No description available.

This thesis is concerned with parapsychology as a field of experimental science. It is based on the discourse analysis of interviews with experimental parapsychologists, in which they provide accounts of their field, their own research practices and experimental outcomes. Drawing on literature from the fields of parapsychology and social studies of science, experimental parapsychologists are characterised as having an asymmetrical standing within science. Whilst they share with other experimental scientists (e.g. psychologists) many of their core assumptions and investigative methods, they differ significantly in how their phenomena, basic propositions and empirical expertise are actively disputed both outwith and within parapsychology. It is this asymmetrical standing, the disputed nature of the reality of their object and of the scientific justification of its existence that makes parapsychologists' accounts of their work particularly interesting to the exploration of discursive practices involved in the construction of what they do a doing science. Drawing both on literature relating to the "linguistic turn" in social studies of science, and on recent methodological developments in discourse analysis, this thesis puts forward that the analysis of parapsychologists' accounts provides a particularly rich insight into how scientific knowledge and practice are discursively accomplished. It thus focuses on how these parapsychologists produce meaningfully variable factual versions of what they do as 'doing science', and of their disputed object as a real phenomenon. The aims of the study were the following: a) to examine parapsychologists' own accounts of their field, research practices and experimental outcomes; b) to analyse how these accounts attend to normative versions of what 'counts' as science; and c) to analyse the discursive resources they use to achieve factual accounts of 'doing science'. The analysis of the data obtained from 20 interviews with experimental parapsychologists begins with the examination of how they constructed their field as a community, as a body of evidence, and as a field with a particular relationship to a standard view of science. The analysis was inspired by the thread of discourse analytic research which focuses on 'fact construction'. It shows how they orient to ideas of demarcation and constitute parapsychology as a field with characteristics that compromise the scientificity of their own knowledge and practice. It also shows how these parapsychologists attend to and manage the relationship between what they do and these compromising characteristics, by building them up as essential properties of the evidence for the phenomena (as essentially ambiguous), and even of psi itself (as essentially elusive). The construction of parapsychology as inherently problematic (i.e. a 'less than perfect' scientific field), allows these parapsychologists to constitute their research work as an almost heroic achievement. Regarding the participants' versions of their research practices, the analysis shows that they make these scientifically safe (e.g., by appealing to, and by presenting them as, in line with, ordinary versions of empirical research). The analysis further explores these parapsychologists' constructions of their practices as doing strict and extreme empiricism, with no assumptions, expectations, theoretical uderpinnings or objectives. Their appeal to the primacy of facts, the doing of methodology, neutrality and the dispensability of theory and models, constitute versions of scientific inquiry that are bearably in line with a version of science as 'doing strict empiricism'. The analysis argues that the variety and extremity of these formulations constitute the extent to which the empirical quality of their research is oriented to by them as something that is not taken for granted (and thus needs to be accounted for). Paradoxically, this same extremity rhetorically breaches normative accounts of doing science, through the intense problematization of theory or expectations of any sort. The final focus of the analysis is the exploration of these parapsychologists' constructions of the outcomes of their own research, specifically their categories of psi and of anomaly. The analysis shows that, though both of these concern the central object and claim of parapsychology, the participants present radically different categories of each, which are functionally meaningful in relation to their versions of doing science. Overall, the thesis argues that these parapsychologists constitute a paradoxical discursive position in relation to normative accounts of doing science. On the one hand, they actively appeal to the primacy of evidence and empiricism On the other hand, they construct a set of characteristics for their research object and evidence that compromise the rhetorical achievements of empiricism; also, the extremity of these accounts is such that this constructed empiricism is made into a remarkable rhetorically brittle account of scientific practice in parapsychology. Finally, the thesis discusses the implications of these arguments for parapsychology, namely, for the development of a reflexive and discursive thread of research within the field. It also examines the limitations of this approach and possible future research.

No description available.

No description available.

Serious academic considerations of magic, beyond its merely social, cultural or psychopathological contexts are few. As one of them, this thesis claims that a coherent function of Dion Fortune’s The Cosmic Doctrine, according to demonstrable textual intention, is as a participative magical process. Fortune’s text consists, primarily, of an extended, incomprehensible metaphor: the movement of infinite space. It claims to be designed to train the mind of the reader rather than inform it. The abstruseness of the text, wherein subjective and objective referents are treated simultaneously, prompts an interpretive tool; this thesis presents a tripartite hermeneutic as such a tool. An exploration of emanationism, according to Fortune’s understanding of Qabalah, presents the conceptual matrix of The Cosmic Doctrine. An implicit dialogue with the philosopher Henri Bergson provides a basis for discussing process thought as integral to Fortune’s emanationist cosmology. The literary theory of manuduction embraces intuitive cognition of reality as process and the spiritual practice of reciprocity between human and divine activity inherent within Fortune’s emergent emanationism. The resulting hermeneutic serves to provide a practical, participative approach to The Cosmic Doctrine whereby reading the text functions as a psycho-cosmological magical experience in accordance with its author’s definition of such.

The thesis investigates the effects of false memory and belief in the paranormal on reports of events. The first chapter reviews the existing literature on false memory. The main theories of how false memory develops are described and the individual differences of those susceptible to false memories are considered. The paranormal belief literature is then examined, particularly with regard to the cognitive differences between believers and disbelievers. It is concluded that these differences would be suggestive of a relationship between paranormal belief and false memory. The second chapter considers the relationship between imagination inflation, paranormal belief and ESP. No correlation between the factors was found. The third chapter examines whether pre-event suggestion and belief in the paranormal can affect experiences of `ghostly' phenomena in an allegedly haunted location. Evidence for the effect of belief in the paranormal was found, but there was no effect of pre-event suggestion or an interaction between the two factors. The fourth chapter investigates the effects of positive and negative during-event suggestion and paranormal belief on reports of events in the seance room, and the fifth chapter explores the effects of duringevent suggestion on reports of a key bending video. There was some evidence that during-event suggestion is effective in altering reports of events, and the causes for this effect are considered. Paranormal belief was not shown to consistently affect acceptance of suggestion, but may affect reports of phenomena which are judged to be paranormal. The thesis concludes that during-event suggestion and negative suggestion are areas which offer great potential for further research. The relationship between paranormal belief and false memory development has not been demonstrated. However, it has been shown that belief and suggestion can affect the manner in which situations are attended to and interpreted.

Σκοπός αυτής της εργασίας είναι η εξομοίωση ενός πλέγματος γείωσης υποσταθμού μέσης τάσης και η μελέτη της μεταβατικής συμπεριφοράς του. / Grounding, is the connection of metal elements of an installation with the ground, in order that the potential of this, is evened with the potential of the ground. Aim of a grounding system is to provide a street of low resistance in currents from lightning or faults to the ground and to decrease the probabilities of growth of dangerous incremental voltages or voltages of contact, determining a potential of report. The grounding systems are very important and for this reason have been studied their behavior from a lot of researchers and have been proposed various models of simulation. The more important piece than the study of a grounding system is the transient response, because there are presented the most dangerous phenomena and the voltages which appear present largest values as well as more abrupt curves. Aim of this work is to study and simulate the earthing grid of a substation. Θere are presented the results of the simulation of an earthing grid in order for the thunder electricity to be inserted to the node where the “tower" of 150 kV is being earthed and in order for the shift circuit to be inserted to the node where the thansformer of the substation is being earthed.

A.D. MacDonald and Sanborn C. Brown / "August 3, 1949." / Bibliography: p. 11. / Army Signal Corps Contract No. W36-039-sc-32037 Project No. 102B Dept. of the Army Project No. 3-99-10-022

Γείωση είναι η αγώγιμη σύνδεση ενός σημείου κάποιου κυκλώματος ή ενός μη-ρευματοφόρου μεταλλικού αντικειμένου μιας εγκατάστασης με το έδαφος, με σκοπό να αποκτήσουν το ίδιο δυναμικό με τη γη, το οποίο θεωρείται -κατά σύμβαση- ίσο με μηδέν. Σκοπός του συστήματος γείωσης είναι να επιτυγχάνει την απαγωγή και διάχυση του κεραυνικού ρεύματος ή ρευμάτων βραχυκύκλωσης μέσα στη γη, με ταχύτητα και ασφάλεια, χωρίς να δημιουργούνται επικίνδυνες υπερτάσεις στον περιβάλλοντα χώρο, που δύνανται να πλήξουν τον άνθρωπο, καθώς και να προκαλέσουν ανεπανόρθωτες βλάβες στον εξοπλισμό. Η απόδοση των συστημάτων γείωσης που υπόκεινται σε κρουστικά ρεύματα διαδραματίζει σημαντικό ρόλο στην ασφαλή και αξιόπιστη λειτουργία ενός συστήματος ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας. Η συμπεριφορά της αντικεραυνικής προστασίας των υποσταθμών, σχετίζεται με τα κρουστικά χαρακτηριστικά των διατάξεων γείωσης. Προκειμένου να επιτευχθεί η ορθή σχεδίαση του ηλεκτρικού συστήματος, σε ότι αφορά την προστασία των εγκαταστάσεων έναντι ανώμαλων γεγονότων, είναι θεμελιώδες και απολύτως απαραίτητο να προβλεφθεί η μεταβατική συμπεριφορά ενός συστήματος γείωσης, υπό την επίδραση κρουστικών κεραυνικών ρευμάτων, ή ρευμάτων σφάλματος. Αντικείμενο αυτής της εργασίας είναι η εξομοίωση της μεταβατικής συμπεριφοράς του πλέγματος γείωσης υποσταθμού ανύψωσης τάσης 20/150 kV στη Βοιωτία. Σκοπός της είναι η επιλογή του κατάλληλου μοντέλου που θα προσομοιώσει το πλέγμα λαμβάνοντας υπόψη το φαινόμενο ιονισμού του εδάφους, και μέσω του προγράμματος εξομοίωσης ATP-EMTP, γίνεται η εξομοίωση, απ’ όπου λαμβάνονται τα αποτελέσματα υπό μορφή γραφημάτων και μελετάται η μεταβατική συμπεριφορά του συστήματος γείωσης, στις περιπτώσεις πλήγματος κεραυνού, αλλά και σφάλματος στο μετασχηματιστή ισχύος. Στη συνέχεια γίνεται μια σύντομη περιγραφή των θεμάτων καθενός κεφαλαίου. Στο Πρώτο Κεφάλαιο γίνεται μια εισαγωγή στην έννοια της γείωσης, η εξοικείωση του αναγνώστη με βασικούς ορισμούς, αναφέρονται τα είδη και οι μέθοδοι γείωσης, καθώς επίσης οι τύποι των ηλεκτροδίων και οι βασικές διατάξεις γείωσης όπως προκύπτουν από τους διεθνείς κανονισμούς και τα ελληνικά πρότυπα. Στο Δεύτερο Κεφάλαιο παρουσιάζονται τα κύρια χαρακτηριστικά μεγέθη που σχετίζονται με την απόκριση ενός συστήματος γείωσης, τα οποία δεν είναι άλλα από την αντίσταση γείωσης, την ειδική αντίσταση του εδάφους, την κρουστική σύνθετη αντίσταση και την κρίσιμη ένταση του ηλεκτρικού πεδίου. Στο Τρίτο Κεφάλαιο γίνεται μια εκτενής αναφορά στο φαινόμενο ιονισμού του εδάφους, αναλύοντας τους μηχανισμούς διάσπασης του εδάφους καθώς και τα μοντέλα βάσει των οποίων μοντελοποιείται το φαινόμενο. Στο Τέταρτο Κεφάλαιο παρουσιάζονται τα μοντέλα στα οποία βασιζόταν αρχικά η προσομοίωση των ηλεκτροδίων γείωσης, και στη συνέχεια γίνεται ανασκόπηση στη βιβλιογραφία και σε δημοσιεύσεις διαφόρων ερευνητών. Έπειτα αναφέρονται τα επικρατέστερα μοντέλα και οι αναλυτικές μέθοδοι που χρησιμοποιούνται σήμερα για την προσομοίωση των συστημάτων γείωσης. Επίσης για καθένα από τα μοντέλα αναφέρονται τα πλεονεκτήματα και μειονεκτήματα σε σχέση με τα υπόλοιπα μοντέλα. Στο Πέμπτο Κεφάλαιο γίνεται μια σύντομη παρουσίαση του προγράμματος εξομοίωσης ATP-EMTP, δίνοντας ιδιαίτερη σημασία στις εφαρμογές που χρησιμοποιούνται στην παρούσα εργασία. Στο Έκτο Κεφάλαιο επιλέγεται το μοντέλο προσομοίωσης, παρατίθενται τα στοιχεία του πλέγματος γείωσης του Υποσταθμού ανύψωσης τάσης, και ακολουθεί η εξομοίωση του. Στο Έβδομο Κεφάλαιο λαμβάνονται τα αποτελέσματα της εξομοίωσης υπό μορφή γραφημάτων, σε περίπτωση κεραυνικού πλήγματος στον Πυλώνα ή στους Ιστούς αντικεραυνικής προστασίας, αλλά και σε ενδεχόμενο σφάλμα στον μετασχηματιστή ισχύος. Εν συνεχεία σχολιάζονται και στο τέλος παρατίθενται οι παρατηρήσεις και τα συμπεράσματα. Σύμφωνα με τα αποτελέσματα που προκύπτουν, εξάγεται το συμπέρασμα ότι το πλέγμα του συγκεκριμένου υποσταθμού είναι άρτια σχεδιασμένο και μπορεί να εγγυηθεί μια αξιόπιστη και ασφαλή λειτουργία. Αναφορικά με τον σχεδιασμό του συστήματος, γίνεται σαφές ότι όσο πιο πυκνό είναι το πλέγμα γείωσης, τόσο περισσότερο περιορίζεται η ανύψωση δυναμικού στα σημεία έγχυσης του ρεύματος κεραυνού καθώς και στα γειτονικά σημεία. Αυτό φαίνεται εάν συγκριθεί το γράφημα όπου ο κεραυνός πλήττει τον Πυλώνα (Vp=2,2kV), με το αντίστοιχο γράφημα όπου ο κεραυνός πλήττει τον ιστό 1 ή 3 (Vp=1,45kV). Το φαινόμενο ιονισμού του εδάφους κάνει αισθητή την παρουσία του κατά τις μεταβατικές καταστάσεις, γι’ αυτό και πρέπει να λαμβάνεται υπόψη στην εξομοίωση του συστήματος γείωσης, αφού επηρεάζει την τιμή της κάθετης ως προς τη γη χωρητικότητας και αγωγιμότητας. Ως εκ τούτου αυξάνονται νοητά οι διαστάσεις των αγωγών και έτσι μειώνεται η αντίσταση γείωσης και περιορίζεται η ανύψωση δυναμικού. Αξιοσημείωτο είναι το γεγονός ότι η μέγιστη τιμή της τάσης ανέρχεται στα 55kV στο σημείο έγχυσης, η οποία τείνει στο μηδέν για απόσταση