Assignment about management & strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assignment about management & strategy - Essay Example TQM has been adopted by many organisations worldwide and has been defined in multiple ways that suited their businesses. A generalized definition is that of Evans and Dean, which states, ‘TQM is a comprehensive, organisation-wide effort to improve the quality of products and services’ (as qtd in Cooney & Sohal, 34, ch.3). The British Railways Board (1989) defined TQM as ‘the process which seeks to meet and satisfy customer requirements throughout the whole chain of internal and external customers and suppliers’ (Pike and Barnes, 25). The International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) defines TQM as a management approach for an organisation, centered on quality, based on participation of all its members and aiming at long-term success through customer satisfaction, and benefits to all members of the organisation and to society (Gupta, 113). Emergence of TQM may be traced back to period before the World War II and with American influence on quality assur ance principles. Although first put forth by Edwards Deming, who was known as the ‘father of the quality movement,’ TQM principles did not receive much attention at the time. These principles are said to have gained great significance after they were adopted in Japanese management theories, which modified the principles to suit their industries. TQM concepts have reinforced the Japanese management and businesses greatly and have helped the Japanese products enter the world markets. The United States recognized Japanese progress during 1980s and 1990s, and realized the significance of TQM concepts. Since then, the US industries have embraced TQM and re-emerged as global competitors (Daft & Marcic, 33). Deming’s contribution to the elaboration and development of TQM has been profound after advancing Stewhart’s statistical studies through the PDCA cycle (plan, do, check, act), which provided the base for continuous improvement. These statistical methods devel oped by Stewhart and Deming came to be known as the Statistical Process Control (SPC). The SPC in combination with Elton Mayo’s human relations movement eventually became the theoretical base for TQM (Sallis, 7). From these studies it is clear that TQM is a quality concept that must be applied to every aspect of the business and should be measured and controlled statistically. This means it would also require involvement from all members associated with the business. In short, TQM needs to be applied to the organisational systems, structure, and culture; it would require commitment from management and staff at all levels; it should involve all stakeholders including the external suppliers and vendors. With this concept coming in, quality is seen as a strategic issue and can play a major role in saving huge costs for the company. It involves everyone associated with the organisation. It focuses on continuous improvements, maintaining zero defects, build quality and enhance cus tomer satisfaction. All these achievements become benchmarks for others and help the organisation in sustaining their competitive position in the market and with their customers. TQM has been applied by many organisations with different names, like Leadership Through Quality (Xerox); Quality the ICL Way (ICL); Quality Service Programme (Nat West); Total Quality Culture (Texas Instruments); Total

Instructional strategies and approaches Essay Example for Free

Instructional strategies and approaches Essay Introduction Careful monitoring of student learning is an essential component of quality education . It is a strong predictor of student achievement as well as a major differentiating factor between effective schools and teachers from the ineffective ones. Monitoring of student learning refers to the various activities pursued by responsible and competent teachers to keep track of student learning for purposes of making instructional decisions and providing feedback to students on their performance and progress in school. Strategies for Monitoring Students. Students have different learning styles which is why teachers should strive hard to find activities that will suit the needs of their students. One way of monitoring students to ensure learning is by asking them questions about the lesson presented to check if they understand it or not. Questioning is a highly effective strategy to draw students into the learning process from the very beginning of a class session until the end. It stimulates their interest in new subjects, ideas and challenges; and it encourages students to be reflective about their own beliefs, assumptions and comprehension of new topics. Questioning conveys to students what they are to learn, what they are to do, and how they are going to do it. Effective questioning involves planning and practice prior to conducting lessons. Questions, oral recitations and other means of calling upon students to demonstrate their understanding of lessons presented are some of the methods teachers used to find out if their instruction is working and effective or if it needs to be explained further or adjusted in some way to ensure learning of students. Another method of monitoring student learning and progress is by supervising their seat works. This activity involves the teacher to circulate or move around the classroom to check how well or how poorly the students are progressing in the task. This is also an opportunity for her to provide a one-to-one instruction to those who need it. Homework on the other hand can be beneficial, neutral, or detrimental depending upon the nature and the context of the homework tasks. When carefully monitored by the teacher, this activity can increase the student’s learning time, thus, may contribute to an increase in the student’s achievement. Homework also helps students gain a positive attitude towards school, toward the particular subject areas in which homework is assigned and toward the homework itself. Daily, weekly and monthly reviews can at the same time enhance the learning of new material if incorporated with questioning and other learning probes. In this manner, the teacher can identify those areas which needs re-teaching. Classroom testing also bear a positive relationship to later student achievement when administered regularly and frequently. Studies revealed that students who are tested frequently and given feedback immediately are found to have positive attitudes toward tests. They regard tests as a facilitating factor to the learning and studying process. Finally, teachers should frequently review student’s performance data to check on their performance and progress. This is conducted for the purpose of identifying who among the students are at risks, needs remediation or a one-on-one teaching. Effective Monitoring Systems Teachers should, before proceeding to the next lesson, determine first whether the students understood her lessons or not. It is very important that students should practice or perform skills in the right way first before introducing them to another lesson or sub-skill. One of the best and most effective ways of monitoring my students is by asking them questions during class discussions. This is not only to draw their attention towards the lesson presented to