This thesis is intended to consider whether the South American members of the trade bloc, the Pacific Alliance, namely Chile, Colombia, Peru, form an optimum currency area (OCA). An in-depth review into the progression of OCA theory is done to formulate a proper econometric analysis. An empirical investigation is conducted by using main macroeconomic indicators from the time period 2001 to the third quarter of 2014 to examine if the aforementioned countries are within the definition of an OCA. An ordinary least squares regression is done on three major economic indicators to test the causes of the deviation from one another. Evidence suggests the group is currently not an OCA and extensive integration efforts would be needed before the group is within the bounds of forming an OCA.

Yes / A statistical model combined with CFD (computational fluid dynamic) method was used to explain the detailed phenomena of the process parameters, and a series of experiments were carried out for propylene polymerisation by varying the feed gas composition, reaction initiation temperature, and system pressure, in a fluidised bed catalytic reactor. The propylene polymerisation rate per pass was considered the response to the analysis. Response surface methodology (RSM), with a full factorial central composite experimental design, was applied to develop the model. In this study, analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated an acceptable value for the coefficient of determination and a suitable estimation of a second-order regression model. For better justification, results were also described through a three-dimensional (3D) response surface and a related two-dimensional (2D) contour plot. These 3D and 2D response analyses provided significant and easy to understand findings on the effect of all the considered process variables on expected findings. To diagnose the model adequacy, the mathematical relationship between the process variables and the extent of polymer conversion was established through the combination of CFD with statistical tools. All the tests showed that the model is an excellent fit with the experimental validation. The maximum extent of polymer conversion per pass was 5.98% at the set time period and with consistent catalyst and co-catalyst feed rates. The optimum conditions for maximum polymerisation was found at reaction temperature (RT) 75 °C, system pressure (SP) 25 bar, and 75% monomer concentration (MC). The hydrogen percentage was kept fixed at all times. The coefficient of correlation for reaction temperature, system pressure, and monomer concentration ratio, was found to be 0.932. Thus, the experimental results and model predicted values were a reliable fit at optimum process conditions. Detailed and adaptable CFD results were capable of giving a clear idea of the bed dynamics at optimum process conditions.

No description available.

New rotorcraft configurations are emerging, such as the optimal speed helicopter and slowed-rotor compound helicopter which, due to variable rotor speed and redundant lifting components, have non-unique trim solution spaces. The combination of controls and rotor speed that produce the best steady-flight condition is sought among all the possible solutions. This work develops the concept of optimal rotorcraft trim and explores its application to advanced rotorcraft configurations with non-unique, constrained trim solutions. The optimal trim work is based on the nonlinear programming method of the generalized reduced gradient (GRG) and is integrated into a multi-body, comprehensive aeroelastic rotorcraft code. In addition to the concept of optimal trim, two further developments are presented that allow the extension of optimal trim to rotorcraft with rotors that operate over a wide range of rotor speeds. The first is the concept of variable rotor speed trim with special application to rotors operating in steady autorotation. The technique developed herein treats rotor speed as a trim variable and uses a Newton-Raphson iterative method to drive the rotor speed to zero average torque simultaneously with other dependent trim variables. The second additional contribution of this thesis is a novel way to rapidly approximate elastic rotor blade stresses and strains in the aeroelastic trim analysis for structural constraints. For rotors that operate over large angular velocity ranges, rotor resonance and increased flapping conditions are encountered that can drive the maximum cross-sectional stress and strain to levels beyond endurance limits; such conditions must be avoided. The method developed herein captures the maximum cross-sectional stress/strain based on the trained response of an artificial neural network (ANN) surrogate as a function of 1-D beam forces and moments. The stresses/strains are computed simultaneously with the optimal trim and are used as constraints in the optimal trim solution. Finally, an optimal trim analysis is applied to a high-speed compound gyroplane configuration, which has two distinct rotor speed control methods, with the purpose of maximizing the vehicle cruise efficiency while maintaining rotor blade strain below endurance limit values.

