Steam Engine Essays - Piston Engines, Steam Engines, Compound Engine

Steam Engine The steam engine was an engine powered by steam. It provided an important source of power independently. The steam engine played a major role in manufacturing and transportation during the Industrial Revolution. The challenge of improving the steam engine was the beginning of the science of thermodynamics. The steam engine was a very important invention. ?Steam can be made at any time simply by boiling water, so it is more dependable than wind or water energy? (Norbeck 34-36). The heating and cooling of steam in cylinder causes pistons to move up and down. The simplest of a steam engine is used as a boiler. This was a common household heating system. The efficiency of the steam engine was very low; there fore they were later replaced by steam turbines. The first piston engine was invented in 1690 by a French inventor named Denis Papin and was used for pumping water. ?Why not find a way to use heat energy? (Garrat 12). It had a single cylinder that operated as a boiler; a small amount of water was added and heated to form steam. The steam raised the piston in the cylinder, after it was raised the heat was removed, the steam condensed and the air pressure on the upper side forced the piston down. In 1705 Thomas Newcomen invented the first practical steam engine. Steam operates the engine by a slide directing steam from on one side of the piston to the other. As the piston moves, the piston rod turns the flywheel half a turn. The steam engine doesn't create power, I t uses steam to change heat energy released by burning fuel into mechanical energy. Steam engines are considered to be external combustion engine because, the fuel is burned outside of the cylinders. An example of internal combustion engine is an automobile. The power is provided by the rapid burning of gasoline inside the cylinders, which is ignited by the spark plug. The explosion inside the cylinder wall causes the pistion to go down and turning a shaft. Thomas Newcomen invented the first steam engine in 1705 although it wasn't very efficient; it was used for pumping water for coal mines. James Watt improved Newcomen's engine in the 1760's. He produced the first type of double acting engine. ?One after another hand operations were replaced by machines? (Lipkin). In a compound engine, steam in high pressure is used in one cylinder and then, after it has expanded and lessened in pressure, it is piped to another cylinder, in which it expands further. The first compound engine used a two-cylinder type but later other types of compound engines used triple and even quadruple cylinders. The advantage of compounding two or more cylinders is that less energy is lost in heating the cylinder walls, as a result, the engine is more efficient. Further improvements to the steam engine lead to the uniflow engine. The piston itself is a valve, and the cylinder remains at a constant temperature while operating. In the uniflow engine steam moves in only one direction, it has two inlet ports and one outlet port. This was a large engine, and was used mainly in big operations; it also was a very expensive engine compared to other engines. This type of engine was a very efficient use of high-pressure steam. Steam turbines produce a rotary motion; it works the same way as a water turbine, except its energy comes from expanding steam. It turns a set of main rotating blades on a wheel. Steam turbines rotate very fast and have no vibrations, unlike the back and forth motion of pistons. Steam engines work great in steam ships, and electric power plants. The flywheel turns at the end of the piston shaft. It was made of heavy metal cast-iron, so it helped eliminate power surges to the generator and, also provides a uniform flow of power. Since the steam engine was invented we have came along way with engines. Now we are making power by nuclear power plants and things have become much more industrialized. We are always looking for new ideas and ways to improve energy efficiency. Science Essays

These Dark Satanic Mills Essay Example

These Dark Satanic Mills Essay Example These Dark Satanic Mills Essay These Dark Satanic Mills Essay In William Greider’s article These Dark Satanic Mills, the central story being tackled is the increasing complications the world is facing, seemingly tantamount to all the advances mankind has inflicted upon itself. And from a broader perspective, the much larger issues to which the article relates are the striking ironies that permeate almost all facets of everyday human life. The central story is the fallacy and absolute phoniness of the word globalization and the folly of global civilization. Stating an example from the article itself, for instance, the utmost concern for their children and the safety of their toys of virtually all parents in the world possesses an underlying irony – little do they know that the manufacturers of those toys they suspect the safety of face even more grave hazards, and it need not be elaborated where the factories are and how young the workers are, in the most depressed nations of the world where child labor is somewhat perceived as the most natural thing (Greider 329). This is an example of the sheer irony aggravated by subtle ignorance which penetrates all corners of the world today. The turning of a blind eye on the real underlying reasons behind apparently benevolent things comprise the entirety of the central story of the article, and this flaw can be easily translated into more understandable word, and one of t hose words is hypocrisy, hypocrisy both of the governments and of the peoples. It is as if globalization does not work the way mankind had envisioned it a century ago. This is so because of the implications of the utter ambitions of nations and the world’s populace to make the world a smaller place, a global community where all differences of people can be changed; but was exacerbated because of the miscalculation of the probable consequences and the hastening of the process. The larger issue is the backpedaling progress of the world as a result of the decline in morality and the simultaneous plunging of regard for the essence of life. If only mankind had anticipated the maladies of today, then technology, capitalism, politics and economics would not be as advanced to the extent that nowadays they create chaos more than they inject goodwill and benevolence; but the opposite had already occurred. If only man had not been so blessed with so much genius then life today is modern but not that complicated. And upon this comes the issue of the nature of man; in spite of his genius, there still are people who are blessed with the eerie ability to propagate evil and make blossom the ills of the world. Lest man has forgotten, great responsibility comes with great power, and by that adage, it need not be disputed that man carries the sole responsibility for the implications of his creations. If only man was innately good, then these problems would not have risen. B ut that is the main irresolvable malady: the enemy of man is himself and the bitterest adversaries of his morality are his greed and his insatiability, all the facets of amorality. If this can not be evaded, the world indeed is a giant satanic mill, so to speak. Unless man sees even at least the tip of the tail of his adversary, which is the evil side of himself, this misfortune in which the world is immersed would go on perpetually and be only aggravated by the further advancement of the quality of human life. One of the insinuations of Greider’s in one of his transcribed cases is the global boycott of a particular venture (Greider 334). On a larger scale, yes, that is definitely true, for no number of economic, political and moral policies could ever live up to those function unless those creating them do not look at themselves and ask whether they are for the good of the people, nothing more and nothing less.