them, but to also to stimulate their interest to the next topic that I am about to introduce to them. Questioning accomplishes so many things in my students. First, it reinforces or corrects their understanding towards the subject being discussed to them. It also encourages them to engage in active learning. It provides them new information gained from the questions raised and it gives them an opportunity to clarify some points in the subject being discussed. Foremost, it prepares them to learn and apply new skill to new challenges, and thus, extends their way of thinking about life. Questioning does not only broaden my students’ focus on the topic presented to them but it enables me to identify their preparedness to accept new information. This learned information helps me to modify, restructure or change the lessons that I am about to introduce to them afterwards. I also believe in the importance of supervising my student’s seatwork. I see that this strategy initiates more interaction with my students than just wait for them to call me and ask for help. When necessary, I also give extension for those who need extra time to finish their tasks. This is to allow slow learners to cope with the rest of their classmates. Other than providing personalized or one-on-one instruction, time extensions is also helpful and effective as a means to ensure learning in students. When my students are through with their tasks, I always make sure to have them turned in for checking and grading purposes. Monitoring student’s homework is also a great help to ensure learning in students. To be able to reap its benefits, I always make sure that the homework I gave to them are those that are tied to the subject matter we currently studied in the classroom and are appropriate to their maturity level. I use this type of monitoring system as a means of extending student practice time with the new material presented to them. I also make sure that parents get involve in the process, and that they are aware of what needs to be done so that they themselves encourage their child to do the homework. Turned in homework are always graded, commented on and checked before being handed back to students as this would allow my students to review and correct their mistakes. Finally, to check whether my instructions were fully understood or not, I give my students a test or a short quiz to confirm their grasp of the lesson presented to them and to identify as well possible gaps in their knowledge and understanding of the subject area. This also helps me keep track of my student’s learning for the purposes of making instructional decisions and providing feedback on their performance and progress in school. All these strategies are used to be able to make adjustments in my instructions to ensure learning in my students; to determine if the methods I used in teaching them are effective or not and; to identify as well who among my students are at risks, needs remediation or a one-on-one teaching.

Upgrading Existing Land Rover Defenders Powertrain

Upgrading Existing Land Rover Defenders Powertrain Upgrade the existing Land Rover Defenders powertrain Introduction The design teams project aim: To propose a program and new engine design to upgrade the existing Land Rover Defenders powertrain The following report discusses weaknesses of the current LR Defender along with a subsequent review of advanced engine technologies. Finally the design targets for the new proposed engine are defined with all necessary parameters calculated and justified. The design team have also considered the cost, manufacturability and marketing affects of the new engine as well as the performance requirements. Benchmarking The current LR Defender engine will be critically analysed in-relation to the vehicles main competitors in the market place. This will allow the weaknesses of the current engine model to be determined and thus rectified for the new specification engine. The engine throughout the following section will be critically analysed in the following main areas; Acceleration speed performance Engine power effectiveness (MEP and power density) Emissions of harmful gases and particulates Fuel economy The potential customer perception of vehicles engine and other performance criterion (including value for money). The following competitor vehicles were researched and compared to the current LR Defender to establish baseline requirements for the new spec engine; Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (regarded as the main competitor) Mercedes-Benz G-Class G550 Nissan Patrol GR Toyota Land Cruiser 3.0 D For a table of the above vehicles full specifications, benchmarked with the existing LR Defender, refer to Fig.4.7 in Appendix.1. Analysis Discussion By reviewing the benchmarking table, Fig.4.7 in Appendix.1, it becomes apparent that the current LR Defender is slower than its competitors by taking 14.7 seconds to reach 0 62 mph compared with the Jeep Wranglers time of 11.7 seconds. Although the LR Defender is not expected to have a very fast acceleration time, as it is an off-utility vehicle, potential customers may be discouraged by the Defenders slow acceleration characteristics compared to the Jeep and its other competitors. The fastest acceleration time is achieved by the Mercedes-Benz G550 which can go 0 62 mph in an impressive 6.1 seconds with its supercharged 5L V8 petrol engine. The cost of the Mercedes-Benz G550 however is 50,250 (compared to 27,610 for the Defender) and has twice the engine capacity of the Defender, so is expected to be far more powerful with its petrol engine compared to the 2.4L turbocharged diesel Defender engine. The design teams proposal is that the current LR Defender engine should at least match or beat its rival the Jeep Wrangler in areas such as acceleration time from 0-62 mph as the Defender is more expensive than the Jeep and approximately 230kg lighter. Another issue is that the Defenders top speed is the lowest out of all its competitors. This low top speed has also attracted criticism from motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson (2006) who stated that the biggest drawback of the LR Defender is its weak engine and thus corresponding slow acceleration and top speed. The new LR Defender engine must eliminate these same criticisms to become more competitive in the market place and thus more appealing to potential customers. Vehicle Power per cylinder (kW/cylinder) Power Density Ratio (kW/L) LR Defender 2.4L D 4inl 22.50 37.48 Jeep Wrangler 2.8L D 4inl 32.50 46.81 Mercedes Benz G550 5.5L V8 petrol 47.75 70.23 Nissan Patrol GR 3.0 D 4inl 29.50 39.96 Toyota Land Cruiser 3.0D 4inl 30.75 41.25 Fig.1.0 compares the effectiveness of the engines that were benchmarked in detail. It shows that the Defenders current engine has the lowest power density in terms of engine capacity. This is a big weakness as it shows that the when not taking into account the Defenders relatively small engine capacity, its engine is vastly underpowered. The Mercedes Benz G550 as expected displays the best power density as it is a gasoline engine. The Defenders regarded closest rival in terms of target market and image, the Jeep Wrangler, also shows a much greater power density ratio. Or group propose to increase the engines the power density to be comparable with the Jeep Wrangler with at least a ratio of above 43kW/L. Vehicle Torque (Nm) MEP (Mpa) LR Defender 2.4L D 4inl 360 1.885 Jeep Wrangler 2.8L D 4inl 400 1.815 Mercedes Benz G-Class G550 5.5L V8 petrol 391 0.903 Nissan Patrol GR 3.0 D 4inl 380 1.619 Toyota Land Cruiser 3.0D 4inl 410 1.729 A weakness of the current Defender however is highlighted test drive of the vehicle by motor journalist Jeremy Clarkson (2006) for the Times Newspaper. He stated that the vehicle simply did not have enough torque to pull a horse trailer behind it at a reasonable speed. This can be backed up by the data seen in Fig.1.1 above which shows that the current Defender engine produces the least amount of torque out of all its competitors. This weakness is heavily compounded by the fact that the vehicle is marketed as an off-road vehicle and thus needs high torque requirements to be-able to navigate through steep and loose terrain effectively. As a consequence customers may be off put by the fact that the current Defender has less torque than its competitors and thus this issue will have to be addressed when upgrading the existing engine. The new engine must be made more environmentally friendly than the current engine as January 2013 will see the current Euro 5 emissions targets replaced by the Euro 6 legislation and thus stricter emissions targets. The Defender is third best out the five competitors the vehicle was benchmarked against in regards to CO2 emissions, which is an indicator for overall total emission performance. The current Defender comes second best to the Jeep Wrangler in regards to fuel economy, by achieving a combined fuel economy of 28.3 mpg. However the other diesel engine competitors, the Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser are less fuel efficient than the Defender. When purchasing an off-road vehicle such as the Defender, fuel economy may not be the most important factor but it has become more important to potential customers over the last decade. The same could be said for the greater importance of emissions performance that potential customers may look for. The new Defender engine is likely to be more powerful and thus a better fuel economy target (comparable to 32.8mpg of the Jeep Wrangler) may be out of reach. However through reviewing and selecting technologies, the fuel economy performance could be improved slightly or at least kept the same. From analysing the Defender, by using the data displayed in Fig.4.7 (Appendix.1), it can be seen that the vehicle is neither the best nor worst performing vehicle in regards to fuel economy, but averagely in relationship to competitors. The balance of the current Defenders inline four engine configuration, according to Nunney (2006), has perfect primary balance because when one pair of pistons are moving up, the other pair are moving down at the same time. Inline four engines however do not have perfect secondary dynamic balance. This is because piston acceleration varies depending on its vertical position within the cylinder head in relation to the crankshaft that it is connected to. This leads to one pair of pistons moving faster than the other, which creates a secondary imbalance and results in the engine vibrating vertically. Nunney (2006) also explains that at low power configurations the secondary imbalance (vibration) is not too severe but can get considerably worse with increasing size and powerful engines. This may explain why the current inline 4 Defender engine has a lower displacement than its competitors, to reduce secondary imbalance vibration in order to appeal to potential customers and save costs on designing a crankshaft to damp heavy engine vibration. The following strengths are also exhibited by the current engine; Highest MEP value out of the competitors benchmarked against Best strength to weight ratio (could be due to basic interior making vehicle lighter) Potential customers may overlook the apparent power and torque shortfalls as the highly regarded Land Rover brand may persuade people to buy the vehicle anyway. Summary of existing Defender engine (compared to competitors); Weaknesses Strengths Slowest acceleration from 0 62 Mph Best Mean Effective Pressure of 1.885Mpa, better than competitor vehicles Lowest top speed of only 82 mph Highest Power to weight ratio (kW/kg) More expensive than Jeep Wrangler by >4000 even with poorer speed performance. Fuel economy is not the worst Lowest Power per cylinder produced (kW/cyl) Emission of CO2 is not the worst Secondary imbalance of straight inline four engine configuration (rivals also have this weakness) Long history of Defender may appeal to potential customers, thus engine shortcomings may be overlooked Lowest torque produced out of competitors Not the best in either fuel consumption or emissions, even with smallest capacity engine Lowest Power Density Ratio (kW/L) Current Vehicle Performance Trends Fig 1.3 shows the performance trends for Jaguar engines up to 2010. While exact performance targets cannot be extrapolated from the graph, The design group can see that the new Defender engine needs to have an increase in specific engine power. However with the increase in power, increased emissions and fuel consumption will occur. This in conjunction with Fig 1.4 below from Richardson (2010) shows how CO2 emissions have decreased despite the trend of engine power also increasing. While the trends from Figs 1.3 and 1.4 show that performance trends increase and emissions trends decrease, the group is concluding that potential customers for a LR Defender will be less likely concerned about the vehicles emissions or fuel economy compared to non-SUV vehicles customers. Thus increasing the torque (and power) of the current engine to match its competitors is prioritised. It is conceded that any improvement in fuel economy and emissions departments will be limited, but in the interests of Land Rovers image, any improvement on these characteristics will be beneficial. Advanced Engine Technology Supercharging Turbo-charging Technology Superchargers (mechanical drive driven) This is a device comprising of an air compressor to force more air into the engine. Forcing a greater amount of air (under positive pressure) into the engine provides more oxygen for the combustion process than without a supercharger. As a result more fuel can be thus provided for stoichiometric combustion reaction to occur and allowing more work per a cycle to be done. This thus increases the power output of the engine. The advantage of supercharging according to Daniels (2001) is that it multiplies the engines BMEP and torque by the amount the air compressor increases the atmospheric pressure into the engine. Supercharged engines also experience better throttle response than naturally aspirated engines. The disadvantage of using a supercharger is that it is generally less thermally efficient than the more common used turbocharger (which uses energy from otherwise wasted exhaust gas). Another drawback highlighted by Harris (2002) is that supercharging (particularly mechanical-supercharging techniques) puts extra strain on the engine and its components as they are required to withstand extra strains provided by the supercharging boost. This requires the engine to be made stronger, thus thicker, heavier and more expensive. Daniels (2001) also explains how the noise generated by a superchargers mechanical drive