Corrosion Protection in Offshore Pipelines Essay

Corrosion Protection in Offshore Pipelines - Essay Example According to the research corrosion in offshore pipeline environments is a critical and unresolved issue for oil and gas industries. Due to the nature of subsea facilities and infrastructures, corrosive processes are more abundant and varied than their onshore counterparts. The maintenance and monitoring of such problems is also more expensive given the challenges of access and context of the location. The aggressive nature of sea environments leads to pipeline systems becoming vulnerable to corrosion from various internal and external forces such as chemical reactions induced by seawater composition. Currently there are several techniques used by oil and gas industries to combat offshore corrosion. Corrosion resistant alloys are often used to prevent corrosion, as well as certain pipeline coatings and cathodic protection of pipelines. Offshore monitoring is often executed as a preventative measure, via electrical resistance monitoring, electrochemical methods, hydrogen monitoring, w eight-loss coupons, non-destructive testing techniques and analytical techniques. Offshore pigging is also a common practice. Researching and investigating case histories is a crucial way in which industries may improve their knowledge of corrosion protection techniques. Overall, there are many diverse methods, various apparatuses, several technological platforms and a wide spectrum of concepts involved in preventing, combating, managing and monitoring corrosion in offshore pipeline environments. However, these measures alone do not guarantee corrosion protection. Further research and experimentation using cutting-edge technology must be used in order to fully mitigate this issue. Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION....................

Solar Thermal Energy for Domestic Use in New Zealand Essay

Solar Thermal Energy for Domestic Use in New Zealand - Essay Example Meanwhile literature shows that the use of solar water technology in the country is still at its minimum. Solar hot water installations were at an average of 1,200 units per year and was expected to contribute as must as 15% of hot water requirements in New Zealand households. Yet, what few people realize is that solar thermal power can be utilized to generate electricity and totally eradicate the use of coal in electricity generation. The use of solar energy for electricity generation could reduce carbon emissions by atleast 270,000 tCO2 and generate employment to as many as 400 people (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority 2001). Installation of solar hot water energy systems costed about NZ$4,000 for a full installation, which generated about 2,400 kWh to 3,100 kWh of electricity annually. To see how much economic benefit this SHW installations offered, one can use the â€Å"payback period† or the â€Å"lifecycle cost† as indicators. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) calculated that over the 20-year lifetime of the system, energy production cost was only at 12 cents per kWh. Yet, it was important to note that this calculation was based on retrofits to existing homes, which typically costed more since the structure of the home had to customized to ensure that its energy demand was low. Meanwhile, installation of solar hot water systems on new homes were much cheaper because these systems were now built into the roof structure instead of around it.... This report has four sections: a) the research plan, b) results of the research, c) discussion of these results and d) conclusion and recommendation. Methodology or Research Plan To determine the advantages of solar energy and why it should be adopted in New Zealand, the researcher utilized the following research plan: Phase 1: Discover the potential of using solar thermal energy. This is done through an interview with an expert professional and through online search. The respondent for the interview received through email so as not to impede his work schedule. Meanwhile, the online search was done through search engines. It utilizes search terms like â€Å"solar power in New Zealand† and â€Å"solar thermal energy for domestic use. Phase 2: Determine the barriers to uptake of solar technology and create recommendation Results The Use of Solar Energy in New Zealand. To determine the potential of solar power in New Zealand, Brian Fawdray, an electrical engineer was interviewed . According to him, solar power was rarely utilized in electricity generation. Unlike other countries which started utilizing solar thermal energy, in New Zealand, electricity using solar power was done mainly through PV cells, which in itself had a limited market reach. When asked what he thought of using PV technology in the household, Fawdray said that he could not readily promote it because the technology is not yet cost effective for all households. In his words, â€Å"Cost efficiency depends on many factors. He believes, however that the backup system provided by PV batteries were important since most grid connected systems do not have it, and perhaps this is something PV

