Development Of A Hybrid Electric Vehicle Engineering Essay

Development Of A Hybrid Electric Vehicle Engineering Essay The term HYBRID VEHICLE refers to a vehicle which uses two or more distinct power sources of energy to move the vehicle. The term commonly refers to HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES (HEVs), which is a combination of an internal combustion engine and one or more Electric motors. The intention of the presence of electric powertrain is intended for either improving the fuel economy or better performance. 1.1 History of Hybrid Electric Cars The seeds for the invention of Hybrid Electric Vehicles were laid a century ago i.e., in 1900. The first hybrid electric vehicle, Mixte was developed in 1900 at Lohner Coach Factory by Ferdinand Porsche. This is a 4WD series-hybrid version, includes a pair of generators driven by 2.5 hp Daimler IC engines to extend its operating range ad could travel nearly 40miles on battery itself and was presented in Paris Auto Show in 1901. Mixte used gasoline engine powering a generator, this in turn powers up electric hub motor, and reached a speed of 50 kmph and a power of 5.22 kW in 20 minutes. Knight neftal produced a hybrid racing car in 1902. In 1905, H. Piper filed a patent for hybrid vehicle in US. In 1915 Dual Power, Woods Motor Vehicle electric car maker had a four cylinder IC engine and an electric motor. This car ran up to a speed of 24kmph on the electric motor alone, drawing the power from battery and after this speed, the IC engine took the car up to its 56kmph which was its top speed. Later in 1915, a Canadian company produced the first car for sale. Woods Motor Vehicle company in Chicago released the first gasoline-electric hybrid car in 1917.the hybrid was a failure commercially, proving to be too slow for its price, and its difficulty to service. The working prototype that is being used in most recent HEV was designed by Victor Wouk. His work on the HEVs in 1960s and 1970s earned him the title as The Godfather of the Hybrid. Wouk installed a hybrid drive train having 16 KW electric motor into the, Buick Skylark provided by GM. The Regenerative braking system, an important production concept for most of the HEVs was designed by David Arthurs in 1978 and used for the first time on Opel GT. The vehicle exhibited a fuel efficiency of 3.1L/100km.Audi launched its first edition of Audi Duo, an experimental vehicle in 1989. It is a plug-in parallel hybrid with 9.4 KW, Siemens electric motor and a Ni-Cd battery to supply energy to the motor which drive the rear wheels. Esparante GTR-Q9 was the first petrol engine to take part in the race at Le Mans. Later, the car finished second in class at Petit Le Mans same year, i.e., in 1998. Hybrid technology became familiar within the automobile industry in the late 1990s. All the automobile companies came to know about the social awareness of the customer, and then the mass production of the hybrid electric vehicles was started. The first of that kind is Toyota Prius in Japan, Honda Insight launched in 1999 in United States and Japan. Now, all the leading automobile manufacturers like Jaguar, Ford, Lexus, and Peugeot were on to the production of the hybrid electric vehicles. This may lead to a revolution in the automobile industry in near future. Briefing the Technologies Being Used in HEVs These days, many research laboratories and firms are working on the development of hybrid electric vehicles. These bodies are recruiting the individuals from all technical backgrounds such as mechanical, automotive, electrical, electronics. So that, they can concentrate on each and every aspect of the vehicle, that can lead to the development of the vehicle irrespective of its technical aspects. For e.g., NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) is one of the kind of researching bodies, actively researching on the various aspects of fuel cells and vehicles that run using the power generated from the fuel cells. Fuel cell vehicles are much likely as of hybrid vehicles with diesel or petrol engines. Modern HEVs are using many technologies which can improve the efficiency of the vehicle like Regenerative braking. This converts kinetic energy of the vehicle into electrical energy, instead of wasting it in the form of heat energy as like in conventional braking systems. Some HEVs use IC engines to generate electricity like an electrical generator, either to recharge the batteries or to empower the electric drive motors directly. Many HEVs are reducing the emissions at idle by stopping the IC engine and restarting when it is needed, this is known as start-stop system. External torque will be applied to the differentials when the electric powertrain is acting, which leads to the better performance of the HE vehicle. Components of a Hybrid Electric vehicle The structure of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle is much likely as that of an ordinary gasoline powered vehicle. The distinguishing factor is that a hybrid car will have one or more electric motors alongside which can improve gas mileage. Note: In the case of Toyota Prius, car runs solely by electricity when driven under a speed of 30 Mph. Figure : Structure of a basic Hybrid Electric Vehicle 1.3.1 Gasoline Engine The gasoline engine in a hybrid electric car is like as that of an ordinary internal combustion engine. However, the engine is smaller comparatively and uses advanced technologies which can result in reducing emission and more efficiency. 