219 research outputs found
Theorising, Writing and Ethics: the Production of Ethnography
No full textThis work brings together some of the leading writers on feminism to discuss all aspects of how they work. Drawing from a range of different areas such as literature, sociology, film, law, TV and history, they explore how feminist research and theoretical work is done. The methods discussed include textual analysis, ethnography, film history, interviewing, memory and audience responses. By making explicit the processes involved in theorising and researching, they show that what comes to the reader as a coherent piece of work was the product of difficult, often tortuous, activity. Each author analyzes her own method's motivations and strategies and so gives a rounded picture of how the field of feminist cultural theory is currently being shaped
How reflective practice can support GP teams in times of crisis
No full textClinical psychologist and author Bev Thomas explains how group meetings after a traumatic event can help all members come to terms with their experiences
Modelling of Electric Powertrain for Heavy-Duty BEV
No full textThe automotive industry plays a crucial role in battling the climate crisis and reducing emissions. Medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles alone contribute to one-fourth of global emissions in the transport sector and there is a positive trend in the demand for these vehicles. Battery Electric Trucks have the potential to transform the growing logistics industry.DAF Trucks N.V., one of the largest truck manufacturers in Europe, aims to transition to zero-emission vehicles and advance in this future of electric mobility. This project aims to model the powertrain of their CF Electric model and explore viable options for future designs. The thesis work can be defined in three parts.The first part of the research focuses on modelling the electric powertrain in MATLAB/Simulink. Here, more focus is given in the calculation of individual motor and inverter losses. These losses are reverse engineered and extracted from the motor drive efficiency map using Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) algorithm.The second part of the project focuses on performing sensitivity analysis to identify the key parameters that have the most influence on the energy efficiency of the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV). This helps to prioritise and focus on optimisation of these parameters for future models. A comparison is drawn between the percentage change in the range each parameter has with small changes.Lastly, in the third part of the thesis, different powertrain architectures are studied and modelled to under- stand their influence on the range of the BEV and the challenges involved in implementing such layouts
What Does it Cost Society to Raise a Dollar of Tax Revenue? The Marginal Cost of Public Funds
No full textThe marginal cost of public funds measures the welfare loss a society incurs in raising an additional dollar of tax revenue. Tax increases distort economic decisions and erode tax bases because of tax avoidance and tax evasion by taxpayers. This Commentary uses econometric estimates of the effects of higher provincial tax rates on the provinces’ corporate income tax, personal income tax, and sales tax bases to calculate the marginal cost of public funds (MCF) for these taxes. The results indicate that the cost of increasing provincial tax revenues through a corporate tax rate increase is very high, and in some provinces, corporate tax rate reductions in 2006 would have increased the present value of the provincial government’s total tax revenues. The results also suggest that significant welfare gains would accrue from reducing provincial corporate income tax rates. As well, increasing provincial corporate and personal income tax rates can cause significant reductions in federal tax revenues because the federal and provincial governments levy taxes on the same tax bases. Finally, Canada’s system of the equalization grants might reduce the perceived MCF of recipient provinces.Fiscal and Tax Competitiveness, marginal cost of public funds (MCF)
Feminist Ethnography
No full textEthnography is one of the chief research methods in sociology, anthropology and other cognate disciplines in the social sciences. This Handbook provides an unparalleled, critical guide to its principles and practice.
The volume is organized into three sections. The first systematically locates ethnography firmly in its relevant historical and intellectual contexts. The roots of ethnography are pinpointed and the pattern of its development is demonstrated.
The second section examines the contribution of ethnography to major fields of substantive research. The impact and strengths and weaknesses of ethnographic method are dealt with authoritatively and accessibly.
