Childhood memories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Childhood memories - Essay Example The question often arose in my mind: who was holding them in the sky? At times, I used to get a simple answer that God was holding them so that we kids could watch and play with them. When I grew up I moved to a coastal city with my parents. Many small hills were lurking behind on north sides of the town. Fortunately, I got a company of Sarah, who lived in the city since her childhood, and she was well acquainted with the geography of the town. Once she took me to a nearby hill in the early morning hours to show me some rare birds. She told me that she visited this place after her school hours when she was in the 9th form. The hills were full of dense trees all around. The most fascinating thing was that variety of birds had their nests in these trees and the place was full of melodious sounds. She drew my attention to a bird called Yellow-billed Cuckoo. The bird had a typical hollow sound quite soothing to the ears. Sarah took me to a place at least 100 meters up in the hill, where I saw birds that she identified as bluebirds. Bluebirds had white stomachs, rust-colored breasts and bright blue feathers, and they were chirping all in unison. Sarah told me that their numbers were dwindling quickly due to ill doings of humans. At once, a thought came to my mind that with such beautiful species becoming extinct, humans will not be able to enjoy the beauty of nature. When I focused through my binoculars on the nest, I was amazed to see two little bluebird nestlings making noise – perhaps asking for the food from their mother. Mother Bluebird was feeding them with a great effort through her beak. It was indeed a greatest mystery – a mystery of creation in this universe, and I bowed down to Mother Nature with a feeling of awe. I have always been a moderate swimmer – moderate in the sense of not possessing any extra skills that are expected from a good swimmer. Perhaps, that is why I had a close encounter with death when I was at Fort Lauderdale Be ach on my vacation tour. Swimming in my customary style, I had gone a little far off. My friends were swimming at some distance. I was jolly making some movements in the water – perhaps attempting to do some water exercises to remain afloat effortlessly without realizing that my unique exercises would put me in great trouble soon. At some bad moment, my feet were stuck in some marshland. The more I tried to come out, the more immobile I became. I tried to scream but could not as my mouth was filled with water. I was losing my breath and power. I soon realized I was going to drown. But, as luck would have it, for a moment my head came out of water and I screamed loudly. Hearing my call, someone from nearby rushed quickly; he held my hand and pulled me out with full force. In the next moment, I was out of the marshland. The whole episode lasted only for a minute or so but the incident gave me an unforgettable near-death experience that will remain with me until the end of my li fe. Its memories still hound me. The most significant part of the episode was that I realized a true meaning of life – the life that encompasses a myriad of species on this planet. Sarah’s cousin, Sierra, was a most passionate dancer. When I saw her in one of her performances, I was amazed at the way she effortlessly performed a Swirling Sufi dance. I found her totally engrossed in the Dervish dance. Sierra told me about Nijinsky, an outstanding and the most cherished Russian dancer. When Nijinsky used to perform, one would feel as if he was out of bounds of gravitation. He would make a leap and fall as if a leaf was coming down slowly and slowly. Sierra would say, â€Å"Watching a dance is a good thing but performing it is a much deeper experience†

The Extent To Which States can Cooperate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Extent To Which States can Cooperate - Essay Example Cooperation between States It must also be noted that according to Hoffmann (2009: 245), constructivism has come up as an alternative to the shortcomings of Realism, liberalism and neo-liberalism. Some of the thinkers in international relations and politics such as Michael Barnett see social constructivism as being occupied with the manner in which ideas construct international structure, the manner in which such structures the identities and interests of these states, and the manner in which states and non-state entities act to produce this structure. Constructivists see international relations as being underpinned and defined by tenable and persuasive ideas, social ideas, forces of acculturation and collective values. Against this backdrop, there are many who have championed for the triumphing of constructivism in international relations over ideals such as realism, liberalism and neo-liberalism. Many relations exist between or among states in the international arena and can be see n to have been underpinned by ideals of constructivism. In the first place, it is important to note that the era in which states started to cooperate among themselves does not only date back to as far as when the concept of a state was realised, but also expressly convey elements of constructivism. One can clearly see the manner in which the French Revolution (1789-1799) set off precedence towards cordial interstate cooperation. Seeking to maintain the balance of power; to restore legitimacy of rule; and to quash the revolutionary spirit from suffusing into the rest of Europe, the Concert of Europe was formed among Prussia, Britain, the Russian Empire and... The research notes that according to Hoffmann, constructivism has come up as an alternative to the shortcomings of Realism, liberalism and neo-liberalism. Some of the thinkers in international relations and politics such as Michael Barnett see social constructivism as being occupied with the manner in which ideas construct international structure, the manner in which such structures the identities and interests of these states, and the manner in which states and non-state entities act to produce this structure. Constructivists see international relations as being underpinned and defined by tenable and persuasive ideas, social ideas, forces of acculturation and collective values. Against this backdrop, there are many who have championed for the triumphing of constructivism in international relations over ideals such as realism, liberalism and neo-liberalism. Many relations exist between or among states in the international arena and can be seen to have been underpinned by ideals of co nstructivism. In the first place, it is important to note that the era in which states started to cooperate among themselves does not only date back to as far as when the concept of a state was realised, but also expressly convey elements of constructivism. One can clearly see the manner in which the French Revolution (1789-1799) set off precedence towards cordial interstate cooperation. Seeking to maintain the balance of power; to restore legitimacy of rule; and to quash the revolutionary spirit from suffusing into the rest of Europe, the Concert of Europe was formed among Prussia, Britain, the Russian Empire and Austria.

Operational Requirements And Service Conditions Of Piston Engineering Essay

Operational Requirements And Service Conditions Of Piston Engineering Essay ABSTRACT There is an extent in changing the trend of the material by its properties and its characteristic. The majority of the materials completely depend on the application of the material in the component and its versatility. The components by material vary from each other by its properties. The materials have the tendency to change its manufacturing process by its character. A component can be manufactured by using various materials depending according to the application and its life. In this paper we discussed about the manufacturing process of the components like piston, connecting rod and the crank shaft. The alternative methodologies and usage of alternative materials are also explained by using CES chart with its advantages. INTRODUCTION Selecting the appropriate material is an integral part of the successful implementation of an engineers design. A design engineers ability to objectively quantify the combined marketing, technical and manufacturing requirements as they apply to the material selection is critical to the actual as well as the perceived success of the product. This paper contains a deep knowledge about the selection of the material and its manufacturing procedure with justification. CHAPTER 1 GENERAL COMPONENT DETAILS 1.1 PISTON The piston is the most essential component of the engine which actually transfer the energy output from the combustion chamber to the crankshaft through connecting rod. This is a pressure-tight cylindrical plunger which is subjected to the expanding gas pressure. Basically, piston structural components are head, skirt, gudgeon pin, grooves and lands. 1.1.1 OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND SERVICE CONDITIONS OF PISTON Hence in order to transmit this high power output the piston must be designed lightly and must be robust. The piston must be of higher strength material that can with stand the high pressure that is been generated due to the burning of air-fuel mixture within the cylinder. Piston must be fitted properly to control the expansion due to temperature, without which the piston will fit loosely when in cold and they bind themselves when it gets warmed. 1.1.2 FUNCTIONS OF PISTON Transmit energy from combustion unit to piston pin, Serve as a carrier for the piston ring which seals the compression in the cylinder, Act as a guide for upper end of the connecting rod, Withstand high temperature expansion Despite the heat energy to the coolant. piston.gif Fig(1) Piston Assembly Conditions of piston at normally high speed, Piston moves from the top to bottom of the cylinder and vice versa with a acceleration of speed of around 50mph at midpoint and decelerates. The piston is subjected to pressure of about 6.8MPA. The piston is subjected to temperature of about 315 °C.[1] 1.1.3 DESIRABLE MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS The Piston materials must meet the following conditions, [2] Low thermal expansions for arresting the hot gases. High thermal conductivity for releasing heat from piston head. High strength to mass ratio (light weight) for transmitting high power output. High fatigue strength for increasing the material strength. Good resistance to surface abrasion. To reduce skirt and ring groove wear. 1.2 CONNECTING ROD Connecting rod is a part of the engine which connects the piston to the crankshaft. This connecting rod converts the linear motion of the piston to rotating motion to the crankshaft. 1.2.1 OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND SERVICE CONDITIONS [] Connecting rods should be made as long as possible to reduce the oblique angle by the cylinder axis. Both tensile and compressive stresses are produced due to piston reciprocating-inertia loads. In order to evade scuffing proper lubrication is needed. Lubrication of the small end by a hole drilled along the shank should be so arranged that the hole intersects the big end bore circumferentially. To prevent buckling the rod shank is made in an H section, i.e., with a central web and two end flanges. Intense heat is generated at high rotational speed, so large bearing area is required to make the rod wear well. They should be checked for the correct length, weight distribution, straightness and freedom from twist. 1.2.2 FUNCTIONS OF CONNECTING ROD As the word is self explanatory, the connecting rod connects the piston and the crankshaft. The connecting rod continuously transmits energy from the combustion chamber to the crank shaft. It actually converts the reciprocating motion of the piston to the rotary motion of the crankshaft. These dynamic motions of the connecting rod makes it as light as possible whilst having a rigid section. 14900_19847.jpg 1.2.3 DESIRABLES MATERIAL CONDITIONS Must be strong to remain rigid under loading and light enough to reduce the inertia forces. Material must have good elastic modulus. It must have high fatigue strength in order to avoid failure due to high cycle fatigue. Heat capacity of the connecting rod must be high. Must withstand buckling stress due to large compressive loads. Must be of low density to avoid bearing failure. 1.3 CRANKSHAFT Crankshaft is the central link-up for the power produced by each cylinder in the engine. This crankshaft is one of the heavier part of the engine which is to be made strong to withstand the load from the con-rod. 1.3.1 OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND SERVICE CONDITIONS Fillet areas locations are to be verified since both torsional and bending loads are experienced during its service life. Counterbalancing of weight is to be considered in order to counteract the centrifugal forces created by crankpin. The projected areas of the big-end and main-end journals must be adequate to withstand maximum cylinder pressure. After grounding should have a surface finish of 0.5 µm to minimize bearing wear. Crankshaft must have the capacity to absorb the thrust loads from clutches or torque converter. 1.3.2 FUNCTIONS It transmits power from combustion chamber to the flywheel through piston, piston rings and connecting rod. It harness and phase the individual cylinders power impulses transmitted through the mechanism of the connecting rod which converts the reciprocating motion of the piston to rotary motion at crankshaft. It changes the linear displacement due to sudden shock caused by the combustion chamber into smooth rotary motion which is the input to many devices. Crankshaft rotates in the cylinder in the cylinder block of the main bearing which supports the crankshaft which reduces the excessive wear. http://www.motorera.com/dictionary/pics/c/crankshaft.gif 1.3.3 DESIRABLES MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS Material nominal stress must not exceed 20% of tensile strength in bending and 15% in torsion. Must have the capacity to withstand large force from gas combustion. Must have high heat withstanding capacity. Must have low thermal expansion. Must have high adequate strength, toughness, hardness, and high fatigue strength. CHAPTER 2-MATERIAL SELECTION 2.1 MATERIAL SELECTION FOR PISTON[hh] Material selection process is an integral part of the overall product development process and must be considered in the early phases of the product definition. The material chosen for manufacturing the product is based on the following consideration, Mass consideration Strength and wear consideration Heat-conduction consideration Expansion consideration Based on the above considerations the aluminium alloys satisfies all the factors comparing to cast iron and steel. Mass consideration: Since the pistons reciprocating force is high at high speed, it is necessary to turn to light material instead of cast iron and steel. It has a relative density of 2.6 when compared with 7.8 for cast iron. Strength and wear consideration: Since pure aluminium has low tensile strength of 92 to124 N/mm2 and fall of to 31N/mm2 at 300 °C, it is always alloyed with copper or silicon for piston materials which improves the strength to mass ratio. At high level of silicon, the alloy exhibits excellent surface hardness, wear resistance properties and excellent dimensional stability. Heat-conduction consideration: The better heat dissipation of aluminium-alloy pistons compared to cast-iron pistons greatly reduces the maximum piston-crown operating temperature of 250C 300C for allou pistons and 400 to 500C for cast iron. Expansion Consideration: The thermal expansion is less for Al-Si alloy which has a thermal expansin of 0.000 021 and 0.000 017 per  °C for 12% Si alloy and 22% Si alloy. Fig() CES chart 2.1.1 SURFACE CONSIDERATON: Due to high speed reciprocation of the piston there may be so many losses or issues that must be considered. In that the frictional losses in piston assembly are majorly due to generation of heat. Subsequent raise in temperature can have this effect in the operation. In order to overcome this problem, proper material with good thermal conductivity is chosen. 2.2 MATERIAL SELECTON FOR CON-ROD The connecting rods are crucial and highly stressed component of the automotive engine subjected to alternative tensile and compressive stresses. Hence the material must be chosen based on the following conditions; Good elastic modulus, High fatigue strength, Low density to avoid bearing failure and High heat capacity. Based on the following conditions microalloyed steel is chosen which meets all the requirements mentioned above. This steel has a hardness level of 20-30 HRC. Small microalloying additions of vanadium and niobium are used to increase the strength of carbon steel plates. 1.1%Mn-0.5%Cr is the best combination to obtain thee high fatigue strength. Lowering the carbon content down to 0.33% and increasing the vanadium content to control the hardness gives toughness which improves the fatigue strength of free machining grades with S and Pb. The finally obtained chemical composition is 0.33%C-1.05%Mn-0.5%Cr-0.12%V-.055%S-0.20%Pb-Ca which has fatigue strength of 26% higher than a conventional microalloyed forging steel. As for connecting rod, application of light metal like titanium alloys and aluminium alloys are been tested, due to high cost in light metal the connecting rod are made of microalloyed steel. This structure contains ferrictic-pearlitic-bainit. Fig() CES chart 2.2.1 SURFACE CONSIDERATION The connecting rod is one of the highly stress concentrated part of the automotive engine. It is known that in the four cycle engines the connecting-rod small end is particularly stressed when the con-rod is at top dead centre at the beginning of the induction stroke, since the small end is ovalized by the tensile inertial forces exerted by the mass of the piston assembly. During both the stroke condition (expansion and compression) gudgeon pin pushes the small end along the lower end of the arc, by which the compression load directly acts on the con-rod without considerably stressing the eye. The eye is therefore subjected to repeated stresses, whereas the con-rod shank stress are reversed.(10) 2.3 MATERIAL SELECTION FOR CRANKSHAFT (hh) Crankshaft are from materials which can be readily shaped, machined and heat-treated and which have desirable mechanical properties such as adequate strength, toughness, hardness and high fatigue strength and of course , low cost. The highest quality steels are usually specified for satisfying the constraints given. Metals with optimum combination of bending and the stiffness are identified by creating a charts in CES by using performance indices in axes. From the figure it is clear that the low carbon steel, high carbon steel, low alloy steel and medium carbon steel are satisfying the given constraints. Low alloy steel with chromium-molybdenum is used for crankshaft. This forging steel is suitable for medium to heavy-duty petrol and diesel-engine crankshafts. It presents no difficulty in hot working and afterwards can be easily machined to size. The alloying composition is 0.4% carbon, 1.2% chromium and 0.3% molybdenum. 2.3.1 SURFACE CONSIDERATIONS Since crankshaft is the most highly strained part of the engine with high load acting on it the following factors must be considered. Pitting failure can occur in the crank-pin Due to lack of surface integrity lack of control over stress and temperature. CHAPTER 3 MANUFACTURING PROCESS 3.1 MANUFACTURING PROCESS FOR PISTON[SS] Based on the material selected as aluminium alloys for piston, the manufacturing process is carried-out through casting because of its capability to produce near-net shaped parts at the required production rate. Hence the process selected for this component is the Gravity die casting. 3.1.1 GRAVITY DIE CASTING The pistons are produced from high-silicon alloys, such as 413.0 aluminium alloy. This alloy has high fluidity and can create high-definition surfaces through permanent mould casting; it also has high resistance to corrosion, good weldability, and low specific gravity. The universal acceptance of aluminium pistons for internal combustion engine applications is due to mainly to their light weight and high thermal conductivity.[ss] This type of casting is suitable for high volume production. The main advantages are the dimensional accuracy and surface finish. Castings ranging from few grams to 100kgs of aluminium alloy could be casted. This process could achieve higher mechanical properties than other casting by heat treatment. Since silicon has got good properties like, low shrinkage and imparting high fluidity which results in good casting. The maximum amount of silicon in cast alloy are in range of 22%-24%.(11) Manufacturing route: [ss] The h13 tool-steel mould is preheated to 200 °C to 450 °C, depending on the cast alloy and part size. Initially, the preheat is achieved with a hand-held torch, the mould reaches a steady-state temperature. Molten aluminium is heated to between 100 °C-200 °C above its liquidus temperature as shown below. Once the molten shot is in place the piston drives the mould in its place. Because of high thermal conductivity of the mould material, heat extraction from the molten metal is rapid and the metal solidifies in small channels before filling the mould completely. [9] 3.1.2 MICROSTRUCTURAL CHANGES Silicon has a diamond crystal structure and is consequently very brittle. These silicon structure damage the mechanical properties and nucleates on aluminium phosphide particles that is present in the melt as impurities. Further addition of sodium to the melt getters the phosphorous, which thereby increases the difficulty of sodium nucleation. Solidification is suppressed to lower temperature where the nucleation rate is large. This leads to remarkable refinement of microstructure. [9] Aluminium Silicon [9] From the figure above the dark feature is a shrinkage pore caused by a casting defect. This figure shows the coarse silicon plates in an aluminium matrix. 3.2 MANUFACTURING PROCESS Microalloyed connecting-rod is manufactured by a simplified thermomechanical treatment like controlled cooling following hot forging. Through these processes desired properties could be obtained without quenching and tempering treatments. Hence powder forging was selected which would conveniently satisfy the manufacturing process for the selected material and component. 3.2.1 POWDER FORGING Powder forging rods are manufactured by combining metal powders into a pre-form that is sintered and reheated to forging temperature. Then it is completely forged to its final shape and machined to its final dimensions. This mixed powder is compacted at room temperature and high pressure upto to 200 to 400MPa. At the end of the process the powdered material acquires a density of 70 to 85%. This process has resulted in fully dense shape part which makes it suitable for high performance applications where high durability and strength are required. The detailed manufacturing route of this PF process is shown below: [12] The advantages of using PF process are, Good dimensional accuracy Minimum scattering of weight Energy saving [12] 3.2.2 MICROSTRUCTURE [13] [13pdf] From the photograph of the microstructure of the connecting-rod material it is clear that the component contains pearlite and ferrite materials in composition. The above picture clearly indicates that in the powder metal connecting rods oxides are removed from the material surface by shot peening but the oxides are entrapped and remain below the surface causing the crack to originate below the surface . 3.3 MANUFACTURING PROCESS 3.3.1 FORGING [ss] The material selected for the crankshaft is forged steel which has a desirable mechanical properties such as adequate strength, toughness, hardness, and high fatigue strength. Hence the suitable manufacturing process for this steel is forging. Forging is a basic process in which the work-piece is shaped by compressive forces applied through various dies and tooling. For this forging process the dimensional tolerance range from  ±0.5 to  ±1% of the forging dimensions. At higher temperatures of about 700 °C dynamic forging recrystallisation occurs which increases the stress and strain deformation of the metal to make it hard. Manufacturing route: Prepare a slug or billet Heat the work-piece in the