Investigate the root causes of major Engineering disasters that have Essay

Investigate the root causes of major Engineering disasters that have occurred since 1800 - Essay Example In engineering, most disasters that have occurred portray a possibility of overlooking one or more provisions of safety with some being caused by poor decision-making and ignorance. The Chernobyl Power plant disaster The Chernobyl Nuclear power plant disaster of April 26, 1986 although blamed on negligence on the part of operators had some engineering aspects that could have contributed in the disaster, in addition to the operation negligence. The Chernobyl plant used RBMK reactors that have been blamed for a number of negative features that may compromise the safety of the reactors and their operations. The RBMK reactors have neutron fields with high sensitivity levels towards movement of control rods, which results from having a high number of absorbers in the reactor core aimed at compensating for any extra reactivity (Malko, 1991). When some absorbers are withdrawn, especially affecting most of the absorbers in the peripheral zones, there results a local criticality. Moreover, RB MK reactors involve occurrence of huge positive reactivity that leads to a reduction of the period required to achieve stabilization of the power produced at the core to about 3 minutes (Medvedev, 1990). These factors make operations of a RBMK reactor problematic and uncertain in maintaining the safety of the reactor. Frankel (2010) observed that the Chernobyl reactor was designed to use graphite moderators that were typically unsafe, in addition to use of graphite rods. As a result, any possible loss of water in such a RBMK reactor posed great danger. Contrary to the operations of Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR), any water that circulates in the pipe network is only required to serve the purpose of cooling the reactor core only and not to moderate the core and cool it (Frankel, 2010). In PWR reactor cores, removal of the core cooling water would cause the entire chain reaction to abort. However in an RBMK-0100 reactor such as the one used in Chernobyl, in case water is lost due to closure of the supplying pumps as was the case, the graphite moderating rods continue to propagate and facilitate nuclear chain reactions (Frankel, 2010). Such mechanism, when considered alongside the loss of cooling water in the nuclear reactor core, would lead to overheating of the core in the shortest time possible. In such a case, the event of a core meltdown becomes the only possible event. In addition, in the Chernobyl RBMK reactors, the control rods were not designed as drastic safety features. Control rods are necessary for absorbing neutrons towards reducing or stopping chain reactions from taking place. However, in the Chernobyl RBMK reactors, control rods required about 20 seconds to reach the bottom of the core from their highest position (Medvedev, 1991). This was contrary to modern reactors that have well designed control rods, which  require one second or less, to reach the core of a nuclear reactor stopping any chain reaction. Therefore, in Chernobyl nuclear react or, the design and engineering of the entire core overlooked key safety mechanisms that could have prevented possible meltdown. The result of overlooking these safety considerations was the 1986 disaster. This was

American Criminal Justice and Terrorists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American Criminal Justice and Terrorists - Essay Example This has gathered momentum and sanctity after the declaration of the global war against terror. The law does not allow physical power to force a terrorist to give out the secrets that he or she might be withholding. Whether it is the special purpose jails like Guantanamo Bay in Cuba or some many others elsewhere, it has been held invalid by various courts simply because no charges were filed on many of them. If the cases were to go to Military tribunals, violence could become the way of life. On 29 June 2006, the US Supreme Court4 ruled that the Guantanamo prisoners can not be tried by military tribunals. This was a land mark judgment and a major setback to the Bush Government. This also upholds the fact that the courts are having a different idea when it comes to trying the terrorists or as the US Government calls them, 'unlawful combatants'. And the courts find it 'hurting their conscience' when confessions are taken from people unethically, using torture which is either locally manufactured or outsourced.

