Experimental clean combustor program, alternate fuels addendum, phase 2

The characteristics of current and advanced low-emissions combustors when operated with special test fuels simulating broader range combustion properties of petroleum or coal derived fuels were studied. Five fuels were evaluated; conventional JP-5, conventional No. 2 Diesel, two different blends of Jet A and commercial aromatic mixtures - zylene bottoms and haphthalene charge stock, and a fuel derived from shale oil crude which was refined to Jet A specifications. Three CF6-50 engine size combustor types were evaluated; the standard production combustor, a radial/axial staged combustor, and a double annular combustor. Performance and pollutant emissons characteristics at idle and simulated takeoff conditions were evaluated in a full annular combustor rig. Altitude relight characteristics were evaluated in a 60 degree sector combustor rig. Carboning and flashback characteristics at simulated takeoff conditions were evaluated in a 12 degree sector combustor rig. For the five fuels tested, effects were moderate, but well defined

Experimental clean combustor program, phase 1

Full annular versions of advanced combustor designs, sized to fit within the CF6-50 engine, were defined, manufactured, and tested at high pressure conditions. Configurations were screened, and significant reductions in CO, HC, and NOx emissions levels were achieved with two of these advanced combustor design concepts. Emissions and performance data at a typical AST cruise condition were also obtained along with combustor noise data as a part of an addendum to the basic program. The two promising combustor design approaches evolved in these efforts were the Double Annular Combustor and the Radial/Axial Combustor. With versions of these two basic combustor designs, CO and HC emissions levels at or near the target levels were obtained. Although the low target NOx emissions level was not obtained with these two advanced combustor designs, significant reductions were relative to the NOx levels of current technology combustors. Smoke emission levels below the target value were obtained

Sale Price, Marketing Time, and Limited Service Listings: The Influence of Home Value and Market Conditions

Local markets for real estate brokerage services typically exhibit fairly strict pricing. Increased popularity of limited service brokerages provides an opportunity to study any loss in utility by sellers using these firms. Anecdotal evidence suggests that sellers experience a decreased selling price or an increased marketing time when utilizing limited service brokers, but there has been little prior empirical work. This study finds that limited service listings sell for significantly more and spend significantly less time on the market than traditional listings. The price and marketing time impacts vary by home value and local market conditions.

A PRODUCER-LEVEL CROSS-HEDGE FOR ROUGH RICE USING WHEAT FUTURES

This study explores the potential of routine preharvest cross-hedging of rough rice using wheat futures contract prices. A numerical simulation approach combined with risk efficiency analysis evaluates a wide rage of cross-hedging alternatives. Results establish that farm-level cross-hedging can be considered a viable marketing alternative.Marketing,

Understanding Human Trafficking in the Hawaiian Islands

The crime of human trafficking includes either forced labor or sexual exploitation, where coercion or fraud is used to control the victim. In the United States, this set of crimes is defined and addressed through the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act of 2000, reauthorized in 2003, 2005, and 2008. Provisions of the act cover steps for preventing trafficking, for prosecuting perpetrators, and for providing protection and services to victims. In the thirteen years since the passage of this legislation, much has been written about U.S. trafficking policy – mostly focused on national issues, rather than on varied local contexts. My research uses interviews, official data, and field work to take a close look at human trafficking in the state of Hawai`i – and, importantly, I have gathered information in three different islands in the state, to see if Maui and the Big Island experience human trafficking issues differently from the main island of Oahu

Synopsis of early field test results from the gravity gradiometer survey system

Although the amount of data yielded by the initial airborne and surface tests was modest, it was sufficient to demonstrate that the full gravity gradient tensor was successfully measured from moving platforms both in the air and on the surface. The measurements were effectively continuous with spatial along-track resolution limited only by choice of integration lengths taken to reduce noise. The airborne data were less noisy (800 E squared/Hz typical) than were the Gravity Gradiometer Survey System (GGSS) measurements taken at the surface (5000 E squared/Hz typical). Single tracks of surface gravity disturbances recovered from airborne data were accurate to 3 to 4 mgal in each component of gravity when compared to 5 x 5 mean gravity anomalies over a 90 km track. Multitrack processing yielded 2 to 3 mgal when compared to 5 x 5 mean anomalies. Deflection of the vertical recovery over a distance of 150 km was about one arcsecond

The political economy of trade policy in the KORUS FTA

This is an abridged version of the winner of the best paper award at the 2011 Seoul inter-GSIS competition at the Korean Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP). The full and original paper can be found here