiency and power output of a vertical axis wind turbine. This was determined to be at its optimum at h/d = 0.625 and has been shown that any deviation from this has a detrimental effect on the results so it is this attribute which took priority during the design process. David also investigated various vertical lean angles of the blades by using CAD and CFD to derive as above that 0o is indeed the optimum position. Max McDougall (2010) Max McDougall’s investigation is the latest and much of the previous structure has been salvaged in order to save time where manufacturing new components would be unnecessary. The data however is of very limited use for comparison as Max pitched the blades at -10o (with the leading edge closer to the axis of rotation than the trailing edge) – despite him quoting it to be +10o. For this reason the real data produced is redundant for the current investigation. The start up speed for the turbine was found to be reduced from 9m/s to 4m/s when the augmenter was included although without it required a manual start by hand. The upper limit of the wind speed in this investigation was over 20m/s – the current investigation would not expect to expose the wind turbine to such high speeds. It was also noted that the investigation should be restricted to operating the turbine at below 200rpm as deflections in the blades and prop shaft were visible at these speeds. This also is expected to be exceeded. Design Concept Generation Assessment Once an understanding of the task was gathered, work began on appraising the existing structure and assessing which remaining parts could be salvaged for the rebuild. The triangular pieces which fix the blades to the central spindle would have to be recycled regardless as they were costly and complex to manufacture. This was a driving factor with regard to optimising the height to diameter ratio. As mentioned previously the structure had failed catastrophically so deconstruction of certain elements was not as straightforward as possible. Once the frame was removed the cruciform pieces fixing the centre spindle to the supports were easily removed. The augmenter could then be removed leaving the skeleton of the turbine itself. Members that had been added to secure the blade angles had snapped leaving the remains of its shaft in the central nut securing main shaft. This subsequently had to be sawn off as the thread of the main spindle had been ruined. After cutting the thread again the remaining nut was removed and the model reduced to its component parts. Design Concept The decision was taken to reduce the height of the turbine blades to meet the h/d requirements for sake of time and ease of manufacture. The height of the blades was determined by the existing diameter which currently was 0.42m, hence: To reduce the weight as far as possible it was decided to manufacture them as a hollow structure from a lightweight composite material. This led to a concept which involves producing the complete blade as two separate halves and bonding them together. Detailed Design Blade Design As mentioned the blade concept is to have them as light as possible and achieving this with a hollow composite structure. The final design is shown below in Fig 7. The outermost shell is 265mm long at its outer edge. The end caps are thicker than the aerodynamic surface to aid its strength and allow for tapping threaded holes for assembly. This is the same on the inner shell so that the end caps have three times the thickness of the aerodynamic surface once assembled. Figure 7 Blade Concept Design The internal profile of the end caps for the inner shell must be altered from the basic NACA 0018 to allow for mating. This profile is shown in Fig 8. Figure 8 Internal Blade Profile Material Selection and Manufacture The blades were manufactured using ‘Depression Moulding’, Gay Hoa (2007, p19). One mould and blade half was made initially so that the thickness and finish could be assessed. Producing them in this way meant the exact length required for the opposite halve could be achieved and incorporated into the opposite mould. The material used for the blades is Kingston University stock composite of bi-dimensional woven prepreg Carbon Fibre with E650-02 42% Resin. As the material was hand laid and with prepreg the only consideration was the angular direction when defining the construction. Having a symmetrical layup is very important as unsymmetrical laminae cause a warped final product as a result of the curing and cooling cycle. A bending-extension coupling, Bij ≠  0, occurs where a force is exerted in the x and y direction of the lamina, Barbero (2011, p182). The definition of a balanced laminate is that ‘for every +ÃŽ ¸ there is another at –Î ¸Ã¢â‚¬ ¦; and for each 0o lamina there is a complimentary 90o lamina with the same thickness and material’ Barbero (2011, p184) although as mentioned the material and thickness considerations is negated by the use of prepreg. The laminar orientation is symmetrical and balanced at [0/90/0/90]. CAD Design A CAD model was produced for the entire assembly using the SolidWorks package, in order to assess its physical parameters at the design stage, Fig XXX. Figure 9 Complete Turbine Model The final turbine design has the following physical parameters: Blade Height (m) 0.265 Turbine Diameter (m) 0.424 h/D 0.625 Swept Area (m^2) 0.112 Blade Chord (m) 0.078 Blade Area (m^2) 0.02067 Number of Blades 3 Solidity 5.519 Manufacture Blades To manufacture the moulds a SolidWorks CAD model was made in order to be converted to an STL file which was loaded into the CNC milling machine, Fig 10, at Kingston University. The material chosen was high density foam readily available from university stock. Figure 10 Moulds in CNC Milling Machine Once the moulds were completed they had to be finished by hand. This included filing down the sharp edges around the outside of the billet in order to prevent any damage to the bag in which it was to be cured. More importantly, the inner surface of the mould needed to be smoothed to an appropriate surface finish as any roughness would be shown on the aerodynamic surface of the blade as the Carbon Fibre was cured in a vacuum. This would be detrimental to the efficiency of the blade so a rough sand paper was used, followed by a fine grade. Also in the corners the milling machine left a small radius form the tool. These were removed by hand to ensure a clean corner for mating of the two halves. Once the finish was satisfactory, heat proof tape was laid onto the mould surface, Fig 11, to improve its smoothness and also to allow easier removal of the piece once it was cured. Special attention was given to minimise the overlapping or gaps down the span of the blade as these also would be visible on the blade surface. The method of layup was to place the aerodynamic surface and end caps separately but with an overlap to form one solid piece. The Carbon Fibre was removed from the freezer where it stored and allowed to defrost in its protective bag. The profiles for the surfaces and end caps were marked out at the appropriate angles to the composite orientation and labelled for order of insertion, Fig 12. The initial surface pieces were laid at the correct 265mm length, and then increased consecutively by 1mm to allow for the required overlap at the seams. The surface and end caps were laid in alternate order, also alternating orientation on each respectively for strength. On the aerodynamic surface, four layers of Carbon Fibre were used but on each end six were applied. This then means that when the two halves are mated, each end is twelve layers thick three times that of thickness along the blade span. This extra thickness allows depth for holes to be tapped to secure it to the turbine structure and also gives strength to allow the loads being applied to be transferred over a greater area, reducing the risk of failure. After laying in each piece a roller was used to squeeze out any potential air pockets and while working the area was kept clean of dust or any small pieces of debris which may be added to the piece. The use of prepreg is useful for this as the resin content is higher than desired for the final part and the removal of this resin during curing helps to eliminate these. If any of these flaws in the material occurred they would create an impurity and potential weakness in the blade as it would act as a stress concentration point. Each 1% of these trapped in the laminate leads to a 7% reduction in intralaminar shear strength and any defects of 2% and above leads to a ‘significant reduction in compressive strength’, Barbero (2011, p74). The theory of imbalanced laminae was proven as a [0, 30, 90, -30, 0] lay up was attempted initially. The piece was removed from the mould and was indeed warped, Fig 13, which was most likely caused by inaccurate application of the 30o and -30o lamina. The