Nuclear Power Essays (789 words) - Nuclear Technology,

Nuclear Power Nuclear Power Nuclear energy in California has produced 36,186 million Kilowatt/hours of electricity in 1995. The total dependable capacity of Californias nuclear-supplied power is 5,326 megawatts, including the two operating nuclear power plants in California and portions of nuclear plants in other states owned by California electric companies. There are two ways to release energy from nuclear reactions: fission and fusion of atomic nuclei. Electricity generating technologies are available, whereas fusion is still in the early stages of research and development. Nuclear fission is the process of splitting the nuclei of atoms, which releases energy from within those atoms. Nuclear fusion is the process of joining, rather than splitting, these atoms with similar releases of energy. There are several types of fission reactors in the United States but the most common is light water reactors. The reason they are called light water reactors is because normal (light) water is used to cool the reactor core; some reactors use heavy water, which contains hydrogen atoms with an additional neutron in the nucleus. Pressurized water reactors (PWR) and boiling water reactors (BWR) use uranium-235, a naturally occurring radioactive isotope of uranium, as a fuel. As the nucleus of a uranium-235 atom is hit by a neutron, it splits into smaller atoms of other elements, and releases energy and extra neutrons. Those neutrons hit more atoms of the original uranium-235 creating a fission chain reaction that releases more energy and neutrons. In a PWR, water passes through the nuclear core and is heated. The power plants primary circulating system passes water through the reactor core, where the water is heated by the nuclear reaction. That water (under high temp and pressure to prevent boiling) is passed through a steam generator, where it releases its heat to the secondary circulating system. Water in secondary circulating system is allowed to boil, and the resulting steam is used to drive a steam turbine-generator. In a BWR, there is no need for a steam generator and a secondary circulating system, as the water in primary circulating system is allowed to boil before exiting the reactor and is then routed directly to a steam turbine-generator. There are only two nuclear power plants out of six that are still used in California. The first one is owned by PG&E named Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant near San Luis Obispo. The Plant has two units; the first unit is a 1,073-megawatt PWR, which began operation in May 1985. The second unit is 1,087-megawatt PWR, which began operation in March 1986. The second plant is owned by Southern California Edison Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric named San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Unit two of that station is a 1,070-megawatt PWR that began operation in August 1983, while unit three is a 1,080-megawatt PWR that began operation in April 1984. Below is a chart of nuclear power plants in California: Nuclear Power Plants in California Name of Plant Capacity (MW) In Service Owner Diablo CanyonUnit 1Unit 2 1,0731,087 19851986 PG&EPG&E San OnofreUnit 1Unit 2Unit 3 4361,0701,080 1968 - 199219831984 SCE/SDG&ESCE/SDG&ESCE/SDG&E Humboldt Bay Unit 3 * 65 1963 - 1976 PG&E Rancho Seco 913 1975 - 1989 SMUD Vallecitos 30 1957 - 1967 PG&E/GE * Units 1 and 2 are natural gas-fired thermal power plants on the same site. There are many reasons and issues why we dont have a lot of nuclear power plants in California here are a few: ? Nuclear plants may not be economically feasible in the United States. No American utility has proposed to construct a new nuclear power plant since the late 1970s. ? Need for a spent fuel disposal facility and a decommissioning plan ? Use of large amounts of water for cooling purposes (if wet cooling ? towers are used) ? Biological impacts on the ocean due to thermal discharge (if seawater cooling is used) ? Designing for seismic safety ? Public safety concerns ? Transportation issues associated with the development of an emergency evacuation plan ? Changes in visual quality due to the power plant structures, including the reactor vessel containment structure, and cooling towers (if applicable) ? Potentially significant amounts of land ? Potentially significant public opposition Nuclear power plants produce a lot of energy but they serious environmental problems. I think that these plants are

