3,619 research outputs found
Designing redundant metering valves for hydraulic actuators under mixability and low cost-constraints
This article deals with the design of redundant metering valves for mechanically signalled hydraulic actuators. The final aim of the work is to manufacture a new low-cost valve in replacement of the existing expensive valve with an additional leakage requirement in case of seizure. The new valve must ensure the same closed-loop behaviour of the actuator. The article presents the design of the valve according to the actuator specifications and to a criterion of mixability (capacity to replace the existing valve by a new one). The valve pre-design is based on the common sharp edges and rectangular orifice slots combined with a serial restrictor inserted on the supply line. After partial experimental validation, the proposed design process points out the interest of using a trapezoidal slot in order to get the required speed gain over the whole valve opening range. The proposal is validated through the experimental measurement of the actuator no-load speed as a function of the valve opening
Integration and communication of CSR principles by IKEA. An analysis of the influence of and on external stakeholders
In spite of the rising influence of NGOs, the impact of CSR implementation and
communication on NGOsâ perceptions and attitudes is rarely evoked. Moreover, empirical
studies generally take into account one category of stakeholder at a time, preventing analysts
from examining the likely differential impacts of CSR on distinct categories of stakeholders.
In this context, this paper proposes (1) to analyze how different external and ubiquitous
stakeholders can influence the development of CSR commitments and (2) to assess the impact of
CSR commitments and communications on those stakeholders, by using an integrative
framework aimed at providing an integrated stakeholder orientation for a step by step
implementation of CSR (Maignan et al., 2005).
Our analyses are based on an in-depth case study of IKEA and its main stakeholders:
trade unions, customers, partner NGOs, organizations having blamed IKEA on CSR matters,
local public authorities, organizations protecting small businesses, and specialized organizations
dedicated to consultancy, promotion, and monitoring of CSR practices. Because of its continuous
pressure on price and sub-contractors from developing countries, IKEA stands in a good position
to run up against the sensitivity of alter globalization protesters. But in the same time, IKEA is
seldom blamed on its CSR practices.
Our results show how stakeholders can influence the development of CSR policies by
conveying their societal expectations, by publicly blaming corporate behaviours considered as
irresponsible or by entering in a collaborative and constructive relationship with the company.
This case study also highlights the complexity of the corporate decisions related to CSR practices
and communication, as well as the central role played by scepticism in the construction of CSRbased
attitudes towards the company. By not involving stakeholders enough, IKEAâs CSR policy
is gauged as too unilateral, what leads to a certain stakeholdersâ scepticism about IKEAâs CSR
practices. And IKEA is criticized for adopting a low profile in terms of CSR communication
Facing the challenge of predicting the standard formation enthalpies of n-butyl-phosphate species with ab initio methods
Tributyl-phosphate (TBP), a ligand used in the PUREX liquid-liquid separation
process of spent nuclear fuel, can form explosive mixture in contact with
nitric acid, that might lead to violent explosive thermal runaway. In the
context of safety of a nuclear reprocessing plant facility, it is crucial to
predict the stability of TBP at elevated temperatures. So far, only the
enthalpies of formation of TBP is available in the literature with a rather
large uncertainties, while those of its degradation products, di-(HDBP) and
mono-(HMBP}) are unknown. In this goal, we have used state-of-the art
quantum chemical methods to compute the formation enthalpies and entropies of
TBP and its degradation products di-(HDBP), mono-(HMBP) in gas and liquid
phases. Comparisons of levels of quantum chemical theory revealed that there
are significant effects of correlation on their electronic structures, pushing
for the need of not only high level of electronic correlation treatment, namely
local coupled cluster with single and double excitation operators and
perturbative treatment of triple excitations [LCCSD(T)], but also
extrapolations to the complete basis to produce reliable and accurate
thermodynamics data. Solvation enthalpies were computed with the conductor like
screening model for real solvents [COSMO-RS], for which we observe errors not
exceeding 22 kJ mol. We thus propose with final uncertainty of about 20
kJ mol standard enthalpies of formation of TBP, HDBP, and HMBP which
amounts to -1281.724.4, -1229.419.6 and -1176.714.8 kJ
mol, respectively, in the gas phase. In the liquid phase, the predicted
values are -1367.324.4, -1348.719.6 and -1323.814.8 kJ
mol, to which we may add about -22 kJ mol error from the COSMO-RS
solvent model. From these data, we predict the complete hydrolysis of TBP to be
nearly thermoneutral
Les critiques d'art contemporain : petit monde éditorial et économie de la gratuité
Lâarticle propose de retracer les carriĂšres des critiques dâart contemporain et de montrer comment celles-ci produisent une morphologie singuliĂšre de lâespace des revues traitant dâart contemporain depuis la fin des annĂ©es 1990. Il montre que les carriĂšres se dĂ©roulent en trois temps : celui de la vocation, celui dâune activitĂ© frĂ©nĂ©tique qui les voit, en vain, tenter de gagner leur vie de leur activitĂ© dâĂ©criture, et celui enfin, beaucoup plus long, au cours duquel les critiques se consacrent Ă une autre activitĂ©, souvent au sein du monde de lâart. En nous appuyant sur lâanalyse de rĂ©seau, nous montrons comment ces carriĂšres ternaires nourrissent une structure Ă©ditoriale de type centre-pĂ©riphĂ©rie. Lâarticle propose, pour finir, une explication rendant compte de lâexistence et de la stabilitĂ© de ce rĂ©gime de la gratuitĂ©.This article undertakes to retrace the careers of contemporary art critics. It shows how these careers have contributed to forming the singular morphology of the place of contemporary art magazines since 1990. It shows that careers develop in three steps: the vocation, followed by frenzied activity as they try â in vain â to earn a living from their writing, and, lastly, the much longer period when critics devote themselves to another occupation, usually within the art world. Using network analysis as a basis, we show how these threefold careers have played a part in shaping up the structure of this area of the publishing world, which is of the centre-periphery type. Finally, this article puts forward a possible explanation for the existence and stability of the ecosystem of the free of charge
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