completed layup was then wrapped in a breathable fabric. This will prevent any air pockets being caught in the bag under vacuum, Fig 15. Figure 14 Moulds Wrapped in Breathe Figure 15 3 Moulds in Oven for Curing Once the blades were laid in the mould the bag in which they were to be cured was prepared. The bag itself was cut to size and another sheet of the breather material inserted across the base for not only the mould to rest on but also for the nozzle. If this was not added the bag itself could be pulled onto itself, disabling the ability to remove all the air from the entire bag, rendering it useles. The bag was then sealed with a double sided rubber tape, taking extra caution to lay the bag material down with no folds or creases which may allow the entrance of air during the curing process. The functionality of the bag was tested by applying the nozzle before it entered the oven for curing, Fig 14. The entire apparatus was then placed in the oven for 1 hour at a temperature of 100oC. Once one section was produced the locations with four layers were 0.8mm thick once cured and cooled, and the locations with 6 layers were 1.2mm thick. This meant the second mould could be made and had a length of 262.6mm, with an altered profile of the end caps to incorporate the 0.8mmm reduction on the top half of the airfoil. Once the two halves were removed from their moulds, excess material was removed by filing it down. The excess material refers to small flanges which were created from the sheets being laid slightly over the side of the mould and also the radii on the internal corners of the longer half which may prevent the blade mating as intended when the shorter half was inserted into place. This process had to occur above an extractor fan whilst wearing a face mask as the airborne fibres created can cause severe damage to the lungs if inhaled. To bond the pieces to form a complete aerofoil araldite was applied to where the end surfaces meet as well as along the leading and trailing edges and the whole thing clamped together while the adhesive set, Fig 1 As the leading and trailing edges had a thickness of approximately 0.8mm and therefore a very small contact area for the adhesive to bond, a few small gaps still were visible. These would have a negative impact on the aerodynamic properties of the blades so a hardening filler was used roughly and filed down once set. Assembly Once all the components were ready the turbine was assembled in the machine workshop. One new auxiliary part was made from the previous assembly and that is shown in Fig 17. A piece of 5mm Aluminium was fabricated and folded, and threaded holes located to support the struts which fix the trailing edge. The previous design had inserted these struts into the nut on the central spindle. This however made disassembly difficult and the solution shown should resolve this. It also means there is more length of strut locked into not only the Aluminium but a further nut is added to increase its strength, following the recommendation of McDougall (2010, p38). It is important that all three blades are identical in weight in order to minimise the imbalance which may occur when the turbine is rotating. As the turbine will operate at high RPMs any imbalance will have a great effect. Two of the blades weighed in at 52g and one was 53g. By re-bonding the metal end caps to the blades increased their weight slightly but meant it was possible to balance them perfectly. Once the correct configuration of blades and caps was found all three blades weighed 68g. The central shaft also had to be turned down and threaded to allow assembly for the reduce turbine height. Testing Theory   The goal of the test is to measure the power output of the turbine at certain wind speeds. To do this, under a known load, the RPM of the turbine was measured so a value for the power produced could be calculated using: Where:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   P = Power (W) T = Torque (Nm) ÃŽ ± = Angular Velocity (rad/s) The conversion of RPM to angular velocity is: Knowing the amount of power produced by the turbine enables us to calculate a value for the coefficient of power under those conditions using, Paraschivoiu (2002, p320): Where:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ï  = Air Density (kg/m3) V0 = Wind Speed (m/s) S = Blade Area (m2) The pitch angle of the blades will be set at +5o as this is the angle for best L/D, Airfoil Investigation Databse www.worldofkrauss.com. Procedure Two phases of testing took place in order to compare data to that of the previous design. Initially the turbine was exposed to the wind without any load and the wind velocity increased to the point where the turbine self started. This was then repeated with the augmenter added so that the effect on start up speed could be observed. Then by applying various loads to the turbine at constant wind speeds, the maximum power for that wind speed can be found by plotting a graph of Power vs. ÃŽ ±. By repeating this at increasing wind speeds a curve of Maximum Cp vs. Wind Speed should identify a trend and possible suggestion of at what wind speed the absolute maximum power may be achieved. When taking measurements of turbine RPM care must be taken to ensure the blades are not accelerating or decelerating. To ensure this the value on the Tachometer must remain constant for 20 revolutions or 30 seconds, whichever is greater. To apply the load the test rig was assembled with a rope wrapped around the shaft of the turbine. On one end was a mass hanger, supported by a pulley and the other end was fixed to the supporting framework. By the end with masses a torque is applied to the shaft by way of friction from the rope. Using the following equations the torque being applied, and therefore the working torque of the turbine, can be calculated. Where:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   T1 = Resultant resistance (N) T2 = Tension (N) ÃŽ ¼ = Coefficient of friction ÃŽ ² = Angle of contact on shaft (rad) The angle of contact on the shaft was set at 180o, which is ensured by maintaining the two lengths of tether were exactly parallel to each other, Fig 18. The coefficient of friction, ÃŽ ¼, was found by experiment to be 0.917. The resistance being applied to the shaft, found by resolving T1, can then be converted to an effective applied torque using the equation: Where:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   T = Torque (Nm) F = Force applied (N) d = Shaft radius (m) The power of the turbine under each condition can then be calculated using the equation below: Where:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   P = Power (W) T = Torque (Nm) ÃŽ ± = Angular Velocity (rad/s) The graph of Torque vs. ÃŽ ± should be a linear function due to this equation. From this data a graph of Power vs. ÃŽ ± should be a polynomial curve with a maximum value occurring between maximum torque and maximum angular velocity. The lattice framework was stiffened to minimise vibration and flutter effects when it was in operation. To do this it was first raised off from the relatively loose metal beams running parallel to the tunnel and rested on large masses. It was also weighed down by heavy objects from the wind tunnel lab, Fig 19. Figure 19 Lattice Framework Stiffening The upper framework still felt unstable so it was G-clamped on both sides to the wind tunnel opening using surplus beams from the wind tunnel lab, Fig 20. These measures ensured there was minimal vibration caused by the framework itself being deflected in the wind. Figure 20 Lattice Framework Supports The procedure was then repeated with the augmenter in place. The top section of the framework was removed as a whole, Fig 21 and the augmenter lifted over the top of the turbine. This allowed the turbine to remain in position and minimise any variables that might be affected. To secure the augmenter, an M10 thread was made in the lattice members so a long bolt could be screwed in. On the other side of the bracket a nut and washer were secured, Fig 22, to ensure no slippage of the augmenter which may lead to collision with the blades. This was identical at 4 locations on both top and bottom of the augmenter. Results The start up speed of the turbine without the augmenter was 4.8m/s and with the addition of the augmenter it was reduced to 1.1m/s. Initially the turbine was run with no loading. When the turbine was rotating at low wind speeds without the augmenter it did not acquire true lift and remained at a low RPM. It was not until the wind speed was raised to around 5m/s that the turbine would accelerate to a significant RPM. When the augmenter was added the turbine RPM at lower speeds was proportional to those at higher wind speeds. The results of increasing the wind velocity on RPM of the turbine are shown in Fig 23. Figure 23 Graph of Wind Speed vs. RPM