This MA project examines the creation, implementation, and effectiveness of the guidebook, Moving Forward: A Learner-Centered and Participatory Approach to Teaching Community Adult ESL, designed to help adult English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers base their classes on the specific needs of community adult education students. This guidebook was created in response to the need for lesson plans and activities that help teachers focus on learner needs. The activities in the guidebook are based on the National Institute for Literacy's (NIFL) adult literacy initiative, Equipped for the Future (EFF) because it focuses on the tasks adults must perform to function successfully on a daily basis. Participatory Curriculum Development (PCD) was used to create the specific activities in the guidebook because its focus is on creating curriculum based on the needs of learners.

In this thesis study, fabrication and doping of silicon thin films prepared by electron beam evaporation equipped with effusion cells for solar cell applications have been investigated. Thin film amorphous Si (a-Si) layers have been fabricated by the electron beam evaporator and simultaneously doped with boron (B) and phosphorous (P) using effusion cells. Samples were prepared on glass substrates for the future solar cell operations. Following the deposition of a-Si thin film, crystallization of the films has been carried out. Solid Phase Crystallization (SPC) and Metal Induced Crystallization (MIC) have been employed to obtain thin film crystalline Si. Crystallization was performed in a conventional tube furnaces and Rapid Thermal annealing systems (RTA) as a function of process parameters such as annealing temperature and duration. Produced films have been characterized using chemical and structural characterization techniques such as Raman Spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffractometer and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (SIMS). The electrical properties of the films have been studied using Hall Effect and I-V measurements as a function of doping. We have demonstrated successful crystallization of a-Si by SPC at temperatures above 600 &deg / C. The crystallization occurred at lower temperatures in the case of MIC. For doping, P was evaporated from the effusion cell at a temperature between 600 &deg / C and 800 &deg / C. For B, the evaporation temperature was 1700 &deg / C and 1900 &deg / C. The thickness and the band gap of the Si films were determined by ellipsometry method and the results were compared for different evaporation temperatures. The effect of doping was monitored by the I-V and Hall Effect measurements. We have seen that the doping was accomplished in most of the cases. For the samples annealed at relatively high temperatures, the measured doping type was inconsistent with the expected results. This was attributed to the contamination from the glass substrate. To understand the origin of this contamination, we analyzed the chemical structure of the film and glass by X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and seen that the glass is the main source of contamination. In order to prevent this contamination we have suggested covering the glass substrate with Si3N4 (Silicon Nitride) which act as a good diffusion barrier for impurities.

Video image detection system (VDS) equipment provides real-time traffic data for monitored highways directly to the traffic management center (TMC) of the Georgia Department of Transportation. However, at any given time, approximately 30 to 35% of the 1,600 camera stations (STNs) fail to work properly. The main reasons for malfunctions in the VDS system include long term road construction activity and operational limitations. Thus, providing alternative data sources for offline VDS stations and developing tools that can help detect problems with VDS stations can facilitate the successful operation of the TMC. To estimate the travel speed of non-working STNs, this research examined global positioning system (GPS) data from vehicles using the ATMS-monitored freeway system as a potential alternative measure to VDS. The goal of this study is to compare VDS speed data for the estimation of the travel speed on freeways with GPS-equipped vehicle trip data, and to assess the differences between these measurements as a potential function of traffic and roadway conditions, environmental, conditions, and driver/vehicle characteristics. The difference between GPS and VDS speeds is affected by various factors such as congestion level (expressed as level of service), onroad truck percentage, facility design (number of lanes and freeway sub-type), posted speed limit, weather, daylight, and time of day. The relationship between monitored speed difference and congestion level was particularly large and was observed to interact with most other factors. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis results indicated that driver age was the most relevant variable in explaining variation for the southbound of freeway dataset and freeway sub-type, speed limit, driver age, and number of lane were the most influential variables for the northbound of freeway dataset. The combination of several variables had significant contribution in the reduction of the deviation for both the northbound and the southbound dataset. Although this study identifies potential relationships between speed difference and various factors, the results of the CART analysis should be considered with the driver sample size to yield statistically significant results. Expanded sampling with larger number of drivers would enrich this study results.