The Impact of the Subprime Mortgage Crisis on the UK Economy Literature review

The Impact of the Subprime Mortgage Crisis on the UK Economy - Literature review Example The huge amount of non-conventional mortgages has deepened the existing housing market slump. The subprime mortgage crisis has already influenced the overall economy. The fall in home demand as well as the subsequent increase in home inventories has places the housing construction business into a decline (Taylor, 2009, p. 78). Housing began to drop 45 percent during the past 2 years, in accordance with the Commerce division, and fresh home sales plunged 36 percent, driving fresh home inventories to more than 450,000. This drop in fresh residential construction cut 2 percent GDP growth during the fourth quarter of 2011, and it is doing the same in the first half of 2012. However, the housing market influences more than simply the housing construction division of the financial system. Rising and falling home costs in the past couple of years generated huge capital benefits for households, which produced a sturdy wealth outcome for consumer expenditure and facilitated in decreasing the national investments rate (Morgenson and Rosner, 2011, p. 103). From 2008, the standard annual growth rate of actual buyer expenditure was a sturdy 4 percent, with buyer durable expenditure going up to 6 percent per annum. In view of the fact that personal spending costs creates over 80 percent of the entire economy, increasing home costs were a main medium for general financial development. Increasing home costs were as well a contributing aspect to the almost negative UK household investments rate during the last two years. If countrywide home costs drop by 6 percent during 2012, a negative capital effect will reduce utilization costs, boost the national investments rate and lessen economic movement. Policies have stepped in to try to mitigate the economic blow of the subprime mortgage crisis and the weakening housing division. A wide range of suggestions have been established and / or implemented. Some of these are particularly significant (McLean and Nocera, 2011, p. 132). Recen tly, government help thousands of individuals by refinancing their mortgages. With this initiative, more or less 75,000 borrowers will be directly affected. Whereas this will facilitate to hold back the existing sub-prime mortgage market crisis, a large majority believe that a much more extensive reaction is required and that this is an insufficient effort at facilitating the people. This issue is important to global political economy, as the management’s treatment of the crisis will begin to come under better inspection because of uncertain sub-prime loans that have been prepared during the past two years rearranging to their higher interest rates. This will carry on to be a concern because supported by the data from the credit union, there are more or less 4 million citizens with outstanding sub-prime mortgages along with about 1.5 million borrowers are following their loans, with more than 2 million maybe dealing with foreclosure within the subsequent two years. Because of the existing situation of the subprime mortgage crisis, the UK pound has declined against other currencies during the last few months (Forrest and Yip, 2011, p. 193). This is important because, now, the outcomes of this crisis are gradually being felt overseas. For instance, in the US, the Euro has naturally appreciated against the dollar because of the dollar’s decline. â€Å"At first glance, this would not typically send up any type of red flag for investors in the UK, but when examined more

Five Entries in an Activist Diary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Five Entries in an Activist Diary - Assignment Example The flamenco flash mobs in Spain became too successful that such protests occurred similarly in London and in the St Georg’s Square. The flamenco flash mobs protest in Spain was being facilitated by central bank’s crisis (Daph, 2013; pg. 01). Other political art forms that facilitated the protest is then flight in Spain including the Barcelona’s hands project that involved the use of the plastics that were scattered across the city. This protect is considered democratic since the relevant authorities never interfered with the protest that is addressing the current concerns of the common people. It should be noted that is protest was facilitated by marginalization and economic crisis in Spain. The Tahrir Square Like any protest in Egypt, the Tahrir square protest was an aftermath of the 2011 protest of anti Hosni Mubarak’s leadership. The protestors in this riot were Muslims who demonstrated in the commemoration of forty-two protestors who were killed in op posing the government that was in power after the downfall of Mubarak (El Deeb and Gabriel, 2013; Pg. 01). Notably, this is an activism democratic protest since it was facilitated by the fall of other protestors. The protestors felt that some people had betrayed the spirit of their 2011 revolution; thus, they wanted that spirit honored.

Managing strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 2

Managing strategy - Essay Example The company’s maximum revenue is earned from the domestic streaming services, which accounts for $2.75 billion of revenue generation. Netflix is dominant in the American market, which generates almost 84% of its revenue (Marketline, 2014). This paper discusses the external and internal environment of Netflix, using theoretical models like PESTLE framework, porter’s five forces, VRIN framework, Value chain model etc. This is followed by the discussion of the challenges faced by Netflix along with the vantage point which the company has leveraged. The paper further discusses about the company’s strategic growth options which have been justified in the light of relevant facts and theories. Finally the paper will conclude with the summary of the major findings from the study, followed by recommendation on the chosen strategic decisions. Political influence: Netflix operates in the movie streaming and DVD rental business, which is rarely affected by the political scenario of a region. However, the political framework can impose certain regulations and ban particular movies with controversial content. Movies with political storyline often bring controversies and are eventually banned in several countries, which affect the business of Netflix. Economic influence: The economic condition of a region highly influences the business operation of a firm. The movie steaming and rental business is highly dependent on the disposable income of the consumers. Moreover, movies are considered to be leisure products and a customer will spend on watching movies only when his disposable income is in and above satisfactory level. The economic crisis of 2012 has impacted the sales of Netflix significantly as it has reduced the number of viewership and subscriptions (Li, 2013). Moreover, the economic crisis has also led to lower number of film productions. Social:

I Have a Dream

I Have a Dream Speech of Heart: a personal response to â€Å"I Have a Dream†. America was built by the people who were searching for freedom and equality; they met in a new land and started to build it as a land of freedom. Ironically, over 100 years after the Independence Day of America, freedom and equality were still unattainable luxury for many people, especially people from different races than white. Non-white Americans had to suffer through racial injustice and discrimination. One of the greatest activists who fought against those inequalities was Martin Luther King Jr. In his momentous speech, â€Å"I have a dream†, King called for racial equality and the end of discrimination. The speech consolidates my belief that people from different races have the right to be treated equally. It also reminds me how hard it was to gain freedom and justice, and encourages me to stand up and make dreams come true. With allusions invoked from widely respected sources as Bible, the United States Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the United States Constitution, King described how disappointed his fellow blacks were when the government broke their promises by giving his fellow a â€Å"bad check†. The blacks suffered numerous inequalities; they had to drink â€Å"from the cup of the bitterness and hatred†. The inequality was not even covered up; there were buildings with â€Å"For Whites Only† signs including the voting places. But King still believed in justice, believed in his â€Å"dream†: â€Å"we are free at last†. He was not dreaming for African American only, he dreamed for a world of equality, a world where people from different races are treated equally. The American government also contributed to disappoint their black citizens by breaking their promises, which also disappoints me. After the declaration of the Emancipation Proclamation, the blacks expected that the Government would do what they promised: providing the â€Å"unalienable Rights† of â€Å"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness†. But then, the Government exposed their unreliability giving to their black brothers a â€Å"bad check†, they left their citizens â€Å"lives on a lonely island of poverty†. In my opinion, Government is the organization that supposed to archive what it promised but in this situation, they lured African Americans to join their army with the promise of freedom and wealthy then leave them with poverty after the war. I could barely hold my anger when I know that the American government had treated non-white Americans as they were not official Americans. I feel so depressed when I listen to the first part of Kings speech about the unfairness that the blacks had to struggle with before they gained their civil rights. â€Å"Five score years† after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, the African-Americans still were segregated. Although they were considered American citizens on paper, they were not treated as such. Despite the fact that there was no longer slavery, blacks were still treated as inferior; they were not allowed to vote, they were not allowed to go to places specifically designated as â€Å"For White Only†, and they were even absurdly prohibited from sitting at the front rows on buses. I cannot accept the way that some Americans treated their black brothers and sisters back then, it was racism. It is so bad knowing that black people were treated as even lower than the lowest class in American society. I am impressed and encouraged by Kings strong belief in justice and his disregard for his situation. King said â€Å"we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt†, â€Å"we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal†. They did not just dream, they were ready to fight for what they believed, King described their willing by this say â€Å"to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day†. Those quotes emphasize that despite all the unfairness that they had to suffer through, the bad treatments from their white brothers and the lies from their government, they still believed in justice and wanted to â€Å"make justice a reality†. I admire the blacks; they kept their belief and fought for it no matter what obstacle they might encounter. The speech alarms me that believing and doing must go together in order to archive a goal. Another detail that makes me admire King is that he had led his fellows on a peaceful-war. He suggested that his followers should not use â€Å"physical violence† in their battle because he understood that he was fighting for peace and peace cannot be created by hurting the others. And he also said â€Å"we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force†. Although he was bursting to gain freedom and racial equality for his race, he tried his best to avoid any physical conflict. I am inspired by the dream of King, a world of equality, brotherhood and freedom. In that world, everyone can â€Å"be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood† no matter what color they are, no matter where they are from. People will erase all of the bad memory of slavery and injustice, they will not think about themselves as superior or inferior. In that world, people will be treated equally and â€Å"not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character†. There will be no barriers between religions and races â€Å"black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands†. The world in Kings dream inspires me with its beauty, there is no such thing more beautiful than an equal, happy and peaceful world. Through the speech, I was touched by the great love of King for his nation. That love was first showed in his care for his fellow blacks, an indispensable part of America. Besides that, he had implied his patriotism through his speech â€Å"this nation will rise up†, he wanted to â€Å"transform†¦ our nation in to a beautiful symphony of brotherhood†. He does not just love and care about his followers but also care about and love his white bothers â€Å"Their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom†. It is a great love of a patriot for his country and its citizens. In my opinion, King was willing to fight for his country, which is what makes him unforgettable in hearts of Americans. The speech was delivered from the heart of a man who was willing to exchange anything he had for freedom and civil right for his country. His persistence has inspired me; it makes me want to stand up for my dreams and my rights. It also makes me appreciate the freedom that I have because I know to create it; many people had sacrificed even their lives. Kings works have been continued by many activists, he would love it if he could see that.

