The Theoretical, Conceptual and Empirical Impact of the Service Economy: A Critical Review

services, classification schedules, output measurement, productivity, knowledge and innovation, global economy

Impact of Information Technology and Implications for Monetary Policy

The first half of this paper shows the mechanisms through which innovations in Information Technology (IT) have impacts on our economy. Switching costs from existing technologies and network externalities may play important roles in the propagation of IT on a microeconomic level. In addition to the aggregation effects of such externalities, the costs of reallocating capital and retraining labor will hamper macroeconomic performance. Mismeasurements in economic statistics may prevent us from making optimal decisions based on relative price changes. The second half of this paper discusses the issues for improving efficiency in conducting monetary policy by focusing on the price mechanism. We should be careful whether to accommodate the "supply shocks" or not, considering the possibility of nominal rigidities or fluctuation in the general price level. It is also shown that mismeasurements in the price index may damage the credibility of a central bank, since it will be quite difficult to observe the achievement of monetary policy commitment.

Wireless Sensor Data Logging System Design

Wireless Sensor Data Logging System Design is a standalone electronic sensor device that captures and stores data through wireless communication. This system comprises two main integrated components; the Radio Frequency module and the Microcontroller based system. The main goal of this project is to design and construct a data logging system that effectively monitors the device's measurement values. In real life applications, most data monitoring system is a passive system. This type of system requires manned guarding on site to manage the devices. Therefore, a standalone data logging system offers a better enhancement system to replace the manned guarding method. The standalone data logger system can be applied by leaving the device alone in any place that requires the measurement of humidity and temperature. These data can be retrieved from EEPROM and transferred to a PC whenever needed by a user. A radio frequency module enables these data travels through wireless transmission medium, whereas the serial communication interface enables communication between the devices and PC. For diverse applications, an alarm system can be implemented if assets and security are the major concerns. The final report presents the development of a data logger system which is an integration of radio frequency module and the microcontroller-based system. The system monitors the device's measurement value via a Graphical User Interface. Basically, the system introduces a RF module to replace the hard wired scheme and produce a dynamic data transmission system. It is geared up with a PICI6F877A microcontroller to drive the outputs besides providing communication between devices and a PC. Overall, the project is the best platform to improve the traditional monitoring system and ignites another innovative invention in the future

A Real Time Microprocessor Based Digital Filter Implementation

A major break-through in the real-time digital simulation of dynamic models has occurred with the introduction of the Intel 2920 digital signal processing chip. The problems and potentials for this new device are demonstrated by implementing an elliptic function digital low pass filter via the bilinear z-transform approach. The software implementation is presented. Debugging and software verification are accomplished via manufacturer\u27s simulation software tools. The hardware performance is verified in the laboratory. The results of these efforts point to much promise for wide scale applications, however, problems associated with performance indicate early version chip problems

Three-Phase Power Converter Based Real-Time Synchronous Generator Emulation

To bridge the gap between power system research and their real application in power grids, a Hardware Test-Bed (HTB) with modular three-phase power converters has been developed at the CURENT center, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to emulate transmission level power systems with actual power flowing. This dissertation focuses on the development and verification of a real-time synchronous generator (SG) emulator in the HTB. The research involved in this dissertation aims at designing a proper control to achieve emulator performance goal and investigating the sources of error and its influence on interconnected SG-emulator networks. First, different interface algorithms (IAs) are compared and the voltage type ideal transformer model (ITM) is selected considering the accuracy and stability. At the same time, closed-loop voltage control with current feed-forward is proposed to decrease the error caused by the non-ideality of the power amplifier. The emulation is then verified through two different ways. First, the output waveforms of the emulator in experiment are compared with the simulation under the same condition. Second, a transfer function perturbation (TFP) based error model is obtained and redefined as the relative error for the amplitude and phase between the emulated and the target system over the frequency range of interest. The major cause of the error is investigated through a quantitative analysis of the error with varying parameters. Third, the stability issue associated with the interconnection of two SG emulators is studied. The small signal models of the two-generation system with constant current and constant impedance load are developed, and the main reasons that cause instability are researched and verified. The developed SG emulator is also verified in the two-area system by comparing the system dynamics visually. At last, the 6th-order SG model including transformer voltages and saturation effect is applied in the three-phase symmetrical fault scenario. Control parameters are designed based on the TFP error evaluation of the fault condition. The developed SG emulator is then tested and verified in line-to-line fault condition. In addition, the stability of the new SG emulator is studied again and compared with the previous emulation

Endogenous growth, convexity of damage and climate risk: how Nordhaus’ framework supports deep cuts in carbon emissions

‘To slow or not to slow’ (Nordhaus, 1991) was the first economic appraisal of greenhouse gas emissions abatement and founded a large literature on a topic of worldwide importance. We offer our assessment of the original article and trace its legacy, in particular Nordhaus's later series of ‘DICE’ models. From this work, many have drawn the conclusion that an efficient global emissions abatement policy comprises modest and modestly increasing controls. We use DICE itself to provide an initial illustration that, if the analysis is extended to take more strongly into account three essential elements of the climate problem – the endogeneity of growth, the convexity of damage and climate risk – optimal policy comprises strong controls. Nordhaus, W.D. (1991). ‘To slow or not to slow: the economics of the greenhouse effect’, Economic Journal, vol. 101(407), pp. 920–37

An Investigation of thread scheduling heuristics for a simultaneous multithreaded processor

Over the years, the von Neumann model of computing has undergone many enhancements. These changes include an improved memory hierarchy, multiple instruction issue and branch predic tion. Since the model\u27s introduction, the performance of processors has increased at a much greater rate than that of memory. Several modifications to hide this ever widening gap in performance are being examined in current research. A very promising one is the Simultaneous Multithreaded processor. This architecture strives to further reduce the effects of long latency instructions, such as memory accesses, by allowing multiple threads of execution to be active in the processor at the same time. With the introduction of multiple active threads in a single processor, several new aspects of processor operation can have a sizeable effect on performance. One such aspect is how to choose from which thread to fetch instructions during the next cycle. For this project, three different classes of fetch scheduling mechanisms were defined and exam ples of each were either studied or proposed. The proposed mechanisms were then tested using a set of four sample programs by adding the mechanisms to a Simultaneous Multithreading sim ulator based on the Simple Scalar tool set from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With the proper configuration, each of the proposed mechanisms improved the performance of the simulated architecture. However, the best increase in performance was produced by the Event History Table. It achieved an IPC of 2.0995 for two threads while overriding the primary scheduling mechanism only 0.070% of the time

"Development of wireless fire products”

The project was to develop a radio controlled door holder system as the first in a range of radio based products for Stephenson Gobin Eng Co. Ltd. Stephenson Gobin manufacture and market a wide range of electromechanical products, including retaining devices for fire doors and smoke vents. Typical installations are in hospitals, nursing homes, shopping centers, hotels or any building open to the public. The author discusses why a radio controlled door holder system is commercially and technically viable. Various wired and Wirefree door holder systems are evaluated on merits of safety and ease of installation. Stephenson Gobin developed a bi-stable latching door holding device which consumed no current in a state that was capable of holding a fire door open. This was due to a rotating magnetic slug assembly which only drew current to latch from one state to other. The device needed to be controlled wirelessly and possible methods of communication were assessed. Communicating using the license free radio frequency spectrum was selected due to the falling costs of radio components and the huge growth in the radio communication sector. The author developed and tested the hardware and software necessary to communicate with and actuate such a device