Wet Gas Compression - Effects of a liquid phase on radial compressor performance

The aim of the Master Thesis is to analyse the state of the art in wet gas compression, wet gas modelling, derive a thermodynamic model for a compressor layout and compare the model to test data. Wet gas compression is a discussed topic within the oil and gas business. By reducing the number of components in a gas compression unit, the weight can be reduced and the efficiency of the production can be improved. A wet gas is defined as a gas with a liquid volume fraction of up to 5 %, which typically corresponds to a mass fraction of up to 70 % depending on the conditions of the mixture, especially suction pressure. Compression of a wet gas contains an evaporation and condensation process and increased losses due to the liquid phase. It is seen that the process cannot be evaluated as a process in thermal equilibrium. Different suction conditions give different results. In general, the required power increases for wet gas compression and the range decreases. A model for wet gas compression is developed. The model is based on flow models for multi-phase flow in pipes and flow elements. The presented model is based on a dry hydrocarbon gas compressor model with wet gas corrections on the compressor characteristics

Ökad trygghet i en bostadsnära utemiljö i staden

Jag kan i vissa utemiljöer uppleva otrygghet när det är mörkt och jag antar att det är flera med mig som känner så här. Vad är det för faktorer som spelar in när det gäller vår otrygghet och hur kan man vid projektering förbättra dessa? De huvudsakliga ämnena i arbetet är trygghet, offentlig miljö, trafikrummet, planering och ljus. Jag har valt att först ta reda på vem det är som upplever otrygghet i det offentliga rummet. Ut ifrån litteratur inom ämnena har jag kommit fram till olika faktorer som påverkar vår upplevda otrygghet i det offentliga rummet. Nyckelord för vad som ofta upplevs som otryggt är platser som är slutna, mörka, lummiga, trånga och obefolkade. Faktorerna har jag delat in under ämnena som trafikrummet, parker, informell social kontroll, belysning med mera. Boende på Seved 2, MKB:s områdes förvaltare och vaktmästaren på området intervjuades i syfte att se om de faktorerna jag kom fram till i litteraturstudien stämde överens med verkligheten. Bland mina resultat kan lyftas fram att man inte kan göra en stad hundra procent trygg, för då skulle man ta bort livet och de stadsmässiga upplevelserna. Många av de platserna som upplevs positiva och har en rekreationsmöjligheter på dagen är de platser som under de mörka timmarna kan kännas hotfulla. Jag anser att det skulle vara ett allt för stort ingrepp i våra städer att utifrån enbart mål att skapa trygghet ändra på platser såsom parker, både av historiska skäl och av rekreations skäl. Det finns många andra platser som upplevs otrygga i staden så som gång- och cykel-tunnlar, här kan man tänka på utformningen för att öka tryggheten eller försöka använda andra trafiklösningar. Man måste hela tiden väga för och emot, vissa platser i staden kan det passa sig att ändra för att nå en tryggare stad men absolut inte alla platser. En av mina slutsatser är att man ska jobba med trygga stråk i staden. Den faktorn som jag tror spelar störst roll i staden är att medborgarna använder sin stad mycket och ofta. Att se och bli sedd av andra människor upplevs för det mesta som positivt. Detta spelar stor roll för trygghetskänslan i den mer intima boendemiljön, om man känner eller i alla fall känner igen sina grannar så vet man om någon inte hör hemma på platsen och kan då vara observant för brott

Forest-owner support for their cooperative's provision of public goods

This study investigates why members support their forestry cooperative's provision of awareness-raising campaigns. The members pay for the cooperative's dissemination of information to the government, non-governmental organizations, and the public to achieve a more favorable opinion about forestry. The possible gains of the campaign are non-rivalry goods and apply to members and non-members alike, which makes the campaign a public good. A sample of 782 members of a Swedish forestry cooperative completed a questionnaire based on four theoretically motivated hypotheses. The findings indicate that members are unconcerned about nonmember benefits from campaigns. Members particularly appreciate raising awareness of production-related issues. Social influences among the population of forest owners have no major impact. Trust in the cooperative is essential for member support of the provision of public goods. Members support the cooperative's campaigns even if the outcomes are uncertain or occur in a distant future