The wind speed at which the turbine would accelerate into lift appears to be correlated to the start up speed. When no load was applied and the turbine was in lift the relative RPMs with and without the augmenter are almost identical. It was also observed that the turbine acceleration would sharply increase once it had reached 150-165RPM. The addition of the augmenter therefore also had a significant effect on maintaining a constant tip speed ratio at lower wind speeds because of this – displayed in Fig 24 Figure 24 Graph of Wind Speed vs. Tip Speed Ratio Loads were then applied at a wind speed where the turbine was in lift. The torque applied was proportional to the reduction in RPM for both cases, which was expected Figure 25 Graph of Torque vs. RPM without Augmenter Figure 26 Graph of Torque vs. RPM with Augmenter The gradient of the trend lines serve as a good indication of the reliability of the results. All are relatively parallel, in both cases, except for at 8m/s with no augmenter. The trend line gradient exceeds that of the data at 9m/s which suggests the values found are too high. This would have been caused by anomalies or errors in the execution of the experiment. Looking at the trend line gradients for all speeds without the augmenter suggests the behaviour of the turbine is less predictable than when the augmenter is added. Higher loads were applied than the data points shown although the turbine decelerated to zero in these cases and so has been omitted for the purpose of analysis. The complete data set can be found in Appendix 1. Analysis From the raw data displayed in the previous graphs, the power of the turbine could be calculated. The graph of turbine power is shown below for each case with (Fig 28) and without (Fig 27) the augmenter. Figure 27 – Graph of Power vs. ÃŽ ± without Augmenter Figure 28 Graph of Power vs. ÃŽ ± with Augmenter Polynomial trend lines have been added to predict the entire curve based on the data found. The peak of these curves indicates the optimum power and corresponding angular velocity for the investigated wind speeds. These figures were read off the graphs and then plotted as a series to compare the augmenter effect on maximum power at different wind speeds, see Fig 29. Figure 29 – Graph of Max Power vs. Wind Speed The augmenter appears to increase the power of the turbine at all wind speeds. The data from testing the turbine without the augmenter at 8m/s has been shown to be higher than is realistic. If this were to be repeated the maximum power at 8m/s could be expected to be around 0.8W in this configuration. Evaluation and Discussion There are several elements of the turbine assembly which can be improved to increase the efficiency and therefore the power output of the design. Blades The blades were a novel design and as a result were subject to imperfections because they are essentially the first article. The surface of the blades after they had been cured had a very slightly rough texture. This will increase the skin friction drag when the turbine is in motion. Also there was remains of the adhesive from the tape which acted as a barrier between the piece and the mould. It was not possible to remove this although several methods were used. Thinners, ethanol and a heat gun were all used to no effect. The process of filling the gaps post-bonding of the two halves also could have been improved as the trailing edge was not as thin as possible. This will induce extra drag as the air struggles to reform in the stream as the airfoil travels. There was also audible rattling of auxiliary structure in the region of 550-600rpm. After examination this was found to be due to the screws inserted into the threaded holes on the blade ends. It was found that on one of the blades, the screw attaching the bracket closest to the leading edge was not locking when screwed up fully. This meant it was slightly loose and the bracket itself was vibrating. The turbine was run up to 800rpm in this state so there was no fear of failure yet it is not a desirable situation. The cause is down to the weak nature of the thread inside the composite. For future designs, a rawl plug or socket to support the screw. Another source of inefficiency was the drag caused by strut members securing the blade pitch angle. If possible a design should be developed to secure the blades at the correct angle without these members. Yet more inefficiency would have been caused by the spindle arm pieces which connect the blades to the shaft. From a previous experiment where the turbine failed and general wear and tear from others have left these pieces scuffed. At the extreme ends of these there are extension pieces to increase the turbine diameter. The mating of the two has left gaps which will trap air when it is rotating. Both of these factors will also increase the drag unnecessarily. The augmenter was not altered in order to complete the project on time. The preferred option would be to shorten it down to leave approximately 10% of the blade height distance between the edge of the blade and the upper and lower cowling. Also the upper and lower rim itself would be at best effect at 30o to the incoming wind; it presently sits at around 10o. This would be a useful update for future investigations. The testing procedure is open to scrutiny. The absolute value for power output is dependent on the coefficient of friction used between the tether and the shaft. The method for deducing this was to fix the turbine blades and place a mass hanger on two pulleys at either end of the tether. Imbalanced masses were added to the hangers and the rate of acceleration that the heavier one fell was calculated. Knowing the acceleration, a difference between that figure and 9.81m/s 2 of gravity was assumed to be caused by the friction applied at the shaft. This resistive force was converted to a friction coefficient for the materials. The timing of the falling masses was repeated 10 times and all values were in a range of 0.2 seconds. The value of 0.917 however seems high and errors may have occurred in either the timing or the height at which the masses were dropped. This doesn’t mean the results are worthless though. As long as the same materials and hence coefficient of friction is used, which it was, then the varying results for different conditions are still valid if only as a comparison and therefore the aim of finding optimum conditions is still achieved. A further alteration which would of much improvement to the investigation is the material used for this tether. At high applied loads then the tether ‘burned out’ as the turbine was at high RPMs also. This meant applying a new tether very often and possible discrepancies in the results. A better material or even better method, with greater accuracy would enable the absolute results to be much more reliable. Conclusion The addition of the augmenter not only greatly reduces the start up speed of the turbine but improves performance, especially at low wind speeds. When there is no loading and the turbine is in lift the augmenter does not affect the RPM however with no load the turbine is not useful. It is only when a load is applied that power can be extracted. The augmenter does have a significant effect on this and allows the turbine to not only operate with a higher power output but also appears to give greater predictability as a result of directing the airflow. Recommendations The following recommendations are made to improve the investigation in the future: References Gipe, Paul (1995) Wind Energy Comes of Age, John Wiley Sons Inc, Canada Davis, Ben (2009) Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Blades for Urban Environments, Unpublished MEng Dissertation, Kingston University, London Perera, Kapuruge (2009) Analysis and Development of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine, Unpublished Final Year Individual Project Report, Kingston University, London Bhatt, Hardik (2009) Vertical Axis Wind Turbine, Unpublished Final Year Individual Project Report, Kingston University, London McDougall, Max (2010) Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Project, Unpublished Final Year Individual Project Report, Kingston University, London Pathmanathan, A.V (2008) Analysis on a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine, Unpublished Final Year Individual Project Report, Kingston University, London Gay, D Hoa, Suong. V (2007) Composite Materials Design and Applications – 2nd Edition, Taylor Francis Group, USA Barbero, E.J (2011) Introduction to Composite Materials Design – 2nd Edition, Taylor Francis Group, USA Wortman, W. J (1983) Introduction to Wind Turbine Engineering, Butterworth Publishers, USA Paraschivoiu, I (2002) Wind Turbine Design, Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada Airfoil Investigation Database, Available at worldofkrauss.com, accessed on 8/3/2011.