To what extent is Wordsworth a typical romantic Essay

To what extent is Wordsworth a typical romantic - Essay Example The Romantic Period’s exact origin could not be exactly identified by Lomard, but she averred that it ended in 1837, only 13 years before Wordsworth died. It can be clearly deduced that Wordsworth was a literary poet during the Romantic period: â€Å"a movement that championed imagination and emotions as more powerful than reason and systematic thinking† (Cummings, 2008).  The topics for his poetry were diverse, but the Poet Hunter site (n.d.) described the universal appeal of Wordsworth’s peoms through the poet’s own words of what the role of poetry was to him: â€Å"what he called "the most philosophical of all writing" whose object is "truth...carried alive into the heart by passion" (Poet Hunter, par. 5).  Through his own perception and the value by which he defined poetry, Wordsworth was a true romantic. Technically, a romantic is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as â€Å"marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of what is heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious, or idealize† (par.   4). All the characteristics and traits depicted in the definition are manifested by Wordsworth.In the poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, the poet expressed admiration for the beauty and radiant colors of daffodils, especially from afar. The simplicity and effective description of Wordsworth using imagination, metaphors and other figures of speech were eminent. There was also the element of alliteration when Wordsworth wrote: â€Å"Beside the lake, beneath the trees† (Literature Network: I Wandered, par. 1).... There was simile as the narrator compared his solitary stance to a cloud – far and distant but overseeing. There was personification as the narrator depicted the cloud’s similarity to a human being (through the title of the poem); and the daffodils were compared to a crowd: â€Å"When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils† (Literature Network: I Wandered, par. 1). There was also the element of alliteration when Wordsworth wrote: â€Å"Beside the lake, beneath the trees† (Literature Network: I Wandered, par. 1). There was a formed pattern and structure: four stanzas of six lines each; and rhyme: the first line rhymes with the third and the second with the fourth. As interpreted by Cummings (2008), â€Å"Wordsworth unifies the content of the poem by focusing the first three stanzas on the experience at the lake and the last stanza on the memory of that experience† (par. 13). The profound themes focused on the beauty of nature through flowers that grow in multitude, radiant by the sea side. Further, in one’s solitude, one gets the chance to reflect on the beauty that abounds in the natural environment. Sometimes, it takes being alone to truly appreciate the beauty around us. This poem truly manifests Wordsworth as a romantic in expressing his imagination and emotions through the beauty of nature. There is the sense of romantic appeal in expressing delight and adoration for natural beauty in simple things that people could normally forget to truly appreciate. The poem Anecdote for Fathers, Wordsworth clearly manifested his being a romantic through the bonding shared between father and son. The poem shows a defined structure with 15 stanzas and four lines each. Syllabication

The History and the Future of GPS Research Paper

The History and the Future of GPS - Research Paper Example The GPS IIF is the expanded version of GPS IIR (M) which will be consisting of 12 satellites altogether the third of which is launched in the current year. Another series of GPS Block III is under development process which would be able to give more powerful signals and better (PNT). The Global Positioning System provides information related to time and location. It is a satellite navigation system which works well in all weather conditions on and close to the earth (Global Positioning System). It is owned and maintained by the United States of America and serves in the PNT i.e. positioning, navigation and timing. GPS has played vital role in modernizing the Air Traffic System and it has benefitted the military, army, civil and commercial users all around the world. The whole system is basically divided into three major segments including Space segment, Control segment and User segment. The first two are developed and operated by the US Air Force (GPS overview). The space segment con sists of a group of satellites which form a particular shape in the space and transmit radio signals to the users. At least 24 satellites are available in the space 95% of the time (Space segment). The control segment represents all the ground facilities that monitor the satellites, analyze their data and keep a check on their performance (control segment). The user segment is used to calculate the user’s three dimensional position and time by GPS receiver equipment which receives the information from the satellites and transmit it to the GPS receiver device (user segment). HISTORICAL CONTEXT GPS was developed by the US Department of Defense (DoD) and started its operations in 1994. The previous navigation systems had some limitations and drawbacks which actually gave rise to the creation of GPS. The project was developed in 1973 by the unification of ideas from the previously working navigation systems (National Research Council U.S.). Originally it ran with 24 satellites. T he first experimental GPS I satellite was launched in 1978 and by 1985 ten more satellites were launched. GPS was widely used in the Gulf War of 1990-91 (The Global Positioning System: Assessing National Policies ). In 1993, GPS had the initial operational capability (IOC) and was proving the Standard Positioning Service (SPS). In 1995, full operational capability was declared to the GPS since Precise Positioning Service was fully available. GPS III was launched in 1998 later in 2005 the modernized version of GPS was launched with civilian signal (L2C). In 2010, software incompatibility was caused because of the ground control system (ELLIOTT). On October 12, 2012 the GPS IIF-3 was launched. Satellite Orbits Each satellite completes the circle of the earth in 12 hours i.e. twice in a day. It flies in the middle Earth orbit (MEO). The satellites are arranged in 24-slot arrangement in a way that they can be viewed from anywhere on the earth. Normally 24 satellites keep on flying in th e space monitored by the Air Force. In 2011, the 24-slot arrangement was modified to 27-slot arrangement which increased the coverage efficiency of GPS (Space segment). Applications of GPS There are various applications of GPS in the civil and military sectors. Apart from them it is also used in hundreds of apps in cell phones, wristwatches, shipping containers and ATM’s hence it has become an important part of the space infrastructure.

