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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
31

Improvement Of Land Cover Classification With The Integration Of Topographical Data In Uneven Terrain

Gercek, Deniz 01 November 2002 (has links) (PDF)
The aim of this study is to develop a framework for the integration of ancillary topographic information into supervised image classification to improve the accuracy of the classification product. Integration of topographic data into classification is basically through modification of training set in order to provide additional sensitivity to topographical characteristics associated with each land cover class in the study area. Multi-spectral Landsat 7 ETM 30x30 meter bands are the remotely sensed data used in the study. Ancillary topographic data are elevation, slope and aspect derived from 1/25000 scaled topographic map contours. A five-phase methodological framework was proposed for developing procedures for the integration of topographical data into a standard image classification task. Briefly / first phase is the selection of initial class spectral signatures, second phase is analyzing the information content of class spectral signatures and topographical data for a potential relationship, and quantification of the related topographical data. Third phase is the selection of class topographical signatures from the related topographical data. Fourth phase is redefinition of two training sets where one of which includes spectral information only and the other includes both spectral and topographical information. The last phase is classification. Two products were derived where, first product used bands as input and was trained by spectral information only and the second was the product for which bands and topographical data was used as input and it was trained with both spectral and topographical information. Method was applied to image and associated ancillary topographical data covering rural lands mainly composed of agricultural practices and rangelands in Ankara. Method provided an improvement of 10% in overall accuracy for the classification with the integration of topographical data compared to that depended only on spectral data from remotely sensed images.
32

Valorização de serviços ancilares de reserva em geradores hidrelétricos

Galvis Manso, Juan Carlos [UNESP] 08 April 2010 (has links) (PDF)
Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-04-08Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:40:58Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 manso_jcg_dr_ilha.pdf: 1797560 bytes, checksum: 27c1272d6d4916bb798bc0d05ed927c8 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Ensino Pesquisa e Extensão de Ilha Solteira (FEPISA) / Esta tese visa ao estudo da valorização de serviços ancilares de reserva, particularmente, a reserva utilizada na regulação de freqüência e que é fornecida pelos geradores hidrelétricos. O objetivo principal do trabalho é desenvolver propostas que indiquem os custos reais desses serviços. Na valorização desses custos, busca-se motivar as empresas geradoras para que assumam a responsabilidade pela prestação de tais serviços, assim como garantir uma remuneração apropriada. Essa valorização é realizada em função da disponibilidade e do uso da reserva, sob uma operação segura e econômica do sistema. Para alcançar o objetivo proposto, inicialmente se realiza uma revisão das características técnicas e dos métodos de valorização dos serviços de reserva em diferentes sistemas. Posteriormente, ilustram-se as características do setor elétrico brasileiro, com a finalidade de contextualizar a valorização no marco de regulação , comercialização e operação correspondentes. Seguidamente, apresentam-se duas propostas de valorização. A primeira considera o ponto de vista de um agente gerador, cujo objetivo é estabelecer o valor do serviço a partir dos custos incorridos no fornecimento. Esses custos incluem, principalmente, os custos pela disponibilidade e pelo uso do serviço. Dentro desses componentes de custo, destaca-se o custo por perdas de eficiência, o qual é calculado utilizando um algoritmo de despacho ótimo de unidades. Essa abordagem é aplicada no cálculo do custo da reserva na usina hidrelétrica de Ilha Solteira. Nesse cálculo são utilizados dados da Companhia Energética de São Paulo - CESP. A segunda proposta considera o ponto de vista do operador de rede, em um ambiente de mercado, no qual os agentes participantes podem ofertar pela disponibilidade da reserva. Para a atribuição dessa reserva utiliza-se um despacho ótimo hidrelétrico, que inclui rest / This work presents a reserve ancillary services pricing research. Particularly, the reserve that is used for frequency regulation and that is provided by hydroelectric generators. The development of pricing methodologies, that show real reserve delivery costs, is the main target of this project. Ancillary services pricing procures incentives to motivate agents to take responsibilities in the service supply and ensuring an appropriated remuneration. This pricing is based on the use and availability costs of reserve; under an economic and reliable system operation. In order to do that, firstly an overview of technical characteristics and pricing methods of the ancillary services in different systems is presented. Then, in order to fit this pricing methodology to the corresponding regulation, commercialization and operation rules, an introduction of the Brazilian electrical sector is realized. Next, two reserve ancillary services pricing methods are presented. The first one considers a hydraulic generator point of view. In this case, the aim is to set up the real value of the services by mean of a generator costs analysis. These costs include, basically, availability and use costs. Inside these cost components, efficiency costs are highlighted, and a single generator unit commitment dispatch is used to calculate them. This proposal is applied to calculate the ancillary service reserve costs in the Ilha Solteira hydroelectric generator, using data from the Companhia Energ´etica of S˜ao Paulo (CESP). The second pricing method considers the operator system point of view, under a market environment. In these circumstances, agents are free to set up a price offer for the availability of the reserve. To attribute the reserve, an optimal hydroelectric dispatch is used, considering electrical and hydraulic constraints. This methodology is tested in two systems. The first one represents a didactic three bus
33