Amazon Operational Management Strategies Term Paper

Amazon Operational Management Strategies - Term Paper Example Operations management is not confined to manufacturing alone but also encompasses services. Hence, operations management can be best defined as effective and efficient management of all operations of the organization that contribute to improving the systems that are aimed at creating and delivering quality products and services to the customers (Young, 2009). It involves designing, redesigning, overseeing, implementing, executing of the various business operations. Operations management has a twofold effect on the profit of an organization and hence it is vital for the overall success of an organization. Organization is benefitted from the improved effectiveness due to operations management and the created products and services are such that they meet the requirements and needs of the customers. In simple words, increased efficiency will result in increased revenue which results in a more competitive organization and increased efficiency will also reduce costs (Galloway, 1993). Follo wing are the 10 operational management strategies that an organization can apply: Product/ Service Design, Quality Management, Capacity Management, Location, Layout Design, Human Resources, Supply Chain Management, Inventory Management, Scheduling and Maintenance. This paper is aimed at analysing how Amazon.com has applied operational management strategies to succeed and gain competitive advantage in the market. Amazon.com Amazon.com is a multinational customer-centric American company. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington Amazon.com is an electronic commerce company and the largest online retailer in the world. It was founded by Jeffrey Bezos and incorporated in 1994. Even though it was incorporated in 1994, it went live in 1995. Started as an online book store, Amzon.com today has diversified and expanded its product and service line (Reuters, 2011). Today, Amzon.com sells numerous products from different categories. It not online sells books online but also sells computer softwar e, CDs, DVDs, food, furniture, video games, toys, electronic apparels, MP3 downloads, etc (Google Finance, 2011). Consumers, sellers and enterprises are three primary customer sets that the company serves. Apart from selling products online, the company also generates revenue from various other sources such as co-branded credit card agreements, third party selling, reselling and online advertising (Google Finance, 2011). For the following countries Amzon.com has separate websites: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, China and Japan (Amazon.com, 2011). Amazon has numerous software development centres, fulfilment and warehousing centres across the globe to meet the growing demands (Reuters, 2011). Amazon’s Product Categories: Books, DVDs, videotapes, music CDs, musical instruments, toys & games, software, consumer electronics, sporting goods, lawn and garden items, apparel, clothing, kitchen items, gourmet food, tools, baby products, beauty pro ducts, watches, jewellery, industrial & scientific supplies, groceries and health and personal-care items (Amazon.com, 2011). Amazon’s Services: Amazon Web Services, Amazon Publishing, Amazon Prime, AmazonBasics, Amazon.com exclusives, Amapedia, Subscribe & Save, AmazonLocal, Amazon Wireless, askville, Amazon Marketplace, Amazon Fresh, etc (Amazon.com, 2011

Land law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Land law - Essay Example In the current case, Stone Construction Limited is not bound by any covenant that Steve undertook with Joan. Moreover, a covenant can only take effect and be respected if the benefit of the covenant comes to the party bearing the burden of the covenant. Under Austerberry v Oldham Corporation2, any agreement between the covenantor and the covenantee only holds between the original parties and not between successors unless: such stipulations are mentioned in the covenant; such stipulations are passed onto successors with their full knowledge and acceptance. Hence, the burden of a covenant does not pass to the successor through title at common law. The burden can only be passed under equity if: the covenant is negative in effect; covenant benefits the covenantee’s land; the burden of the covenant was designed by the original parties to run with the land3; the succeeding party was provided notice of the covenant at purchase. Given the ruling under Tulk v Moxhay4, it is clear that Hans cannot be provided benefit under equity either since the covenant was not designed to run with the land and the successor, Stone Construction Limited, had not notice of the covenant. However, the burden of a restrictive covenant passes to the successor in title only under equity but not under law. In the current situation, Hans tends to be affected more by equity based rules rather than contract based rules. Under common law, Hans cannot be provided benefit of the covenant since he was not a party to the original contract. Acting in Hans’ favour using a contract law position would signal a disregard for common law so Hans cannot be given advantage. Alternatively, Hans could have been provided some benefit under Section 56(1) of the Land and Property Act (LPA)5 if he were named and described under the original covenant. However, this is not the case since Joan, the covenantee, had failed to describe or name Hans with the original covenantor Steve. On another note, Hans ma y receive some relief under Section 1 of the Contract (Rights of Third Parties) Act6 since Hans stands to benefit from the covenant along with other future land owners. In order to analyse the burden and the benefit of the covenant, it is pertinent to consider equitable rules. The benefit of the covenant could only pass in equity if: benefit of the covenant was attached to Joan’s land; benefit of the covenant was moved through express declaration of Joan to the successor in title Hans; the concerned land was part of a development scheme7. Alternatively, under the decision for P&A Swift Investments v Combined English Stores Group PLC8, it was provided that a covenant may pass at common law in case that the covenant concerns the dominant land so as to benefit any successors and the covenantee personally. However, under the judgement provided under Smith and Snipes Hall Farm Ltd v River Douglas Catchment Board9 using Section 78 of the LPA, it would be necessary to provide or pro ve that Hans’ land is damaged by the actions of Stone Constructio

Swot Analysis and Weaknesses Essay Example for Free

Swot Analysis and Weaknesses Essay SWOT Analysis is an effective way of identifying your Strengths and Weaknesses, and of examining the Opportunities and Threats you face. How to use tool: To carry out a SWOT Analysis, write down answers to the following questions. Where appropriate, use similar questions: Strengths: * What advantages do you have? * What do you do well? * What relevant resources do you have access to? * What do other people see as your strengths? Consider this from your own point of view and from the point of view of the people you deal with. Dont be modest. Be realistic. If you are having any difficulty with this, try writing down a list of your characteristics. Some of these will hopefully be strengths! In looking at your strengths, think about them in relation to your competitors for example, if all your competitors provide high quality products, then a high quality production process is not strength in the market, it is a necessity. Weaknesses: * What could you improve? * What do you do badly? * What should you avoid? Again, consider this from an internal and external basis: Do other people seem to perceive weaknesses that you do not see? Are your competitors doing any better than you? It is best to be realistic now, and face any unpleasant truths as soon as possible. Opportunities: * Where are the good opportunities facing you? * What are the interesting trends you are aware of? Useful opportunities can come from such things as: * Changes in technology and markets on both a broad and narrow scale * Changes in government policy related to your field * Changes in social patterns, population profiles, lifestyle changes, etc. * Local Events A useful approach to looking at opportunities is to look at your strengths and ask yourself whether these open up any opportunities. Alternatively, look at your weaknesses and ask yourself whether you could open up opportunities by eliminating them. Threats: * What obstacles do you face? * What is your competition doing? * Are the required specifications for your job, products or services changing? * Is changing technology threatening your position? * Do you have bad debt or cash-flow problems? * Could any of your weaknesses seriously threaten your business? Carrying out this analysis will often be illuminating both in terms of pointing out what needs to be done, and in putting problems into perspective. You can also apply SWOT analysis to your competitors. This may produce some interesting insights! Example: A start-up small consultancy business might carry out the following SWOT analysis: Strengths: * We are able to respond very quickly as we have no red tape, no need for higher management approval, etc. * We are able to give really good customer care, as the current small amount