components can contribute to extra passenger discomfort. Turbochargers These devices consist of a turbine and a compressor and are a type of supercharger. The difference is that instead of mechanically driving a compressor to force more air into the engine, turbochargers uses the engines own exhaust gases (which would have been otherwise wasted). It does this by converting the kinetic energy from exhaust gases into rotational energy to turn a turbine. The turbine is connected to the compressor on the same shaft, thus this powers the compressor to draw in atmospheric air and pump it pressurised into the engine. The advantages of a turbocharger are same as for a supercharger as previously described of increasing engine BMEP. This is appropriate for the LR Defender which will need the extra power if being used off-road or in mountainous steep roads, which is the market the vehicle is targeted to. Turbochargers are also more thermally efficient than superchargers due to use of the otherwise wasted exhaust gas. This thus decreases exhaust emissions and fumes expelled into the atmosphere. Daniels (2001) also explains that for mainly diesel engines variable geometry turbochargers can maintain an appropriate exhaust gas speed though the turbo turbine when the engine is at low load. Disadvantages include the need for a cooler to cool exhaust gas before it enters the turbine therefore adding weight and bulk to the engine. During operation turbochargers also experience a turbo lag when the throttle is applied. As previously explained the LR Defenders competitors (particularly its main rival the Jeep Wrangler) have more powerful engines than the current Defender 2.4litre 4 cylinder engine. If upgrading the engine by increasing its cylinder capacity, more air (particularly oxygen) will need to be supplied to the cylinders for combustion. Thus the use of twin-turbochargers may be required to force more air into the cylinders to make the combustion process stoichiometric. Also the advantage of using two smaller turbochargers (twin-turbo), instead of a larger single turbocharger, is that turbo-lag is reduced. Usually a small turbocharger provides boost at low engine speeds and the second kicks in and supplies boost at higher engine speeds. There are two widely known types of twin-turbochargers called Parallel and Sequential types. When comparing the advantages and disadvantages of mechanically-driven superchargers and turbochargers it was decided to use turbochargers as they are more environmentally friendly and fuel efficient to run. The current engine for the LR Defender uses a variable geometry turbocharger and it is likely the new spec engine will also be turbocharged by the same type of unit. Variable Valve Timing Systems Camless Valve Systems Autoweek Magazine (2005) states that camless valve systems were tested in 2005 by Valeo on two Peugeot 407s successfully under extreme weather conditions and intensive testing. The valves were controlled by individual actuators and powered through solenoids to open and close valves. The advantages of camless systems, explained by Daniels (2001), include the following; Valve timing can be altered to as desired In theory some cylinders could be shut off (at low load) to allow others to run more efficiently Valve timing and lift can be matched to the needs of the engine with an estimated saving of up to 20% on fuel saving. The mechanical design of the engine can be simplified as the usage of a camshaft and other associated valve gear become redundant. The advantages however are currently overshadowed by the power needs of the camless system and the associated complexity and reliability issues if the vehicle has electrical problems. Peter Brown who is vice president of powertrain engineering and design for Ricardo stated in Autoweek Magazine (2005) It comes down to complexity and cost which sums up why camless systems are still not (although many think they eventually will be) utilised in passenger vehicle engines. For The new LR Defender engine camless systems will not be used for the disadvantages described above. Variable Valve Timing Technology Mechadyne International (2006) states that that the use of variable valve train systems can substantially reduce both fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The amount by which the variable valve train systems reduce fuel consumption and emissions is going to be approximated to 10%. This is because, as the Bosch Automotive Handbook (2007) states, BMWs VALVETRONIC system reduces fuel consumption and exhaust emissions by over 12%. According to the Bosch Automotive Handbook (2007) the following types of variable valve timing technology are available; Camshaft phase adjustment Camshaft-lobe control Fully variable valve timing with camshaft Fully variable valve timing without camshaft Camshaft Phase Adjustment This type of variable valve timing adjusts the phase that the cams are in contact with the levers that open and close the valves. To change the phase of the camshaft small adjustments are made, by electrically controlled actuators, to the camshaft as a function of engine speed. Typically the camshaft can only be controlled to move to two pre-calculated extreme positions. Advantages include greater power, torque and efficiency being experienced for a wider range of engine speeds. Disadvantages to other valve timing methods include the limited range in which the valves timings can actually be altered. Fully Variable Valve Timing with Camshaft These types of systems can vary both valve lift and timing. The lobes on the camshaft have a curved profile which in conjunction with the camshaft being able to move freely laterally, this enables the valve lift and timing to also be varied independent to each other, which is an obvious advantage to the previously limited valve control systems mentioned above. Fully Variable Valve Timing without Camshaft These types of systems are very different, to the previously mentioned, as it replaces the use of a camshaft with either the following types of control methods solenoid (electromagnetic) or electro-hydraulic actuators. The biggest advantage of these systems are that operate independently from the crankshaft and thus this allows the valves to be opened at any time period of the engines cycle. This, as stated by the Bosch Automotive Handbook (2007), offers the greatest degree of freedom for valve timing and thus the greatest potential for reducing fuel consumption. Also deactivation of certain cylinders can be achieved thus allowing the active cylinders to work more efficiently at lower engine speeds. Disadvantages are however that superchargers cannot be installed (without very expensive and complicated design), and while space is saved from not using a camshaft, electrical components can be bulky and hazardous. Also the cost of fully variable valve timing systems means it is unlikely they will be incorporated into The new engine design. Camshaft-Lobe Control In these types of systems it becomes possible for a valves timing to be controlled by three separate camshaft lobes depending on the engine speed. According to the Bosch Automotive Handbook (2007) the one lobes profile is tailored so that valve timing and lift is optimised for the lower to mid engine speed range. Another lobes profile is optimised for higher engine speeds by maximising valve lift and opening times. Systems such as Hondas VTEC and Toyotas WTI use camshaft-lobe control method. Camshaft-lobe shifting types of variable valve timing also share similar advantages and disadvantages to the camshaft phase adjustment method. This type of variable timing (camshaft-lobe control) will be used for the new engine design. This is because it doesnt cost as much (or weigh as much) as the other variable valve timing systems while still being hugely advantageous in terms of performance, fuel economy and emissions control gain. Fuel Injection Systems Common Rail Fuel Injection These fuel systems consist of a common rail tubing system maintained at constant high pressure via a pump. Injectors for each cylinder in the engine are in turn connected to the common rail tubing. The injectors have solenoid valves which are electronically controlled via an engine ECU (Electronic Control Unit) to open and close at the desired timings as explained in detail by DENSO (2005). An advantage of common rail fuel injection is that control of fuel injection (according to Daniels, 2001) is at the injector itself and not at the pump which is the case with other fuel injection systems. Higher pressures can also be achieved thus more fuel can be injected into the cylinder in a shorter amount of time with better fuel atomisation, as described by DENSO (2005), leading to high combustion efficiency and a reduction in emissions. This is important as new emissions targets will have to be met in 2014 with the Euro 6 legislation when the vehicle will be on the market. The main disadvantage of this type of injection technology according to Daniels (2001) is that the injectors are expensive to manufacture and inherently complicated in design. Piezoelectric Injectors (For Common Rail Systems) Instead of using solenoid valves which are more frequently used in common rail fuel injection system, piezoelectric injectors can be used in higher performance engines. These injectors work by using piezoelectric crystals that expand when supplied with an electrical charge and thus opening and closing fuel injection valves. The following attributes of piezoelectric type injectors are common; Greater compact dimensions than solenoid valve injectors. More accurate control over injection timing and fuel volume. Piezoelectric injectors can be used with Accelerometer Pilot Control (APC) to minimise diesel engine vibration at low engine speeds. This is achieved by injecting a small quantity of fuel before the main injection quantity. Piezoelectric injectors can also operate faster with more frequency than solenoid valves (approximately five times faster), which allows greater control over fuel consumption and emissions. The Bosch Automotive Handbook (2007) states that the use of piezo-injectors for common rail fuel systems can reduce emissions by up to 20%. Emissions Reduction Technologies Stanton (2009) from roadtransport.com explains how the European Parliament (EP) and European Commission (EC) have agreed new targets for comply with Euro-6 emission legislation. The new Euro-6 targets will have to be met by vehicle manufacturers and thus the new spec LR Defender by 1st January 2013. This is before the new LR Defender model will reach Job 1 (mid to late 2013). It is therefore important that new and existing technologies are reviewed in Emissions control to meet these targets. In recent years the environmental performance of vehicles influences potential customers more than ever in their buying decision. It is therefore important we maintain Jaguars highly regarded brand image and compete with competitors by meeting the existing (Euro-5) and future Euro-6 emissions targets. Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) This is a device which is responsible for removing small particulate particles and soot from the exhaust gas of a diesel engine. A DPF is not 100% but is normally found to be over 50% efficient most of the time. A good feature of a DPF is that its function according to torquecars.com (2008) is independent to a catalytic converter thus ensuring a fault in the DPF will not affect overall emissions critically. The advantages of particulate filters are much publicised including removing dangerous small particles from an engines emissions. The two types of DPF, active and passive, have their own advantages and disadvantages. The main disadvantages of DPF, explained by torquecars.com (2008), are highlighted below; The filters can get very hot causing a possible fire safety hazard. To remove a DPF very technical changes have to be made to the affected ECUs to change the sensitivity of sensors in the vehicles engine and exhaust. A DPF can decrease engine performance by at most 10% Bhp. Other Technologies Accelerometer Pilot Control (APC) Diesel engines are known to display harsh chugging and vibration at low engine speed, which can now be minimised through technology called Accelerometer Pilot Control (APC). An APC system, described by Delphi (2008) consists of an accelerometer (microphone) attached to the engine block which listens to the nature of the combustion which may have caused vibrations occur throughout the engine block. An engine management system then minimises the unwanted vibrations and noise by optimising the amount of fuel pilot injected for combustion, in a closed loop system, until acceptable noise and vibration levels are reached. ECU Remapping According to mobilechiptune.com (2007), when we remap an engine ECU we are fine tuning the program that deals with engine performance. Remapping or upgrading an ECU could therefore potentially increase the available engine power and torque. Mobilechiptune.com (2007) also states that remapping a diesel turbo engine ECU will produce 30 50% BHP on exact the specification, where diesel engines give the most impressive power and torque gains available. A remap of the ECU will definitely be required be a twin-turbo (or other technologies) are added to the new engine, however the ECU itself is only likely to achieve small gains in efficiency, fuel economy and emissions. Summary of Chosen Technologies Fig1.5 below shows the selected technologies the group is proposing for inclusion into the new Defenders engine. Fig1.5 also shows estimates of the expected improvement over engine performance, emissions and fuel economy. Also see Section.3 for justification to estimates below. Feature Selected Technology Twin-Turbo (reused exhaust gas Variable Valve train Diesel Particulate Filter Piezo Injectors* Improved ECU Mapping APC Performance, BHP + 20% + 10% 10% + 5% + 2.5% + 2.5% Emissions, CO2 g/km + 5% 10% ~ 0% 10% 2.5% 2.5% Fuel Economy, mpg 10% + 10% ~ 0% +10% + 2.5% + 2.5% *Piezo injectors as opposed to solenoid controlled injectors in a common rail fuel injection system. 