SEQUENTIAL TRIPS OF HIGH WATER CUT WELLS

Baronia Production Platform (BNP - A) shutdown on high level of surge vessel was due to one of the crude oil transferpump (COTP)trips. The response time for personnel from Baronia Quarters Complex(crew BNQ- B) especially during bad weather condition is a constraint. Currently BNP- A is running all the pump to sustain a high production of crude; the problem is to maintain the surge vessel level if one of the pump trips. This project is about integrating the instruments that will automate the sequential trips process to prevent a total shutdown of BNP-A by tripping the wells that have high percentage of water. The system is made use of the water cut sensors to determine the percentage of water inside the particular wells and a level transmitter to sense the process level inside the surge vessel. The newsystem wasdesigned at the lowest possible costs but withhigh reliability. In designing the most applicable and reliable process level control system, the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) wasprogrammed to automate the sequential trips process

Evolution and usability of mobile phone interaction styles

Over one billion people own or use cellular mobile telephones. Therefore, industry practitioners are faced with a question: how big steps can they take when designing the user interfaces for their new products, or how closely should they stick with the already existing user interface conventions that may already be familiar to the consumers. The objective of this research work is to create and communicate new knowledge for design and usability practitioners about how to design and evolve interaction style conventions in mainstream, voice-centric mobile telephones. In the context of this study, interaction style denotes the framework consisting of the physical interaction objects, the abstract interaction elements, and the associated behavior or interaction conventions that are applied throughout the core functionality of the mobile phone, but excludes the stylistic appearance elements of the user interface. The main research problem — how do mobile phone interaction style changes affect the initial usability of a mobile phone for users with earlier experience with mobile phones — is approached via several methods. A literature study compares the interaction styles applied in mainstream computing domains against the aspects relevant in the mobile phones domain. A heuristic analysis of contemporary mobile phones is used to formulate an understanding of the available interaction styles and analyze whether there is convergence towards specific types of interaction styles in the industry. An empirical usability testing experiment with 38 test users is conducted with a novel mobile phone interaction style to investigate differences between users who are already familiar with different mobile phone interaction styles. The study reveals that interaction styles applied in contemporary mobile telephones are designed around menu navigation, and they implement the three primary operations — Select, Back and Menu access — with dedicated hardkeys, context-sensitive softkeys, or using special control devices like joysticks or jog dials. The control keys in the contemporary interaction styles are converging around various two- and three-softkey conventions. The aspects related to indirect manipulation and small displays pose specific usability and UI design challenges on mobile phone user interfaces. The study shows that the mobile handset manufacturers are applying their usually proprietary interaction styles in a rather consistent manner in their products, with the notable exception of mobile Internet browsers that often break the underlying interaction style consistency. Based on the results from the empirical usability testing, we claim that despite differences between interaction styles in contemporary mobile phones, users do not face significant difficulties when transferring to a novel mobile phone model.reviewe

Synthesis, Characterisation and Device Application of Silicon Nanoparticles produced by Mechanical Attrition

Nanostructured silicon is a promising materials for research because it serves as building blocks for nanotechnological applications, such as nano and quantum electronics, sensors and energy applications. However, many of the synthesis methods come with an increased level of sophistication, and thus the unit cost of material produced is high. The study shows that cheap and mass production of silicon nanoparticles can be achieved e ciently with a topdown process of mechanical attrition, particularly using an orbital pulveriser. The inclusion of the powder in a polymeric binder resulted in a new class of nanocomposite whose electrical properties are promising for devise applications using simple printing processes. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy studies reveal that the powders consist of a wide range of size and shape distribution, with large faceted particles with sizes between 1 ô 3 m and relatively small particles of sizes 40ô100nm. The variation of the average particle size with milling time ts well with a rst order exponential decay model which was used to evaluate the limiting particle size as about 120nm. The structural properties of the nanocomposites was investigated using small angle X-ray scattering, while the electrical properties were investigated by conducting I ô V measurements on a metal-nanocomposite-metal structure. Further tests for electronic properties like eld e ect mobilities were achieved by using the nanocomposite as the active layer in an insulated gate eld e ect transistor structure. Electrical characterisation reveals that the carrier injection and transport is determined by two main factors: the concentration of particles constituting the composite, and the level of external bias voltage on the structure. The nanocomposite systems show a clear percolation threshold for charge conduction. Below the percolation threshold, transport is mainly limited by the matrix or insulating binding medium. Direct tunneling and eld emission (FE) are the major transport mechanism for all concentrations at low voltages, while thermally activated processes, such as hopping and thermionic emission are major contributors at low concentrations. At higher concentrations and eld, Poole-Frenkel and Richardson-Schottky conduction mechanisms, resulting from barrier limiting process in the interface, of the metal contact to an interfacial insulator is dominant. Similar pronounced contribution from space charge limited current process resulting from accumulation of charges at the interface, and traps in the bulk, is pronounced at concentrations above the percolation threshold. The transistors function as ambipolar devices, where the dominance of either carrier is deteri mined by the sign and swing direction of the gate potential. The best transistors fabricated have a hole mobility of 2:63 10ô5cm2=V s and electron mobility 7:81 10ô7cm2=V s