Wal-Mart Supply Chain Management Essay -- Wal-Mart Logistics

Retail super-giant Wal-Mart has fought its way to becoming the world's largest company. Much of their success can be attributed to providing a vast assortment of products at exceptional prices all under one roof. Wal-Mart began operations in 1964 and has since become the world leader in retail. Today, Wal-Mart is visited by 138 million customers per week at their 4,750 stores. Wal-Mart operates under four basic rules in order to satisfy such a large number of customers: Respect the individual, provide the best service to their customers, strive for excellence, and exceed customer expectations. Their corporate mission focuses on a global growth strategy through concentrated integration. The company continues to expand its existing discount stores, warehouses, and super-centers. The company maintains two goals: First, Provide the customer with what they want, when they want it, all at value and secondly, team spirit through total dependency on associates to treat customers as they would want to be treated. Their business strategy is to provide well-known name brands at an everyday low price. Wal-Mart has a wide range of products offered. They offer everything from electronics, movies, books, toys, games, gardening supplies, home supplies, photo development, gifts, jewelry, and at some locations even automobile, optometry, and grocery shopping centers. In operating its network of retail stores Wal-Mart pushes their output to the general public. Wal-Mart focuses their competitive priorities on bringing the customer the lowest prices by selling in volume. The vast size and selection essentially guarantees that the store will have what the customer wants in stock and at a cheaper price than competitors. This strategy allows them to outsell their competition. In order to facilitate the achievement of their goals Wal-Mart has designed their layout to accommodate a large number of shoppers at the same time. They build expansive stores with wide aisles so that many people can feel comfortable shopping at the same time. Wal-Mart has taken the initiative to build stores in countless rural towns and smaller cities. They have increased their market share and have gained a reputable name by doing so. At the same time, this benefit has created an enormous supply chain management problem. How can Wal-Mart effectively keep all of its... ...y at creating an efficient supply chain in order to beat the competition on price and selection has certainly paid off. Works Cited Bacheldor, Beth. Information Week. ?Sen. Leahy Calls On Congress to Study RFID.? Accessed 4/30/04. http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?ArticleID=18402616 Beatty, Vernon L., Jr. ?You Gonna Be a Greeter Accessed 4/30/04. http://www.almc.army.mil/alog/issues/janfeb97/ms046.htm. Bianco, Anthony and Zellner, Wendy. Business Week. ?Is Wal-Mart Too Powerful Accesed 5/3/04. http://www.businessweek.com/maganize/content/03_04/b3852001_mz001.htm ?Carrers.? Wal-Mart. Accessed 4/30/04. http://www.walmartstores.com/wmstores/wmstores. Fishman, Charles. Fast Company. ?The Wal-Mart You Don?t Know.? Accessed 5/2/04. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html Heizer, Jay and Render, Barry. Operations Management. Seventh Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall. New Jersey, 2004. ?Stauffer v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.? US Department of Labor. Accessed 4/30/04. http://www.oalj.dol.gov/public/wblower/decsn/99sta21c.htm ?Wal-Mart Effect? Accessed 5/3/04. http://www.wordspy.com/words/Wal-Marteffect.asp.