Split delivery of milk : a study of Swedish milk producers incentives to split delivery

Utvecklingen på den europeiska mejerimarknaden har orsakat en ekonomisk kris för de svenska mjölkproducenterna. Krisen är en följd av avskaffandet av mjölkkvoter för den europeiska mjölkproduktionen vilken skapat en obalans mellan produktion och konsumtion av mjölk, där utbudet överstiger efterfrågan. De svenska mjölkproducenterna har därmed fått ökad konkurrens från länder med andra produktionsförutsättningar. Idag har det kooperativa företaget Arla en dominerande ställning på den svenska mejerimarknaden. Arla är ett transnationellt företag med medlemmar i sju europeiska länder och har ett prissättningssystem där samtliga medlemsländer får samma avräkningspris. Prissättningssystemet är problematiskt för de svenska producenterna eftersom marknadspriset är för lågt i förhållande till produktionskostnaderna. För att reducera Arlas dominerande ställning har Konkurrensverket beslutat att Arla ska tillåta medlemmarna att splitleverera upp till 50 procent av den producerade mjölken till ett annat mejeri, samtidigt som fullvärdigt medlemskap i Arla behålls. Tillsammans med förändrade konsumtionsmönster och trender har beslutet möjliggjort etablering av nya mejerier. Mjölkproducenterna har därmed fått större valmöjlighet gällande förädling av mjölken, där valet av mejeri och mejeriets prisnivå kan vara avgörande för hela verksamhetens fortlevnad. Splitleveranser är förenade med risk om producenten tvingas lämna ett högbetalande alternativ och återgå till att enbart leverera till Arla. Det är också problematiskt att producenten kan uteslutas ur Arlas medlemskår, om producenten splitlevererar större kvantitet än vad Arlas stadgar tillåter. Det finns inga tidigare studier som behandlar splitleverans eller vilka faktorer som påverkar mjölkproducentens beslut att splitleverera. Därför är syftet med denna studie att identifiera vad som påverkar producentens incitament att splitleverera mjölk. För att genomföra undersökningen har en kvalitativ metod använts, där svenska mjölkproducenter intervjuats per telefon. Urvalet av respondenter har skett genom identifiering via massmedia, fortlöpande tills ny data inte tillfört någon ny information. Syftet med denna insamlingsmetod är att ge mer allmängenerella slutsatser på högre abstraktionsnivå än att enbart omfatta de deltagande producenterna. Den teoretiska referensramen omfattar vertikal integration och transaktionskostnader, vilka utgör grunden för de variabler som identifierats och använts för analys av insamlad data. Utifrån studien är inflytande och lokalisering variabler som ger starkast incitament till splitleverans. Arlamedlemmens brist på inflytande och producentens lokalisering, det vill säga affektionsvärden som tradition och producentens önskan att värna om bygdens fortlevnad, gör att producenten lämnar Arla. Givetvis har den ekonomiska situationen stor betydelse.Dairy producers in Europe are increasingly experiencing uncertainty on the market. Swedish producers cannot compete with foreign producers due various production conditions. The Swedish dairy market is dominated by the transnational cooperative Arla. To stimulate the dynamics of the dairy market the Swedish Competition Authority has obliged Arla to introduce rules in its bylaws, saying that Swedish members are allowed to deliver to another dairy, split deliveries. The milk producer has been given a greater choice for processing and the different dairies price levels may be crucial for the producer's future, hence the decision to split-deliver is associated with a risk. The purpose with this study is to identify variables which have an influence on the incentive of Swedish dairy producers to split delivery. Hopefully, the study results may be of value to the Swedish milk producers, Arla and other interested stakeholders. The data are collected from Swedish dairy producers in order to explore which variables that infect the decision to split delivery. The data is comprising with theoretical arguments based on vertical integration and transaction cost theory. The findings from the analysis of the results is that the incentive to split deliver can be affected by different variables. Influence and location provide the strongest incentive to Split delivery. It does not mean that the variables are isolated, on the contrary, these are interconnected and more variables together can provide an incentive to split deliver. In addition to the variables the critical economic situation is a strong external influencing factor

Members’ support of a cooperative’s lobbying activities : the case of Sweden’s largest forestry cooperative

Today there is an increased awareness of the importance of forests, which has caused much political interest in forestry. Therefore, there is a need for forest owner to protect their property rights. The largest forestry cooperative in Sweden, Södra, works to improve market conditions for the membership by promoting changes in policy to the advantage of forest owners, hence, lobbying activities. The problem addressed in this study is that the cooperative’s lobbying benefits also nonmembers, while the members pay by abstaining from possible dividends. The members’ willingness to pay is unknown. Likewise, it is difficult to predict whether the outcome of lobbying will be successful or not. The lobbying can, therefore, be costly with limited or no returns. The aim of this study is to explore the members’ incentives and disincentives to accept the forestry cooperative Södra using its collective funds for lobbying activities. Core issues are the members’ knowledge and beliefs of Södra’s lobbying activities, their appreciation of Södra as a tool for lobbying and their understanding of the relationship between individual and collective action. It includes the support of lobbying activities performed by Södra and the incentives to accept the costs for those activities. Södra is a cooperative and therefore collectively owned and governed. To understand how individuals interact in a collective context, the Theory of Collective Action is used. In addition to the behaviour of individuals in a collective organisation, the theory explains the use of public goods, which results from forests and other natural resources. Because cooperatives are collectively governed, the members have vaguely defined property rights, which can affect the members’ acceptance of investments in lobbying. Hence, Property Rights Theory is included in the theoretical framework. A quantitative research approach is used since a large number of empirical data is needed. The data is collected through a web survey, using a questionnaire. The survey is performed in collaboration with Södra. E-mail with an internet link to the questionnaire was sent to 5.000 randomly selected members of Södra. The results indicate that most members believe that they get individual benefits from allowing Södra to invest in lobbying activities. The fulfilment of the members' interests constitutes an incentive to accept that collective funds are invested in lobbying. Social interaction within the membership and communication with Södra’s business organisation contribute to the incentives to accept the investments. Non-members’ free riding behaviour and members’ limited planning horizons are not considered as disincentives. Neither uncertainty with lobbying is a disincentive to accept collective investments

Regulating alcohol marketing on social media : outcomes and limitations of marketing restrictions of Finland’s 2015 Alcohol Act

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the 2015 law restricting alcohol marketing on social media in Finland. Method: The study compared posts that market alcohol on Finnish and Swedish social media in terms of number, content, and user engagement during the month of January in three separate years: 1 year before, 1 year after, and 2 years after the 2015 Alcohol Act came into effect in Finland. The data consisted of all posts (Finland, N = 1,536; Sweden, N = 1,204) published during the selected months by alcohol brands that had active national social media accounts at the time of data collection. The coding protocol included numbers of posts and measures of consumer engagement, as well as content restricted by the law. Results: Social media posting increased between the 2014 and 2016 samples in both countries. In Finland, the number of posts decreased in 2017. The proportion of posts with content restricted by the 2015 law increased in both countries between the 2014 and 2016 samples. However, in Finland, the amount of restricted content decreased in the 2017 sample, whereas in Sweden it increased, Pearson chi(2)(1) = 29.273, p <.001. The level of user engagement increased in both countries between the 2014 and 2017 samples. Conclusions: The social media regulation in the Finnish 2015 amendment has had an impact on alcohol brands' social media content, but it has not affected marketers' ability to increase consumer engagement.Peer reviewe

Leder ett medlemskap i ASEAN till ökade utländska direktinvesteringar?

This study investigates if there are any advantages in increasing foreign direct investments for members of the Association of South Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional integration area. The study explains the effect that regional integration, preferential trade agreements and free trade areas have on attracting foreign direct investments. Different aspects of regional integration are used to explain what projects within ASEAN that could contribute to an increased inflow of foreign direct investments. The organs and agreements within ASEAN that are discussed are the following; AIA, AFTA, CEPT and how they could contribute to foreign direct investments. The dynamic and stationary effects of regional integration are used to explain the advantages of being a member of a regional integration area. The model used to explain inflows of foreign direct investments is an augmented gravitation model in which different variables are investigated to help the explanatory effect of the regression. The time period used for this study is 2001 to 2012 and it measures inflows to ASEAN and control group of Asian countries from investor countries that are part of UNCTADS top 20 list of outflows of foreign direct investments. It is found that ASEAN could explain Foreign Direct Investments using one regression, but when adding some variables, it loses its significance and thus we find that to some extent a membership in ASEAN does have significance when it comes to attracting foreign direct investments

Faktorer för att uppnå användbar e-learning

E-learning, en teknik som digitalt och ofta över nätverk levererar utbildning, har på senare år blivit ett eftertraktat verktyg för företag i strävan att hålla sina anställda uppdaterade och i sin tur hålla företaget konkurrenskraftigt. Då tidigare forskning inom ämnet är spretig, ställer sig dock författarna frågande till hur användbart verktyget egentligen är, specifikt genom att un-dersöka vilka faktorer användarna upplever som viktiga för att uppnå en hög grad av använd-barhet. Med tidigare forskning inom ämnet som grund för ett ramverk, utfördes en enkätun-dersökning bland nyttjare av e-learning där respondenterna ombads ta ställning till en serie påståenden om e-learning utifrån underfaktorerna ändamålsenlighet, effektivitet och tillfreds-ställelse. Författarna fann att eliminerandet av tekniska problem och ett fokus på hög pedago-gisk standard var de mest dominerande faktorerna; det stod däremot klart att e-learningen i sig inte var det ultimata verktyget för att förmedla kunskap i fråga om användbarhet

Compliance with regulations and codes of conduct at social media accounts of Swedish alcohol brands

Introduction and Aims This study has, for the first time, mapped the extent to which alcoholic beverage brands operating on the Swedish market follow national advertising regulations and industry self‐regulating codes in their postings on social media. Design and Methods All social media content posted on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by 52 brands operating in the Swedish market was gathered from three sample months in 2014, 2016 and 2017. A content analysis was performed. Results An audit of the 1204 posts shows that the brands’ social media content conforms rather well with the industry's own self‐regulation codes. However, the studied beverage brands had alarmingly inadequate age‐gates to social media accounts. Advertisements for alcoholic beverages must be clearly distinguishable from advertisements for non‐alcoholic beverages, according to the Swedish Alcohol Act criteria. These criteria are fulfilled to a varying degree among the posts in the analysed data. Advertisements for non‐alcoholic beverages give companies a greater leeway in terms of shape and content of the post through logotypes, settings and connotations. However, advertisements of non‐alcoholic beverages continue to convey the brand connotations and image to consumers. Discussion and Conclusions Regulating alcohol advertising in online milieus can be very difficult because of the complex mixture between quickly evolving techniques and the diverse nature of communication messages targeting consumers. Many countries, including Sweden, are now focusing on how to enforce effective policies. This short report strives to shed some light on the scope and content of commercial messages on Swedish social media platforms.Peer reviewe

Gambling operators’ social media image creation in Finland and Sweden 2017–2020

Aim: This is a first audit of how gambling operators in Finland and Sweden address citizens on social media. The study is able to pinpoint some differences between how gambling operators utilise social media in a state monopoly system (Finland) and in a license-based regulatory framework (Sweden). Methods: Curated social media posts from Finland- and Sweden-based accounts in national languages were collected from March 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. The data (N = 13,241) consist of posts published on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The posts were audited in terms of frequency of posting, content and user engagement. Results/Conclusions: Operators in both countries were, in general, active on their social media accounts, but there was a decline in number of posts between 2017 and 2020. A substantial number of the analysed posts did not visually portray gambling or games. In the Swedish license system, operators seem to present themselves more straightforwardly as gambling companies, whereas in the Finnish monopoly system the image was more tied to a social role of public good doing. Beneficiaries of gambling revenues became less visible in the Finnish data over time.Peer reviewe