Deterministic Scheduling for Transmission-Constrained Power Systems Amid Uncertainty

January 2015 (has links)
abstract: This research develops heuristics for scheduling electric power production amid uncertainty. Reliability is becoming more difficult to manage due to growing uncertainty from renewable resources. This challenge is compounded by the risk of resource outages, which can occur any time and without warning. Stochastic optimization is a promising tool but remains computationally intractable for large systems. The models used in industry instead schedule for the forecast and withhold generation reserve for scenario response, but they are blind to how this reserve may be constrained by network congestion. This dissertation investigates more effective heuristics to improve economics and reliability in power systems where congestion is a concern. Two general approaches are developed. Both approximate the effects of recourse decisions without actually solving a stochastic model. The first approach procures more reserve whenever approximate recourse policies stress the transmission network. The second approach procures reserve at prime locations by generalizing the existing practice of reserve disqualification. The latter approach is applied for feasibility and is later extended to limit scenario costs. Testing demonstrates expected cost improvements around 0.5%-1.0% for the IEEE 73-bus test case, which can translate to millions of dollars per year even for modest systems. The heuristics developed in this dissertation perform somewhere between established deterministic and stochastic models: providing an economic benefit over current practices without substantially increasing computational times. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Industrial Engineering 2015
34

[en] ACQUISITION COST ALLOCATION OF REACTIVE POWER SOURCES / [es] ASIGNACIÓN DEL CUSTO DE CAPITAL DE FUENTES DE POTENCIA REACTIVA / [pt] ALOCAÇÃO DO CUSTO DE CAPITAL DE FONTES DE POTÊNCIA REATIVA

MARCO AURELIO MOURA VIEIRA 21 September 2001 (has links)
[pt] Este trabalho apresenta três métodos para a identificação dos usuários da rede de transmissão que são beneficiados por novas ou já existentes fontes de potência reativa e, em conseqüência, a repartição do custo de capital entre eles. A metodologia para se obter os fatores de alocação de custos, aplicados aos agentes beneficiados, utiliza a análise de um conjunto de contingências de transmissão com suas respectivas probabilidades de ocorrência. Cada um dos métodos propostos utiliza um diferente critério para se medir os benefícios decorrentes da presença de equipamentos de suporte de potência reativa. Os critérios mencionados são os desvios de tensão, os cortes de carga e as injeções de potência reativa, bastante utilizados em estudos de planejamento da operação e da expansão, assim como em análise de confiabilidade de sistemas de potência. A aplicação dos métodos é ilustrada através de estudos de casos com dois sistemas, um sistema simplificado de 5 barras e o IEEE-Reliability Test System (24 barras), no qual um horizonte de três anos é considerado para se fazer a remuneração do equipamento de compensação reativa. / [en] This report presents three methods to identify the transmission consumers in power systems that take advantage of new or existent reactive power sources and, consequently, to allocate its acquisition costs among these consumers. The methodology to obtain the allocation factors, applied to each of the agents, takes into account the analysis of a transmission outages set with their respective probabilities. Each one of the proposed methods uses a different criterion to measure the benefit due to the reactive support provided by such equipments. The mentioned criteria are: voltage deviation, load shedding and reactive power injection. All these methodologies are very used in operational and expansion planning studies, as well as power systems reliability analysis. The application of the methods is shown in case studies with two systems, being the first a 5 bus simplified system and the other, the IEEE-Reliability Test System (24 buses), in which a three years horizon is considered for the reactive power compensation equipment remuneration. / [es] Este trabajo presenta tres métodos para la identificación de los usuários de la red de transmisión que se benefician con las fuentes (nuevas o existenten) de potencia reactiva y, en consecuencia, la repartición del costo de capital entre eles. Hasta aqui, lla metodología para obtener los factores de alocación de costos, aplicados a los agentes beneficiados, utiliza el análisis de un conjunto de contingencias de transmisión con sus respectivas probabilidades de ocurrencia. Cada uno de los métodos propuestos utiliza un critério diferente para medir los beneficios decorrentes de la presencia de equipamentos de soporte de potencia reactiva. Los critérios mencionados son los desvíos de tensión, los cortes de carga y las inyecciones de potencia reactiva, bastante utilizados en estudios de planificación de operación y expansión, así como en análisis de confiabilidad de sistemas de potencia. La aplicación de los métodos se ilustrada a través de estudios de casos con dos sistemas, un sistema simplificado de 5 barras y el IEE Reliability Test Systiene (24 barras), en el cual se considera un horizonte de tres años para realizar la remuneración del equipo de compensación reactiva.
35