of work means we have plenty of time to devote to customers * Our lead consultant has strong reputation within the market * We can change direction quickly if we find that our marketing is not working * We have little overhead, so can offer good value to customers Weaknesses: * Our company has no market presence or reputation * We have a small staff with a shallow skills base in many areas * We are vulnerable to vital staff being sick, leaving, etc. * Our cash flow will be unreliable in the early stages Opportunities: * Our business sector is expanding, with many future opportunities for success * Our local council wants to encourage local businesses with work where possible * Our competitors may be slow to adopt new technologies Threats: * Will developments in technology change this market beyond our ability to adapt? * A small change in focus of a large competitor might wipe out any market position we achieve The consultancy might therefore decide to specialize in rapid response, good value services to local businesses. Marketing would be in selected local publications, to get the greatest possible market presence for a set advertising budget. The consultancy should keep up-to-date with changes in technology where possible. Key points: SWOT analysis is a framework for analyzing your strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunities and threats you face. Â  This will help you to focus on your strengths, minimize weaknesses, and take the greatest possible advantage of opportunities available. SWOT analysis becomes a USELESS exercise if it is not extended TOWS where * the strengths are used to capitalize on opportunities and to counter threats, * the weaknesses are minimized using opportunities and both weaknesses and threats are avioided Carrying out a personal SWOT Analysis is an important step in finding life and career direction. Case Study-SWOT Analysis Wal-Mart Strengths * Wal-Mart is a powerful retail brand. It has a reputation for value for money, convenience and a wide range of products all in one store. * Wal-Mart has grown substantially over recent years, and has experienced global expansion (for example its purchase of the United Kingdom based retailer ASDA). * The company has a core competence involving its use of information technology to support its international logistics system. For example, it can see how individual products are performing country-wide, store-by-store at a glance. IT also supports Wal-Marts efficient procurement. * A focused strategy is in place for human resource management and development. People are key to Wal-Marts business and it invests time and money in training people, and retaining a developing them. Weaknesses * Wal-Mart is the Worlds largest grocery retailer and control of its empire, despite its IT advantages, could leave it weak in some areas due to the huge span of control. * Since Wal-Mart sell products across many sectors (such as clothing, food, or stationary), it may not have the flexibility of some of its more focused competitors. * The company is global, but has has a presence in relatively few countries Worldwide. Opportunities * To take over, merge with, or form strategic alliances with other global retailers, focusing on specific markets such as Europe or the Greater China Region. * The stores are currently only trade in a relatively small number of countries. Therefore there are tremendous opportunities for future business in expanding consumer markets, such as China and India. * New locations and store types offer Wal-Mart opportunities to exploit market development. They diversified from large super centers, to local and mall-based sites. * Opportunities exist for Wal-Mart to continue with its current strategy of large, super centers. Threats * Being number one means that you are the target of competition, locally and globally. * Being a global retailer means that you are exposed to political problems in the countries that you operate in. * The cost of producing many consumer products tends to have fallen because of lower manufacturing costs. Manufacturing cost has fallen due to outsourcing to low-cost regions of the World. This has lead to price competition, resulting in price deflation in some ranges. Intense price competition is a threat. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the worlds largest retailer, with $256.3 billion in sales in the fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2004. The company employs 1.6 million associates worldwide through more than 3,600 facilities in the United States and more than 1,570 units . . . Case Study-SWOT Analysis Starbucks Strengths * Starbucks Corporation is a very profitable organization, earning in excess of $600 million in 2004.The company generated revenue of more than $5000 million in the same year. * It is a global coffee brand built upon a reputation for fine products and services. It has almost 9000 cafes in almost 40 countries. * Starbucks was one of the Fortune Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2005. The company is a respected employer that values its workforce. * The organization has strong ethical values and an ethical mission statement as follows, Starbucks is committed to a role of environmental leadership in all facets of our business. Weaknesses * Starbucks has a reputation for new product development and creativity. However, they remain vulnerable to the possibility that their innovation may falter over time. * The organization has a strong presence in the United States of America with more than three quarters of their cafes located in the home market. It is often argued that they need to look for a portfolio of countries, in order to spread business risk. * The organization is dependant on a main competitive advantage, the retail of coffee. This could make them slow to diversify into other sectors should the need arise. Opportunities * Starbucks are very good at taking advantage of opportunities. * In 2004 the company created a CD-burning service in their Santa Monica (California USA) cafe with Hewlett Packard, where customers create their own music CD. * New products and services that can be retailed in their cafes, such as Fair Trade products. * The company has the opportunity to expand its global operations. New markets for coffee such as India and the Pacific Rim nations are beginning to emerge. * Co-branding with other manufacturers of food and drink, and brand franchising to manufacturers of other goods and services both have potential. Threats * Who knows if the market for coffee will grow and stay in favor with customers, or whether another type of beverage or leisure activity will replace coffee in the future? * Starbucks are exposed to rises in the cost of coffee and dairy products. * Since its conception in Pine Place Park, Seattle in 1971, Starbucks success has lead to the market entry of many competitors and copy cat brands that pose potential threats. Starbucks mission statement is Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow. Understanding TOWS Matrix Why use the tool? TOWS Analysis is an effective way of combining a) internal strengths with external opportunities and threats, and b) internal weaknesses with external opportunities and threats to develop a strategy. How to use tool: To carry out a TOWS Analysis, consider the following combinations: Strengths/Opportunities: Consider all strengths one by one listed in the SWOT Analysis with each opportunity to determine how each internal strength can help you capitalize on each external opportunity. Strength/Threats: Consider all strengths one by one listed in the SWOT Analysis with each threat to determine how each internal strength can help you avoid every external threat. Weaknesses/Opportunities: Consider all weaknesses one by one listed in the SWOT Analysis with each opportunity to determine how each internal weakness can be eliminated by using each external opportunity. Weaknesses/Threats: Consider all weaknesses one by one listed in the SWOT Analysis with each threat to determine both can be avoided. Case Study- Application of the TOWS Matrix to Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW) was chosen because it demonstrates how a successful company experienced great difficulties in the early 1970s, but then developed a strategy that resulted in an excellent market position in the late 1970s. The TOWS Matrix shown in Figure 1 will focus on the crucial period from late 1973 to early 1975. The external threats and opportunities pertain mostly to the situation VW faced in the United States, but a similar situation prevailed in Europe at that time. Weaknesses and Threats (WT) A company with great weaknesses often has to resort to a survival strategy. VW could have seriously considered the option of a joint operation with Chrysler or American Motors. Another alternative would have been to withdraw from the American market altogether. Although in difficulties VW did not have to resort to a survival strategy because the company still had much strength. Consequently, a more appropriate strategy was to attempt to overcome the weaknesses and develop them into strengths. In other words, the direction was toward the strength-opportunity position (SO) in the matrix shown as Figure 1. Specifically, the strategy was to reduce the competitive threat by developing a more flexible new product line that would