μεγαλύτερη των 10-12 μέτρων. / Grounding is the conductive connection of a circuit’s point, or of a non-current carrying metallic object of an installation to the ground, in order to obtain the same potential as the earth, which is, by convention, equal to zero. The purpose of the grounding system is to successfully carry off and diffuse the lightning current or short-circuit currents into the earth, quickly and safely, without causing dangerous overvoltages in the surrounding area, which can affect humans, and cause irreparable damages to the equipment . The performance of grounding systems subjected to impulse currents, play an important role in safe and reliable operation of a power system. The behavior of lightning protection of substations, associated with impact characteristics of grounding arrangements. In order to achieve the proper design of the electrical power system, as regards the protection of installations against anomalous events, it is essential and absolutely necessary to predict the transient behavior of a grounding system under the influence of lightning current surge, or fault currents. The subject of this study is to simulate the transient behavior of the grounding grid of a voltage rise substation 20/150 kV in Viotia. Its aim is the selection of an appropriate model to simulate the grid, taking into account the effect of soil ionization, and simulation takes place using the simulation program ATP-EMTP, whence results are obtained in graphical form, and the transient behavior of the grounding system is studied in the case of a lightning strike, but also of a fault in the power transformer. Afterwards there is a brief description of each chapter topics. In the First Chapter there is an introduction to the meaning of grounding, the reader is acquainted with basic definitions, the types and the methods of grounding are mentioned, as well as the types of electrodes and the basic grounding rules as they derived from international regulations and Greek standards. In the Second Chapter, the main features items related to the response of a grounding system are presented, which are the ground resistance, the soil resistivity, the impulse impedance and the critical electric field strength. In the Third Chapter, a comprehensive reference to the phenomenon of soil ionization takes place, analyzing the mechanisms of soil breakdown, as well as the models on which the phenomenon modeling is based. In the Fourth Chapter, the models which the simulation of grounding electrodes was originally based on are presented, and then there is a review in the literature and in publications of various researchers. Afterwards, the prevailing models and the analytical methods that are currently used to simulate grounding systems are mentioned. Also, for each of the models, advantages and disadvantages are reported in comparison with the rest models. In the Fifth Chapter, a brief presentation of the simulation program ATP-EMTP is carried out, emphasizing on the applications that are used in this study. In the Sixth Chapter, the simulation model is selected, the details of the grounding grid of the voltage rise substation are given, and its simulation follows. In the Seventh Chapter, the results of the simulation are obtained in graphical form, in the case of a lightning strike on the pillar or on the lightning protection tissues, but also in a potential fault in the power transformer. Then results are discussed, and finally observations and conclusions are quoted. According to the results, it is concluded that the grid of this substation is well designed and can guarantee the reliable and safe operation. Regarding the system design, it is become clear that the more concentrated is the grounding grid, the more limited is the potential rise in the lightning current injection point and the surrounding area. This appears if someone compares the graph where the lightning strikes the pillar (Vp =2,2kV), with the corresponding graph that the lighting strikes Tissue 1 or 3 (Vp =1,45kV). The soil ionization effect is strongly presented during the transients, so it should be taken into account in the simulation of the grounding system, since it affects the value of the shunt capacitance and conductivity. Therefore, dimensions of the conductors are conceivably increased, so the potential rise is limited as result of the reduction of the grounding resistance. It is noteworthy that the peak voltage is 55kV at the injection point, which tends to zero for distances greater than 10-12 meters.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:42:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:07:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 04994.pdf: 5757270 bytes, checksum: 17538e0c134d27fb78f39d761d00b604 (MD5) / Dissertacao(Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP