Texte remanié de: Th.--Université de Bergen, 1994. / Bibliogr. p. 419-437. Index.

The development of a flexible, high-fidelity, generic simulation of transatmospheric and interplanetary motion is described. The simulation incorporates aerodynamic and gravitational force modelling implemented in a Cartesian reference co-ordinate set. Propagation of the motion of a vehicle is carried out in a "working" reference frame whose origin is determined by the current gravitational sphere of influence. A semi-analytic model of planetary motion propagates the motion of the nine planets and six major moons, allowing simulation at any point within the solar system. Expansion and improvement of the model is facilitated through the vector formulation of the problem. The use and applicability of the method of matched asymptotic expansions is examined as a means of producing high quality trajectory predictions quickly and easily. Ballistic launch and entry trajectories are considered incorporating a velocity dependent model for the aerodynamic drag coefficient. Using the derived relations direct launch is considered as a low-cost means of transporting acceleration insensitive payloads to a space station in low Earth orbit. In addition, it is shown that the high quality trajectory predictions may be obtained using a simple spreadsheet package. Analytic modelling is also used as the basis of a highly robust, computationally efficient, controller design for autonomous aerocapture in the context of the lunar return problem. The validity of this approach to lunar return is examined and found to be of considerable potential in both its robustness and the potential improvements in payload mass-fraction available through the substantial fuel savings over direct return to Earth or propulsive return to a space station. The study shows that, using the derived control, the aerocapture manoeuvre can be successfully performed with existing material and technological capabilities.

The economy of Saudi Arabia is rich in oil. It is the world’s leading oil exporter and a prominent member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and a country which embraces Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). FDI is core to increasing the capital and the economic wealth of a country. It is a platform for innovative technologies, advanced management practices, investment, and for the development of an unrestricted market for generating goods and services. Host nations struggle to attract FDI because of the difficulty in recognising FDI drivers that shape FDI inflows. This study identifies significant drivers that influence financial services. These are market drivers, economic drivers, infrastructure drivers and political drivers. Noticeably, previous studies have failed to discuss the complexity of these drivers’ effectiveness in terms of a particular business and a particular country. The objective of this study, therefore, is to analyse the effect of different FDI drivers on FDI inflows with regard to Saudi financial services. This study finds that market drivers are the most effective FDI drivers in terms of Saudi financial services, followed by economic and political drivers. This study supports the findings of previous studies that suggest that infrastructure drivers are not effective in terms of FDI inflows with regard to Saudi financial services.

D.Ing. (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) / The non-linear resonant pole (NLRP) inverter is part of the family of soft switching topologies based on resonant phenomena. The sequence of commutation that occurs between the semiconductors of a conventional voltage source inverter is modified through the mechanisms of energy exchange between added passive energy storage components. The NLRP inverter, through its psuedo resonant behaviour (resonant transition), gives rise to zero voltage and zero current turn-on of the switching devices as well as soft turn-off. The switching device voltage stresses are around 1 p.u, while the current stresses are reduced to around 1.3 p.u, by feeding back a portion of the load current. The rms current flowing through the inductor and switches is greatly reduced by driving the inductor into saturation (non-linear mode of operation). The advantages of soft switching, such as high switching frequency which allows greater dynamic response and higher power densities, along with reduced EMI, are achieved with this topology. Detailed analysis at multi- and sub-cycle levels is carried out, resulting in circuit equations and the criteria for commutation success. The commutation boundaries of the inverter are defined and methods discussed on how to extend them. The modulation of the NLRP inverter and some aspects regarding its use as part of both low and high performance induction motor drives are presented.

This thesis examines Canadian FDI (foreign direct investment) in China from 1978 to 2006 in the context of globalization and with a focus on the challenges faced by Canadian firms when doing business in China. Building on John Dunning's 'eclectic model' of FDI and Kobrin’s ‘bargaining’ approach, this study explores the relative importance of home country (Canadian) and host country (Chinese) factors in explaining outcomes for Canadian firms in China in the mining, manufacturing and service sectors. Using interview data collected from Canadian high-level management personnel working in these sectors during 2005 the study argues that it has been largely the host country factors that have been at work in causing difficulties for Canadian companies in China. These include issues such as Chinese government regulations and institutions, cultural differences between Canada and China, as well as market and business environment impediments in China. On the other hand, home country factors, particularly the small size of Canadian firms in China, have also played an important part in affecting the operations of Canadian firms there. The empirical analysis of the mining, manufacturing and service sectors revealed that Canadian firms in China are not a homogenous group and their experience and challenges can only be understood in the context of the particular sector that they are engaged in. In particular, Canadian firms in the mining sector have been more subject to pressures from the Chinese state, while firms in the manufacturing sector have been subject more to factors surrounding the Chinese market and business environment. Firms in the service sector have fallen in between, and have been subject to both factors such as state regulation and local market and business conditions. The survey analysis of some Canadian successful firms in China also suggests that the fate of Canadian firms does not hinge solely on cultural dynamics associated with either home or host country or regulatory issues, but also on the very real efforts that individual companies make to understand local conditions, and to become accustomed and to prosper in China. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