1.3.2 Fuel Tank The fuel tank of the hybrid electric vehicle acts as the fuel storage device for IC engine. Batteries can also be called as a fuel tank in the case of hybrid electric vehicles, as it stores the electricity produced and supplies when needed to the electric motor. 1.3.3 Electric Motor The electric motor in a hybrid electric vehicle is very small and essential component to make it a hybrid. Day to day advance in electronics allows electric motor to act as a motor as well as a generator. For e.g. it draws energy from the battery to accelerate the vehicle, when needed. But, while acting as a generator, it slows down the car and returns the energy back into the batteries. 1.3.4 Batteries The batteries in the hybrid electric vehicle are the devices meant to store the energy which is needed for the electric motor. Unlike, the gasoline in the fuel tank, only power the gasoline engine, the electric motor of a hybrid electric vehicle can charge the batteries as well as draw energy from them. 1.3.5 Transmission The transmission in a hybrid electric vehicle performs the same basic function as a transmission that of a conventional car. Generator The generator is much similar to electric motor, but it can only produce electric power. Generator is mostly used in the series hybrid electric cars. 1.4Available power sources for Hybrid vehicle The available sources of energy includes the following Rechargeable Energy Resource System, RESS Petrol or Diesel Hydrogen Compressed Air Liquid Nitrogen Electricity Solar Energy Rechargeable energy resource system (RESS) A Rechargeable energy resource system or RESS is a system which stores energy to deliver power and is rechargeable. This can be done by using a battery. There are six types of batteries that are presently being used as a source, for the production of energy in Hybrid electric vehicles. Those are lead-acid, nickel-metal hydride, nickel-cadmium, lithium ion, zinc-air and flywheels. Petrol or Diesel Petrol is being vastly used as fuel in automotives, due to its high calorific value and more efficiency of the petrol cycle (Otto cycle) and low emission rate compared to most of the other alternative fuels and its abundance. The thermodynamic cycle involved in the petrol engines is called, Otto cycle or four stroke cycle. Diesel is one of the best alternative fuels to petrol that can be used in automotives. The efficiency of the diesel engine is also good and the emission rate is a bit higher when compared to the petrol engine. The thermodynamic cycle that is used in the diesel engine is called Rankines cycle Hydrogen Hydrogen can be used as an alternative fuel, as an onboard fuel for motive power to the vehicle. This can be used as a fuel in any automotive which uses hydrogen in a similar fashion, as of in aircraft. The power plant of the vehicle converts the chemical energy of hydrogen into mechanical energy, this will be done either by burning the hydrogen in internal combustion engine, or by reacting hydrogen with oxygen in a fuel cell to run electric motors. 1.4.4 Compressed air Compressed air can be used as a fuel in engines which are pneumatic actuators, which can create a useful work by expanding compressed air. This is being used from the past two centuries, ranging from hand held turbines to several hundred horsepower. Some of them rely on turbines, others on pistons and cylinders. The engine that works using compressed air as a fuel is also called as Air-Hybrid Engine. Liquid Nitrogen Liquid nitrogen can be used an alternative fuel to liquid hydrogen. The engine extracts heat from the ambient air which will be used for heating the liquid nitrogen in the heat exchanger and using the resulting pressurised gas to operate the rotary engine. This can also be incorporated in hybrid vehicle systems, fuel tanks to recharge the batteries and the resulting in battery electric propulsion. This system is called Hybrid liquid nitrogen-electric propulsion. Moreover, regenerative braking system can also used in conjunction with this system. Electricity Electricity is being used as a fuel in automobiles since long time back. These cars run by drawing electricity from the battery