Efeitos eletrônicos e estéricos de ligantes ancilares: relação estrutura-reatividade em complexos do tipo [RuCl2(PPh3)x(amina)y] para polimerização de olefinas via metátese / Electronic and steric effects of ancillary ligands: structure-reactivity relationship in [RuCl2(PPh3)x(amine)y] complex types for ring opening metathesis polymerization of olefins

José Luiz Silva Sá 31 August 2011 (has links)
Os complexos do tipo [RuCl2(PPh3)2amina], amina = pip (1) ou pep (2), foram estudados como iniciadores catalíticos para reações de ROMP de NBE, NBD e oxaNBE-OMe e na ROMCP de NBE com NBD e oxaNBE-OMe com NBE. O complexo [RuCl2(PPh3)(pep)(isn)] (3) foi estudado na ROMP de NBE e NBD. Os complexos 2 e 3 são inéditos e suas caracterizações são discutidas e correlacionadas com o complexo com 1. As reações de catálises foram realizadas com variações de tempo, volume de solvente e temperatura, em atmosfera de Ar ou ar e na presença de EDA. <br />O rendimento foi quantitativo na ROMP de NBE com o complexo 1 em 2 mL de CHCl3, por 5 min a 25 &deg;C em Ar, com IPD de 1,9 e Mw na ordem de 106 g mol-1. Com o complexo 2, os rendimentos foram quantitativos (IPD ~ 3 e Mw na ordem de 104 g mol-1) e independentes do tempo (5 -120 min) e volume de solvente (2 - 8 mL). Com 3, os rendimentos diminuíram com o aumento do volume de solvente, mas com IPD ~ 2 e Mw na ordem de 104 g mol-1. Em todos os casos os rendimentos diminuíram em atmosfera de ar e com polímeros polimodais. <br />Rendimentos quantitativos de poliNBD foram obtidos com 1 a 40 &deg;C e com 2 a 25 &deg;C na faixa de volume de solvente estudada, por 60 e 120 min, em Ar. Os rendimentos com 3 foram inferiores a 35%. Foram também obtidos rendimentos quantitativos em atmosfera de ar em certas combinações de tempo e volume de solvente, indicando que os complexos são robustos para atividades em soluções contendo O2. Todos os polímeros de NBD foram insolúveis. <br />Obteve-se até 70% de poli(NBE-co-NBD) isolado a partir de reações com 1 e reações quantitativas com 2, dependendo da fração molar NBE:NBD usada, indicando as razões de reatividades do complexos. <br />A ROMP de oxaNBE-OMe com 1 ou com 2 formou 15 a 30% de rendimento, a 40 &deg;C por 24 h em Ar. Na ROMCP desse monômero com NBE obteve-se de 5 a 30% de rendimento, dependendo da fração molar. Os rendimentos são maiores nas frações molares com maior quantidade de NBE. Poli(oxaNBE-OMe) foi solúvel, enquanto que seus copolímeros foram pouco solúveis. <br />São realizadas discussões quantos às características eletrônicas e de impedimentos estéricos nos complexos estudados nas polimerizações via metátese, selecionando-se os ligantes ancilares frente às condições de reações para obtenções de bons rendimentos e características dos polímeros isolados. / The complexes of type [RuCl2(PPh3)2amina], amine = pip (1) or pep (2), were studied as catalytic initiators for ROMP of NBE, NBD and oxaNBE-OMe and for ROMCP of NBE with NBD and oxaNBE-OMe with NBE. The complex [RuCl2(PPh3)(pep)(isn)] (3) was studied for ROMP of NBE and NBD. The complexes 2 and 3 are novels and their characterizations are discussed and correlated with the complex 1. The catalysis reactions were performed with variations of time, volume of solvent and temperature, either in Ar or air atmosphere, in the presence of EDA. <br />The yield was quantitative for ROMP of NBE with complex 1 in 2 mL of CHCl3 for 5 min at 25 &deg;C in Ar, with PDI of 1.9 and Mw in the order of 106 g mol-1. With the complex 2, the yields were quantitatives (PDI ~ 3 and Mw in the order of 104 g mol-1) and independent of time (5 - 120 min) and volume of solvent (2 - 8 mL). With 3, the yields decreased when increasing the volume of solvent, but with PDI ~ 2 and Mw in the order of 104 g mol-1. In all the cases, the yields decreased in air atmosphere with polymodal polymers. <br />Quantitative yields of poliNBD were obtained with 1 at 40 &deg;C and with 2 at 25 &deg;C in the range of the studied volume of solvent, for 60 and 120 min, in Ar. The yields with 3 were less than 35%. Quantitative yields were also obtained in air atmosphere in some combinations of time and volume of solvent, indicating that the complexes are robust for activities in solutions containing O2. All polyNBD were insoluble. <br />It was obtained up to 70% of poly(NBE-co-NBD) isolated from reactions with 1 and quantitative reactions were obtained with 2, depending on the NBE:NBD molar fraction used, indicating the reactivity ratios for the complexes. <br />The ROMP of oxaNBE-OMe with 1 or with 2 yielded 15 to 30% at 40 &deg;C for 24h in Ar. In the ROMCP of this monomer with NBE, it was obtained from 5 to 30% yield, depending on the molar fraction. Yields are higher in molar fractions with higher amount of NBE. Poly(oxaNBE-OMe) was soluble, while its copolymers were poorly soluble. <br />Discussions are held on the electronic characteristics and steric hindrances in the studied complexes for the metathesis polymerization, selecting the ancillary ligands as a function of the reaction conditions to obtain good yields and to improve the characteristics of the isolated polymers.
36