3. Selection of Engine Arrangements Modified engine parameters: Total engine capacity 3000 cc. Capacity per each cylinder 500 cc. Number of cylinders 6 Type of engine Diesel engine The target is to improve engine performance (mainly torque) by increasing the number of cylinders from 4 to 6. Although there is a reduction of capacity per cylinder, a net increase in total engine capacity of 600 cc will not only compensate it, but also increases total horsepower produced. Kayne (2009) states that 6 cylinder engines are more suited to towing, off-road, hilly and mountainous areas while experiencing greater throttle response. Bore size is thus reduced from 89.9 mm to 82 mm while retaining the same stroke length. Bore/stroke ratio is 1.15, which is within the range of 1-1.3 for diesel engine. The weight of the current engine is estimated as being 180kg taken from a BMW 2.5L inline 4 diesel engine (plus weight added for turbo) from data compiled by Williams (2006), which is a similar spec to the current Defenders 2.4L turbo inline 4. The new engine is estimated as being 25% larger thus heavier by the same margin, and an additional 50kg for the additional technologies a dded. The new engine weight is thus taken as approximately 300kg. 4. Determination of Design Targets This section of the report provides estimations for the new engines power, torque, fuel economy and emissions characteristics. Below Fig1.7 Shows modifications to the Defenders current engine will affect the new engines power performance. Performance Estimation Feature Estimated affect on engines Performance BHP (%) affect from current Defenders 121 BHP engine Increasing engine capacity by 600cc + 25 % + 30 BHP Upgrading current Turbocharger to a Twin-turbo charger + 20 % + 24 BHP Installing a Variable valve train system Camshaft Lobe Control + 10 % + 12 BHP Decreasing the bore from 89.9mm to 82mm 10 % 12 BHP Adding a Diesel Particulate Filter 10 % 12 BHP Piezo-electric injectors (instead of solenoid valves) in common-rail system + 5% + 6 BHP Miscellaneous; -Accelerometer Pilot Control (APC) -Improved ECU Mapping -Improved intake air flow + 5 % + 6 BHP Total affect in BHP = + 50 % 60 BHP Increase Given the maximum power for previous engine is 121 bhp. Therefore, the new engines maximum power is: Power = (121 + 30 + 24 + 12 12 12 + 6 + 6)bhp = 181 bhp = 135kW Torque and Power at 3 operating conditions: T = 368.5 Nm @ max power (3500rpm) T = 400.0 Nm @ max torque (2000rpm) T = 120.0 Nm @ idle (1000rpm) The Torque at various engine speeds were calculated via using the following equation: Engine power: Pe=2*? *N* T Figure 1.8 shows the estimated power and torque curves for the vehicle. Justification of Targets Estimations While the decision has been taken to increase the engines capacity, increasing the engines power to increase the vehicles acceleration and torque characteristics, the fuel economy and emissions of the engine also has to improve. This is due to more stringent legislation and targets, as well as the expectations from potential customers who expect the engine to improve in every department. It may be said that that increasing the engines capacity from 2.4L to 3L means that the targets of decreasing the fuel consumption and emissions will be difficult. The group would argue however that the current Defenders engine is underpowered compared to its competitors and was consequently the recipient of bad reviews from motor journalists (such as Jeremy Clarkson, 2006). The Defenders potential customer market also may not require huge improvements in fuel consumption and emissions. This is because the Defender is going to be utilised for and marketed as an off-field vehicle with specialist applications such as towing and rough terrain excursions. These categories of vehicles are expected by customers to have poorer fuel economy and emissions than other smaller vehicle types. These customer expectations will therefore be beneficial when designing the engine as while emissions and fuel economy is targeted to at least stay the same, the issue of increasing the Defenders torque can be prioritised. The increase in engine capacity naturally means the emissions and fuel consumption will increase. To overcome this advanced engine technology will be utilised in order to decrease the emissions and fuel consumption. Estimations will be made regarding how much saving (in terms of percentage) the addit

Opening an Italian Restaurant in Ilford Essay -- GCSE Business Managem

Opening an Italian Restaurant in Ilford Introduction I am planning to open an Italian restaurant which will be located in Ilford. The business will be owned and operated by me. My goals are to combine my skills in developing an up market, price competitive restaurant catering for 18 – 35 year old males and females. The restaurant will be focused on meeting customer’s needs, which will ensure steady repeat and referral of the business. In my first year of business, I will work on a rented building. There are many reasons why I am opening my own business. Starting with the fundamentals, I have a strong belief that to be in business you need to have a passion and interest, which can be translated into commitment and dedication to the success of the business. My primary reasons for starting my own business are:  · To be my own boss and take full responsibilities for my decisions  · To support my lifestyle financially  · To be challenged in the work place and build a successful business I can take pride in  · To provide a quality service to my existing and new clientele in a relaxing environment Sole Trader Sole trader is a person who sets up a business by themselves. As a Sole trader the owner himself is responsible for every action made and also keeps all of the profit. This could be a newsagent's shop, for example. Individuals, who provide a specialist service like hairdressers, plumbers or photographers, are also sole traders. Sole traders do not have a separate legal existence. As a result, the owners are personally liable for the firm's debts, and may have to pay them out of their own pocket. Advantages of Sole Trader ========================= - The business is to be set up. Apart from any necessary licenses or planning permission, there are very few legal formalities. - Although accounts are seen by the Inland Revenue, they do not have to be made public. - The business is usually small, and the owner is in charge of the management. Decisions can be made quickly - The owner gets all of the profit from the business - Being a small business can provide attention to the customers Disadvantages of Sole Trader ============================ - Sole traders have to work very long hours particularly when setting up a business. - Difficult for the business to expand - No cont... ...usinesses lose a lot of money through sickness absence, not all of it medically justified. While many of the issues can be handled on the basis of give and take, there are times when clear policies and decisive action are needed to resolve difficult situations. A1 The great majority of new businesses set up each year in the UK choose to do so as sole traders. This arrangement has the advantage of being reasonably free of formalities and restrictions, unless you intend to register for VAT, there are no rules about the records you have to keep. Other than you do have to keep records. As a Sole Trader you take complete responsibility for the running of the business. Your business is one of your assets just like your house or car. An important consequence of this is that if your business fails, your creditors have a claim not only on the assets of the business, but also on your personal assets, subject only to the Bankruptcy Act. Note that being a Sole Trader does not imply that the business only employs one person, If your business grows you may employ extra staff however you will still be a Sole Trader, because it will be your business and your liability.