Master of Science / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / James M. Lattimer / Three experiments were conducted to determine the impact of novel probiotic (NP) supplementation in monogastric livestock and poultry. Experiment 1 evaluated effects of the probiotic on growth performance and cecal parameters in broiler chickens (n = 2520). Birds in treatment groups 1 and 2 were administered NP culture as either an oral gavage (OG) or an aerosolized mist (AM), respectively. Treatment group 3 served as a negative control (C). Growth performance and feed efficiency (FE) were unaffected by treatment (P > 0.10). Cecal pH was reduced in AM and OG birds compared to C (P < 0.05). This novel probiotic is most effective in altering cecal VFA profile before d 21 post-administration, after which no differences in VFA concentrations were detected between treatments. Reduction in cecal pH in response to NP indicates potential application of this probiotic as an acidifier, commonly used in poultry production as an antibiotic alternative. Experiment 2 was a swine performance study conducted to determine effects of treating sows or piglets or both with an oral gavage of NP. Factor 1 consisted of administration of NP oral gavage administered to sows or a negative control (n = 28). Factor 2 consisted of either a negative control or oral gavage of NP administered to litters of piglets shortly after birth and at weaning. Sow weight loss during lactation was unaffected by treatment (P > 0.10). Feed intake upon introduction to the nursery was greater in piglets that received NP directly than those that did not (P < 0.05). Large intestinal fermentation in both sows and piglets was affected by NP administration. Fecal VFA concentrations tended to be greater in animals that received NP either indirectly through the sow or directly via oral gavage (P < 0.05). Direct supplementation of piglets with NP is more effective in altering fermentation after d 21 than indirect administration, as VFA concentrations in piglets that received NP indirectly are similar to the control by d 28. Butyrate concentrations were greater in piglets that received NP; this VFA is important in prevention of intestinal atrophy and recovery from physiological stress of weaning. Experiment 3 examined effects of NP administered as either an oral drench (OD) or a lyophilized powder (LP) on equine cecal fermentation compared to a negative control (NC). Cecally cannulated horses (n = 8) were transitioned to a 1:1 roughage to concentrate diet over a period of 5 d. Cecal pH was greater than NC in OD and LP horses on d 5 and d 7, respectively (P < 0.10). Acetate:propionate ratio, valerate, and caproate concentrations also were greater in LP horses than NC on d 7 (P < 0.05). This may indicate improved gut health and fiber digestion in supplemented horses. The novel probiotic used in these studies is able to effectively alter large intestinal fermentation in monogastric species and may have potential to improve gut health and performance of these species.

Adaptive antenna array technology will undoubtedly form a vital part of third generation cellular systems owing to not only confining the radiated energy associated with a mobile to a small volume on the downlink but also reducing the interference due to cochannel users on the uplink. The objective of this thesis is to develop signal enhancement schemes for adaptive antenna arrays for the purpose of enhancing the quality and capacity of direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) systems. Firstly, The signal enhancement scheme using a real symmetric array covariance matrix (RSACM) method was proposed. This proposed scheme is composed of a unitary and persymmetric transformation methods. A real symmetric array covariance matrix has the same Toeplitz-plus-Hankel matrix structure that is produced by almost total noiseless data sequence. The second proposed signal enhancement scheme consists of the rotation of signal subspace (RSS) and Toeplitz matrix approximation (TMA) methods. This proposed scheme improved the system performance by reducing the interference- plus-noise effect from the complex array covariance matrix of the pre-correlation received signal vector. The third proposed signal enhancement scheme is a modified linear signal estimator (MLSE) which involves the rank N approximation by reducing total noise eigenvalues (RANE) and TMA methods. The aim of this proposed scheme is to improve the system performance by effectively reducing the interference-plus-noise effect from the post-correlation received signal. Secondly, the computational complexity and the performance for all proposed signal enhancement schemes in this thesis are investigated and compared. The signal enhancement scheme using the RSS+TMA and MLSE methods was also proposed for a multi-rate and multicell DS-CDMA systems. The relative other-cell interference factor was analysed for a multicell condition. Finally, the performance of all proposed signal enhancement schemes is shown to be much better than that of no signal enhancement method under a single cell, multicell, single rate, and multirate conditions.