Antonymní adjektiva v dětské literatuře a beletrii pro dospělé / Antonymous adjectives in children's and adult literature

Najberková, Tereza January 2016 (has links)
The topic of this thesis are adjectival antonyms in child-directed fiction. The primary aim of the thesis is to compare the usage of antonyms in adult fiction and child-directed fiction on the basis of a contextual co-occurrence of antonyms. The two areas of focus are the discourse functions of antonymy and the canonicity of antonyms. The thesis presents an analysis of antonyms identified in the context of 51 most frequent adjectives in a corpus of fiction written for children. The thesis is structured into three major parts. The first part provides a theoretical framework which summarizes the research of the discourse functions of antonymy and reviews the methods of measuring antonym canonicity. The second, methodological part, explains the methodology and describes the data used for the purposes of this study. The selection of data relies mostly on manual classification of the concordance lines. The third, analytical part, analyses and classifies the antonyms found in the corpus of child-directed fiction and compares them with selective samples extracted from adult fiction. A comparison of the most frequent adjectives in both corpora is also provided. Keywords: antonymy, discourse functions, antonym canonicity, ancillary antonymy, coordinated antonymy
37

Integrating Demand-Side Resources into the Electric Grid: Economic and Environmental Considerations

Fisher, Michael J. 01 December 2017 (has links)
Demand-side resources are taking an increasingly prominent role in providing essential grid services once provided by thermal power plants. This thesis considers the economic feasibility and environmental effects of integrating demand-side resources into the electric grid with consideration given to the diversity of market and environmental conditions that can affect their behavior. Chapter 2 explores the private economics and system-level carbon dioxide reduction when using demand response for spinning reserve. Steady end uses like lighting are more than twice as profitable as seasonal end uses because spinning reserve is needed year-round. Avoided carbon emission damages from using demand response instead of fossil fuel generation for spinning reserve are sufficient to justify incentives for demand response resources. Chapter 3 quantifies the system-level net emissions rate and private economics of behind-the-meter energy storage. Net emission rates are lower than marginal emission rates for power plants and in-line with estimates of net emission rates from grid-level storage. The economics are favorable for many buildings in regions with high demand charges like California and New York, even without subsidies. Future penetration into regions with average charges like Pennsylvania will depend greatly on installation cost reductions and wholesale prices for ancillary services. Chapter 4 outlines a novel econometric model to quantify potential revenues from energy storage that reduces demand charges. The model is based on a novel predictive metric that is derived from the building’s load profile. Normalized revenue estimates are independent of the power capacity of the battery holding other performance characteristics equal, which can be used to calculate the profit-maximizing storage size. Chapter 5 analyzes the economic feasibility of flow batteries in the commercial and industrial market. Flow batteries at a 4-hour duration must be less expensive on a dollar per installed kWh basis, often by 20-30%, to break even with shorter duration li-ion or lead-acid despite allowing for deeper depth of discharge and superior cycle life. These results are robust to assumptions of tariff rates, battery round-trip efficiencies, amount of solar generation and whether the battery can participate in the wholesale energy and ancillary services markets.
38

[en] OPERATING POWER RESERVE AS ANCILLARY SERVICE: MARKET MECHANISM FOR PURCHASING / [es] RESERVA DE POTENCIA OPERATIVA COMO SERVICIO AUXILIAR MECANISMO DE MERCADO PARA ADQUISICIÓN Y REVENDA / [pt] RESERVA DE POTÊNCIA OPERATIVA COMO SERVIÇO ANCILAR: MECANISMO DE MERCADO PARA AQUISIÇÃO E REVENDA

LEONARDO XAVIER DA SILVA 03 September 2001 (has links)
[pt] No modelo econômico tradicional, o sistema elétrico podia ser constituído por empresas verticalizadas, isto é, os serviços de geração, transmissão e distribuição podiam ser providos por uma mesma empresa. Nesta estrutura, serviços como reserva de potência, suporte de reativos, reserva de transmissão, ou seja, os chamados Serviços Ancilares à operação do sistema elétrico, não eram computados com custos específicos a serem restituídos, já que os mesmos encontravam-se agregados ao preço da energia elétrica. No novo modelo econômico, onde cada empresa presta um tipo de serviço, é crescente a importância da caracterização de cada Serviço Ancilar. Definidos os prestadores do serviço e usuários, torna-se explícita a necessidade de uma estrutura de mercado para aquisição e revenda do Serviço Ancilar. Este trabalho propõe um mecanismo de mercado para compra e venda de Serviços de Reserva de Potência Operativa por intermédio de um agente de mercado sem fins lucrativos. Este é baseado no mecanismo praticado pelo California Independent System Operator e, devidamente adaptado, pode ser aplicado ao sistema elétrico brasileiro. As principais adaptações são: i) o ajuste da venda para permitir uma distribuição justa da vantagem econômica obtida com a compra considerando os mercados interdependentes, e ii) o ajuste da venda para que os compradores somente das reservas R1 e R2 afetem os preços de R1 e R2, e não os preços de R3 e R4. / [en] In the previous structure of the Brazilian power sector, the economic model was such that the same company could provide generation, transmission and distribution services. In this model, services such as power reserve, reactive power support and transmission reserve, i.e., the so-called Ancillary Services to the operation of the electric system, were not considered explicitly. Therefore, no specific costs had to be paid as they were aggregated to the final energy price. In the new structure of the power sector, where each company provides a different type of service, the distinction of each Ancillary Service becomes a very important issue to the energy business. Once defined the service providers and users, it is evident the need of a market structure for selling and buying the service. This work suggests a market mechanism for selling and buying the Power Operative Reserve Service through a non-profit market agent. This proposal is based on the California`s Independent System Operator mechanism and, if properly adapted, can be applied to the Brazilian Power System. The main adaptations are: i) the adjustments of the sale price to allow a fair distribution of the economic advantage gotten with the purchase considering the interdependent markets, and ii) the adjustments of the sale price for the purchasers of only R1 and R2 reserves to affect only the prices of R1 and R2 and not the prices of R3 and R4. / [es] En el modelo económico tradicional, el sistema eléctrico podía ser constituido por empresas verticalizadas, es decir, los servicios de generación, transmisión y distribuición podían pertenecer a una misma empresa. En esta extructura, servicios como reserva de potencia, soporte de reactivos, reserva de transmisión, o sea, los llamados Servicios Auxiliares a la operación del sistema eléctrico, no eran calculados con costos específicos que serían restituidos, ya que éstos se encontraban agregados al precio de la energía eléctrica. En el nuevo modelo económico, donde cada empresa presta un tipo de servicio, cresce la importáncia de la caracterización de cada Servicio Auxiliar. Una vez definidos los prestadores del servicio y los usuarios, se necesita de una extructura de mercado para adquisición y revenda del Servicio Auxiliar. Este trabajo propone un mecanismo de mercado para compra y venda de Servicios de Reserva de Potencia Operativas por intermedio de un agente de mercado sen fines lucractivos. Este es basado en el mecanismo praticado por el California Independent Systen Operator y, debidamente adaptado, puede ser aplicado al sistema eléctrico brasilero. Las principales adaptaciones son: i) ajuste de la venda para permitir una distribuición justa de la ventaja económica obtenida con la compra considerando los mercados interdependientes, y ii) el ajuste de la venda para que los compradores solamente de las reservas R1 y R2 afecten los precios de R1 y R2, y no los precios de R3 y R4.
39

A Market approach to balance services pricing

Naidoo, Robin January 2013 (has links)
The co-optimization of energy and reserves has become a standard requirement in integrated markets. This is due to the inverse relationship that exists between energy and reserves. The provision of reserves generally reduces the amount of primary energy a generating unit can produce and vice versa. This suggests that these products should be procured through a simultaneous auction to ensure optimal procurement and pricing. Furthermore, forward markets dictate that this co-optimization of energy and reserves be done over a multi-period planning horizon. This dissertation addresses the problem of optimal scheduling and pricing of energy and reserves over a multi-period planning horizon using an optimal power flow formulation. The extension of the problem from a static optimization problem to a dynamic optimization problem is presented. Price definitions for energy and reserves in terms of shadow prices emanating from the optimization algorithm are provided. It is shown that the proposed formulation of prices leads to the cascading of reserve prices and eliminates the problem of “price reversal” where lower quality reserves are priced higher than higher ii quality reserves. Pricing conditions are also established for the downward substitution of higher quality reserves for lower quality reserves. The proposed pricing formulations are tested on the IEEE 24 Bus Reliability Test System and on the South African power network. The simulated results show that cascading of reserve prices does occur and that prices of different types of reserves are equal when downward substitution of reserves occurs. Zonal reserve requirements result in higher energy and reserve prices, which in term result in higher procurement costs to the system operator and higher profits to market participants. Congestion on the network also results in higher procurement costs to the system operator and higher profits to market participants in the case of zonal pricing of reserves. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / unrestricted
40

The changing higher education environment in England : a study of student perceptions

Lecca, Helga January 2015 (has links)
The English Higher Education system continues to face many political and organisational changes with respect to funding, fees, student numbers and quality controls. Within this changing landscape, the introduction of up to £9,000 annual tuition fees for Home/EU undergraduates probably has the highest impact on students’ perceptions, their decision-making and, most of all, expectations in relation to their university experience. To investigate the implications of recent changes, an exploratory research approach is applied, using mixed methods across three distinct research phases. An initial study aims to measure the expectations of commencing students in light of the fee changes and to explore how demographic and other personal characteristics influence student expectations in relation to their overall university experience and specifically to the ancillary services offered by Higher Education Institutions. Through this, services related to student employability are identified as an area of increasing concern for students. The second study aims to further investigate this area from a student perspective through the exploration of students’ motivations to participate in an extra-curricular employability programme. The expectations regarding such a programme are also investigated prior to the programme and the satisfaction levels of students after the completion of the programme are evaluated. The analysis of the second study suggests that confidence is a key factor within the context of student employability. Consequently, the final study aims to explore the role and importance of confidence within employability from a student point-of-view and to evaluate how confidence and employability may be developed throughout the university experience. From this study, it is argued that Higher Education Institutions should focus on the development of confidence within students in order to improve their employability. As an outcome, recommendations are formed on how to support such development through general and course-specific activities within and outside the curriculum. Overall, the research addresses various gaps within the fields of interest, particularly through the focus on a student perspective, and provides methodological, theoretical and practical contributions. The different stages of the research suggest that it is important to the competitiveness and strength of universities to understand student expectations and to design and develop high-quality university experiences which meet the needs and demands of students. Based on the data collected, recommendations are given on how Higher Education Institutions can manage and meet student expectations and develop activities to enhance student employability and increase confidence.

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