Two methods of determining resource requirements at an Air Force maintenance depot were developed. The first method is designed for new workloads and is based on infinite queuing theory formulas. Tables have been developed for this method. The second method is designed for workload with, at minimum, several months of historical data. An optimum fit test was designed to aid in fitting and smoothing the empirical data to the normal distribution. These data are then input to simulation model for determination of resource requirements. (86 pages)

<p> A user-oriented computer program for an optimum solution of the hydrodynamic journal bearings is developed. The computer package is formulated in such a way to determine the optimum solution using only any of the following optimization techniques adapted from OPTISEP: DAVID, SIMPLEX, SEEK1, AND SEEK3. </p> <p> A user guide and a complete documentations for the computer package are included in the thesis. </p> / Thesis / Master of Engineering (ME)

ITC/USA 2009 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Fifth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 26-29, 2009 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / Electrostatic approach is considered for mitigation of communication attenuation during the testing of laser powered directed energy weapon. Mitigation analysis is carried out for two target materials Al and Ti. Plasma parameters are obtained using one dimensional coupled analysis of laser-target interaction. Influence of laser beam frequency on plasma parameters is addressed. Sheath thickness is obtained using transient sheath calculations. It is found that uninterrupted telemetry can be achieved | using a maximum bias voltage of 10 kV, through Al plasma for fluences below 5 J/cm² and through Ti plasma for fluences below 2 J/cm².

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 17-20, 1988 / Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada / In this paper, the group synchronization code (length n = 60 bit) of the TIROS Satellite was analysed. It seems to us the code isn't optimization. A series of optimum group sync codes (n = 60) have been searched out with error tolerance E = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10, 12. Their error sync probabilities are less than the error sync probability of the TIROS code (from two times to two order of magnitudes about). These optimum or qansi-optimum codes will be presented for application in the second generation of the Meteorological Satellites of China.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 17-20, 1988 / Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada / In this paper, based on a series of research achievements [2,3,4,5,6], are examined the "The Optimum Frame Synchronization Codes" provided by J. L. Maury Jr. and F. J. Styles for IRIG Telemetry Standards USA, and furthermore, recommended a set of Optimum Group Synchronization Codes for China Telemetry Standards.

Traffic information, now available through a number of different sources, is re-shaping the way planners, operators and users think about the transportation network. It provides a powerful tool to mitigate the negative impacts of uncertainty, and an invaluable resource to manage and operate the network in real-time. More information also invites to think about traditional transportation problems from a different perspective, searching for a better utilization of the improved knowledge of the network state. This dissertation is concerned with modeling and evaluating the system-level impacts of providing information to network users, assuming that the data is utilized to guide an Adaptive System-Optimum (ASO) routing behavior. Within this context, it studies the optimal deployment of sensors for the support of ASO strategies, and it introduces a novel SO assignment approach, the Information-Based System Optimum (IBSO) assignment paradigm. The proposed sensor deployment model explicitly captures the impact of sensors' location on the expected cost of ASO assignment strategies. Under such strategies, a-priori routing decisions may be adjusted based on real-time information. The IBSO assignment paradigm leads to optimal flow patterns which take into account the ability of vehicles to collect information as they travel. The approach regards a subset of the system's assets as probes, which may face higher expected costs than regular vehicles in the search for information. The collected data is utilized to adjust routing decisions in real time, improving the expected system performance. The proposed problem captures the system-level impact of adaptive route choices on stochastic networks. The models developed in this work are rigorously formulated, and their properties analyzed to support the generation of specialized solution methodologies based on state-space partitioning and Tabu Search principles. Solution techniques are tested under a variety of scenarios, and implemented to the solution of several case studies. The magnitude and nature of the information impacts observed in this study illustrate problem characteristics with important theoretical, methodological and practical implications. The findings presented in this dissertation allow envisioning a number of practical applications which may promote a more efficient utilization of novel sensing and communication technologies, allowing the full realization of their potential. / text