Competency Based Executive Performance Assessment in Manufacturing Units: An Empirical Analysis

Competent people are the key to future success and offer organisations their only sustainable competitive advantage. Therefore, to obtain and develop an effective and competent workforce for superior performance has become a basic necessity for organisations worldwide in order to sustain and retain an edge in the competitive milieu. In recent years executives have become more concerned about personal effectiveness, since career progress is rightfully tied to ability. How well managers are able to accomplish the objectives, for which they are accountable, the degree to which they do so in a cost-effective manner, how their practices affect the willingness and ability of those they manage are related to their effectiveness. It is the responsibility of the lower and middle level executives to identify the core competencies of the enterprise and to ensure that the competencies required by the workforce are adequate and appropriate. There has been insufficient research reported in the literature on competency mapping requirements of lower and middle level executives. Therefore, this study explores the competencies critical to the success of these executives. The core focus of this study was to carry out an empirical investigation on competency-based executive performance assessment processes in manufacturing units and the relationship between identified competencies towards organisational effectiveness. The basic objectives for conducting this research was; a) to identify competency levels of executives required for threshold and superior performance in an organisational setup, b) to recognise competencies and capabilities of the executives through competency modelling so as to help identifying and placing the right person in the right job, c) to conduct a competency based executive performance survey through questionnaire/ structured schedule using coded competencies, d) to collect empirical data from the industries to illustrate the impact of competency-based executive performance assessment model on organisational performance standard, and e) to find out the impact of developmental inventions as a moderator on the relationship between executive competencies and individual performance. For the purpose of this research, three manufacturing units were chosen, i.e., Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) and Tata Steel Ferro Alloys Limited (TS Alloys Ltd.) to draw a clear picture of the impact of competency-based performance management system on the performance of individual executives and the organisation as a whole. A self-designed, pre-tested questionnaire was used for the purpose of the study. A hundred and twenty four items were included in the questionnaire, in view to the extensive combing of existing literature on executive competencies. A total of five hundred and sixteen useful responses was utilised for the study after examining the validity and reliability of the scales to make it statistically adequate. The responses obtained were subjected to analysis using the SPSS 22 and AMOS 22. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted, utilising a principal axis factoring extraction method with a varimax rotated solution, to ensure that the identified variables are suitable for testing the hypothesised model of this study adequately. The identified factor was further used for structural equation modelling; to get an overall fit for the model and to valid the hypotheses formulated. The findings of the study indicate that most of the executive competencies have significant influence on performance. The developmental intervention as a moderator was found to enhance the positive relationship between executive competencies and executive performance. Finally, at the conclusion of this study, practical implications and suggestions were provided for the executives of the manufacturing sector for the improvement of their performance within an organisational set up

Zum Wertbeitrag von Informationstechnologie. Eine Darstellung an Unternehmen der Fertigungsbranchen in Deutschland

IT ist zu einem unverzichtbaren Bestandteil von Unternehmen geworden. Jedoch besteht bei Führungskräften weiterhin Unsicherheit bzgl. der erforderlichen Aufwendungen für IT, dem daraus zu erwartenden Nutzen und letztlich zur generellen Wirkungsweise in Unternehmen. In der akademischen Diskussion nehmen erklärende, handlungsorientierte Ansätze dazu bisher nur eine untergeordnete Stellung ein. Folglich ist es das Ziel dieser Arbeit, empirisch abgesicherte Aussagen zum wertorientierten Einsatz von IT zu erarbeiten um damit Handlungsempfehlungen zu geben. Zur Beschreibung der Entstehung eines messbaren Wertbeitrags von IT wird das IT-Wertschöpfungsmodell vorgestellt. Dieses bringt wesentliche Elemente der IT-Geschäftsfunktion zunächst in Wechselwirkung mit Geschäftsprozessen im Unternehmen. Im Weiteren werden diese im Sinne einer wertorientierten Unternehmensführung verknüpft zur übergeordneten Leistungsfähigkeit des Unternehmens. Mit einer strukturierten Expertenbefragung sind umfassende Merkmale zur IT-Geschäftsfunktion von 112 Unternehmen der Fertigungsbranche im deutsprachigen Raum direkt erhoben worden. Im folgenden Schritt konnte für 49 dieser Unternehmen eine relative Einstufung ihrer Leistungsfähigkeit ausgedrückt in Profitabilität und Produktivität im unmittelbaren Wettbewerbsvergleich zu durchschnittlich jeweils 7 Mitbewerbern erarbeitet werden. Die Datenbasis ist abgestimmt mit anerkannten Vergleichswerten aus internationalen Erhebungen. Wichtige Erkenntnisse der Wirkung des IT-Wertschöpfungsmodells lassen sich nachweisen: Unternehmen mit einem hohen Ergebniswachstum fokussieren wesentlich mehr IT-Mittel auf die Erstellung und Unterstützung von Geschäftsfähigkeiten und erzielen dennoch niedrigere Gesamtkosten für ihre IT. Unternehmen mit hoher Produktivität nutzen den Innovationsanteil ihres IT-Budgets in effektiver Weise, um sowohl ihre strategischen Geschäftsziele zu untermauern als auch operative Verbesserungsziele durchzusetzen. Die weitgehende Übereinstimmung von ’IT Governance’ mit der Organisation des Unternehmens – jeweils gemessen am Grad der Autonomie und Diversifikation von Geschäftsgebieten im Unternehmen – ist weitgehend ein Charakteristikum von Unternehmen mit hoher Produktivität. Unternehmen, die bereits ein hohes Niveau an Unterstützung ihrer Geschäftsprozesse durch IT erlangt haben, investieren weiterhin deutlich mehr in die Stärkung ihrer Fähigkeiten als Unternehmen mit einem niedrigen Niveau an Unterstützung durch IT. Jedoch ist es nicht möglich das formulierte IT-Wertschöpfungsmodell umfassend nachzuweisen

Detection and Evaluation of Clusters within Sequential Data

Motivated by theoretical advancements in dimensionality reduction techniques we use a recent model, called Block Markov Chains, to conduct a practical study of clustering in real-world sequential data. Clustering algorithms for Block Markov Chains possess theoretical optimality guarantees and can be deployed in sparse data regimes. Despite these favorable theoretical properties, a thorough evaluation of these algorithms in realistic settings has been lacking. We address this issue and investigate the suitability of these clustering algorithms in exploratory data analysis of real-world sequential data. In particular, our sequential data is derived from human DNA, written text, animal movement data and financial markets. In order to evaluate the determined clusters, and the associated Block Markov Chain model, we further develop a set of evaluation tools. These tools include benchmarking, spectral noise analysis and statistical model selection tools. An efficient implementation of the clustering algorithm and the new evaluation tools is made available together with this paper. Practical challenges associated to real-world data are encountered and discussed. It is ultimately found that the Block Markov Chain model assumption, together with the tools developed here, can indeed produce meaningful insights in exploratory data analyses despite the complexity and sparsity of real-world data.Comment: 37 pages, 12 figure

The clinical value of immittance testing in the identification of middle ear pathology in South African mineworkers

This study was conducted to determine the clinical value of immittance testing in the identification of middle ear pathology among South African mineworkers. Case histories, pure tone audiometric screening, otoscopy, tympanometry and acoustic reflex testing were administered to 177 workers at Harmony gold mine in Randfontein, South Africa, within the context of the mine’s programme of medical surveillance for noise exposure. Middle ear pathology was identified on the basis of a proposed middle ear screening protocol, which included medical history-taking, otoscopic examination, pure tone audiometry and immittance testing. A high prevalence of abnormal middle ear results was identified by immittance testing in the population of mineworkers. More than half of the population was positively identified with potential middle ear pathology. The present study found that mineworkers who smoke or are subjected to second-hand smoke have higher incidence of abnormal outer and middle ear results. Otoscopic findings indicated that retracted tympanic membranes were the most common type of middle ear pathology among those identified, followed by scar tissue the tympanic membrane or an inflamed tympanic membrane, and dull tympanic membranes, all of which correlated with the findings of immittance testing. A review of medical history should include information on any pathology indicating previous barotrauma. Screening for hearing disorders forms an essential part of medical surveillance in the deep mining industry. Mine medical staff was often found to be unfamiliar with middle ear barotrauma, which may influence decisions on referral and further assessment of barotrauma-susceptible individuals. The risk of barotrauma during vertical conveyance increases greatly where middle ear pathology is present, but it was found that mineworkers are not excluded from underground work where middle ear pathology is present, thereby exposing them to the risk of barotrauma. Mineworkers should be counseled regarding the consequences of middle ear pathology, and be encouraged to report problems, e.g. pain, suspected ear infection or tympanic membrane perforation, which they presently fail to do. A greater prevalence of middle ear pathology was identified among subjects screened with the proposed immittance testing protocol than was found by conventional screening methods. The existing and proposed screening protocols used during the study are detailed and discussed, to evaluate findings and identify possible reasons for the differing prevalence of middle ear pathology determined by the two different screening methods.Dissertation (M (Communication Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2006.Speech-Language Pathology and AudiologyUnrestricte