Commercial Contracts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Commercial Contracts - Essay Example This paper examines two approaches for interpreting commercial contracts in courts of law. The paper assesses the literal and purposive approach to examining and interpreting contracts in courts of law. The paper will assess the advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches and come up with a conclusion on the subject and the evolution process. Literal Approach In commercial contracts, the parties come up with their own terms for the exchange of consideration between them. As such, they write down the terms and conditions for the exchange of consideration. According to Lord Staughton, where there is a dispute in such a contract, the court needs to detect the meaning of the terms and this is a question of law for the judge and not a question of fact for the jury4. Hence, the Judge presiding over the case needs to use an approach to ascertain the facts and what the parties in the contract meant in order to resolve the issue at hand. In the past, most courts used the literal approa ch, this is steeped in the objective approach to the interpretation of contracts5. This is based on the premise that â€Å"... the intentions in the heart of a person is not in man's ability to judge, but change caused by reason of the promise†6. Traditionally, the law of contract is based on negotiations and the promises that were exchanged during negotiations. Also, some of the core maxims of the law of contract made it difficult for the judges to use any other methodology than the literal approach. For instant, English law states that consideration must be sufficient and not adequate. This therefore means that the doctrine of â€Å"caveat emptor†, which requires the parties entering a contract to be careful, will act as an estoppel to prevent judges from interpreting the law in any system or structure that would support an attempt to assess intent. Strictly speaking, the objective approach should be the basis for the interpretation of contracts even if it causes ser ious hardships for one of the parties. In the case of Arcos Ltd V E. A. Romaasen and Sons7, it was held that any express term that is breached in contract renders it null and void. This is because the express terms often form conditions and these conditions must be discharged, otherwise the aggrieved party gets the right to back out of the contract. In Bunge Corporation V Tradax SA8, there was a contract for the mercantile supply of goods. Clause 7 of the contract gave one of the parties the right to terminate the contact if there was a delay. Lord Wilberforce held that time was of the essence in the contract and in the mercantile industry, time lapses were severe enough to merit a cancellation of an entire contract. Lord Scarman and Lord Roskill concurred. Some judges like Lord Staughton hold the view that the court needs to be very careful not to overlook the original terms of the contract to apply new interpretations9. This means that the literal approach is the default Common La w approach to cases relating to the law of contract. Purposive Approach In Codelfa V State Rail Authority10, Lord Brennan stated that â€Å"the symbols of language convey meaning according to the circumstances in which they were used†. This therefore means that words in itself are meaningless and the literal application of such words might be devoid of the bigger picture and have some limitations. As such, a Judge will need to use a purposive approach to integrate the context,

Summery for research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summery for - Research Paper Example Promotions would also be done online utilizing social websites including Etsy. However, the project is risky as is characteristic of all business ventures but several strategies will be put in place to ensure success of the company. The industry is going to majorly focus on women clothing designs and will invest on the production of customized t-shirts. This allows the women opportunity to choose their sizes as well as designs. Women are also targeted on the basis that they are the household spenders on clothing. The company is going to be both a retailer as well as a manufacturer. As such, the company will be engaged in taking order from the clients, creating the shorts and selling them to the customers. In connection to the above, there will be a supplier to furnish the industry with the materials necessary. The difference between this company and others is that most clothing companies do not offer customized shirts and do not operate online. Our company will offer customized shirts and will mostly be an online company. The company will employ the services of several personnel to ensure effective management. These will include the manager, three painters, in-store retail employee as well as a book keeper. The manager will be an expert in Business administration. The painters will be equipped with artworks and design skills and the bookkeeper will be will be expected to have finance and high level accounting to effectively execute his duties. The business will be licensed under H.P.T-shirt Company. The total start-up cost for the venture is estimated to be $35,000. This is expected to demand a total financing of approximately $85000. The projected Forma income statement for the first time is estimated at $22,000. The second year is expected to realize a profit of $7250 and the third year $24,720. Both the total assets as well as liabilities and capital for the company is estimated to be worth a total of $7000, $20400

Brand Values Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Brand Values - Essay Example The menu does differ country to country according to the tastes, culture, want and demands of the people. Around 20% of the restaurants are owned operated by KFC Corporation itself while the rest have all been off as franchises around the world. Based in Kentucky, KFC makes more than half its profits from international franchises and its largest division is in China having about 1700 outlets. KFC is division of the global fast-food franchiser YUM! which is the world’s largest restaurant companies in terms of system restaurants (Scribd, 2009). The last decade was when KFC realized the extent to which the international market was contributing to its huge success. Between 1988 and 1992, the companies profits and sales from the international arena nearly doubled, particularly in Asia where from 1993, KFC outlets were growing at 30% a year. Delivery, drive-through, carryout, and supermarket kiosks were all used to gain orders and customers around the world (WikiInvest, 2009). The market in China continued to expand and by 2001, KFC was the most recognized brand in China with over a 500 outlets there. By 2006, the number of outlets rose to 1700 in China. In the year 2000, it was proclaimed the world’s largest Fried Chicken Corporation and third largest fast-food chain. Profits and sales were often seen growing at 25% in some quarters while in others they remained highly competitive relative to the rival fast-food chains. KFC generally faces direct competition from chicken chains but it ranges greatly from prices to product features and even advertising. The major competitors of KFC are McDonalds Corporation, Burger King, Popeye’s Chicken and Biscuits and Faircloth Food Services Inc. KFC has a very long history of over 50 years in as the most recognizable brand in chicken. It is indeed the leader in chicken thanks to KFC’s secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices