Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Correlational results Essay Example for Free

Correlational results Essay The correlation results show that patronage of Body Shop products because of their being environment friendly is significantly correlated with their being a socially responsible company. This means that patronage of Body Shop products increases as well with positive perceptions of their company as being socially responsible. Moreover, such patronage is also positively and significantly correlated with their expressed support for companies that espouse care for the environment. None of the statements were significantly related to overall satisfaction of Body Shop products, which suggests that there are other determinants of satisfaction apart from espousing environment friendliness and corporate social responsibility. Clearly, based on Schaper’s (2005) nomenclature, Body Shop is a green-green company which deliberately has an environmental vision. He asserts that a true double green company does not exist because it is what experts call the perfect model of what an environmental company should be. He also has cited Body Shop as an epitome of this category, which ecocopreneur Anita Roddick has deliberatly pushed towards a strong environmental thrust. She did not merely intend to make profits but also wanted to have environmentalism as a core value. Moreover, she was successful at reinventing the cosmetics industry into something that conveyed honesty, altruism and environmental stewardship, in stark contrast with its cheating nature (Schaper 2005). Thus, everything about the company espoused this core value. Clearly, the growth of the company was a consequence of Anita Roddick’s social vision. Moreover, there has been a rising trend of consumers who look for merchandise and services that work toward saving the planet and its resources, which has made Body Shop extremely popular and successful (Schaper 2005). To this day, the company continues to espouse the same values. In fact, changes in store at the end of August Customers will showcase the same values that reflect its socially responsible nature, including its environmental, human rights, anti-animal cruelty and community-trade credentials. These are thrusts which they have been pursuing for the past three decades and they intend to influence patrons to be crusaders of the same noble goals. With the death of their founder Anita Roddick, they intend to pursue the same goals of avoidance of testing on animals, utilization of recycled plastic bottles and encouragement of community trade to in developing countries, buying plant-based oils, essences and other ingredients from communities in developing countries (Mah 2008). While the company remains to be competitive, they have to struggle to compete against numerous competitors who just go along with the green bandwagon in the cosmetics industry. They compete with retailers like Lush, Bath Body Works and even companies like bleach-maker Clorox who green washed its image by merging with Burts Bees toiletries company (Mah 2008). The results show that Body Shop has met all its patrons’ expectations except for competitive price of the product; trendiness or fashion sense represented by the product; and the sales promotions used for the product. Moreover, it has been found that patronage of the products of Body Shop is significantly correlated with their being a socially responsible company. This means that patronage of Body Shop products increases as well with positive perceptions of their company as being socially responsible. In addition, such patronage is also positively and significantly correlated with their expressed support for companies that espouse care for the environment. However,   none of the statements were associated with overall satisfaction of Body Shop products, which suggests that there are other determinants of satisfaction aside from being an environmentally friendly and socially responsible company. Chapter 5 Conclusion and Recommendations 5. 1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Introduction This chapter shall present succintly the conclusions which have been garnered from the current research. Following this are some recommendations for the company and for future research. 5. 2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion. The following are the conclusions yielded from the present study: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Body Shop has exceeded patrons expectations on the following factors which affect cosmetic buying choice: quality of the products, the customer service of the store personnel; the variety of product offerings in the store; the convenience of going to the store location; attractiveness of the packaging; the degree to which the product espouses â€Å"natural† rather than artificial; the values espoused by the company who sells the product. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Body Shop has matched patrons’ expectations on the following factors which affect cosmetic buying choice: brand; the degree to which the product is environment friendly; and positive feedback garnered from significant others. 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Body Shop, on the contrary, did not meet patrons expectations on the following factors that affect patrons’ cosmetic buying choice:   competitive price of the product; trendiness or fashion sense represented by the product; and the sales promotions used for the product. 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The correlation results show that patronage of Body Shop products because of their being environment friendly is significantly correlated with their being a socially responsible company. In addition, such patronage is also positively and significantly correlated with their expressed support for companies that espouse care for the environment. None of the statements were significantly related to overall satisfaction of Body Shop products. 5. 3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Recommendations. The following recommendations are put forth from the results of the present study: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Body Shop should continue to leverage on its exceptional image, both as a corporation and as an employer. Its brand of being an environmentally conscious and socially responsible company is indeed very strong even after the death of its founder. This is a facet that it must carefully preserve for increased competitiveness. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The company should look into the factors that have not met the expectations of its patrons, namely price, trendiness, and promotions. It must continuously look for innovative ways of making patrons see the value of paying a premium for natural products, especially now that consumers are becoming increasingly cost conscious. The respondents are very young, and thus are always in pursuit of something novel –this is something that Body Shop must be keen about. 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Future researchers may use more complex research designs to ascertain the other correlates of satisfaction with cosmetic products. They may integrate more variables for study, using analysis of variance, factor analysis, or path analytic approaches for a more profound understanding of the topic. 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The same study may be replicated in other settings, to determine if culture has some influence on choice of cosmetic products. References As An Employer (2008) [Online] Available at http://www. loreal. com/_en/_ww/disability/our-company/as-an-employer. aspx [Accessed 10 August 2008] Avoncosmeticsnug (2007) A Brief History of Cosmetics [Online] Available at http://avoncosmeticsnug. wordpress. com/2007/12/31/a-brief-history-of-cosmetics/ [Accessed 7 August 2008] Booth, R. (2006) Activists call Body Shop Boycott. [Online] Available at: http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/2006/mar/17/retail.animalrights [Accessed 14 August 2008] Bowens J. , Kotler P. , Makens J. (2008) Consumer Markets and Consumer Buying Behavior, Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, NJ Boyd, L. (2008) Brief History of Beauty and Hygiene Products [Online] Available at http://library. duke. edu/digitalcollections/adaccess/cosmetics. html [Accessed on 7 August 2008] Bryman, A. (1992) Reasearch Methods and Organisation Studies. London, Routledge. Bushman, B. J. (1993) Whats in a Name? The Moderating Role of Public Self Consciousness on the Relation Between Brand Label and Brand Preference. Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 78, no. 5, pp. 857-861. net/compass/compass_1996/reg/suzuki_noriko. htm [Accessed 14  August  2008] Tips. Net (n. d. ). Choosing the Right Cosmetics. [Online] Available at: http://beauty. tips. net/Pages/T0009_Choosing_the_Right_Cosmetics. html [Accessed 14 August 2008] VersantWorks (2008) Your Employer Brand [Online] Available at  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://explanation-guide. info/meaning/Employer-branding. html [Accessed on 10 August 2008] Webb-Campbell, S (2008). Thank You for Being a Friend The Body Shop. [Online] Available at http://www. thecoast. ca/Blog-3862. 113118-4126. 113118-p19579. 113118-Entry. html [Accessed 13 August 2008] Appendix A – Survey Questionnaire.

Monday, August 5, 2019

Open Loop Control Method For Conveyor Belt Transmission Engineering Essay

Open Loop Control Method For Conveyor Belt Transmission Engineering Essay Before the advent of modern automation techniques, factory workers often had to travel from project to project. The cumulative effect of all this physical motion was additional stress and inefficient use of the workers time. The development of conveyor belts allowed the project to come to the worker, instead of the worker to the project. Parts could then be transported by other conveyor belts to additional workers, and eventually to the shipping docks for delivery. Many conveyor belts work on the principle of variable speed control. If a particular belt moves too slowly, workers may find themselves waiting for parts. If a conveyor belt moves too quickly, parts may be damaged or workers may become overwhelmed. Much of a factory supervisors time is spent adjusting conveyor belts for maximum efficiency. This is especially important in food production factories, where conveyor belt speed and proper cooking time work hand in hand. Project objectives Modeling of a open-loop control method for conveyor belt transmission Modeling of a close-loop speed control method for conveyor belt transmission Research on the performance comparison for variable mass material input 1.2 Organization of thesis Chapter 2: This chapter thoroughly introduce what conveyor transmission system is and provides a brief history about it. Six categories of typical conveyor transmission system have been introduced. It also explains the sources and types of breakdowns in conveyor belt, as well as the effect of those breakdowns cause in the transmission line. Then, this chapter also discusses about the importance to have speed control for the conveyor belt transmission system. Chapter 3: This chapter mainly focus on different types of motors. It specifically explains about the AC asynchronous motor which is the most widely used in heavy industry. The different speed control methods of AC asynchronous motors have been compared in several aspects. Chapter 4: In this chapter, PID controller is discussed in details for process control, including its definition, history, applications, tuning method and implementation. Unlike other kinds of papers concerning PID control approach, the weakness and bad behaviour were brought about as well so that an objective picture of PID method could be completed. Chapter 5: At the outset, this chapter gives some key modeling process, and then provides the complete models for simulation both of open-loop control and close-loop speed control. With these models, simulation results can be get to make some comparisons. The close-loop results show the performance of different controller parameters on the transmission system with a variable mass material input on several discrete speed value, corresponding to the open-loop curves those seem not to be quite good. Chapter 6: This chapter summarizes discussion and conclusion about the performance of speed control on the transmission system, and then gives out some recommendations and future works that can be done in speed control for conveyor belt transmission system. 2.0 CONVEYOR BELT TRANSMISSION SYSTEM Conveyor belts are generally endless loops which move parts or materials from one location to another. Conveyor belts are often driven by variable speed electric motors or by other moving parts in a complex system. They are commonly found in factories, grocery stores, warehouses and public transportation centers. Further refinement of conveyor belts allowed factory managers to create automated or semi-automated production lines. Individual parts could be moved through automated machinery for routine processing, leaving workers free for quality control tasks or other higher responsibilities. Conveyor belts also proved useful for transporting heavy or hazardous products, reducing worker injuries. The use of conveyor belts is not restricted to factories. Bakeries and pizza shops often use a slow-moving wire conveyor belt to move their products through an oven. Grocery stores use conveyor belts in their check-out lines to bring items to the clerk and bagger. Airports and other public transportation systems use conveyor belts to deliver checked baggage to customers. Warehouses use long conveyor belts to offload products from incoming trucks or to load outgoing ones. Escalators found in department stores could also be considered conveyor belts, as are people movers in larger airports. 2.1 History Primitive conveyor belts were used since the 19th century. In 1892, Thomas Robins began a series of inventions which led to the development of a conveyor belt used for carrying coal, ores and other products.[6] In 1901, Sandvik invented and started the production of steel conveyor belts. In 1905 Richard Sutcliffe invented the first conveyor belts for use in coal mines which revolutionized the mining industry. In 1913, Henry Ford introduced conveyor-belt assembly lines at Ford Motor Companys Highland Park, Michigan factory.[7] In 1972, the French society REI created in New Caledonia the then longest straight-belt conveyor in the world, at a length of 13.8 km. Hyacynthe Marcel Bocchetti was the concept designer. In 1957, the B. F. Goodrich Company patented a conveyor belt that it went on to produce as the Turnover Conveyor Belt System. Incorporating a half-twist, it had the advantage over conventional belts of a longer life because it could expose all of its surface area to wear and te ar.Mà ¶bius strip belts are no longer manufactured because untwisted modern belts can be made more durable by constructing them from several layers of different materials.[8]. In 1970, Intralox, a Louisiana based company, registered the first patent for all plastic, modular belting. In 1963-64, First Indian Small Scale Industrial Unit with Japanese Plant for Rubber Belts for Conveyor / Elevator / Transmission was installed near National Capital Territory of Delhi and its MrBelts Conveyor Belting has been widely used in Steel, Cement, Fertilizer, Thermal Power, Sponge Iron Plants and Coal/Mineral establishments, Port Trusts and similar material handling applications of Industry for the last over 4 decades 2.2 Types of Conveyor System 2.2.1 Wheel Conveyor System A wheel conveyor systems setup consists of skate wheels that are mounted on an axle placed in a row. Depending on the weight of the material being transported, adjustment of both the wheel spacing and the slope for load movement is provided. Being simpler in construction, the system is flexible, scalable and more economical with light-duty applications as compared to a roller conveyor system. 2.2.2 Roller Conveyor System A roller conveyor system has two variants, but both utilize a minimum of three rollers that provide support to the smallest load all the time. Then there are tapered rollers that orient the load around a curved path. The gravity-type system is alternative to the wheel conveyor system that is used for heavy-duty applications. It utilizes a slope for load movement to facilitate the accumulation process. The powered variant utilizes a belt or chain drive for force-sensitive power transmission useful in merging and/or sorting applications. 2.2.3 Chain Conveyor System A chain conveyor system has one or more endless chains that directly carry the load. These chains are placed in a parallel chain manner that can be used in transporting pallets. One variant is the vertical chain conveyor that is used for transferring loads continuously in a vertical direction at high speeds. 2.2.4 Slat Conveyor System A slat conveyor system uses slats placed at discrete positions, and these slats are connected to a chain. Through drives that control orientation and positioning of the load, the transported unit is able to retain its position while being conveyed. The system is used in applications transporting heavy loads that might otherwise damage the belt as in bottling and canning plants. 2.2.5 Vibrating Conveyor System In vibrating conveyor systems, the main component is an elongated load-carrying structure called a trough, bed or tube, based on the application it is used for. A vibrating mechanism produces small amplitude vibrations at a high frequency. This conveys the individual product units and bulk materials. Due to its unique operational manner, it can be used to transport almost all kinds of granular as well as free-flowing materials. 2.2.6 Pneumatic Conveyor System A pneumatic conveyor system uses pipes or ducts known as transportation lines. These ducts carry material mixture along with an air stream. The load gets transported to various locations through pipe lines propelled by the high velocity air streams. 2.3 Components and Breakdowns The belt conveyor system (BCS) consists of (fig. 3): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ drive unit (electric motor, coupling multistage gearbox), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ pulleys (drive pulley and other), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ belts (textile or with steel cords) with their joints, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ idlers, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ other (belt cleaning systems, control system, etc.) Fig 2.3.1 Belt conveyor transmission system components In this section we will consider the type of faults that may appear in belt conveyor systems with reference to conveyor component s. The drive unit consist of electric motor, damping coupling, two or three stage gear-box and coupling that connect output shaft with pulley (fig. 8). A crucial object in this subsystem is gearbox. According to Matuszewski [5] in a considered lignite open cast mine even 14% of gearboxes may be replaced each year due to unexpected failures. These failures are related to the geared wheel wear or damages (broken tooth) and bearings (mainly over limit backlash due to environmental impact, also typical failures like outer/inner race, rolling element). The mining pulley consist of two bearings, shaft, shell and coating (special material in order to improve belt-pulley contact). The most frequent failures for pulleys are: bearings and shells. For gearboxes number of failures related to geared wheels is 50%. Other critical failure is the damage of input shafts (probably because of overloading) . It may be surprising that bearing faults are not so frequent in gearboxes. The failure analysis of idlers and belts are a bit different issue [7, 8, 11]. Idlers are used for supporting belts with transported materials. In some sense, idlers are similar to pulleys and consist of bearings and shells. One may expect similar types of failures. The support system for belt consists of three idlers. Because of different load for each idler usually side idlers are more subjected to damage. It needs to be added that in CM context of idlers change of condition is not the only one. Worn bearings in idlers will significantly increase external load for drive units so power consumption will increase. Damaged idlers and pulleys may be the reason of damage for belts. Depends on application, belts used in conveyor systems may be divided into two groups: textile belts and steel cords belts. In underground mines usually the textile belts are used. In lignite mines both types may be applied. Expected problems for belts are related to belt (tear, puncture, cut of belt and abrasion of bottom/top covers) and its joints (connected using glue, vulcanized or mechanical joint) [10, 11]. Because of dimension and weight of a belt it needs to be transported in rolls, pieces up to 100-400 m long, depends on a belt type. In order to replace damaged a gearbox or pulley heavy machinery is required. In some cases due to environmental impact (for example rain) it takes a few times longer time. If one consider the impact of damaged idlers it is another story. The idlers are quite small in comparison to pulleys; however, number of idlers is huge. Damaged idlers may cause failure of belt (the cut of a belt) or even may start fire (belt slipping on damaged idler may increase temperature up to 400 °C, 450 °C is the limit for so called difficult-to-burn belt) and as it was mentioned energy consumption is arising dramatically. Any of mentioned failure generates cost of breakdown of machines working in series. It as to be mentioned that a conveyor system, that with random material to be transferred the smoothness and stability of the conveyor belt transmisssion system should be guaranteed to extend all the components lifetime. 2.4 Significance of Research The belt conveyor is one of key components for most of manufacturing systems. Intelligent control of the conveyor leads to the feasibility of a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS). For most of the assembly lines in manufacturing systems, different processing works applied to products mainly come from workers who is sitting along the conveyor. The products are conveyed by the belt conveyor from one working area to the next. If the average number of products entering one working area is greater than the average number leaving that area, the manufacturing process stagnates. It means that conveying speed is too fast so that more products are conveyed to workers in that working area than the quantity they can handle. Therefore, the conveying speed of belt conveyor needs to be adaptively changed based on the stagnation condition at each working area. On the other hand, if the defective rate of products monitored at outlet of conveyor is too large even though no stagnation has occurred at e ach working area, the conveyor still needs to be adaptively slowed down so that workers have more time to give their processing works with more cares In the long run, maximum number of manufactured products conveyed to the outlet of conveyor is hoped to be achieved if the speed of belt conveyor can be intelligently controlled Since the conveyor is driven by a servo motor, adaptive control algorithm can be designed to control the motor speed based on stagnation conditions at working areas or the defective rate monitored at the conveyor outlet. In addition, belt conveyor is one of main electromechanical systems in heavy industry, especially in the coal transport system, its safe operation plays an important role in the whole coal output systems.Safety is an important aspect in our life, and coal mine still is a high-risk industry in the world. As one of main components in the coal transport system, the safe operation of belt conveyor plays an important role in the whole coal output systems. As the belt conveyors get longer, quicker and bulkier, it is often occurred that the belt rupture, coal vibration, belt slip on the drive pulley, uncontrolled running of the belt conveyor, belt fire and other safety accidents, which bring huge economical losses and threat miner life. In order to insure the miner safety and the normal production, it is significant to carry on safety investigation of the belt conveyor. Higher productivity and reliability are common goals for conveyor systems in mining operations. Key objectives include opt imized mass flows, reduced energy costs and a well-coordinated workflow between the conveying and transport processes.And the key to this problem is to make sure that the transmission system should be operating at a smooth and steady speed. In a word, the steady speed of the conveyor belt transmission system is vitally important.