to run the motor which in turn, runs the piston in the cylinder generating the mechanical energy which can move the car. The cars which run by using only the electric source are called plug-in electric cars. As these cars dont have any alternate source of energy other than battery, these needs to be charged time to time and hence called as plug-in electric vehicle. By adopting the electricity as an alternative source to the hybrid vehicle, the vehicle is called Hybrid Electric vehicle. Solar Energy Solar Energy is a form of fuel that can be used as an alternative fuel in plug-in electric cars. The vehicle will be powered by solar electricity obtained from the solar panels on the surface. Photovoltaic cells convert the suns energy into directly into the electrical energy. Even though it doesnt make any change in the form of fuel that is being used, but the mileage of the direct plug-in electric vehicle can be significantly increased by using these PV cells. But, the only backdrop in adapting this technology into the plug-in electric vehicle is that, these PV cells can work only in the places with abundant solar energy and will not be used during the dark. 1.5 Classification of Hybrid Electric Vehicles Hybrid electric vehicles can be classified basing on some factors. Such as, The path in which power is supplied to the power train. Degree of hybridization. Path of Power supplied to the Powertrain The classification of HEVs can be done basing on the way of power supplied to the powertrain. According to this, the vehicles can be classified as, Parallel hybrids Series hybrids Series-Parallel hybrids Plug-in HEVs Parallel Hybrids In a Parallel HEV, the Internal Combustion engine and the electric motor are connected to the mechanical transmission and can simultaneously transmit the power to wheels through the conventional transmission. Usually, parallel hybrids use small and single electric motors and depend on a small battery pack because the motor does not have the capacity to be the only source of energy to run the vehicle. Parallel hybrids are also capable of, using Regenerative braking to some limited levels and IC engine will also act as a generator for supplementary recharging. Parallel hybrids are much efficient compared to non-hybrid vehicles, particularly in the urban driving conditions and sometimes during highway operations, when the electric motors contribution is permitted. Honda Insight, Civic, Accord, and Chevrolet Malibu are some of the examples for the parallel hybrids in production. Series Hybrids In a Series HEV, only electric motor drives the powertrain and Internal Combustion engine acts as a generator to charge the batteries which empower the electric motor. In series hybrid vehicles, battery pack will be charged from the regenerative braking or the Internal Combustion engine. Series hybrids generally have small internal combustion engine but large battery pack compared to the parallel hybrid vehicles. This is the factor which makes series hybrids more efficient when driving in city conditions and more expensive than parallel hybrid vehicles. Chevrolet Volt is an example for a series hybrid in production. Series-Parallel Hybrids These vehicles are flexible to operate in parallel or series mode. As a result, these vehicles will be more efficient, because these will be operated as a series hybrid in low speeds and parallel in high speeds. But, these vehicles are costlier compared with a pure parallel. Hybrid powertrains are currently being used by General Motors, Ford, Nissan, Lexus, and Toyota. Vehicles referring to Series-Parallel can operate in both the parallel and series mode at the same time. Toyota Highlander is an example for Series-Parallel hybrids. Plug-in Hybrids Plug-in hybrid is a type of hybrid vehicle which works rechargeable batteries, which could be stored to full charge by plugging into an external source of power. This type of vehicles shares the features of a conventional HEV, having an Internal Combustion engine and an Electric motor; and with all-electric vehicle, provided with a plug that should be connected to the external source. These vehicles have well-built all-electric range compared to conventional gasoline electric hybrids, and combustion engine provides with backup needed when batteries are depleted. Chinese automobile manufacturer BYD Auto released F3DM hatchback into Chinese market in December 2008 and General Motors expects to launch Chevrolet Volt series plug-in by November 2010. Classification by Degree of Hybridization The hybrid electric vehicles can be classified further basing on the factor, the extent to which the vehicle is hybridized. According to this, the HEVs can be classified into, Full Hybrid Mild Hybrid Power assist Hybrids Full Hybrids This is a type of Hybrid vehicle which can run just only on the batteries, or