Magíster en Estrategia Internacional y Política Comercial / This report explores the question: Why do foreign oil companies continue operate in exploration and production activities in Bolivia’s hydrocarbon industry after its 2006 nationalization? The history of Bolivia’s hydrocarbon industry is filled with cycles of nationalization and privatization. Each cycle has produced dramatic changes in Bolivia’s petroleum fiscal regime. Bolivia’s 2006 nationalization of its hydrocarbon industry has given Bolivia an international reputation as a high risk country to investment in. However, foreign direct investment is still occurring since the 2006 nationalization. The most interesting aspect of this continued foreign direct investment is that, the majority of it is from existing foreign companies that were there before the 2006 nationalization. This report exposes the underlying reasons as to why foreign companies continue to operate in Bolivia’s hydrocarbon sector despite its most recent nationalization in 2006. A historical analysis will be conducted on Bolivia’s hydrocarbon industry; more specifically, the time period between 1990 until 2009 will be the main focus of this report. The legal changes in Bolivia’s hydrocarbon industry since the 1990s will be evaluated in order to understand Bolivia’s strategy of nationalization in 2006. Throughout the history of Bolivia’s petroleum fiscal regime, there has been a fluctuation of contractual agreements in use with foreign oil companies. After 2006, Bolivia’s contractual agreements finally began to benefit the state by allowing it to receive its fair share of wealth from its hydrocarbon resources. Additionally, Bolivia’s “nationalization” did not involve expropriation; instead it consisted of the enforcement of renegotiations of contractual agreements between the Bolivian State and foreign oil companies. The renegotiations are instrumental in explaining why foreign companies continue to operate in Bolivia’s hydrocarbon industry after its nationalization in 2006. This report will focus on examining Bolivia’s contractual agreements from 1990 until 2009 in order understand why foreign oil companies continue to operate in Bolivia’s hydrocarbon industry in spite of its 2006 nationalization. Bolivia’s main source of revenue comes from foreign companies’ exploitation and exploration of its hydrocarbon resources, yet Bolivia has always lost its fair share of wealth from its natural resources due to unfavorable contractual agreements with foreign oil companies. 3 Universidad de Chile Before the 2006 Nationalization, Bolivia had continuously given foreign investors the majority of revenue from its hydrocarbon resources in an effort to attract and keep foreign investors in its hydrocarbon industry. In the 1990s, Bolivia wanted to increase its levels of foreign direct investment in order to import new technologies as well as to improve the expertise in exploration, extraction, transport and production activities within its hydrocarbon industry. Bolivia’s main goal behind seeking FDI was to develop its hydrocarbon sector in order to increase its national wealth from its natural resources. In addition, Bolivia’s hydrocarbon sector was extremely undeveloped. The Bolivian State was ill equipped and had inefficient state assets to develop its hydrocarbon industry. Bolivia’s petroleum fiscal regime in the 1990s was designed to favor foreign investors in order to attract and maintain foreign investment within its hydrocarbon industry. However, this caused Bolivia to lose significant control over its hydrocarbon industry as well as the wealth from its hydrocarbon resources. As a result, it became necessary for Bolivia in 2006 to renegotiate their contracts with foreign energy companies in order for Bolivia to obtain its fair share of revenue from its hydrocarbon resources. Since 2005, the government has sought to increase its share of total hydrocarbon revenues. In May 2005, the former president, Carlos Mesa introduced a new Hydrocarbon Law No. 3058 which created a direct tax, the IDH (Direct Tax on Hydrocarbons), which required companies to pay 32% of production value to the state, in addition to an 18% royalty rate that was already required. However, this law was not yet implemented until Evo Morales became the president of Bolivia in 2006. Shortly after Evo Morales became president of Bolivia, he implemented the 2006 Nationalization Decree which mandated the Hydrocarbon Law No. 3058. This law required renegotiation of contractual agreements with all foreign oil companies operating in Bolivia. The Law No. 3058 made the Bolivian State owner of all hydrocarbon resources and private companies were permitted to only keep 18 percent of production value. This law also nationalized refineries and hydrocarbon distribution companies in order to ensure the presence of Bolivia’s national oil company YPFB (Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos) in every stage of the value chain. These actions, together with the rising international hydrocarbon prices have increased the Bolivian state’s hydrocarbon revenues. 4 Universidad de Chile The information obtained from the research in this report, will explain why foreign companies continue to operate in exploration and production activities in Bolivia’s hydrocarbon industry since its 2006 nationalization. Bolivia’s strategy behind its nationalization and its current use of contractual agreements will provide the main arguments as to why foreign companies continue to operate in Bolivia in spite of its hydrocarbon nationalization in 2006.

The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) performance has been improved via two approaches. The first approach reduces methanol crossover in the membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) by incorporating a methanol barrier layer onto an anode electrode of the MEA. The second approach increases the triple phase boundaries via the modified morphology of catalyst layers in the MEA. Methanol barrier layers containing a composite layer of Nafion/mordenite (MOR), Nafion/zeolite Y (ZY), Nafion/montmorillonite (MMT) or Nafion/titanate (TN) were distributed onto the anode of an MEA. The performance of these MEAs were tested in a single cell DMFC for temperatures between 30-80 °C and methanol concentrations of 1 M-4 M and compared with a standard MEA to identify changes in power output. At 2 M methanol concentration and 80 °C, the MEAs featuring with Nafion/0.50 wt% MMT and Nafion/0.50 wt% TN delivered higher power densities, 19.76% and 26.60%, respectively, than that of standard MEA. The catalyst morphology has been adjusted by the dilution of catalyst ink to prevent an agglomeration of catalyst particles, resulting in the increased triple phase boundaries which are the phases for electrochemical reactions and for the transportation of electron and proton products. The new-standard MEA presented the best improvement in power density of 81.15% over the conventional counterpart at 80 °C and 2 M methanol concentration. This modified procedure was further utilised for MEAs fabrication. Further investigation has been carried out by the selected Nafion/MMT layer. The MMT loading of 0.25 wt%-1.00 wt% were incorporated onto the barrier layer where the Nafion/0.25 wt% MMT layer illustrated the best performance. This MEA attributed the highest power density of 69.14 mW cm⁻² which is 2.76% higher than 67.23 mW cm⁻² of the new-standard MEA at 80 °C and 2 M methanol concentration. The best improvement in power density, 27.09%, was obtained at low temperature and low methanol concentration of 30 °C and 1 M. The power density was 25.30 mW cm⁻² when compare to 19.91 mW cm⁻² of the new-standard MEA. These results suggest that the methanol barrier layer and the modified morphology of catalyst layer accomplish the aim of improving DMFC performance.

Novel composite membrane systems have been devised for use in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) with the ultimate aim of improving overall fuel cell performance in terms of achievable power density. The composite membrane system takes the form of a multilayered structure composing of commercial Nafion117 membrane and a novel composite binding layer situated between the anode and the membrane. Within the composite binding layer, inorganic filler particles are evenly dispersed throughout the Nafion matrix presenting a barrier that impedes methanol crossover. Through the current research, three novel membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) have been fabricated, each employing the composite binding layer system with different filler. Mass of filler used is kept constant at 0.5 wt% of Nafion117 membrane. When tested in a DMFC system, the first MEA which utilizes hydrogen form mordenite filler particles yields optimum power density of 60 mW/cm2 with the operation at 90°C, 1M methanol fuel concentration. This represents an improvement of 34.7% compared to the standard MEA which do not include the composite binding layer. Silanefunctionalized hydrogen form mordenite filler is used in the second MEA which yields optimum power density of 64 mW/cm2 at 90°C, 1M methanol, outperforming the standard MEA by 42.5%. The third MEA makes use of TS-1 particles as fillers. This yields an optimum performance of 38 mW/cm2 at 90°C, 1M methanol, a 14.3% reduction in performance compared to the standard. Through the results obtained, it can be deduced that the novel composite binding layer presents a valid approach in reducing methanol crossover, however, the nature of filler particles used exerts a great influence on its performance. Therefore, further research is recommended in exploring new filler materials for use within the composite membrane system.