Production and Supply of Exotic Vegetables Essay

Greenhouse cultivation started on commercial basis 20 years ago in India. At present more than 25000 greenhouses exists in India cultivating roses, gerbera, carnation, Anthurium, orchids, and vegetables like Capsicum, tomatoes, cucumber and exotic vegetables. India contributes only 1% to the total area under greenhouse in the world. At present Gujarat has around 450 operational greenhouses and will have more than 800 operational greenhouses in 2013. Hence, it’s the time now to promote greenhouse farming to have sustainable agriculture with quality produce in the hands of the consumers. Greenhouse technology has been promoted by the central government and state government on large scale. The farmers are not utilising it in an efficient way mainly because of cultivating the crops as same as they are cultivating in the open field. Hence, the core concept of greenhouse gets vanished away. The research paper is with reference to the research conducted on Controlled environment cultivation in Gujarat. It includes the various aspects of production, operation, supply chain and marketing, subsidies given by various horticulture departments at Central and State level. There is a lot of opportunities and improvements needs to be done at farmer’s level. It includes grabbing the right market at right time which can be achieved only when they transplant at right time keeping in mind the nearby market. Also, the farmers have to change their mind set about the overdose of fertilizers and pesticides which is not beneficial to crops but in turn invites more of pests and disease and deteriorate our soil micro flora and fauna. Since, cultivation in greenhouse in itself is an advantage, increasing the cost of cultivation takes them away from gaining the real advantage. For which it is necessary that they should follow the package of practise as given by the horticulturists of the state government department. Maintenance is another aspect which should be kept in mind like time and schedule of irrigation, weeding, earthing up, right time for tieing the plant, stage of picking the fruits etc. Also, if there is any attack of pest or disease they should consult entomologists or pathologists rather than blindly applying the chemicals as given by the retail stores to sale and promote their brand.

Downfall of Macbeth Essay

The tragedy of â€Å"Macbeth,† by William Shakespeare, follows the fall of Macbeth from a man in a position of power with a contented life, to a man with nothing but â€Å"mouth honor† and a corrupted soul. In this essay, I wish to show to what extent Macbeth’s tragedy was his own fault. The downfall of Macbeth begins early on in the play when he and Banquo (a fellow Scottish noble) meet the witches. The witches waylay Macbeth and Banquo whilst they were on their way to meet Duncan, King of Scotland. They decide to listen to the witches, out of sheer curiosity. The three witches greet Macbeth as â€Å"Thane of Glamis†, the title he already holds, and begin to tell the two nobles of things to come, and prophesies that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor, and the King of Scotland. Macbeth asks how they know of his current title, and laughs at the following two prophesies. The witches ignore his questions, and tell Banquo of how he will not be king, but his sons will be kings. Instead of just ignoring the witches, the statement of his current title intrigues Macbeth and he follows the witches to try and get them to tell him more. Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more† says Macbeth, showing that he is indeed interested in what the witches have to say. The witches disappear, and Macbeth dismisses them, and he and Banquo ride off. The witches appearance, and Macbeth becoming intrigued may amount to his downfall, but I believe that they were merely the ‘helping hand’ for Macbeth who’s own weak will and other events where the catalyst for his eventual death. At this point, Macbeth is still a highly respected man, and is about to get more respect from Duncan, for defending Scotland from the invading forces of Norway. The messengers who tell Duncan of Macbeth’s deeds portray him as a man of great courage, who showed no fear in the battles. Duncan sends a messenger to tell Macbeth of his reward for his great deeds. Two messengers to greet Macbeth with the news of Duncan’s reward: he is to be made Thane of Cawdor. â€Å"Why do you dress me in borrowed robes? † asks the startled Macbeth, as the messengers begin to explain how the last Thane of Cawdor was helping the Norwegians invade. Aside, he says, â€Å"Two truths are told, as happy prologues to the swelling act†¦Ã¢â‚¬  obviously relating to the first two prophecies the witches made. He now asks Banquo, aside, whether or not he believes the witches now that Macbeth’s second prophecy has come true. Banquo says he is wary and that he really doesn’t want anything to do with these witches, but he will merely sit back and let the prophecies run their course. Macbeth seemingly decides to follow Banquo’s idea, and makes an agreement with himself â€Å"If chance will have me king, why, chances may crown me, without my stir†. Macbeth decides to write to his wife and tell her of his new title, a fatal mistake in my opinion, since his wife reacts to the letter in a totally unexpected way. All of a sudden, Lady Macbeth decides to make a push to get her husband to make the effort to fulfil the third prophecy. Meanwhile, Duncan names his son as the next king, and Macbeth becomes bitter, and looks towards the prophecies for his next move; â€Å"That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Clearly Macbeth has decided that he will now ‘stir’, and make some move to become king. Back with Lady Macbeth at Macbeth’s castle, she is reading Macbeth’s letter. She reads about his new