New Products Adoption in the Contemporary Market Essay

New Products Adoption in the Contemporary Market - Essay Example Because of such differentiation, a bifurcation has been observed in the process of buyer behavior related theoretical development. Although beneficial for the purpose of teaching and planning, according to the author, such divergence has prevented the development of theoretical structures that act as generic to both forms of buyer behavior. Although traditionally consumers are distinguished from organizations particularly in case of buying behavior due to the implicit understanding that while the consumer as an individual decision maker tends to be whimsical and responsive to sudden bursts of irrationality, organizations do not and professional organizational behavior is bound to be rational as it is the result of joint decision making in the presence of constraints like set objectives and priorities which prevent irrational and indulgent choices, the author argues against such distinctions pointing out the individual buyer although does not have to abide by constraints faced by professional organizations, has to make choices always being constrained by being a part of another organization – society. The differentiation is disagreed with by questioning the assumption that same individuals act differently under organizations that are contextually different, one being a professional organization while the other is the society the individual is embedded in. It is posited that theoretical enrichment is to be derived if buyer behavior is studied without differentiating between consumers and organizations. That in spite of consumers and organizations exhibiting different motivations and patterns in buying at times there are significant overlaps which lead to enhanced perceptions regarding the necessity of development of a general theoretical framework that can elucidate the differences of buying practices which are observed in different contextual settings.

Power Structure, Family Dynamics, and Cultural Assimilation Essay

Power Structure, Family Dynamics, and Cultural Assimilation - Essay Example While this dynamic structure could hamper them as a family unit, it is tempered instead by a family support network. A closer examination of the text will reveal how these elements hinge upon each other. An important factor in the family dynamic of the Garca is the power structure, which is usually manipulated through distance or an intermediary source. This initially arises from their cultural background in the Dominican Republic and from the fact that their family is connected to the Torre bloodline. The Garcas are an upper-class family on 'the Island'; they are accustomed to having servants and their remaining family there still do. The servants frequently serve as semi-authority figures to the children, as illustrated on the first page by the description "When their squabbles reach a certain mother-annoying level, they are called away by their nursemaids" (p. 3). This power through distance is illustrated in the government as well, as in the case of the secret police coming to interrogate Carlos (Papi) Garca. Carlos's response is the classic response to the power-distance, for, being the weaker side of the power balance, he escapes authority by being "absent" (i.e. hiding). This passive aggressive defense can be used as an attack, as when the three older sisters show their disapproval of Sofa's boyfriend by returning home from a group outing before the couple could get to the rendezvous. This scene exhibits a delicate balance of both sides of the power-distance equation: the parents maintained control of their children distantly by having them as a group, while the sisters returning without the youngest made her absence all the more obvious and assured swift punishment. The children here are forced to act as intermediary authorities for each other, yet the three oldest sisters decide that, for their sister's best interest, "we're staging a coup we are blowing the lovers' cover." (p. 127). This power structure is again exhibited in Sofa's marriage to Otto, for she distances herself physically and emotionally from her father's authority. He, in turn, responds by becoming emotionally absent from her life. The birth of Sofa's children, especially the son named after Carlos, serve as the intermediary catalyst for their relationship to begin healing. Lastly, chronologically speaking, Yolanda uses these lessons of distance to try and reassume control of her life by returning to the Dominican Republic. She will follow the examples of her family and her heritage to escape the cyclical patterns of her American life and return to her roots. The Garca family structure provides a vital element of support for its members, yet this same structure reveals the evolution of gender roles. This evolution is rooted in the traditional gender roles in the Dominican Republic, as revealed through Manuel's efforts to limit what Sofa reads. This assumption of male dominance and female submissive domesticity are reinforced by Ta Flor's argument that she herself is a queen, for " My husband has to go to work everyday. I can sleep until noon I'm going to protest for my rights" (p.121) It is this tradition that demands that Papi provide the principal financial support and therefore be the nominal head of the

Discuss how an understanding of the biology of insect pests assists in Essay

Discuss how an understanding of the biology of insect pests assists in the control of stored product pests - Essay Example It also helps to determine whether there is an infestation in a given building, what methods should be used to remove it, and provides wider methods for the creation of new pesticides and insect repellents. Reason For Entry, Method of Entry, and Location The primary reason that an understanding of the biology of an insect pests helps in exterminating the pests by giving an understanding as to why the insects would come inside that building at that particular location. Generally, these reasons include coming into buildings seeking food, water, or shelter from the elements. For example, cockroaches are attracted to moisture around pipes and drains, and so buildings with such sources of moisture are more likely to contain cockroaches than drier buildings. Ants, like cockroaches, are also attracted to leaking pipes or condensation build-up, and will enter buildings or rooms in search of this moisture. Ants are also attracted to food sources such as sugar, especially in cases of general p oor sanitation. Locating those food and moisture sources can help determine why the pests are entering the building. Once the reasons for the pests coming in has been determined, the moisture or food source can be removed. Removing the source of food or water should help reduce the number of pests coming into the building, and therefore reduce the difficulty of eradicating the infestation of that building. Once the pests inside have been eradicated and the reason new pests were entering the building is removed, there should be no future issues with that particular pest in that building unless a new source of food or water is presented (Juneau et al., 2010). Additionally, understanding the biology of the insects can help an exterminator understand how the pests are entering the building of infestation in the first place. Crawling insects generally come in through openings into the building which are accessible from the ground. For example, insects may enter buildings through cracks i n the exterior masonry or other building materials, or other gaps in the exterior of the building. Doors left open especially can attract ground-level crawling insects. Small gaps and openings around water pipes, heating and cooling air vents, and exterior windows and doors, can all provide access to crawling insects. However, it is not only ground-level access that will allow in crawling pests that should be looked out for. Exterior landscaping features such as climbing vines, bushes and shrubbery, or tall grasses, may all provide access for crawling insects to reach open windows or other access points that are higher off the ground and would not normally be accessible to such pests (Juneau et al., 2010). Flying pests could obviously access higher points such as open windows that are lacking screens or that have damaged screens with holes that could allow in insects. Looking for such points of access could help determine where the pests are entering the building; blocking these ent ry points would therefore help stop the pests from infesting the building. Understanding the methods the insects are using to enter the building will help determine where the blockades should be placed in order to stop them. Knowledge of the biology of the pests can also help determine what locations in the buildings may be hiding those pests, and therefore where to look to eradicate them. For example, the bodies of bed bugs are almost completely flat. This allows them to hide in

What factors make Switzerland an attractive option for European Dissertation

What factors make Switzerland an attractive option for European commercial real estate investors - Dissertation Example The research aims to investigate what factors make Switzerland an attractive option for European Commercial Real Estate investors. The study will take in consideration those factors in order to understand which type of commercial real estate will be more profitable.The research is based on both primary and secondary data. Primary data will be collected via a mixed method approach. Firstly the author will use an inductive approach to make four semi-structured (exploratory) interviews with individuals working for â€Å"Compagnie des Parcs† (a young commercial real estate company based in Switzerland). The questions will mainly emphasize on the factors that makes Switzerland attractive for European investors. In a second phase, based on the interviews, an inductive approach will be used to create a short survey, which will be forwarded to a few individuals, all covering a particular aspect of the industry. In addition, a case study examining property deals made by Compagnie des P arcs will be assessed. The secondary data will be collected through books, articles, market reports, past dissertations and online sources. The data will be analyzed via different models such as the Grounded Theory for the Qualitative data or the SSPS software for the quantitative data. Hypothesis –Switzerland is an attractive option for European investors. Warehouses and elderly ONE DOESN’T USE ELDERLY FOR HOUSES IN ENGLISH – OLDER? houses are both interesting type of commercial real estate to invest in. Although offices are good alternatives, it does not offer such a high profitability. Because interest rate is extremely low those investors benefit from cheap money and thus high leverage opportunities. In addition, the country is in close proximity to Europe but does not belong to the Euro zone that is forecasted to worsen in regards to its economy. THIS IS NOT WHAT A HYPOTHESIS IS. PLEASE CHECK THIS IS YOUR TEXT BOOK – IT HAS TO BE A STATEMENT WHICH IS OPEN TO BE TESTED Value – This study, which has not been assessed before will fill an important gap for commercial real estate investors. It will add knowledge to a currently under studied area. The research will also help investors in identifying rapidly which factors are essential to evaluate in order to maximize the profit and reduce the risk of future investment. In addition, this study will be important to understand that real estate business cycle cannot be disregarded when entering the market. AT THIS STAGE IT ISN’T CLEAR TO ME WHAT THE RQ IS. YOU HAVE MADE AN ASSUMPTION THAT S. IS ATTRACTIVE AND GIVEN SOME REASONS WHY THIS SHOULD BE SO – BUT WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU TESTING? THAT IT IS ATTRACTIVE? COMPARED WITH WHAT? IS THIS A TEMPORAL STUDY – LOOKING AT SWITZERLAND IN DIFFERENT PERIODS? A COMPARISON WITH THE RELATIVE ATTRACTION OF OTHER COUNTRIES? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DEFINE ATTRACTION? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MEASURE IT? IS A CASE STUDY APPROPRIATE IN THIS SITUATION? Table of Contents Acknowledgements 2 Abstract 3 Background 7 The objectives and purpose of the project 9 The justification for the project 10 The research question 11 literature REVIEW 12 Definition of REAL estate 12 Types of real estate 12 Why invest in real estate 13 Supply and demand in real estate market 13 Cobweb theories 13 Business cycle 14 Real estate cycle 15 Investment strategies 16 Return on investment 17 STEPS in the investment decision process 17 Bibliography 33 Appendix 36 Interviews: 36 The four Sub-market: 43 The user market 43 The Financial Assets market: 44 The Development Market 45 The Land Market 45 The cobweb theory 46 Background In today’s economic context, it is becoming more and more difficult to understand financial trends and currency fluctuations. It was just a few years ago for instance that the Euro was seen has a powerful currency soon to overtake the dollar. Nowadays, economists are anticipating the collapse of this currency and the

Environmental Impact of Prescribed burning in the United States Essay Example for Free

Environmental Impact of Prescribed burning in the United States Essay The term prescribed burning refers to a management practice in which fire is used to burn a predetermined area under specified environmental conditions.   Burning in this case is used as a management tool in areas that are vulnerable to catching fire due to the ground cover that acts as fuel load. In addition, burning is considered to be the most environmentally friendly and cheapest method of having woody growth in an ecosystem controlled.   Prescribed burning in the United States is common. In this form of burning, controlled fires are used to burn a specified land area after proper planning which ensures that the present weather conditions are favorable for the burning. When weather conditions are not suitable for the burn, negative impact of the fire in the burnt areas is likely to be witnessed (Dale et al, 2009).   In the United States, prescribed burning is considered to be a very important management tool due to the benefits associated with it.   Both the landowners and the United States National Forest System have been using prescribed burning for many years. According to the United States fire policy in relation to the forest ecosystem, there is need to undertake prescribed burning in order to enhance the growth of commercial forests, prevent wildfire damage and to enhance fire dependent ecosystems.   However, prescribed burning has been criticized for its negative impact on the environment. For instance, prescribed burning results to the clearing of land or use of land for agricultural activities that have negative effects on the environment.   In this paper, the impact of prescribed burning on the environment in the United States will be discussed.   The paper will focus on the effect of prescribed burning on land after it is cleared by prescribed fires.   Land clearing that results from the burning impacts negatively on the vegetation, soil, water and biodiversity. Thesis In the United States prescribed burning is made necessary by the conditions in the forest ecosystems or ranches. The burning aims at preventing wildfires that can damage properly or lead to death of the people if the fuel load on the ground encourages wild fires.   In addition, the United States national forest system undertakes prescribed burning activities due to the ecological benefits that burning gives to the forests.   The national forest system associates prescribed burning to the reduction of wildfire hazards, land improvement, game habitat enhancement, insect and disease management and site preparation for reforestation (Biswell, 1999). Examples of areas that have undergone prescribed burning activities include the California wild lands, Florida Flatwoods and the Southern eastern US National Forest.   It is important to realize that although prescribed burning in these areas has its benefits to the ecosystem and the people; it also impacts negatively on the environment over time. Negative environmental impact of prescribed burning occurs despite the fact that prescribed burning is planned in a manner that minimizes negative effects of burning on the environment.   This has made the issue of prescribed burning to become a subject of debate in the country .While some consider prescribed burning to reduce negative impact of wild fires on the environment, burning can also impact negatively on the environment.   Land clearing that result from the burning has negative effect on the environment. Discussion Negative impact of Prescribed burning on vegetation after clearing of land Prescribed burning results to the clearing of land in a predetermined area as the fire burns the fuel load.   The burning has both indirect and direct negative effects after land clearing by the fire.   Land clearing in turn has negative effects on the vegetation, water, soil and wildlife. The negative impact of prescribed burning in the United States has been witnessed in some areas because prescribed burning has become a very important activity in the country. Every year, hundreds of thousands of hectares are burned. Although various methods of burning are used burn the vegetation cover in the predetermined areas, fires destroy the existing vegetation by either injuring or killing the entire plant or parts of the plant.   This depends on the duration that the fire burns or the intensity of the fire.   Prescribed burning based on the slash reduction method results to the reduction of debris. This method is also used to reduce debris in case of a natural event or road construction.   When management ignited fire is used, the burning of a stand that has been established is done while ensuring that fire does not spread beyond the predetermined area. While small trees are completely burned during the burning, larger trees may survive the fires but some of their trees may be destroyed.   When fires are ignited, the burning forest fuels increase the temperatures which make it difficult for the vegetation to survive. Since when it comes to burning the temperature of the vegetation and that of the air are very important, people who have the responsibility to ignite fires should do it when the air and vegetation temperatures cannot encourage fires that can have adverse effects on the environment.   For instance, prescribed fires in the United States during winter top kill the hard woods while hardwood rootstocks are killed by summer burns. In areas where burning has not been done for a longtime, deep organic layer that accumulates during prescribed burning leads to the cambial damage of trees. Because only little heat is required to destroy the plant cells in growing plants, burning the vegetation kills growing plants. This leads to the short and long term destruction of the vegetation which over time exposes land to changes that impact negatively on the good conditions of the environment. One short term and long term impact of prescribed burning in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National parks in the United States is the change in species composition (Mary Berth, 2000).   This change alters proper functioning of the ecosystem since it leads to the growth of new species while those that earlier existed and are not tolerant to fire before the fire fail to regenerate. These two parks are located in California’s South Nevada areas.   The parks cover about 864, 383 acres of land and prescribed burning in these two parks was made necessary by the desire to initiate ecological benefits in the parks.   The two parks prescribed fire programs were developed in 1969 and continues to be implemented in order to reduce fuel hazard problem that may result from heavy surface fuel loads.   Though the fires have been used to reduce the damage that may result from severe wild fires, change in species composition due to the clearing of land by fires has over the years been witnessed in the parks. Fires have limited the growth of species that are not tolerant to the fire ignited over a long time.   For instance, the increase in relative density of the giant Sequoia due to prescribed fires over a long time has altered the growth and survival of some other plant species.   The successful fire regimes restoration in the parks has encouraged the regeneration of the species that are fire-adapted at the expense of the species that are less-adapted to fire.   The reduction of fuel load and the restoration of forest structure after the fires alter the number and pattern of growth of plant species.   The parks have conifer forests dominated by the sequoia species. The change in the species number in a forest ecosystem affects the proper functioning of the natural ecosystem and this may lead to bare ground and soil erosion when plants and animals that promote proper functioning of the ecosystem are eliminated from the environment. In ecologically sensitive habitats in the United States, prescribed fires have had adverse effects on the regeneration and survival of plant species.   For example, the riparian areas in a forest system.   A study carried out to determine the effect of prescribed fire on the riparian areas in the Dark Canyon area showed that the fire consumed 90 per cent of the ground fuel, 79 per cent of the riparian zone pre-fire fuel, and 34 per cent of the total surface fuel.   The fire significantly reduced the percentage cover of the surface vegetation (Beche et al, 2005). As compared to the unburned areas, the burned area showed a change in the plant taxa richness after the regeneration of vegetation.   The reduction in plant taxa cover and richness changed the under story riparian vegetation community composition. These changes show that when an area experiences prescribed burning for a long time, disappearance of some species can lead to reduction in the percentage of vegetative cover. In the California Oak woodlands, the Native Americans used fire to have the Oak woodland vegetation altered.   Prescribed fires are considered to reduce the under story woody vegetation and have the tree density is lowered.   After the fires, regeneration may result to growth of vegetation in patches.   Since the settlement of Euro-Americans in the area, prescribed fire ignited in an ecosystem to create land for livestock ranches has removed the vegetation cover and instead encouraging the growth of plant species that are good for forage production. The woody vegetation in the area has been affected.Eventually, reduced vegetation cover has made it easy for soil to be exposed to either wind or rain erosion.Prescribed fires in Oregon’s Mixed – conifer forests of Crater Lake over the years have altered species composition by killing species that are not fire resistant while providing favorable conditions for the regeneration of fire-resistant species (Agee, 2003).   The Crater Lake National park has in the past prescribed a fire program that aims at increasing growth of pine trees and killing of the white fir tree species in the park.   Natural ecosystems can undergo succession to form forests that are dominated by the hardwood. The southeast region in the United States is considered to be the most fire dependent area in the country.   The removal of fuel loads in burned areas impacts negatively on the environment when over time plant species that support proper functioning of an ecosystem are eliminated. This makes an ecosystem to be vulnerable to changes that have adverse effects on the environment.