just on the engine alone, or the combination of both. Fords Hybrid System, Toyotas Hybrid Synergy Drive, General Motorss Two-Mode Hybrid technology are some of full hybrid systems. A high-capacity battery pack will be needed for the battery only operation. These vehicles will have split path for power, which allows with more flexibility in the drivetrain by inter-converting mechanical and electrical power, although it is complex. Ford Escape Hybrid, Toyota Prius, and Ford Fusion Hybrid are some examples for full hybrid vehicles. Mild Hybrids This is a vehicle, which cannot be driven by depending only on the power produced by the electric motor itself. Since, the electric motor does not have enough power to propel the vehicle on its own. These vehicles are only included with some features of hybrid technology, and achieve limited savings on fuel consumption. A Mild hybrid is a vehicle more of a conventional type with oversized starter motor which allows the engine to turn off whenever the vehicle is decelerating or stopped. Yet, restart cleanly and quickly. Even when the gasoline engine was turned off, accessories will continue to run on the electric power, and like the other hybrid designs, motor will be used for regenerative braking to bring back all the energy. Mild hybrids have comparatively small batteries and a weak, small generator/ motor than those of a fully hybrid vehicle which helps in reducing weight and cost of production. The BMW Concept 7 Series Active Hybrid is an example of a Mild Hybrid with an electric motor designed to increase performance and power. Power Assist Hybrids These vehicles use the IC engine for primary power source, and torque-boosting electric motor is also connected to a large conventional power train. The electric motor is mounted between the transmission system and engine should be a very large starter motor essentially. This motor not only operates when the engine needs to be turned on, but also when extra power is needed. The electric motor may also be used to restart the IC engine, Deriving benefits from shutting down the main engine at idle, while the battery system will be used to run the other power accessories. Advantages and Disadvantages of HEVs over Conventional Petrol or Diesel Vehicles Fuel Consumption The consumption of petroleum is comparatively less and efficiency is much better in HEVs than the conventional petrol or diesel engines. Since, using three mechanisms: Reducing the wastage of energy during low/idle output, usually by turning off the IC engine. Utilizing the waste energy (i.e. by regenerative braking) Reduction in power and size of the IC engine, and hence inefficiencies from under-utilization, the extra power output from the electric motor compensate the loss in peak power output from the IC engine. Any combinations of these three primary advantages of a hybrid technology may be used for different fuel usage, emissions, power. The power curve of an electric motor is suits to more variable speed levels, and will provide significantly high torque at low speeds compared to IC engines. Thus, greater fuel efficiency of HEVs has inference for reduction in fuel consumption and emission of air pollutants. Noise The noise emitted from HEVs is comparatively very low than that of a conservative gasoline or diesel engine vehicle, results in positive noise health effects. Though, the sounds from the tires (road noise), the loudest noise at highway speeds from the vehicle interiors cannot be prevented by the hybrid design alone. Pollution The fuel used in HEVs is less of petroleum products which will emit carbon oxides into the atmosphere and hence pollution created will be less comparatively to the conventional gasoline or diesel engines. These vehicles will have a very positive impact onto the environment. But, the problem is with decomposing the dead batteries which are made of metals like Ni those can oxidise and produce metal oxides which can cause pollution in the environment. Weight of the vehicle The mass of a HEV is comparatively lesser than that of a conventional gasoline or diesel engine vehicles as the components used in the hybrid cars are less in weight than those of IC engine vehicles. This factor helps in reducing the consumption of extra initial torque required to move the vehicle from rest. Disadvantages of HEVs over Conventional Petrol or Diesel Vehicles As with all new technology, hybrids are relatively expensive. Shortage in awareness of knowledge about hybrids with the technicians to deal effectively with these vehicles. High maintenance Low towing capacity Batteries are expensive, heavy and have a short life span and are an environmental hazard. Decomposition of batteries is a big challenge for the manufacturers, as the batteries are useless after they were dead and can be hazardous to the environment.

