This thesis is concerned with the design and evaluation of a small scale solarthermoelectric power generation system. The system is intended for electricity generation and thermal energy supply to small scale applications in developing countries of the sunny equatorial regions. Detailed design methodologies and evaluations of both the thermoelectric device and the solar energy collector, which are parts of the combined system, are presented. In addition to experimental evaluations, three theoretical models are presented which allow the design and evaluation of both the thermoelectric module and the solar energy collector. One of the models (a unified thermoelectric device model) concerns the geometrical optimization and performance prediction of a thermoelectric module in power generation mode. The model is unified in the sense that it accounts for the effect of all the parameters that contribute to the performance of the thermoelectric module, a number of which are ignored by the available design models. The unified model is used for a comparative evaluation of five thermoelectric modules. One of these is commercially available and the others are assumed to have optimum geometry but with different design parameters (thermal and electrical contact layer properties). The model has been validated using data from an experimental investigation undertaken to evaluate the commercial thermoelectric module in power generation mode. Results showed that though the commercially available thermoelectric cooling devices can be used for electricity generation, it is appropriate to have modules optimized specifically for power generation, and to improve the contact layers of thermoelement accordingly. Attempts have also been made to produce and evaluate thermoelectric materials using a simple melt-qucnching technique which produces materials with properties similar to those of the more expensive crystalline materials.

No description available.

Design co-ordination is aimed at improving the performance of the design development process. It can be viewed as providing the continuous coherent organisation and control of the assignment of inter-related tasks to the most relevant resources such that they can be undertaken and completed in a suitable order in a timely and appropriate manner. The nature of operational design co-ordination is discussed resulting in the identification of key issues, i. e. coherence, communication/interaction, task management, resource management, schedule management and real-time support. Based on these key issues, existing approaches related to operational engineering management have been critically reviewed and found to exhibit a number of fundamental limitations. In addition, aimed at addressing the key issues identified and overcoming the limitations of existing approaches, a set of requirements have been established that define an approach to operational design co-ordination. A novel, integrated and holistic approach to operational design co-ordination has been developed enabling the performance of the design development process to be improved. This approach consists of two components: a methodology and a knowledge modelling formalism. Further, the methodology consists of two parts: real-time and prospective. Real-time operational design co-ordination enables the coherent, timely and appropriate structured undertaking of inter-related tasks while continuously optimising the utilisation of the resources, in accordance with dynamically derived schedules, within a changeable design development process. Prospective operational design co-ordination facilitates the identification of deficiencies in terms of existing resources with respect to scheduled tasks and, thus, the assessment of proposed improvements to the resources. The knowledge modelling formalism of tasks, resources and schedules supports the methodology. Three practical case studies from engineering industry have been used to evaluate the approach. A prototype agent-oriented system, called the Design Co-ordination System, has been developed to evaluate the implementation of the real-time part of the methodology by applying it to a turbine blade design process. The prospective part of the methodology has been applied to practical case studies concerning a marine vessel conversion design programme and a rotary drum dryer design development process. Based on the evaluation of the approach, its strengths and weaknesses have been identified. Finally, areas of possible future work have been recommended to improve the approach and develop the Design Co-ordination System. In addition, based on industrial feedback, further applications of the approach have been suggested.

The system for predicting tyre performance on sand, measuring sand strength with a cone penetrometer and using non-dimensional empirical curves developed by the Waterways Experiment Station (WES) of the U. S. Army was investigated. A series of tyre tests on dry Cresswell sand were carried out and the results were in complete disagreement with the WES system, in both its original and revised forms. It was therefore decided to try to discover the basic soil mechanics of such a system and modify it accordingly. Critical State Soil Mechanics describes two types of soil behaviour, dilating and weakening or compacting and strengthening. It was found that the first of these processes occurred in most situations likely to be found naturally, compaction occurring only in the loosest states obtainable under laboratory conditions. Under dilating conditions sand strength is described by the density, γ (Gamma). and the angle of internal friction, Ø. The angle of friction, for a single sand, was found to vary over a very wide range, depending on the state of compaction and the confining pressure. Density does not vary greatly. The cone penetrometer gradient, G, was found to be related to Ø at a low confining pressure, and the relationship was well described by the theory of Durgunoglu and Mitchell (1975). This lead to the idea that tractive performance would be dependent on Ø, which would be lower the higher the tyre contact pressure. A series of tyre tests on a single tyre on two sands showed clearly that performance depended on both tyre pressure and tyre load. The WES numeric only contains pressure. It was therefore decided to include both parameters by expressing performance by several curves depending on the tyre deflection. Deflection. being expressed as a ratio of tyre diameter rather than tyre section height. The new system was shown to describe all of the WES data better and more logically than their system. The reason why the system cannot describe performance in Yuma and Mortar sands with the same single curve as for Leighton Buzzard and Cresswell remains a mystery.

No description available.

The main purpose of this study was to determine the effect of contour height on the passage ratio of pulp through screen apertures, and determine which operating variable has the greatest affect on screen performance. In addition, a freeness model was to be developed, in hopes of helping to predict the freeness drop between feed and accepts. The study was conducted at The University of British Columbia (UBC) using a laboratory scale pressure screen. Slot velocity, feed consistency and contour height were the changing variables. Samples were collected from which passage ratio, freeness, fibre length and coarseness were determined. From the studies conducted it was found that slot velocity had the greatest influence on the screen operation. As the slot velocity increased a greater force was applied to the fibre to help push it through the screen aperture. However, this increase in slot velocity decreases the fractionation ability (separation of fibres into different lengths) of the screen. The second most important variable was the contour height. The main function of the contour height is to disrupt the flow of thick stock at the wall of the screen and allow for unhindered movement of fibre to the screen wall. The greater the contour height is, the greater the passage ratio (pulp fibre passing through screen). However, there is a decrease in fractionation. The third most important factor was the feed consistency. At low feed consistencies there is less crowding in the screen. Less crowding leads to more loosely-formed flocs, which are easier for the contour height and the rotor to dissipate and thus leads to unhindered movement. Thicker feed stock has a negative effect on passage A Freeness model was developed that showed that freeness had a power law relationship to passage ratio. The passage ratio was raised to a constant B, which is a function of the contour height and the feed consistency.

The submission consists of two CD recordings and a supporting exegesis. The research aims to investigate the processes of developing an interpretation together with associated performance issues. The principles of interpretation and performance are discussed in the exegesis, especially the process of developing an interpretative concept and of realising it in performance. More specifically, it addresses interdependence of analytical and intuitive approaches to a performed work. As part of this, the researcher presents a personal view of the nature of the performer/audience relationship, discusses aspects of practice and explores the special challenges of ensemble performance. This provides a backdrop to a more detailed discussion of the works of César Franck, especially the importance for the performer of understanding his use of cyclic forms. The major argument of the exegesis lies in the idea that the analytical approach to a musical work does not suffice for its full comprehension and therefore should not eliminate an exploration of such properties of music that can only be grasped by the musical intuition of the performer. The exegesis draws on the personal ideas of the researcher, who has found the research time as a convenient way of putting different thoughts together in a systematized and structured form. The researcher also makes references to the work of other scholars/performers including Eric Clarke, Elaine Goodman, Peter Hill, Roy Howat, Gregory Karl, Joel Lester, John Rink, William Rothstein and Paul Badura-Skoda. / Thesis (M.Mus.) - University of Adelaide, Elder Conservatorium of Music, 2009

Two-stroke outboard boat engines using total loss lubrication deposit a significant proportion of their lubricant and fuel directly into the water environment. Extensive atmospheric emission testing of outboard motors has taken place, however, emissions to the water are largely unaddressed in the literature and could be critical because the exhaust of most outboard engines is released below the water and mixed by the action of the propeller. The purpose of this work is to document the velocity and scalar field characteristics of a submerged swirling jet emanating from a propeller. The aim is to provide guidance on fundamental characteristics of such a jet, far enough downstream that it is relevant to the eventual modelling of this mixing problem (i.e. the mixing of engine emissions with water). Measurements of the velocity field (axial, tangential, and radial) and scalar field (concentration) were performed in a turbulent jet generated by a model boat propeller (0.02 m diameter) operating in a weak co-flow of 0.04 ms-1. The measurements were carried out up to 50 propeller diameters downstream of the source which was placed in a glass-walled flume, 0.4 m wide with a free surface depth of 0.15 m. The jet and scalar plume development were compared to that of a classical free round jet. Further, results with respect to velocity distribution, turbulence decay and integral flow properties plus scalar distribution, dilution and integral plume properties were all calculated and compared to existing literature. The velocity field results are the first published results to show the development of the flow fifty propeller diameters downstream. Up to ten propeller diameters downstream the results corroborate the earlier work of Petersson [1, 2]. Beyond ten propeller diameters downstream, the walls of the flume affected the flow. The concentration field results show that under these experimental conditions the propeller induced mixing exhibited a complete mixing length some 300 times shorter than for the wall-shear induced diffusion alone. Furthermore, a first principles relation was derived that illustrates the link between engine emission rate and propeller kinematics in generating the propeller-jet source concentration of pollutants. Using experimental results an estimate for benzene concentration fifty propeller diameters downstream of a 74 kW vessel was calculated to be around one third of the regulatory threshold for that chemical.

The dynamic nature of performance management is a significant issue for organisations. A review of the empirical performance management literature highlights that little research has examined an organisation�s holistic performance management framework. Most prior studies have been partial (i.e., examine various performance management elements), and there is a lack of depth in analysis (because of the short-term nature of many studies). In addition to the few studies that have examined the interconnections between the performance management elements, there has also been a lack of research examining incentive systems (especially at lower levels), target-setting, and performance evaluation. The literature review in this thesis also highlights the diversity in the performance management elements studied, the lack of theoretical development, diversity in who is interviewed and research sites, etc. This diversity in field study research provides a difficult base on which to build a cumulative body of literature (as most studies examine a different research question in a different context). This PhD research examines the overall performance management framework in a large and complex Australasian organisation, Sensol, over a 14 year period. The research is inductive, empirical and interpretative so as to gain a deeper understanding of Sensol�s performance management framework. The narrative highlights the multiple voices that exist in Sensol to illustrate the complexity of performance management at various levels. Otley�s (1999) performance management framework is a useful research tool (e.g., initial data analysis, structuring device). The documentary evidence traces the history and development of Sensol�s performance management framework. The designers� story tells about the sophisticated nature of Sensol�s approach to performance management. In contrast, the business unit managers describe the complexities in operationalising performance management in a complex, diversified and decentralised organisation. The researcher�s story explains the importance of understanding the highly interconnected nature of Sensol�s performance management framework and of understanding the behavioural issues (e.g., intense sibling rivalry, short-termism). It includes the importance of history, context (e.g., hierarchical culture), decentralised structure (e.g., interrelated business units), the trade-offs between financial and social objectives (and signalling effect of weightings), performance measurement issues (e.g., EVA�, scorecard, dominance of EBIT, transfer pricing), the subjectivity of objective setting and performance management processes (e.g., averaging, little differentiation between good and poor performers), problems with the annual incentive scheme (e.g., double dipping, risk and penalties, lack of understanding and line of sight, low trust), strategic programmes (e.g., lack of visibility), target-setting (e.g., conservative targets, impact of capping), and information flows (i.e., poor data, black boxes). The research also highlights the importance of understanding how the formal and informal performance management systems operate. There are considerable differences between the designers� rhetoric on the formal HPMF system (i.e., the intended design), compared to the system in use (e.g., formal and informal systems). This point has been recognised in some prior field studies but is an under-researched area. An understanding of the impact of the background to the performance management literature from classical management theory provides some insights into why the value-based management literature focuses on formal system design control tools, goal congruence, top-down focus, and the universal applicability of their techniques. Ignoring informal systems may be one reason that the traditional control problems remain evident with the new value-based management techniques. A final contribution of this PhD research is to use historical documents to identify how little change there has been over time and how performance management issues keep going around in circles (e.g., lack of accountability, transfer pricing). Some reasons for these circles include that history is lost, complacency, culture, communication issues (e.g., good news, blocking behaviours, standardisation). A feature of Sensol�s performance management framework is how it used EVA� and the balanced scorecard in a complementary manner. However, rather than adopting these new techniques as prescribed by consultants, Sensol built these new techniques onto their existing performance management system. This highlights the importance of understanding the history of an organisation�s performance management framework, so as to understand the reasons for the current design and operation.

Incorporating the live human body into a work of art involves additional risks that go beyond those normally associated with presenting three dimensional art objects and two dimensional works. Taking these added physical hazards into account, this research project has further developed the idea and experience of risk in performance art, incorporating fibre tectile forms, to intensify and extend the performers' corporeal presence. By focusing on potentially threatening forces that are played out in the performance of the face and the mouth, risk becomes an underlying and potent strength. / Thesis (MVisualArtsbyResearch)--University of South Australia, 2008.