[wiki] 3.0 MOTORS FOR CONVEYOR 3.1 General Motors An electric motor is an electromechanical device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Electric motors are found in applications as diverse as industrial fans, blowers and pumps, machine tools, household appliances, power tools, and disk drives. Electric motors may be classified by the source of electric power, by their internal construction, by their application, or by the type of motion they give. 3.1 Conveyor Motor Types For a conveyor transmission system, the drive unit develops with time. And the motors still using in this era come to the 4 main types: brushed DC motor; brushed DC motor; . The working mechanism of the 4 kinds are discussed as well as their merits and drawbacks. 3.2.1 Brushed DC motors A brushed DC motor has a set of rotating windings wound on an armature mounted on a rotating shaft. The shaft also carries the commutatora long-lasting rotary electrical switch that periodically reverses the flow of current in the rotor windings as the shaft rotates. The magnets field produced by the armature interacts with a stationary magnetic field produced by either permanent magnets or another winding a field coil, as part of the motor frame. The force between the two magnetic fields tends to rotate the motor shaft. Many of the limitations of the classic commutator DC motor are due to the need for brushes to press against the commutator. This creates friction. Sparks are created by the brushes making and breaking circuits through the rotor coils as the brushes cross the insulating gaps between commutator sections. Depending on the commutator design, this may include the brushes shorting together adjacent sections and hence coil ends momentarily while crossing the gaps. Furthermore, the inductance of the rotor coils causes the voltage across each to rise when its circuit is opened, increasing the sparking of the brushes. This sparking limits the maximum speed of the machine, as too-rapid sparking will overheat, erode, or even melt the commutator. The current density per unit area of the brushes, in combination with their resistivity, limits the output of the motor. The making and breaking of electric contact also generates electrical noise; sparking generates RFI. Brushes eventually wear out an d require replacement, and the commutator itself is subject to wear and maintenance (on larger motors) or replacement (on small motors). The commutator assembly on a large motor is a costly element, requiring precision assembly of many parts. On small motors, the commutator is usually permanently integrated into the rotor, so replacing it usually requires replacing the whole rotor. Therefore, DC motor brush design entails a trade-off between output power, speed, and efficiency/wear. 3.2.2 brushed DC motor In this motor, the mechanical rotating switch or commutator/brush gear assembly is replaced by an external electronic switch synchronized to the rotors position. Brushless motors are typically 85-90% efficient or more whereas DC motors with brush are typically 75-80% efficient. Brushless DC motors are commonly used where precise speed control is necessary. They have several advantages over conventional motors:they are very efficient, running much cooler than the other equivalent motors; without a commutator to wear out, the life of a DC brushless motor can be significantly longer compared to a DC motor using brushes and a commutator; brushless motors have no chance of sparking, unlike brushed motors, making them better suited to environments with volatile chemicals and fuels. Also, sparking generates ozone which can accumulate in poorly ventilated buildings risking harm to occupants health. Modern DC brushless motors range in power from a fraction of a watt to many kilowatts. Larger brushless motors up to about 100 kW rating are used in electric vehicles. There are numerous applications using a Brush DC Motor that could instead utilize the Brushless DC Motor. However a few factors might prevent the changeover. The first factor is start-up cost. Although the Brushless DC Motor is lower-maintenance than the Brush DC Motor, initial cost is more expensive, due to its advantageous construction. Second is complexity. A controller is required in order to operate a Brushless DC Motor, and is usually more convoluted than most controllers. A Brushless DC Motor also requires additional system wiring, in order to power the electronic commutation circuitry. 3.2.3 asynchronous AC motor An asynchronous AC motor is an induction motor where power is transferred to the rotor by electromagnetic induction, much like transformer action. . Polyphase induction motors are widely used in industry.The simple design of AC motor is simply a series of three windings in the exterior (stator) section with a simple rotating section (rotor). The changing field caused by the 50 or 60 Hertz AC line voltage causes the rotor to rotate around the axis of the ac motor. The AC motor has the advantage of being the lowest cost motor for applications which require more than about 1/2 hp (325 watts) of power. This is due to the simple design of ac motor. Meanwhile, the simple design of the AC motor results in extremely reliable, low maintenance operation. Unlike the DC motor, there are no brushes to replace for ac motors. If run in the appropriate environment for its enclosure, AC motor can expect to need new bearings after several years of operation. In fact if the application is well designed , an AC motor may not need new bearings for more than a decade. Although the most common and simple industrial motor is the three phase AC induction motor, there are still disadvantages of ac motor. Expensive speed control The electronics required to handle an AC inverter drive are considerably more expensive than those required to handle a DC motor. However, if performance requirements can be met meaning that the required speed range is over 1/3rd of base speed AC inverters and AC motors are usually more cost-effective than DC motors and DC drives for applications larger than about 10 horsepower, because of cost savings in the AC motor. Inability to operate at low speeds Standard AC motors should not be operated at speeds less than about 1/3rd of base speed. This is due to thermal considerations. In fact a DC motor should be considered for these applications. Poor positioning control Positioning control is also expensive and crude. Even a vector drive is very crude when controlling a standard AC motor. Servo motors are more appropriate for these applications. 3.2.4 Synchronous Electric Motor A synchronous electric motor is an AC motor distinguished by a rotor spinning with coils passing magnets at the same rate as the alternating current and resulting magnetic field which drives it. Another way of saying this is that it has zero slip under usual operating conditions. Contrast this with an induction motor, which must slip to produce torque. These motors can be made to operate at leading power factor and thereby improve the pf of an industrial plant from one that is normally lagging to one that is close to unity. And the key feature of a synchronous AC motor is it operates at a constant speed, irrespective of load, from no-load to full load. As well, electromagnetic power varies linearly with the applied voltage. These motors can be constructed with wider air gapes than induction motors making them mechanically better.Whats more, efficiency of operation is usually high, especially in the low speed and unity power factor ranges. However, the disadvantages are also quite obvious. These motors cannot be used for variable speed jobs as there is no possibility of speed adjustment. And it requires external source for supplying dc excitation, cannot be started under load, the starting torque being zero, may fall out of synchronism and stop when over-loaded and so on. In addition, for some applications these motors are not desirable as for driving shafts in small work-shops having no power available for starting and in cases where frequent starting or strong starting torque is required. 