Marketing Strategies for Businesses Essay -- Business Marketing Essays

Marketing Strategies for Businesses Introduction: Samuel Whitbread established Whitbread plc in 1742, originally as a beer producing company. Since then, Whitbread has moved from strength to strength incorporating wider varieties of businesses under its wing with each growth. Today, Whitbread owns and operates some of the most popular business in restaurants, hotels and leisure and health. Beefeater Vision 'To make Beefeater the first choice as a great place to eat and drink.' The Lydiard Travel Inn, Beefeater restaurant, Pub and Touchbase is situated just off junction 16 of the M4, beside the Hilton International. It has a 150 seater Beefeater restaurant, which is open all day from breakfast for overnight guests until evening dinner. For Beefeater to function efficiently and effectively the marketing team must analyse past performance and present trends, and attempt to predict the future in the form of marketing plan. There are a number of planning techniques and processes which have been used successfully, they are:  · SWOT analysis  · Marketing mix  · Boston matrix  · Ansoff strategy  · PEST analysis Objectives  · To comply with the task that has been set by the Beefeater manager. This is to identify the following objectives and present fresh new ideas for the business. This task will try to solve her problem of relatively low growth and boost sales to increase revenue.  · To identify the external forces influencing the competitive environment of the U.K. hospitality market.  · Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Lydiard Beefeater through an internal audit.  · To identify the political, economic social and technological influences on the Lydiard, Swindon. ... ... of 35-44 yr olds, and 4% of 45+ yr olds agreed. 6% were "currently a meat eater but would like to become a vegetarian". 25% thought that is not "safe and healthy", rising to 34% in 15-24 yr olds. 36% of non-vegetarians would consider becoming a vegetarian if they felt animal farming was cruel. 82% felt that in the future there will be more vegetarians. 75% felt that in the future people will eat less meat. 80% claimed to prefer to buy food that is cruelty free and good for the environment These statistics clearly show that there needs to be a provision for vegetarian customers. The data however would need to be compared to more recent data to check validity and to identify any trends in the data such as cruelty to animals. Bibliography Customer questionnaire Advanced business www.Beefeater.co.uk www.ask.com

The Unabomber

The Unabomber For 17 years, an elusive criminal sent homemade bombs that targeted universities, airlines and computer stores, killing three people and injuring 23 others. The FBI branded Theodore Kaczynski a domestic terrorist, with the nickname the â€Å"Unabomber† (Unabomber). Theodore â€Å"Ted† Kaczynski was born in Chicago, Illinois, where, as a child prodigy, he excelled academically. He was accepted into Harvard University at the age of 16, where he graduated from four years later and then earned a PhD in mathematics several years after that.He then accepted a position at The University of California, Berkley campus as an assistant professor at the age of 25 (Unabomber). After two years at Berkley, Kaczynski seemed to have lost interest in everything around him. He quit his job and moved to an isolated cabin, without electricity or running water, in Lincoln, Montana. He wanted to learn survival skills in an attempt to become self-sufficient (Kaczynski). After wit nessing the wilderness and environment around him get destroyed by industrial development, Kaczynski decided to start a bombing campaign (Kaczynski).From 1978 to 1995, Kaczynski sent sixteen bombs to targets, including universities and airlines (Unabomber). The first mail bomb was sent in late May 1978 to materials engineering professor Buckley Crist at Northwestern University, where a policeman, Terry Marker, opened the package which exploded immediately, leaving him with severe injuries to his left hand (Unabomber). He not only mailed his bombs, but would also hand place them throughout the United States. In California Kaczynski hand placed a nail and splinter loaded bomb in a parking lot of a computer store.When it was touched, it exploded, killing the 38-year-old computer store owner (Unabomber). Theodore was not just a murder with no motive, he proclaimed that humans were ruining the world through technology (Kaczynski). After 17 years of his bombing campaign, he sent his 35,00 0-word essay â€Å"Industrial Society and Its Future†, abbreviated to â€Å"Unabomber Manifesto† to major media outlets around the U. S. (Unabomber). The essay called for a worldwide revolution against the effects of modern society's â€Å"industrial-technological system† (Kaczynski).He stated that â€Å"the Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race† (Kaczynski). Several months after the Unabomber Manifesto was printed on the Washington Post, Kaczinski's brother and wife recognized his brothers writing styles and beliefs and tipped off the police. FBI officers arrested Kaczynski on April 3rd, 1996, at his remote cabin in Lincoln, Montana. Theodore thinks of himself as perfectly sane, with justifiable reasons connected to his crimes (Kaczynski). Theodore Kaczynski was sentenced to eight life sentences in prison with no possibility of parole.