Free Essays on World War I

The United States Enters the War (1914-1917) Summary When war broke out in 1914, America's traditional isolationist tendencies took Hold. President T. Woodrow Wilson charted a neutral course, focusing on the maintenance of the rights of neutral countries on high seas. Sea rights were crucial to the United States because neutrality allowed American businessmen to trade with needy Allies and, to a lesser extent, Germany. By 1916, US trade with the Allies had jumped from US$825 million just two years before to US$3.2 billion. If the American merchant marine was in jeopardy, American business could make no profit. That is probably why the unrestricted submarine warfare practiced by Germany U-boats angered Wilson so much. In late 1915, a German U-boat sunk the merchant ship Lusitania, killing one hundred and twenty Americans. One year later, the Sussex was sunk, similarly without warning, as had been the custom prior to World War I. Americans were outraged at the violation of their rights on the high seas and enmity toward Germany increased considerably. Still, isolation ruled the day. In November 1916, President Wilson was re-elected to a second term under the slogan "He kept us out of war", suggesting the continued appeal of neutrality in the face of German harassment in the Atlantic Ocean. However, during the campaign, Wilson, a Democrat and admitted novice at military affairs, sought to placate the right by standing firm against Berlin, demanding that unrestricted submarine warfare end, or Washington would terminate all diplomatic relations with the German Empire. The United States was just a few steps away from war. Still locked in Monroe Doctrine-style isolation, America was slow to react. However, early 1917 witnessed the proverbial last straw. German Foreign Minister Alfred Zimmermann, in attempt to eliminate America as a direct military threat to the war in Europe, offered Mexico Germany's assistance in recovering the fo... Free Essays on World War I Free Essays on World War I The United States Enters the War (1914-1917) Summary When war broke out in 1914, America's traditional isolationist tendencies took Hold. President T. Woodrow Wilson charted a neutral course, focusing on the maintenance of the rights of neutral countries on high seas. Sea rights were crucial to the United States because neutrality allowed American businessmen to trade with needy Allies and, to a lesser extent, Germany. By 1916, US trade with the Allies had jumped from US$825 million just two years before to US$3.2 billion. If the American merchant marine was in jeopardy, American business could make no profit. That is probably why the unrestricted submarine warfare practiced by Germany U-boats angered Wilson so much. In late 1915, a German U-boat sunk the merchant ship Lusitania, killing one hundred and twenty Americans. One year later, the Sussex was sunk, similarly without warning, as had been the custom prior to World War I. Americans were outraged at the violation of their rights on the high seas and enmity toward Germany increased considerably. Still, isolation ruled the day. In November 1916, President Wilson was re-elected to a second term under the slogan "He kept us out of war", suggesting the continued appeal of neutrality in the face of German harassment in the Atlantic Ocean. However, during the campaign, Wilson, a Democrat and admitted novice at military affairs, sought to placate the right by standing firm against Berlin, demanding that unrestricted submarine warfare end, or Washington would terminate all diplomatic relations with the German Empire. The United States was just a few steps away from war. Still locked in Monroe Doctrine-style isolation, America was slow to react. However, early 1917 witnessed the proverbial last straw. German Foreign Minister Alfred Zimmermann, in attempt to eliminate America as a direct military threat to the war in Europe, offered Mexico Germany's assistance in recovering the fo... Free Essays on World War I World War 1 began in 1914 and ended in 1918. Until about 1939, especially in England, World War 1 was called the Great War because it was the most destructive and widespread war that the world had ever seen before. The First World War was less destructive than World War II to civilian life and property, but in other ways it was worse. This is because the world was not prepared for the outcome of the war, and large amount of effects, and all of the loses that came from the Great War. There were different reactions to the end of the war. The immediate reaction to the end of the conflict was one of relief. Everyone was satisfied that the war was finally over after four long years. All over Europe people were celebrating and having parties in the streets. When the celebrating stopped, thousands of men and women started trying to find the spot where their loved one or loved ones had died. There was a numbness after the war that seemed to put everyone into a kind of paralysis. Then everyone felt a need to justify what took place in the war and they wanted revenge. There was a great amount of people who died in the years between 1914 and 1918. There were also a lot of creative and talented people that were killed in that time too. There are approximately seven hundred and fifty names of poets, playwrights, writers, artists, architects, and composers listed in an anthology by Tim Cross who died as a result of the First World War. The people on that list are only people who had already accomplished something in their fields. Out of the ten million men who died in this war, there could have been a lot more men who could have gone on to do great things in the arts, sciences, medicine, and in politics. There was a lot lost in the war. There were approximately ten million men that died in the war; this did not include the twenty million that were wounded. Out of all the countries, Russia lost the most. There was also a lot of m...

The Philosophy of St. Augustine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Philosophy of St. Augustine - Essay Example As such, St. Augustine himself brought the ‘City of God’ to proposition, synthesizing conception of justice and state under Plato’s theory or that it occurs rather disposed to resemble it. Since ‘justice’ is an entity on which the ‘state’ must be founded, its presence is essential in determining how a good kingdom is like or should be. For St. Augustine, the applicability of justice in this sense may be extended to the measure of happiness for the ruler within a state or kingdom. He concretizes moreover: â€Å"For neither do we say that certain Christian emperors were therefore happy because they ruled a long time, or dying a peaceful death ... or subdued the enemies of the republic ... But we say that they are happy if they rule justly.† On a biblical context, St. Augustine claimed that rulers can satisfy being just if they are capable of delaying punishment yet are ready to pardon and if they necessitate having to employ such pun ishing act upon the government in favor of defending the republic. In ‘The Republic’, this well coincides with Plato’s argument explicating that the elements namely – reason, appetite, and spirit must consist in justice just as they must in state (Ebenstein & Ebenstein, 1990). According to St. Augustine, two cities emerge out of love of self or the earthly love and love of God or the heavenly love. While the love of self is sought based on the approval of men, regardless of God’s judgment, the love of God exists in an individual who primarily seeks God’s glory despite harsh criticisms by other men. As a consequence, the earthly city is composed of nobilities and subjects that are governed by the exercise of authority where pleasing the state seems to form the sole basis and cause either of anxiety or of contentment among people. In the heavenly city, however, it is the Lord’s command that matters most for the people who fear or delight in following his will. The truth behind divine forces or the ways by which God communicates to men in the city of God may, to a certain extent, raise doubts requiring support via evidences that are less abstract than intangible conviction, Nevertheless, St. Augustine’s proposition quite matches the remarkable portion of world history when kingdoms indeed found triumph over all others because they, rulers and subjects alike, had hopes that rested highly on God’s power to vanquish the enemies. When St. Augustine further elaborates that the absence of human wisdom enables godliness and genuine worship of God in the heavenly city, such idea may be perceived to bear consistent thought and agreement with the conception of justice in state. A godly nation with a just king or emperor discerns justice that places no distinction between the rich and the poor or the strong and the weak, only between right and wrong by sensible law, for by the fundamental meaning of the term, it is intended to be carried out at times unjust situations transpire. With the city of God, this condition especially holds for the Lord is considered the supreme being so that all else under him are made equal with each other in view of justice and its righteous function as God himself exhibits no partiality in rendering proper justice on anyone through Christian faith. Much as St. Augustine distinguished between the two cities with opposing characteristics he more so argued about the two types of man

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 45

Case Study Example The first stage is the creation or the birth of the organization. This stage often starts with entrepreneurship where the organization appreciates and acknowledge the existence of customers who leads to the business activeness. The second stage is the survival of the organization that leads to the growth. At this stage, organizations often establish frameworks and development capacities. These are usually achieved through set targets and sufficient revenues that they use for survival and expansion. Notably, some organizations often move to the next stage from the survival stages while others often collapse. From survival, organizations move to maturity stage where they enter into a formal hierarchical management. At this stage, organizations never focus on expansion but effective operation and management. The maturity stage is characterized with the linear systems since organizations often tend to remain at this stage for long time and they conduct same operational practices repeatedly thereby making these practices routine operations (Özbilgin and Malakh-Pines, 2007). From the maturity stage, organizations often follow to decline and eventual die. Most of the organizations that often decline and die after reaching maturity stage are those that were supported by governments or those that have been affected by changes in political

Measuring Success for Riordan Essay Example for Free

Measuring Success for Riordan Essay With the goal of realizing sustainability for the shareholders, Riordan Manufacturing is working towards a growth strategy that will further expand operations globally. Expansion of business outside of the United States and Hangzhou, China will help Riordan gain brand recognition and claim greater market share within their industry. Global operations will also help to streamline shipping processes to overseas customers, and reduce wasted hours and expenditures. With a strategy drawn up and the implementation ready to begin, Riordan Manufacturing needs to realize that progress needs to be tracked. Certain measurement techniques and assessment protocols should be in place to verify that the strategy is implemented properly. In this paper measurement guidelines will be given that will verify strategy effectiveness, assessment and feedback ideas will be outlined, and plans for strategy alterations will be defined. The evaluation and control process ensures that the company is achieving the desired goals and objectives that it is set out to accomplish. In order to setup the most appropriate evaluation process, there are many guidelines for measurement that should be considered. Cost effectiveness, relevance, and validity are attributes that should be considered when measuring outputs and outcomes. A measure is cost effective is the control and information it provides outweighs the cost of producing the data (Governor’s Office of Budget and Planning and Legislative Budget Board, 1992). The measure should also be relevant in that it relates to the company’s goals, objectives and strategies. This information should be used for assessment and decision making as well. In regards to validity, the measure should collect all information that directly relates to the scope of the process or project. All other non relevant information should be filtered and discarded to achieve the results intended. The management team of Riordan Manufacturing needs to determine the specific implementation process to be used and what results will be monitored and evaluated. In addition, the management team will be responsible for setting standards of performance used to measure performance that are detailed expressions of strategic objectives (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Return on investment (ROI) and earnings per share (EPS) are considered to be appropriate measures that Riordan Manufacturing should use in order to determine if the company is reaching their profitability objectives. These measures are limited in that they do not display real time information and instead focus upon what has already happened. In order to combat this, steering control are used to measure variables that influence future profitability (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Since Riordan Manufacturing is looking to increase the effectiveness of its customer service, customer satisfaction should be used as one of the company’s steering controls. Customer satisfaction can be measured through scores on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) or through of process of comparing the total amount of sales with the amount of customer service requests and the time spent dealing with the customer’s problem. This measurement will have a direct impact upon the quarterly profits of the company.