title, and the mentions of the witches’ prophecies. Lady Macbeth first starts off by thinking about how she can get her husband to become a king, and concludes that she’ll have to make some effort to get her husband to do whatever it takes to get him to be king. A messenger, who brings news that Duncan wishes to stay at Macbeth’s castle, interrupts her thoughts. Lady Macbeth decides, almost instantly, that she will persuade her husband to kill Duncan so he can become king. Whilst in the middle of her thoughts, Macbeth returns home. They talk, and Lady Macbeth brings up the subject of getting rid of Duncan so he can be king. Macbeth appears shocked although was secretly thinking the same thing, and tries to dismiss the idea. Underneath, however, he wants to go along with the idea so he can become king. His underlying motives become clear when he decides that he will do the evil thing, and is going to kill Duncan. â€Å"We will speak further,† he says, making his intentions apparent to the audience. Although unsure, he will not totally dismiss the idea, and is even considering it. Lady Macbeth now knows that she has him within her grasp, nd she will now make sure that she wins him completely over. In my opinion, not making his mind up creates a chance for Lady Macbeth. She sees this uncertainty and later exploits his unwillingness to make decisions. A short while later, Duncan arrives, accompanied by all of his Thanes. They all feast, and drink to the success of the battle against Norway. As the night wears on, Macbeth has to time to contemplate the consequences of killing Duncan. Macbeth makes the moral decision not to proceed saying; â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business. He (Duncan) hath honoured me of late, and I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people, which would be worn now in the newest gloss, not cast aside so soon†. Macbeth attempts to give excuse for not proceeding, but fails to give any proper reasons for it. The only advantage he sees for not killing Duncan is that he respects him, and by killing him it would be disrespecting him. I believe that this is not a valid reason for committing murder, and shows Macbeth’s underlying ambition to become king. By putting forward pithy excuses Macbeth makes his ambition very clear to the reader. Lady Macbeth is not swayed by his pathetic excuses, and she knows that secretly, Macbeth wants the same things she does. In an attempt to convince Macbeth to continue with the plan, she first insults his manhood â€Å"When you durst do it, you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man†¦Ã¢â‚¬ and accuses him of being cowardly for not sticking to the plan. She then attacks his ego further by saying â€Å"From this time such I account thy love† and accuses him of not loving her. For Macbeth, this is the final straw, and he gives in. Lady Macbeth plans the murder. When Macbeth goes to murder Duncan, he still doubts himself, and even starts seeing things as he approaches Duncan’s room. Upon committing the murder, Macbeth finds himself in a state. Lady Macbeth attempts to clean him up, and make him appear well, but now Macbeth has lost all control. This murder of Duncan leads to the destruction of Macbeth. Aware of any possible opposition, Macbeth begins spying and murdering people. There are also psychological problems that Macbeth has which lead to his destruction. This is shown by his brief madness after Banquo’s murder when he sees Banquo’s ghost. The tragedy ends when Macbeth is slain by Macduff who, with many others, find out about what horrific things Macbeth has done. Macbeth begins to get paranoid about Banquo, and feels that he should be killed so as to stop him from being exposed. â€Å"So is he mine; and in such bloody distance that every moment of his being thrusts against my nearest life;† Macbeth says, aware that the only way to truly silence Banquo is to have him killed. At the banquet scene, Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost, showing that he has indeed gone mad. Even in insanity, he feels guilty. â€Å"Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! † he says, his conscience acting on him and showing his remorse. Macbeth has finally gone mad, and it was all due to his ambition and want to be king. He goes on to become entirely evil, as he visits the witches again and again, seeking solace for his crimes, and answers to his impending doom. He begins to stop feeling remorse and guilt for his actions, and eventually becomes a cruel, twisted man. His wife falls ill, and he shows no compassion towards her, instead saying everything would be better once she is dead. This is near the end of the play and where Macbeth slowly returns from his evil side, feeling remorse for his actions finally. When the English army and Macduff advance on his castle he becomes the courageous Macbeth once again, and when he finally comes to fight Macduff, he is back to the brave and bold Macbeth at the start of the play. With his wife dead, he feels more able to do what he wants. The main people to blame for Macbeth’s tragedy were his wife, and Macbeth himself, and this is shown all the way through the play (Lady Macbeth willing him to murder, Macbeth being easily convinced etc) there some unfortunate circumstances that contributed to Macbeth’s downfall, such as Duncan making his son king instead of Macbeth, and Duncan putting his trust in Macbeth by coming to his castle, but none were as major a cause as Macbeth’s personality fault and his manipulative wife. To conclude, the blame for Macbeth’s tragedy should be placed on his head and his wife’s, due to his personality defect (ambition and a weak will) and her persuasiveness (pushing him to fulfil his ambition). The combination of these two defects and Duncan staying at Macbeth’s castle caused the entire play and tragedy to unfold.