10 Tips to Avoid Getting Stung By a Bee

10 Tips to Avoid Getting Stung By a Bee Being stung by a bee or wasp is never fun, and for those with bee sting allergies, it can be downright deadly. Fortunately, most bee stings are entirely avoidable. Bees, wasps, and hornets sting primarily to defend themselves, so the key to avoiding bee stings is to make sure the bees dont feel threatened by you. 1. Dont Wear Perfumes or Colognes In other words, dont smell like a flower. Bees can detect and follow strong scents, and wearing perfumes or colognes will attract nectar-seeking bees and wasps from a distance. Once they find the source of the flower smell (you), theyre likely to investigate by landing on you or buzzing around your body. 2. Avoid Wearing Brightly Colored Clothing, Especially Floral Prints This goes along with #1 - dont look like a flower, either. Theres a reason beekeepers wear white. If youre wearing bright colors, you are just asking bees to land on you. Keep your outdoor wear limited to khaki, white, beige, or other light colors if you dont want to attract bees. 3. Be Careful What You Eat Outdoors Sugary foods and drinks will attract bees and wasps for sure. Before you take a sip of your soda, look inside the can or glass and make sure a wasp hasnt gone in for a taste. Fruits also attract the stinging crowd, so pay attention when snacking on ripe fruits outdoors. Dont leave your peach pits or orange peels sitting around. 4. Dont Walk Barefoot Bees may nectar on clover blossoms and other small flowers in your lawn and some wasps make their nests in the ground. If you step on or near a bee, its going to try to protect itself and sting you. But if youre wearing shoes, its only going to hurt itself, not you. 5. Try Not to Wear Loose-Fitting Clothes Bees and wasps might just find their way up your pant leg or into your shirt if you give them an easy opening. Once inside, they will be trapped against your skin. And whats your first impulse when you feel something crawling around inside your clothing? You slap at it, right? Thats a recipe for disaster. Opt for clothing with tighter cuffs, and keep baggy shirts tucked in. 6. Stay Still The worst thing you can do when a wasp flies around your head is swat at it. What would you do if someone took a swing at you? If a bee, wasp, or hornet comes near you, just take a deep breath and stay calm. Its just trying to determine if you are a flower or some other item useful to it, and once it realizes youre just a person, it will fly away. 7. Keep Your Car Windows Rolled Up Bees and wasps have an uncanny knack for getting themselves trapped in cars, where they will buzz around in a panic trying to find a way out. If youre driving the car at the time, this can certainly be unsettling. But wasps and bees cant get inside a car thats closed up, so keep the windows rolled up whenever possible. If you do find yourself giving a ride to an unwanted stinging insect, pull over when its safe to do so and roll your windows down. Dont try to swat at it while you are driving! 8. Rinse Your Garbage and Recycling Cans and Keep Lids on Them Wasps love empty soda and beer bottles and will check out any food waste in your garbage, too. Dont let food residue build up on your garbage cans. Rinse them well now and then, and always put tight-fitting lids on them to keep wasps away from your garbage. This can substantially cut down on the number of wasps hanging around your yard. 9. Dont Hang out in the Flower Garden If youre really worried about bee stings, dont hang out where the bees are most numerous. Bees spend most of their time and energy collecting nectar and pollen from flowers. Dont get in their way. If youre deadheading flowers or gathering them for an arrangement, keep an eye out for bees and wait until theyve moved on to another flower. 10. Call a Professional to Have Unwanted Bees, Wasps, or Hornets Removed Nothing makes a stinging insect angrier than when someone disturbs or destroys its home. Professional beekeepers or pest control experts can remove wasp or hornet nests or bee swarms safely, without putting you at risk for stings.