3.3 AC Motor for Conveyor Through the comparisons above, transmission system with AC motors are simple to make and can be reliable.And for the low cost, AC motors are overwhelmingly preferred for fixed speed applications in our industrial applications and for commercial and domestic applications where AC line power can be easily attached. In fact over 90% of all motors are AC induction motors. AC induction motors are found in air conditioners, washers, dryers, industrial machinery, fans, blowers, vacuum cleaners, and many, many other applications. Using an AC drive for conveyor control allows the speed to be adjusted to changing needs. A partly loaded conveyor with a higher speed than necessary wastes energy and causes unnecessary wear. In controlling conveyors, AC drives also improve process control by enabling the collection of measurement and supervision information. The soft start of the conveyor with AC drives reduces the stress on gearboxes when the conveyor is started. This paper mainly deals with the AC asynchronous motors, because for industry like coal mine, the asynchronous ones are the mainstream with many successful applications.In the design of the induction motor, operational characteristics can be determined through a series of calculations. Performing these calculations can help the engineer provide a motor that is best suited to a particular application. 3.3.1 SYNCHRONOUS SPEED The speed with which the stator magnetic field rotates, which will determine the speed of the rotor, is called the Synchronous Speed (SS). The SS is a function of the frequency of the power source and the number of poles (pole pairs) in the motor. The relationship to calculate the SS of an induction motor is: Where: SS = Synchronous Speed (RPM) f = frequency (cycles / second) = 60 P = number of poles (pole pairs) 3.3.2 MOTOR SLIP The rotor in an induction motor can not turn at the synchronous speed. In order to induce an EMF in the rotor, the rotor must move slower than the SS. If the rotor were to somehow turn at SS, the EMF could not be induced in the rotor and therefore the rotor would stop. However, if the rotor stopped or even if it slowed significantly, an EMF would once again be induced in the rotor bars and it would begin rotating at a speed less than the SS. The relationship between the rotor speed and the SS is called the Slip. Typically, the Slip is expressed as a percentage of the SS. The equation for the motor Slip is: Where: %S = Percent Slip SS = Synchronous Speed (RPM) RS = Rotor Speed (RPM) 3.3.3 EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT To analyze the operating and performance characteristics of an induction motor, an Equivalent Circuit can be drawn. We will consider a 3-phase, Y connected machine, the Equivalent Circuit for the stator is as shown below: Fig 3.3.1 Equivalent Circuit Where: V1 = Stator Terminal Voltage I1 = Stator Current R1 = Stator Effective Resistance X1 = Stator Leakage Reactance Z1 = Stator Impedance (R1 + jX1) IX = Exciting Current (this is comprised of the core loss component = Ig, and a magnetizing current = Ib) E2 = Counter EMF (generated by the air gap flux) 3.4 Speed Control of AC Asynchronous Motor With respect to the use of AC asynchronous motor, when used with a load that has a torque curve that increases with speed, the motor will operate at the speed where the torque developed by the motor is equal to the load torque. Reducing the load will cause the motor to speed up, and increasing the load will cause the motor to slow down until the load and motor torque are equal. Operated in this manner, the slip losses are dissipated in the secondary resistors and can be very significant. So the speed control of an AC asynchronous motor in the industry world is quite important. From Equ.1 we can get the speed torque characteristic of the machine as Fig. 3.3.2. The curve is rather steep and goes from zero torque at synchronous speed to the stall torque at a value of %S. Normally Slip may be such that stall torque is about three times that of the rated operating torque of the machine, and hence may be about 0.3 or less. This means that in the entire loading range of the machine, the speed change is quite small. The machine speed is quite stiff with respect to load changes. The entire speed variation is only in the range SS to (1à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢%S)SS, SS being dependent on supply frequency and number of poles. Fig 3.3.2 Relationship between torque and speed of induction motor The coming discussion shows that the several speed control methods for induction machine, when operating from mains is essentially a constant speed machine. Many industrial drives, typically for conveyor in a belt transmission system, have typically constant speed requirements and hence the induction machine is ideally suited for these. However,the induction machine, especially the squirrel cage type, is quite rugged and has a simple construction. Therefore it is good candidate for variable speed applications if it can be achieved. 3.4.1 Applied voltage control One may note that if the applied voltage is reduced, the voltage across the magnetizing branch also comes down. This in turn means that the magnetizing current and hence flux level are reduced. Reduction in the flux level in the machine impairs torque production. If, however, the machine is running under lightly loaded conditions, then operating under rated flux levels is not required. Under such conditions, reduction in magnetizing current improves the power factor of operation. Some amount of energy saving may also be achieved.Voltage control may be achieved by adding series resistors (a lossy, inefficient proposition),or a series inductor/autotransformer (a bulky solution) ora more modern solution using semiconductor devices. A typical solid state circuit used for this purpose is the AC voltage controller or AC chopper. Another use of voltage control is in the so-called soft-start of the machine. 3.4.2 Rotor resistance control Clearly, the rotator speed is dependent on the rotor resistance. Further, the maximum value is independent of the rotor resistance. The slip at maximum torque is dependent on the rotor resistance. Therefore, we may expect that if the rotor resistance is changed, the maximum torque point shifts to higher slip values, while retaining a constant torque. Note that while the maximum torque and synchronous speed remain constant, the slip at which maximum torque occurs increases with increase in rotor resistance, and so does the starting torque. whether the load is of constant torque type or fan-type, it is evident that the speed control range is more with this method. Further, rotor resistance control could also be used as a means of generating high starting torque.For all its advantages, the scheme has two serious drawbacks. Firstly, in order to vary the rotor resistance, it is necessary to connect external variable resistors (winding resistance itself cannot be changed). This, therefore necessitates a slip-ring machine, since only in that case rotor terminals are available outside. For cage rotor machines, there are no rotor terminals. Secondly, the method is not very efficient since the additional resistance and operation at high slips entails dissipation.The resistors connected to the slip-ring brushes should have good power dissip ation capability. 3.4.3 Cascade control The power drawn from the rotor terminals could be spent more usefully. Apart from using the heat generated in meaning full ways, the slip ring output could be connected to another induction machine. The stator of the second machine would carry slip frequency currents of the first machine which would generate some useful mechanical power. A still better option would be to mechanically couple the shafts of the two machines together. This sort of a connection is called cascade connection and it gives some measure of speed control as shown below. Let the frequency of supply given to the first machine be f1, its number poles b

A Swot Analysis Of Google Android Computer Science Essay

A Swot Analysis Of Google Android Computer Science Essay The Google EFFECT Google is counted as one of the most reputed and respected companies of this era. The fact that Google is behind the Android OS platform gives it a great sense of credibility and viability in the eyes of the consumers, potential partners, and application developers. Furthermore Androids team has all the possible resources from Google such as financial, intellectual to make it a major player in the mobile industry. Device Options As oppose to the Apple iPhone where one doesnt have any options for mobile device vendor other than Apple, the Android OS is an open-source and any Mobile manufacturer who wishes to use Android can do so on their mobile device. This feature provides the consumers a large number of options from which to choose from and also decreasing the time to use the new and latest hardware and technological advancement in micro electronics. Competitive Pricing The Android platform is very cost effective to develop as it is an open source platform and the licensing arrangements are hassle free for the hardware manufacturer. Thus, handsets using the Android platform are priced very suitably. Google applications and services integration As the Android platform includes a number of the Google services and applications as its core functionality only to reinforce its capability and effectiveness. Google services such as GMAIL, Calendar, Listen, Reader, GPS, Maps and many others integrate effortlessly with the Android platform thus making it trouble-free for users to synchronize their data from one platform to the other. Moreover it also a competitive edge on its rivals in the internet search and you tube as Google is the leader in these fields Open Source The Android platform is built from a Linux using the JAVA programming. One can search on google to find all the essential information and source code one needs to manufacture an Android compatible device. Moreover, Android is an integral part of the Open Handset Alliance which is a cartel working together to develop Android as a free mobile platform system. WEAKNESSES Multimedia Support As oppose to Apple iPhone which has the extremely popular iTunes application and marketplace, Android doesnt have a fundamental or organized source of neither multimedia data nor an integrated multimedia player. Although there have been constant improvements in the field of apps on the Android platform, but still at this time there is no place to go that comes remotely close to what Apple is offering on this front. Reliance on device manufacturers to upgrade -Unlike, Apple controls when and how iPhone costumers will get new hardware and software upgrades and upgrades core functionality. On the other hand even when google releases a newer android version the costumers still have to wait till the device manufacturers of their respective devices comprehensively test and adapt to the new code to make sure that it works fine on their hardware configuration. Google is working on this issue according to their announcements, as they plan to integrate more of their core features of their services into the Android Operating System itself. Less Mature Android is not as established or as refined as the iPhones OS at this point, But constant improvement is seen with every new release of the android, still a lot more is required to reach the same level of sophistication as the Apple IPhone. Lack of Enterprise Support Blackberry and Microsoft still have most of their support from Enterprise usage. Although Android has made some inroads in this market, but Android still has very small market share here. It needs to continue developing Google Applications and better its integration abilities with Microsoft Exchange to gain market share. OPPORTUNITIES The Android Operating System has an amazing opportunity to get into the Tablet market right now. Google cannot afford to play a waiting game watch Apple take over the tablet market and eat up major chunk of the market share as it had done before with the release of iphone. An Android based tablet is a fantastic opportunity if executed properly. There have been quite a few inconsequential releases of Android tablets over the last year, but none of them are what someone would consider a noteworthy product. Either Google itself or a big name such as HP, Sony, Dell, ASUS, ACER need to release an amazing Android tablet in order to get a huge market share. Not to forget Samsung galaxy tab with android is good but still more sophistication is required to beat apples I pad Developer Friendly Unlike the recent actions of Apple which has alienated the developer community by distancing with them. Moreover the development tools of Iphone are difficult to use and the application approval process seems to be terribly subjective at times. This makes iPhone application development very tedious and non rewarding for developers On the other hand developing for Android is very open and hassle free for the developer as Android development tools use Java and even C/C++. This allows developers to write applications for Android using languages they already know and widely used. Furthermore Android Software development kit also provides an emulator so that application developers can test their applications without relying on the physical hardware. Google needs to take this opportunity and help developers for their efforts through better advertising revenue and app sales into financial gains for the developer. Developing Countries Google has an opportunity to develop cheaper devices using Android platform in developing countries of Asia and Africa. The licensing for android is exceptionally manufacturer friendly and the start up cost is considerably less when compared to other mobile operating systems. The integration with so many of Googles other free services it would be a sure success in these markets. Smart phone market on the rise The smart phone market is still very young and there is huge scope of growth to take place over the next several years to a decade. The market for smart phone apps will benefit from growth of nearly 50% in 2011, according to new research. The International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker estimates that the worldwide smart phone market is expected to increase 49.2% in 2011, growing more than four times faster than the overall mobile phone market( Kay Ewbank, 2011, http://www.i-programmer.info/news/83-mobliephone/2203-smartphone-survey.html)   Ã‚  . The integration of cloud computing applications and services to support the Android OS is the key to a maintained growth rate and increased market share potential for the Android operating system. Embedded electronic devices The Android OS is perfectly poised to be the major player in the embedded electronic devices market as a leader in embedded devices operating system. With upsurge of new devices becoming embedded with smart technologies and connectivity to the mobile networks and the internet, the Android OS is in position to be the leader in this segment. THREATS Apple dominance The biggest threat to google android is the Iphone and its ever growing popularity with the consumers as it has more smoother and sophisticated interface. Moreover Apples bigger market share gives them an influence over developers who like a revenue model that works for them. The ever growing Apple market share allows them to charge users for access to premium content. Apples recent policy changes shows its influence over developers and makes their huge market share very difficult to walk away from, even when they adopt very unfriendly developer policies. Increased Competition Obviously, companies like RIM Blackberry and Microsoft are not going to let go of their market share. In particular,  the Blackberry platform which has very huge support in the enterprise market. Moreover Nokia is also not giving up their hopes on the symbian platform and might cause an upset to androids hopes of capturing the market if they develop a new and sophisticated smart phone interface which provides their customers the ease of access for which Nokia is known for. Platform Fragmentation This is a huge threat to the Android platform. Although I have listed the more options of hardware devices as strength above, the risk of fragmentation is real as well. This is why Google is committed to developing ways to reduce this problem. Google does not want different custom version of Android to emerge from their basic platform, which is something we saw with Linux. This was one of the primary reasons for linux not making to the big leagues when comparing the market shares. As Google itself controls the Android Market so they have considerable influence over device manufacturers to meet their compatibility requirements. Financial Implications Google android is an open source Operating system for mobile phone and embedded electronic devices so at this time there are no direct financial implications for Google at the moment as still most of the apps on its marketplace are free. But as android becomes more popular Google can charge android users for different apps available on its market place. Although what Google wants to do is to make sure that there is an open source mobile OS large enough in the market for its advertising business. Google is not about selling Android devices. Google is all about search and advertising. Google is doing a pretty good job of it if we see the numbers. Last year alone Android accounted for over $130 million from marketing revenues on android out of its total $850million from mobile advertising, which is good for $5.90 average revenue per user. Furthermore Google is expecting to reap up $1.3 Billion from its advertisement revenues from android in 2012 at $ 9.85 average revenue per user with about 133 million android users by then. Moreover Google is expecting to reach over 300,000 Android activations per day very soon, which will also help them to reach the goals set by Google CEO Eric Schmidt for android to become a $10 billion business with 1 billion users of the platform, at $10 Average Returns Per Unit. Future looks to be bright Android Os Though Android is a young Mobile Os and is still improving with its newer releases so it can be said that it is in a stage of Growth, this statement can be supported by a Gartner Survey which expects Android to reach about 30 % of total market share by 2014. As Android all ready Commands about 29 % of smart phone market according to the latest data released by Neilsen and have already surpassed RIMs market share so it is on the right track to dominate the overall mobile market in the near future. Moreover overall smart phone market is also on the rise as it is expected by The International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker estimates that the worldwide smart phone market is expected to increase 49.2% in 2011, growing about four times quicker than the overall mobile phone market. Furthermore According to Googles CEO Eric Schmidt they are combining their Platforms for mobile phones (gingerbread) and tablets (honeycomb) together and make it in to one OS for both kinds of devices. In conclusion I feel that Android is perfectly poised for capturing a huge market share and should help googles advertising revenues a lot in the near future, as it has all the necessary features required to be one of the best Operating System in its category.