accommodate the needs and desires of the car-buying public. Weaknesses and Opportunities (WO) The growing affluence of customers has resulted in trading up to more luxurious cars. Yet, VW had essentially followed a one-model policy which presented a problem when the design of the Beetle became obsolete A new model line had to be introduced to reach a wider spectrum of buyers. In order to minimize the additional costs of a multi product line, the building block principle was employed in the design of the new cars. This allowed using the same parts for different models that ranged from the relatively low-priced Rabbit to the higher priced Audi line. Another weakness at VW was the rising costs in Germany. For example, in 1973 wages and salaries rose 19 per cent over the previous year. Similarly, increased fuel costs made the shipping of cars to the United States more costly. This situation favored setting up an assembly plant in the United States. However, this also created some problems for VW because it had no experience in dealing with American organized labor. To overcome this weakness, VWs tactic was to recruit managers from Detroit who were capable of establishing good union relations. Strengths and Threats (ST) One of the greatest threats to VW was the continuing appreciation of the Deutsche Mark against the dollar. For example, from October 1972 to November 1973 the mark appreciated 35 percent. This meant higher prices for the buyer. The result, of course, was a less competitive posture. Japanese and American automakers obtained an increasingly larger share of the small-car market. To reduce the threats of competition and the effects of the unfavorable exchange rate, VW was forced to build an assembly plant in the United States. Another strategy for meeting competitive pressures was to build on VWs strengths by developing a car based on advanced-design technology. The result of this effort was the Rabbit, a model with features later adopted by many other car manufacturers. The oil crisis in 1973-1974 not only caused a fuel shortage, but also price rises, a trend that has continued. To meet this threat, VW used its technological capabilities not only to improve its engines (through the use of fuel injection, for examples), but also to develop the very fuel-efficient Diesel engine. This tactic, which was congruent with its general strategy, helped improve the firm’s market position. Strengths and Opportunities (SO) In general, successful firms build on their strengths to take advantage of opportunities. VW is no exception. Throughout this discussion VWs strengths in research, development, engineering, and its experience m production technology became evident. These strengths, under the leadership of Rudolf Leiding, enabled the company to develop a product line that met market demands for an economical car (the Rabbit, successor to the Beetle), as well as the tastes for more luxurious cars with many available options (Scirocco and the Audi line). Eventually the same companys strengths enabled VW to plan and build the assembly facility in New Stanton, Pennsylvania. Thus, YW could benefit from substantial concessions granted by the state government to attract VW which, in turn, provided many employment opportunities. In another tactical move, VW manufactured and sold small engines to Chrysler and American Motors. These companies urgently needed small engines for installation in their own cars and revenues from these sales improved the financial position of VW.

Frank Lloyd Wright :: essays papers

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright was an architect who was a pioneer in modern style, and he is considered one of the greatest figures in architecture in the 20th-century. In Richland Center, Wisconsin on June 8, 1867 Wright was born. 17 years latter at the University of Wisconsin his interest in architecture had already shown itself. He enrolled in civil engineering because the university didn^t offer any classes for his chosen field. He gained some practical experience by working on a construction project for the university part time. He left school and went to work for the firm of Adler and Sullivan in 1887. Louis Sullivan from the firm had a profound in Wright work. He left the firm and went to make his own office in Chicago in 1893. Organic architecture was a philosophy created by Wright. It means that a building should be developed out of it^s natural surroundings. Originality was shown in his designs for public and private structures. The ornate neoclassic and Victorian styles favored by conventional architects was the kind of thing Wright rebelled against. Wright was opposed to the mechanical imposition of preconceived styles. The particular function of the building, it^s environment, and the type of materials employed in the structure should be the things that ultimately determined the architechtual form is what Wright believed in. One of the many fundamental contributions was the use of building materials for their natural colors s well as structural characteristics. With the open planning of one room flowing into another his interiors emphasize the sense of spaciousness. Precast concrete blocks reinforced with steel rods was one of the many new techniques Wright initiated. Air conditioning, indirect lighting, and panel heating were a few of the numerous innovations Wright invented. One of Wright big feats was to make the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. The building was made to withstand earthquakes. One year after being completed it suffered no damage from a disastrous earthquake. Architects who were more conventional then Wright were against his different ways all thorough out his career. He went into exile for a year in Europe because of personal difficulties and professional antagonisms. Upon his return he began a new career of ever widing-achivments. Some of his later works are the Millard House; the Kaufmann House; called Falling Water; The Johnson Wax Company Administration Building; the First Unitarian Church; the V.C. Morris gift shop; and the Price

History of immigration

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tots to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! † Do our immigration policies still honor the words written by Emma Lazarus in 1883 on the base of the Statue of Liberty, and if so, what impact do they have on our economy?The issue of whether our economy is impacted negativity or positively by undocumented workers and what should be done about It Is a widely debated topic in this country right now and reported about on every form of media (news, print, social) available on a dally basis. The Issue of undocumented Immigration Is Important; It concerns fundamental, moral and economic questions about how we deal with Immigration In our country. Various arguments have been presented about this issue.We will consider the argument from people who feel the undocumented workers negatively affect the economy, why those views are flawed, review the evolution of imm igration along with immigration policies and what are in effect presently, what policies would promote change regarding immigration, as well as how we can build a bridge between the two arguments. I will then put forward suggestions for the introduction of ways in which we can begin the changes in policy to best suit both sides of the argument. It has been argued that undocumented workers drain the economy and Just benefit a few businesses at the expense of Americans citizens.An article written by Steven Amalgam, published in the City Journal summer 2006, supports the belief : â€Å"unskilled, undocumented workers benefit a handful of Industries by getting low cost labor, and the taxpayers foot the bill. † In other words, undocumented workers and their illegal families are a drain on our economy. It is claimed that they send every penny they earn to their country of origin, use public services they are not entitled to, perform menial labor, do not pay taxes and their children abuse the right to public services and education.However, as the pamphlet by Neighborhood center states: † in fact there is no question as to the importance of the buying power of undocumented immigrants. The real predictor of wage disparity is not whether someone is an immigrant (regardless of status), it is lack of education. Foreign-born entrepreneurs with startups businesses have been behind 25 percent of these businesses in this country. Three quarters of the undocumented Immigrants pay payroll taxes and they contribute $7 billion In Social Security funds annually without the ability to collect Social Security.While the majority of the children of undocumented Immigrants are born here legally and are eligible to public services and education, their parents for fear of deportation are negative impact on the economy is Just a myth; there is a net benefit to the nation's total economic output raising it by a reported $21. 