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T16:41:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissert Milton Ernesto Barrios Aguilar 3.pdf: 9539969 bytes, checksum: 3ccd249e45fb24533b33236925ee74dc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-08-04 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The increase in wind power integration into power systems is currently a general trend in many countries and the Variable-Speed Wind Turbine (VSWT) Equipped with a Doubly Fed Induction Generator System with back-to-back power converters are most often used for this purpose. There is the need for its control system to operate properly to ensure stability and to achieve the desired performance when they are subjected to different transient disturbances, which is a difficult taste due to nonlinearities and strong coupling between electrical and mechanical variables in this type of wind turbine. In this context, this work aims to tune the gains of the PI controllers that make up the control system using a collective intelligence meta-heuristic algorithm for two normal perturbations in the operation of a wind farm: a wind variation and electrical fault. For that, it was modeled the wind turbine taking advantage of detailed modeling, considering the stator voltage oriented control structure, with active and reactive power control loops and their respective current controls, all equipped with PI controllers. Therefore, a set of objective functions was generated penalizing the most important variables directly from the dynamic simulation. Next, a multi-objective PSO algorithm has been enhanced, to be used as a tuning tool. Then the algorithm was applied to the VSWT for Single-machine infinite bus system for wind speed variation and electrical fault. Finally, the robustness of the tunings was tested on the in Single-machine infinite bus system and a 32 nodes feeder. The PSO showed good ability to exploitation and intensification of the search space reaching the preset tuning requirements in all cases. Stability and satisfactory performance results were obtained for transient disturbances thanks to key variables penalty in the objective functions. The tuning resulted robust enough for variations of feeder parameters and operating conditions besides the proper stiffness coefficient of the turbine generator mechanical coupling, whenever the wind turbine was subjected to disturbances considered in the tuning. It is also noted that exploring the objective functions and the algorithm itself can attain a large improvement in the performance of the tuned wind turbine control system for wind variations and electrical faults / O aumento da integração da geração eólica em sistemas elétricos de potência é atualmente uma tendência generalizada em muitos países e os Aerogeradores de Velocidade Variáveis (AVV) com Geradores de Indução de Dupla Alimentação (DFIG) com conversores de potência de tipo back-to-back são os mais empregados para este fim. Existe a necessidade de que seu sistema de controle atue corretamente para garantir a estabilidade e obter o desempenho desejado quando estes são submetidos a diferentes perturbações transitórias, o que resulta difícil devido às não-linearidades e à forte relação entre as grandezas elétricas e mecânicas deste tipo de aerogerador. Neste contexto, esta dissertação tem como objetivo a sintonia dos ganhos dos controladores PI que compõem o sistema de controle, utilizando um algoritmo meta-heurístico de inteligência coletiva, para duas perturbações normais na operação de uma usina eólica: variação de vento e falta elétrica. Para isso, foi modelado o DFIG aproveitando modelos detalhados, considerando a estrutura de controle orientada pela tensão do estator, com malhas de controle de potência ativa e reativa e seus respetivos controles de correntes, todas equipadas com controladores tipo PI. Logo foi gerado um conjunto de funções objetivos, penalizando diretamente das simulação dinâmica as variáveis de maior importância. A seguir, foi aprimorado um algoritmo PSO multi-objetivo, o qual é utilizado como ferramenta de sintonia. Em seguida, o algoritmo foi aplicado ao DFIG na configuração máquina barra-infinita para variação de vento e falta elétrica. Finalmente foi testada a robustez das sintonias obtidas no sistema de máquina barra-infinita e em um alimentador de 32 nós. O PSO apresentou uma boa capacidade de exploração e intensificação do espaço de busca alcançando os requisitos de sintonia preestabelecidos em todos os casos. Os resultados de estabilidade e desempenhos foram satisfatórios para as perturbações transitórias utilizadas graças à penalização de variáveis chaves nas funções objetivos. A sintonia resultou suficientemente robusta para variações de parâmetros do alimentador e de condições operativas, além do próprio coeficiente de rigidez do acoplamento mecânico turbina-gerador, sempre que a usina esteja submetida a perturbações consideradas na sintonia. Observa-se também que explorando as funções objetivo e o próprio algoritmo pode-se atingir uma ampla melhoria no desempenho do sistema de controle do DFIG sintonizado para as variações de vento e faltas elétricas. Palavras-chave: Geração Eólica, Aerogeradores