Sunday, August 4, 2019

An Analysis of the Television Sitcom, Different Strokes :: Media

An Analysis of the Television Sitcom, Different Strokes Different Strokes a comedy sitcom, first aired in 1978, and lasted until 1986. This sitcom consisted of a widowed Manhattan millionaire, Phillip Drummond , who adopted two orphaned brothers. Arnold who was 8 years old and Willis who was 12. The boys' mother was Drummonds housekeeper who became very ill, so Drummond made a promise to her that he would take care of her two sons after she passed away. Drummond treated the two boys like his own. He also lived with his daughter, Kimberly, who was 13 years old, and his current housekeeper. This sitcom showed typical life lessons in growing up, and social problems that were occurring during that time. Some of the aspects of this show were both positive and negative. Positive Aspects In this sitcom there are several different ways in which minorities are positively portrayed. For instance, even though Arnold and Willis were two brothers of another ethnic background and race, Drummond who was a Caucasian millionaire still took these boys in. Another example of positive portrayal is that Drummond also called Arnold and Willis his â€Å"sons† not just his adopted children. He raised them as if they were his own children. The third example of a positive portrayal is that in this sitcom they showed evidence of social problems, such as racial discrimination. They realized that it did exist and that it was a problem. Finally, this sitcom also showed how blacks and whites could live equally and be happy together. These four portrayals are definitely positive and show how two minorities were portrayed in â€Å"Diff’rent Strokes†. Negative Aspects Different Strokes, which was first televised November 3, 1978, was one of the better, most influential shows of that time. This show was a perfect example of how minorities were portrayed to be unable to support themselves. The African American family characterized in this show was a single mother family, leading to the belief that most African American children were without a father in their lives. In agreement with the stereotypes of the time, their income was also low because the mother was a housekeeper. The audience may presume that she had no other skills than housekeeping which leads to the negative belief that African Americans have no job skills. In addition to these family problems and income issues, the children spoke slang and were even referred to as ghetto.

Saturday, August 3, 2019

My Teaching Philosophy Statement :: Educational Philosophy

My Philosophy on Education As an education major at State College, I’ve decided to become a teacher for several reasons. As I progressed through elementary, middle, and high school, many of my teachers were great role models for me. This has inspired me to become a role model for someone in the near future. My love for science and math has also influenced my desire to teach and make a difference in a child’s life. I want to teach students the subjects that I love so much. I want the feeling that I helped a child accomplish or learn something they couldn’t understand. One of the main reasons I want to become an educator is because I feel education has really lost teachers who truly love teaching and those who truly love teaching and those who have the desire to make a difference. I feel I can really help make a difference in the education world and bring back the love to teach. My placement teachers and the teachers I have had throughout my life have definitely influenced my philosophy on education. Although my beliefs concerning education aren’t set in stone, I believe I have more of an Eclectic view on education. My beliefs tend to come from many of the different philosophies rather than one sole philosophy. One of the philosophical approaches I will take during my educational career is Perennialism. This is the traditional and conservative view, and its followers consider school to be an institution designed solely to develop students’ intellect. Perennialists generally follow the beliefs of Aristotle. The perennialist teacher must be a good reader and writer and encourage students to improve both of these skills. Three primary approaches to learning are stresses: didactic teaching of concepts such as, the operations and uses of mathematics; coaching of skills; and seminars in which various topics are discussed in depth t hrough the Socratic method. Along side of Perennialism, I will use Behaviorism. This will allow me to set rules and regulations to better prepare my students. This will benefit them because they will always be aware of circumstances of their behavior.