5 billion per year (USA Today). In addition, accordi ng to a study by the investment research company, Standard & Poor's, â€Å"the cost of providing services to undocumented workers is largely offset by the economic benefits they generate. We can see why if you look at the economic effect on the country without researching your views toughly, on the surface you may be able to put together a shaky argument, but after researching the facts you do see that undocumented workers actually boost our economy, as we see in Gordon H. Hansom's, The Economics and Policy report of illegal immigration in the United States; â€Å"the current regime of illegal immigration, despite its faults, has been efficiently beneficial to US employers that they are doubtful about the capacity of Congress to improve the situation and therefore unwilling to take the political risk of supporting reform.The collected taxes impact our economy now while baby boomers are starting to collect their Social Security benefits they boost the system by the unconvertible fu nds of undocumented workers. † Before we can understand how we arrived at the present immigration policies here in America, we must look back at the evolution of immigration and immigration policy from the 1600 to present time. Our long economic history in America has been shaped by the groups of immigrants that have settled here, what contributions to the economy they brought with them and how the immigration policy changed in response to the influx of each group of immigrants.We will start our review looking at a few immigration groups, the changes made to our immigration policies starting with the English Settlers with traders and their contributions to the economy to present day influx of Middle Eastern and Latin origin immigrants benefiting our economy with access to low cost and back breaking labor. In the 1600 hundreds the traders that were brought by the English settlers not only brought the spices and hard goods to trade, they brought slave labor for trading as well.T his group, African slaves would grow quickly to 20 percent of the population providing cheap labor, and since they were considered property, they were not allowed to be naturalized till 1870. Many different groups came and made contributions to the economy of cheap labor with their meat processing skills, work ethic and willingness to take on highly dangerous back breaking Jobs. With each new group the policy changed; the first immigration law enacted in 1790 (after nearly a century of unregulated immigration and massive economic growth) began defining and restricting citizenship to the United States.The act of 1790 was revised, further restricting and adding requirements for obtaining citizenship. The Asian immigrants experienced a similar exclusionary period as did the Africans; they were allowed to live in the US but were not allowed to become citizens until 1943 when the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was repealed. President Ronald Reagan was instrumental in bringing forth the Im migration Reform and Control Act of 1986.Many revisions have been made to the immigration laws, but t was never as publicized as after September 1 1, 2001 when fear of Terrorism brought the need for reform so we can exclude individuals suspected to be terrorists. Presently the immigration laws are not an easy path to becoming legal and are not family friendly because they separate parents from their American born children Just life. â€Å"America's immigration system is outdated, unsuited to the needs of our economy and to the values of our country.We should not be content with laws that punish hardworking people and deny businesses willing workers and invite chaos at our borders. † George W. Bush, February 2, 2005. George w. Bush and Barack Obama did not agree on many things, but â€Å"They share a belief that the high levels of illegal immigration are an indication of the current policy being broken, and that immigrants by and large make a positive contribution to America. â€Å"We need immigration reform that will secure our borders, and†¦.. That finally brings 12 million people who are here illegally out of the shadows†¦We must assert our values and reconcile our principles as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. † Barack Obama, June 28, 2008. Two Presidents, from two different political parties, with very efferent political views share the same view that our immigration system is broken. What changes should be made to the immigration policy here in America? How will those changes affect the economy? What is the moral impact on families? These are questions which divide many; philosophers, labor unions, political parties, the people within political parties, the people in nail salons and Americans in general.Peter Brooklime (1999), a political philosopher, a ND supporter of placing restrictions on immigration that would all but end immigration to this country, believes the current immigration policies second guess the Ameri can people and Jeopardize our nation. Brimless beliefs historically were supported by Labor unions and their leaders, yet even these groups are realizing that the number of immigrant union members has been rapidly increasing (Migration Policy institute 2004) and if they do not begin to embrace the immigrants a large number of their membership base will disappear and possibly their existence as well.To the other extreme, Walter Block argues â€Å"like tariffs and exchange controls, migration barriers of whatever type are egregious locations of laissez-flare capitalism† (Block 1998; 168). The Democratic Party says they support â€Å"immigration reform† and point fingers at the Republican Party for not having it done yet. Ironically, a Republican President supported and pushed for the most encompassing reform possible â€Å"Amnesty in 1996†. We need to arrive at a compromise of the two schools of thought.Yes we do have to protect ourselves from terrorists and crimi nals, but not at the cost of our crops not being picked or produce being too high to purchase, our manicures and pedicures getting out of control price sis or our restaurants having to raise prices so high only the rich could afford to eat out. We need to also morally take into consideration families. Why should I, a second generation American( paternal side of my family) and a multi generation American( on the maternal side of my family), with children who are first generation Americans be denied my late mother in law to visit and stay with us as long as is mutually agreed upon.The Consulate in Ecuador at first denied us a visa for my Mother in Law. I had to fight for my rights as an American to bring her home with me. They only gave her a 3 month visa. I also had to close my eyes after the three month visa expired to her being illegally in America. So America's immigration policy made this grandmother a criminal. While we ponder on what to do about immigration we must control ours elves from falling subject to xenophobia, misconceptions and political rhetoric.We do need to continue with researching the brings forth in their applications to come to America or that are here presently â€Å"illegally'. The paperwork involved should not be so difficult that we only further the economy by creating further Jobs in the immigration law field. If you have family here already and have been contributing to our economy through your hard work, contributing to our economy through your spending power and good civic behavior, why should you have a difficult path to legalization?Simplify paperwork, intensify background checks of those applying and their family members here and in their country of origin, require medical examination and community service components in the legalization path. Allow those that are here to pay a nominal fee, submit simple applications to change their immigration status from illegal to in process of globalization and come out of the shadows. This will really protect our borders by knowing who is here amongst us.Willingness to do good works for the many non- profit organizations that exist should be much more important than your financial resources in your country of origin in any path to legalization. Policy should be put in place allowing immigrants here to move from â€Å"illegal† to citizen in a reasonable amount of time with the before mentioned components built in so we can weed out the criminals not willing to live by our laws and contribute to our society and support he growth of our country, while rewarding the immigrants that with their diversity and civic responsibility add to the strength of our country.These policies would improve the type of applicant, reduce need for expense of immigration lawyers, and reduce the need to spend on expensive man power in INS offices, and embassies, move the emphases on skilled, community minded, productive, family oriented immigrants willing to pay their taxes and contribu te to diversity and economic growth of our wonderful country. We need to build a bridge between the main two arguments of public safety nickering terrorists and Jeopardizing our economy, as well as moral fiber with policies that will have protections of the many while also representing the fiber that made our country what it is.Allowing the right wing to impose restrictions on immigration based on fear is not in the best interest of our country. In conclusion, we are a nation of immigrants. The only Americans that truly belong here is those with Native American Indian ancestry. The rest of the American population is either descendents of immigrants or immigrants themselves; some by choice and others forced to migrate due to refugee, slavery etc. Our Country was made by immigrants, and this is a supporting case point to continue allowing immigration at a fairly high level.

Leadership As A Charismatic Leader - 1541 Words

Numerous of leaders especially in the church are considered charismatic. Before the 1980’s, charisma was not a major topic of discussion. The Charismatic approach is measured to reflect a particular kind of leader. They are usually strong self-confident individuals that portray competency. Their followers tend to mimic the goals and leadership style of the charismatic leader. They are gifted in articulating their ideas, â€Å"plans and goals to others while creating an ambiance that says, do as I do. They can articulate a compelling or captivating vision and can arouse strong emotions in followers. Despite the controversy about the originality of the charismatic leader, they are effective in the church, politics, and the business†¦show more content†¦The paper clarifies this thought by sharing the beginning of many notable individuals’ leadership style and how they matriculated to the office of the President of the United States and renowned Civil Rights Leaders. The Christian Worldview is shared that good leadership is defined one’s relationship with God and how we treat one another. It provides information about biblical leadership such as David, Jesus, and Paul whose leadership approach is charismatic and remains effective today in many churches. It further talks about the charismatic approaches of men like Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy, Barak Obama who swept the nation off their feet because of the resounding eloquent speeches that many young and old now recite and hold true to their hearts. Moreover, this paper speaks about some twenty-first century charismatic leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Barak Obama, and Bill Clinton. Details are provided to show that Charisma is a process, which links the traits of the charismatic leader to a VABES while influencing others to follow their way of thinking when using a burst of energy. Are Charismatic Leaders Born or Made? First and foremost, charisma in the Greek means â€Å"divinely inspired gifts,† only God can give these kinds of gifts. Because high self-confidence and strong conviction in one’s beliefs is a given factor for the charismatic leader, I argue that they are born, with leadership abilities that require development andShow MoreRelatedCharismatic Leadership : A Charismatic Leader1603 Words   |  7 PagesCHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP In the current leadership era, Charismatic leadership is one of the newer leadership perspectives. This approach is based on the concept of charisma, which means â€Å"an inspired and divine gift†. Elements of a charismatic leadership A charismatic leadership is characterized by these three elements: Leader characteristics, Follower characteristics, and Situational Factors. Notice that these elements are much like the elements that contribute to the cycle of abuseRead MoreCharismatic Leadership : A Charismatic Leader862 Words   |  4 PagesCharismatic Leadership A charismatic leader has the ability to create an impression of themselves that promote the desired image of themselves, their vision, or their organization (Durbin, 2013). This paper will identify what traits a charismatic leader possess and analyze these traits with my own to determine the level of charisma I have or if they are obtainable with change. The charismatic leader in modern-day times is a conception of society. So as not to appear as an everyday leader, he isRead MoreCharismatic Leadership : A Charismatic Leader709 Words   |  3 PagesThe charismatic leadership approach is dependent on the captivates and articulateness of the leader; charismatic leaders are compelled by their passions and dedication to their reason. 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This leader can influence external stakeholders by becoming the symbol of the company or cause he represents. â€Å"Charismatic leaders can transform organizations through their ability to seeRead MoreCharismatic Leadership : A Charismatic Leader960 Words   |  4 PagesCharismatic Approach A leader is described as one who influences others to attain goals. Leaders orchestrate change, set direction, and motivate people to overcome obstacles and move the organization toward its ideal future (Bateman, T. and Snell, S., 2013, p.460). Out of the three leadership styles our team researched, Jesus leadership style was seen more in the Charismatic Approach: (House’s Theory of Charismatic Leadership). When a leader possess charisma, one should be Dominant, and self-confidentRead MoreLeadership As A Charismatic Leader1495 Words   |  6 Pages Today in society we see many leaders in this chaotic world we live in today. Leaders have to deal with tricky situations no matter the circumstances. Everyone including leaders desire to work in a drama free and less negative establishment. However, an effective leader must be able to with handle problems or issues. A leader have to learn how to adapt and adjust, guide their counterparts which leads to productive environment. Charismatic leader helps produces a pleasurable environment to createRead MoreHuman Leadership: The Importance of Charismatic Leaders in an Organization950 Words   |  4 Pages1.0 Introduction In human, leadership is a complex activity which shows different characteristics in different situations (Keohane, 2005). The activity that was conducted in the class showcased different characteristics in participants when it came to leadership. The game was mainly for the participants to understand the qualities and knowledge when it comes to leadership. 1.1 The Game In this report I am going to talk about two persons myself and Mario Doe. The tag that I received wasRead MoreCharismatic Leadership And Transformational Leadership869 Words   |  4 Pagestheories have largely shaped the conversation around charismatic leadership, providing the theory with context and testable characteristics. The two theories, along with other research in the leadership model, have revived the trait-based approach to leadership. Since charismatic leadership is linked with personal traits and the transformation of subordinates, the current conversation around the model often links it with transformational leadership theory. Both of these theories seek radical changesRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Charismatic Leadership913 Words   |  4 Pagesdisadvantages of charismatic leadership Charismatic leadership is among the leadership theories that can be both a blessing and a curse to an organisation. A strong vision with emotional influences can be force for positive change, such as the example of Martin Luther King’s civil rights movement, but it can lead to darkness as well. Advantages of charismatic leadership As mentioned above, charismatic leadership can at its best be an inspiration style to lead. A successful charismatic leader is able toRead More Leader Characteristics Essay1736 Words   |  7 PagesLeader Characteristics Charismatic leadership is one of four subdivisions of the larger concept of transformational leadership (Bass, 1990). Charismatic leaders are self-confident, dominant, purposeful, articulate, influential, idealistic, and expressive. They have high energy levels, strong convictions, the ability to display empathy, and are risk takers (Bass, 1990). By stimulating ailing corporations, revitalizing aging bureaucracies or launching new enterprises (Howell and Avolio, 1995)