La première décennie du XXIème siècle a été particulièrement marquée par le renforcement de la présence de la République populaire de Chine (RPC) en Afrique. En effet, Pékin est devenu un important partenaire du continent dans différents domaines de coopération (économique, commercial, militaire, culturel…). C’est ainsi que l’objet de cette recherche porte essentiellement sur la dimension militaire de la présence chinoise. Celle-ci reste encore peu étudiée contrairement à celle des Etats-Unis, de la France et de l’URSS autrefois. L’étude qui convoque la pensée stratégique chinoise et les théories de relations internationales, tente de cerner les enjeux, les contours et les évolutions de la dimension militaire chinoise dans un contexte de bouleversements et de rivalités stratégiques (1960-2010). Aussi, l’étude s’intéresse aux différents choix stratégiques opérés. Cet effort de compréhension ne porte pas que sur la seule Chine, l’Afrique y est aussi pleinement prise en compte. La réflexion se prolonge avec l’analyse décisionnelle de la politique étrangère de défense, grâce notamment à une approche que nous avons qualifiée d’hybride, une combinaison du modèle rationnel et de l’approche bureaucratique de la décision. Ainsi, dans le cas chinois et africain, la décision en politique étrangère n’est pas le seul fait du Président, bien qu’il en soit un acteur prééminent. De nombreux acteurs participent à son élaboration; ceux-ci disposent de réelles capacités de l’infléchir dans un sens ou dans l’autre. / The reinforcement of China presence in Africa particularly constitutes a remarkable event during the first decade of the twenty-first century. As the matter of fact, China has become an important partner in various domains of cooperation such as trade, military, culture…This is hereby the reason why this study is essentially based on the military dimension of China presence. This aspect is barely analyzed in comparison with those of the USA, France, and the USSR in the past. The study deals with the Chinese strategic Policy and the theories of international relations. It intends to decipher what is at stake, the ins and outs of the Chinese military Policy in a context where upheavals and strategic conflicts are pregnant (1960-2010). Moreover, the study will analyze different strategic choices that have been taken so far. This effort of analysis will not only concern China, but Africa will be fully taken into account as well. The reflection will stretch onto the analysis of decisions inherent to the foreign Policy, notably thanks to an approach that can be qualified as a ‘hybrid approach’, that is, a combination of a rational pattern and the bureaucratic approach of decision. Then, in the Chinese and African cases, the decision in foreign policy is not only the prerogative of the president, although he allegedly seems to be a pre-eminent actor. A lot of actors partake in the foreign Policy elaboration; these ones have real capacities to curb it either way.

The phenomenon of educational inequality on access to physical resources in the Highveld Ridge East Circuit of Mpumalanga was investigated in the study. Since the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic had affected education on a global scale, South Africa included, it became necessary to incorporate this new development into the emerging design that unfolded. The study explored the impact of access to physical resources in three public schools. The aim of the investigation was to ascertain how educational disparities on access to physical resources manifested at the chosen research sites, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative research approach was utilised comprising of a multiple case study design. The study reported how the principal and deputy principals viewed educational inequality on access to physical resources from a management perspective, while educators provided insight on the effect of this phenomenon on the teaching and learning process. Observations, individual interviews involving the principal and deputy principals as participants, and focus group interviews involving the teachers, as well as the scrutiny of relevant official documents provided the empirical data for this investigation. All research participants were purposively selected, as a full staff complement was unavailable at the research sites during the pandemic. The results that emerged from the study indicated that educational inequality was prevalent in these public schools. The dearth of resources, and in some instances basic essential resources, had a marked impact on the management as well as the teachers and students at these schools. A significant point to consider was how ill-equipped the public schools in this area were to deal with education during a global pandemic. The backlog of the inequities on access to physical resources needed to be addressed as a matter of dire urgency if the country had any hope of salvaging the education process even at the most basic level. The recommendations in the conclusion of the study are desperate pleas for help in assisting the country, especially the previously marginalised, to move forward in the worst of times. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)