Friday, August 2, 2019

The Principle

Legal moralism has been a principle that prohibits people from acting or engaging in things which are detrimental to the society with the use of laws and its enforcements. This includes laws which prohibit certain actions that can lead to several problems that may affect the whole social fabric. Such laws include those that prohibit the use of illegal drugs, prostitution and abortion. This actions or engagement in this type of acts may most likely affect the citizens in a rather negative matter that could destroy not only the participating individual’s life but also the lives of the people around him. In line with this principle is a principle that shall limit a person’s liberty through the use of customary rules prescribed by the society in which the person lives. It differs from the principle of legal moralism in the sense of â€Å"formality†. Restriction of Liberty While legal moralism is concerned about constitutional laws, this principle is more likely inclined to the limiting effect of customary moral rules which are more effective than legal laws. This principle shall from this point onwards be referred to as customary moralism principle. This type of principle acts in the same manner that legal moralism does. However, as stated above, traditional moralism is more effective than legal moralism. Its effectiveness lies on the way that it has been formulated. Compare and Contrast Unlike most legal laws which determines the right and wrong inscribed as laws of the society, customary rules and traditions determines the right and wrong principles which lies in the culture of a society. These rules have been tested through time and generation by the whole society. This is the reason why these laws are easier to understand. People find it efficient since it was directed and made through the use of actual and practical experiences. Unlike legal laws which are mostly hypothetical and less pragmatic. Legal laws are made by an assembly of men that shall represent the whole society in a conference or convention. Customary rules are prescribed mostly by elders, who have more experience than the present generation. Since these rules are based and may differ in experience, they are not implemented in the society in a forceful manner. Instead, society shall pick what rules are still beneficial and applicable in the situation. Thus, customary rules undergo practicality checks, every time the rules are being implemented or are being followed. Society: Laws versus Tradition It evolves with the society. It represents the society. People are more inclined to follow this principle not because of its force but because of customs and traditions. For instance, the introduction and the success of organizations such as the Cosa Nostra which is more popularly known as Mafia, prevails even after there have been several legal precautions and actions taken. The Mafia is an organization which is generally against the fascist regime that dominates the Italian region. Since it is an organization, it has several guiding principles and rules that enable the group to grow and survive. Accordingly, the Mafia acts as a second government in areas such as Sicily. The rules that were constructed or enforced by the Mafia are followed more religiously than the laws enforced by the government. Omerta, a favorite law in Mafia is the law of absolute silence that denotes an individual could not say anything that would expose the Mafia. Even, if it means that they could be incarcerated, tortured or even convicted, it was believed that the Sicilians would not tell a word or would deny anything he knows. Legitimate Traditional   Actions Actions which this principle might consider as legitimate are mainly actions which are traditionally been accepted by the general public that were made legal. In some country, prostitution is legal since it has been traditional. In the Netherlands, the use of â€Å"marijuana† is legalized. There are also some countries that legalize abortion if the fetus is not more than three months. These types of prohibitions by the law rooted from certain traditional beliefs and customs of the people. Traditional moral principles which have legal counterparts could be interfered by the law. However, there are certain traditional beliefs such as burning of animals for sacrifices wherein authority and law has no right to intervene. Commonly, traditional rules which are considered as legitimate are those which promotes the welfare of the society. This are the societal norms which are approved by the government and are thus legalize. Thus, the legitimacy of any traditional action depends on which government or country an action was made. Traditional Moralism versus Harm Principle and Paternalism Traditional also to fraternities are hazing ceremonials and rumbles. If Traditional moralism would be used, this type of action would be normal. However, of course, this would create problems in the legal realm. In such case this kind of actions shall be controlled by the proper authorities such that this would not cause death or other mass violence. This action would either fall in the harm principle or paternalism. It falls in the harm principle since it must be controlled or even not permitted if it induces harm to other people. It falls under paternal principle because there are laws which prohibit fraternity violence in able to protect the members of the fraternity from injuries by refusing to recognize fraternities who are recorded to conduct delinquently. While legal moralism is against actions such as gambling and prostitution, traditional moralism permits them. In this regard, traditional moralism could be seen to fall under the harm principle. Traditional moralism could also fall under paternalism in the sense that it is a guide for action through rules set by the majority of the society in able to control certain actions that would negatively affect the society. Defense of Traditional Moralism I believe that traditional moralism could effectively restrict freedom in able to promote the welfare of a society since it is constructed through convention by the society. It is more likely to be more effective since it commonly involves the norm within the society. Although this might create several factions in the society that might create their own traditions and customs, this kind of interferences might not be able to make it through the main stream culture. Failing to do so, these actions would be considered as deviant by the society in which their actions are not permitted. Traditional Moralism can also be viewed as a principle that acknowledge and encourage liberty, more than restricts it. This is not arguable and may in fact be true, more likely when the legal rules is composed of laws which is not suitable and is not agreeable with the society. Such as laws which are imposed only by the government or by another government in a particular country. This could best be demonstrated on colonized countries or in war-stricken country such as Iraq. The laws that the American government may not be suitable or efficient in the society such as in Iraq; in such case traditional moralism would be more beneficial and applicable than legal moralism. Reference Leighton, P. (2007). Paternalism and Legal Moralism. Retrieved on November 14, 2007. Retrieved from: http://www.paulsjusticepage.com/cjethics/2-limitsoflaw/harmprinciple.htm

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Cash and Working Capital Essay

1. What are four general phases of the working capital cycle? Four general phases of working cycle are: a. Purchasing of resources: relates to the acquisition of supplies and labor, such as the level of inventory necessary to maintain realistic production schedules and the staff required to ensure adequate provision of services. b. Production/sale of service: healthcare services, no inventory. c. Billing: refers to the release or discharge of a patient and the generation of a bill. d. Collection: the generation of a bill and the actual collection of the cash from the patient or the patient’s third-party payer. 2. What are the three primary sources of short-term funds? Three primary sources of short-term funds are: a. Single-payment loan: a loan that requires the payment repaid at the end of its duration instead of in monthly installments. b. Line of credit: agreement that permits a firm to borrow up to a specified limit during a defined loan period. c. Revolving credit agreement: similar to a line of credit except that it is usually for a period longer than 1 year. Look more:  non normal cash flows essay 3. An organization’s short-term investment options for idle cash include what four areas? List and provide their characteristics a. Short-term working capital needs: a business needs funds to handle the standard and usual expenses associated with the operation of the company. It is safe to assume that most healthcare firms should carry approximately 20 days of expected cash transactions at any point in time to meet normal short-term working capital needs for cash. However, it is not safe to say that a not-for-profit healthcare firm would need only 20 days of cash. b. Capital investment needs: a non-profit healthcare organization needs funds to finance replacement and renovation of existing capital assets as well as investment in new product and service line areas. Different from taxable firm and investor-owned healthcare firm, the organization must routinely set aside funds for replacement and the amount of money reserved depends on percentage  of debt financing to be used and projected future levels of capital expenditures. c. Contingencies: a business needs funds to handle unexpected demands for cash flow, also called contingency funds. The amount of money reserved reflects the company’s tolerance of risk. d. Supplement Operating Earnings: non-profit healthcare organization needs funds to provide a dependable flow of investment earnings that can be used to supplement expected weaknesses in operating earnings. This helps to prevent significant deterioration and weak operating margin in operating earnings. 4. Discuss the term float. Float is a brief moment in the banking system where money is counted twice due to delays in processing checks. When a check is deposited, the bank credits a customer’s account and that is when float is created. However, it could take a couple of days for the check to be received and clear by the payer’s bank. During this floating time, the amount on the check appears in both the payee and payer’s account. Also, float can be available shares in a company for trading. These shares are making available to the general public for trading and the company is not liable for how the shares are being traded. References Cleverley, W.O., Cleverley, J.O., Song, H.S. (2011). Essentials of Healthcare Finance (7th Edition). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/workingcapital.asp (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/capital-investment.asp Tatum, M. (2003). What is short-term working capital?. In B. Harris (Ed.), Copyright Protected: 2003-2014 Conjecture Corporation.