Example of Graduate School Admission Essay †Two Personal Accomplishments

Example of Graduate School Admission Essay – Two Personal Accomplishments Free Online Research Papers Example of Graduate School Admission Essay Two Personal Accomplishments Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial accomplishments to date (at least one must be professional), explaining why you view them as such. (400 words approx.) When I was working at PubliCARD, I was presented with the company Excellence Awarde after having led a corporate Web site project. A reputable Web site company had attempted the original project; however, after six months and several hundred thousands of dollars, the Web site remained unfinished.My emergency task was to design a completely new Web site with a modest budget within three weeks. I seized the opportunity in front of me, and PubliCARD successfully celebrated the launch of an enhanced Web site à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" on time and for only fifteen percent of the original budget. First of all, I was recognized at the end of the year and received a job promotion. Second, I took the initiative and responsibility of the project, organized a team, developed a plan, and managed the time available. Third, I was capable of delivering under pressure and making the best use of the resources on hand. Therefore, it was a project which meant a lot to me and the company at the time of execution. But most importantly, I was able to learn new skills and form new relationships which were significant when I founded my own company later on. A more personal and unforgettable accomplishment for me was the three months I traveled throughout Europe during the summer of 2001 with a friend. During these three months, we visited the following countries: France, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Greece, England and Romania. Everyday reserved a new experience being either about the place, someone else, or ourselves. We were able to not only see different cities, museums, monuments and shows, but also to get to know the people and their unique culture on each place. We had planned this trip for 2 years, thus the realization was definitely exciting. In addition, to be able to share such an adventure with a friend was priceless. We did not follow any itineraries, so we had the freedom to go anywhere and to spend as much time as we wished in each country. So, we really had the opportunity to understand and appreciate the different cultures of each country we visited. Another important fact was that my job provided me with a laptop computer to keep working remotely and I had a chance to meet with European customers as I traveled. Also, since I have family in Europe, this trip allowed me to spend time with many of my relatives and to build a closer relationship with them. I will forever keep the memories and experiences I had during these three months. For all these reasons, I consider this trip another highly in my life. Research Papers on Example of Graduate School Admission Essay - Two Personal AccomplishmentsThe Project Managment Office SystemLifes What IfsAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NicePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThe Spring and AutumnAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2

Week DQ 3 1-D Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week DQ 3 1-D - Essay Example While ratio have the benefit of being the pinnacle level of measurement, they cannot be used in every situation; for example, to contrast temperatures. This is because a 0Â °C is actually 32Â °F and not non-existent. The value of a zero is very important in ratio measurement, as it is the only major factor that distinguishes ratio from interval measurements (Marr, 2010, p. 78). It is because of this value of zero that enables the formation of a fraction based comparison amongst two values of a variable. The most common use of this is the analysis of the growth of a company as witnessed in various news channels, such as the growth of sales on a year on year basis or other fundamental analysis factors such as return on investments are measured through ratios (for example, the revenues in 2011 are twice as much as what they were in 2010). Thus, ratio measurements require a set of continuous data within which the disparity could be based on, time, demographics, or any other factor. But their should be no disparity in the type of variable. Most common forms of data that can be measured through ratios are annual results of a company (as discussed), statistical disparities amongst variables, census data, market research, fundamental analysis of companies, progress of scientific experiments, etc. Variables such as weight, speed, and distance could be measured through the use of

San Antonio (enviable AAA General Obligation Debt Bond Rating ) Case Study

San Antonio (enviable AAA General Obligation Debt Bond Rating ) - Case Study Example 6). These were validated by the statistics and patterns highlighted above. When compared to other common variables, as noted, San Antonio’s unemployment rate which was 7.4% was comparatively low in contrast to the unemployment rate exhibited by the whole of Texas (8.1%) and of the country, in general (8.8%). This is significant considering that, as reported, San Antonio is the only U.S. City with a population over one million to be given a ‘AAA’ bond rating by all three rating agencies. Further, their rating was likewise compared to the ratings generated by other municipalities, such as Columbus, Ohio and Kirkland, Washington; and the following highlights are noted: It is eminent therefore that rating agencies evaluate the credit ratings of municipalities based on the factors that were revealed. As disclosed by Moody’s, San Antonio’s rating could be changed to lower ratings when the following scenarios occur: â€Å"(1) failure to maintain balanced operations; (2) trend of declining reserves; (3) trend of significant taxable value loss indicating a weakening of economic position; and (4) change in the US rating that results in pressure on local Moodys Investors Services, Inc. "MOODYS ASSIGNS Aaa RATING TO CITY OF SAN ANTONIOS GENERAL IMPROVEMENT REFUNDING BONDS, SERIES 2012;." 26 March 2012. moodys.com. 27 April 2012