The third section moves on to examine key debates and issues in ethnography, from the conduct of research through to contemporary arguments
The Battery Electric Vehicle Experience: Understanding BEV perceptions: from early adopters towards mass acceptance
No full textElectric mobility is considered as the next step towards sustainable mobility. Within the Netherlands, as one of the leading countries if it comes to electric mobility, the market share of battery electric vehicles is still limited to 0,2 percent. Many studies are executed on consumer behaviour regarding electric vehicles. But no studies are found based on users with actual experience with battery electric vehicles. A theoretical framework was developed to create better understanding on how actual user experience relates with perception, attitude and adoption behaviour. The Q-experiment shows four shared perspectives among experienced battery electric vehicle users, which are all positive. Differences were found comparing these perceptions with perceptions from unexperienced consumers found in literature. Interestingly, the result suggests positivity among experienced users is not only caused by usual vehicle characteristics as drivetrain. But also, by brand image, self-identity and innovations on user interface. Suggesting that experience influences perception on BEV usage, it is interesting to understand how to bring experience towards non-experienced users.Systems Engineering, Policy Analysis and Management (SEPAM
Lacrosse
No full textPicture of the Lacrosse club team during the spring of 1977. Front row left to right: Bev Gray, Lu Ann Wilson, Greg Piper, John Hatch, Pete, Keith Scott, Bunny Carr, John Atkinson. Back row left to right: Tim Hall, Larry Soundhouse, Howard Wheatley, George, David Payne, Mo Lawrence, Todd Idding, Tim Moore. See Phi Psi Cli 1978 page 55
How do we get the adoption of electric vehicles into a higher gear in Europe?
No full textThe world is under the spell of the energy transition due to climate change. In 2015 197 parties agreed to the Paris-agreement, settings goals for limiting global warming. The transportation sector contributes for almost 25% of all global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). A promising pathway to decrease emissions from fossil fuels in the transportation sector is to replace conventional internal combustion engines (ICE) with Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV).This thesis analyses how the introduction of BEVs in Europe can be accelerated. Five countries were selected and categorised, based on Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory.Based on a literature analysis, the factors influencing the adoption of the BEV were identified and selected. From these factors, an analytical research model was created. This analytical research model was applied to each country in order to compare the countries and draw conclusions. The analytical model consisted of the factors: government regulations and incentives, purchase price, total cost of ownership, charging infrastructure, model availability, consumer characteristics and BEV adoption.The study concluded that governments have two tools to stimulate the BEV adoption: make the BEV cost effective compared to the ICE and stimulate the charging infrastructure. If it is financially more attractive to drive a BEV in a country than an ICE, this will have a major impact on BEV adoption. Making the BEV financially attractive can be done with tax measures and subsidies. In general, countries with relatively high car taxes can make BEVs more financially attractive than countries with relatively low car taxes, which results in a higher BEV adoptionIn addition, a country must ensure that the charging infrastructure grows along with the BEV adoption. In general, it is a pre-condition to develop its slow charger network to stimulate BEV adoption. However, it depends on the country how the slow charger network should be set up. An indicator for this is the percentage of detached houses. If this percentage is high, a country must focus on private charging when setting up its slow charging network. With a low percentage of detached houses, a country must focus on public charging when setting up the slow charging network. Furthermore, it is expected that private parties will jump into the fast charging market. These private parties will only step in if a country has a relatively high BEV adoption, such as Norway and the Netherlands, because it is only then profitable. The study also shows that in countries with a large surface area, it is a precondition to develop its fast charging network. Therefore, when a country has a low BEV adoption, but a large surface, incentives are needed from the government to stimulate a fast charging network.A financial attractive BEV environment and a well-developed charging infrastructure has as consequence in increasing the number of BEV models. When more BEV models enter the market in a country, consumers have more choice, and this has a stimulating effect on BEV adoption in a country.Management of Technology (MoT
Techno-Economics of Using Second Life BEV Traction Batteries as BESS in Domestic RES Installations
No full textThis article analyses the possibility of using Li-ion batteries removed from battery electric vehicles (BEVs) as short-term energy storage devices in a near-zero energy building (nZEB) in conjunction with a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system. The technical and economic feasibility of this solution was compared to that of a standard commercial LIB (Lithium-Ion battery) BESS Battery Energy Storage System). Two generations of the same BEV model battery were tested to analyse their suitability for powering a building. The necessary changes to the setup of such a battery for building power supply purposes were analysed, as well as its suitability. As a result, analyses of profitability over the predicted life span and NPV (net present value) of SLEVBs (second-life BEV batteries) for building power were carried out. The study also conducted preliminary research on the effectiveness of such projects and their pros and cons in terms of security. The author calculates the profitability of a ready-made PV BESS with a set of SLEVBs, estimating the payback periods for such investments relative to electricity prices in Poland. The article concludes on the potential of SLEVBs to support self-consumption in nZEB buildings and its environmental impact on the European circular economy
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