From Roswell to Dreamland :: essays papers

From Roswell to Dreamland Are we alone in the universe? This has been a common question in modern day. It is very difficult to prove that extraterrestrials exist. However, the evidence to prove that the earth has been visited is very convincing. The Roswell incident in 1947 is one event that proves the existence of extraterrestrials. Another piece of important evidence that proves the existence of UFO's is Bob Lazars testimony of his experience working in the US secret base at Area 51. The earth has been visited by intelligent life because of the witnesses and evidence behind the story of Roswell and Area 51. On July 2nd, 1947, Jim Ragsdale was camping on a three day weekend when he saw an object "as bright as a welding torch" pass through the sky and strike the ground a few miles away. Corporal E.L Pyles saw the same thing from a military compound just outside of town. Shortly after, William Brazel found strange pieces of wreckage on his massive ranch 75 miles outside of Roswell. The newspapers were already running the story Jim Ragsdale and Corporal Pyles told of the bright light in the sky, so William knew that he had found wreckage of a "flying saucer." On July 6th, he drove to Roswell with some of the debris and he showed it to the Chaves County Sheriff, George Wilcox. After examining the debris, Sheriff Wilcox contacted Major Jesse Marcel at The Roswell Army Air Field. Marcel and is commanding officer Colonel William Blanchard both inspected the debris. They both agreed that it was nothing like they had seen before, and went to the ranch to collect more of the debris. On July 8th, Marcell and Blanchard returned with two carloads of debris. The wreckage was then flown to Fort Worth Army Air Field. At noon on July 8th 1947, Blanchard ordered a press release telling the country that the army had found remains of a crashed flying saucer. Only a few hours later, General Clemence McMullen in Washington spoke by telephone with Colonel Thomas Dubose in Fort Worth, and told him to "squash" the saucer story, create a cover story, and immediately send some of the debris to Washington. Later that evening, a press conference was held in which they announced that what had crashed was a weather balloon and not a flying saucer. All of the debris, including one very large piece that appeared to still be operable, was collected and never seen again.

Mang-Inasal

Mang Inasal Philippines is the Philippine's fastest growing barbeque fast food chain, serving chicken, pork barbeque and other Filipino favorites, was first established on December12,2003 in Iloilo City. It operates quick service. It specializes in chicken inasal an various pinoy products. The company’s menu include pinoy palamigs, pinoy and keso burger, beef singangs, and bangus sinigangs. And they also serve pork barbeque and other Filipino favorites.Mang Inasal, innovation is important because competition in the fast food industry is very tight. Product innovation is a must as it adds value to the company since products are being offered to the market for attention, acquisition orconsumption that may satisfy a need or want. In this case product innovation is done toget the attention of customers and most especially the non-customers of the company sothat they will have a chance to steal some market share of their competitors.As the saying goes, â€Å"the test of the puddin g is in the eating. † It is imperative for Mang Inasal, being in the fast food industry, to offer its customers with good food. They must thenmake sure that the taste, which the customers have grown accustomed, should bemaintained and standardized, to keep the customers hooked and coming back for more. Freshness and quality of ingredients should also be maintained as part of maintaininghigh standards with their products.Pricing also is an important to consider given that thetarget market of Mang Inasal is considered to be price sensitive. Any sudden and drasticchange in price might push the customers to find other food providers. And in theindustry that Mang Inasal is in, there many others than can provide Mang Inasal customers with other alternatives. It must then be ensured that products of Mang Inasal are priced in a way that highlights value at the same time, still affordable to its customers. The improvements and innovation in the product and services must be continuous.