suitable furnace For hot forging, preheat and lubricate the dies Forge the billet in appropriate dies and in the proper sequence Clean the forging and check its dimensions Perform additional operations such as heat treatments and straightening Inspect for defects In the hot forging process to form a metal billet two or more dies are brought together to each other at a suitable room temperature in a shape of the die impression. This process follows two basic requirements, The strength of the material must be low so that the die pressure can be kept within the limits. The material should be capable of deforming without failure and should allow required amount of deformation. The flow of metal and die filling are mainly determined by (i) flow stress and cooling ability (ii) friction and cooling effects at the material interface. In this process, definite amount of heat is received by all the parts after machining in heat treatment process. This is mainly carried-out to improve fatigue and wear properties. High quality parts with moderate cost can be made by this process. Thus this process offers high strength to weight ratio, toughness and resistance to impact and fatigue to the material which is considered in the performance of the crank shaft. [14] 3.3.2 MICROSTRUCTURE Heating above recrystallisation temperature causes recrystallisation that removes the microstructure deformed and generated recrystallised grains. After eutectoid-carburizing martensite transformation takes place and a black portion near the surface is formed consisting of fine grains of ferrite and carbide. On quenching from the austentite (ÃŽ ³) phase martensite is formed. This transformation is a diffusion-less shear transformation . Martensite is too brittle in plain carbon steel for practical applications and is subsequently tempered to restore some toughness. CHAPTER 4 ALTERNATE MATERIAL 4.1 ALTERNATE MATERIAL FOR PISTON[hh] Cast iron refers to the family of ferrous alloys composed of iron, carbon ranging from 2.11% to about 4.5% and silicon of about 3.5%. They are classified by their structure ferritic, pearlitic, quenched and tempered or austempered. The equilibrium phase diagram relevant to cast iron is shown below where right boundary is 100%C. The eutectic temperature is 1154 °C and thus cast irons are completely liquid at temperatures lower than those required for liquid steels. One of the major disadvantage of the aluminium as the base metal of the piston is that it has high co-efficient of linear expansion in the range of 0.0000221per °C, compared with 0.0000117per °C of cast iron. Aluminium has twice the expansion rate of cast iron. Cementite is metastable (not completely stable) which has a tremendously low decomposition rate. However it can be made decomposed into alpha-ferrite and graphite. The graphitization can be controlled, promoted and accelerated by adding silicon, controlling the rate of cooling and modifying the composition.[ss] [15] 1.4.1 LIMITATIONS Relative density is high of about 7.8 When in tension, the presence of graphite acts as a stress riser weakens the material. Strength properties of the cast iron are significantly affected by the shape and size of graphite. Higher material and manufacturing cost. The major disadvantage is the shrinkage. 1.4.2 POTENTIAL BENEFITS Presence of graphite in cast iron improves wear-resistance as it acts as a lubricant. High carbon content-degradation of ductility and fracture toughness. Good corrosion-resistance. Easy machinability Wide range of composition and microstructures-easy weldability. 4.2 ALTERNATE MATERIAL FOR CON-ROD The alternate material chosen for connecting rod is aluminium alloyed material as it is light in weight and provides long service life to the part. The aluminium alloys are high strength-to-weight ratio, resistance to corrosion by many chemicals, high conductivity and ease of formability. The material composition of aluminium is 7.6 to 8.4% Zn,1.8-2.3%Mg, 2-2.6%Cu, 0.08-0.25%Zr, 0.10%Si, 0.15%Fe, 0.05%Mn, 0.04%Cr and 0.06%Ti. When compared to othe alloys it convinces the constrains like low thermal expansion, wear-resistant, high fatigue strength and buckling. Majorly this material is chosen based on the following consideration: Mass consideration Strength and wear consideration Expansion consideration Heat-conduction consideration http://www.streetperformance.com/ART/PRODUCTS/100687/14012-8.jpg[19] 2.4.1 LIMITATIONS It is more expensive than cast iron. Low dimensional accuracy and poor surface finish. Solidification is very slow. Occurrence of fracture in short transverse direction. Expansion rate is high when compared to cast iron with oure aluminium. 2.4.2 POTENTIAL BENEFITS Aluminium alloys can be easily machined and welded and formed. High dimensional accuracy with long service life. High yield strength in both tensile and compression. Aluminium is much better conductor of heat than cast iron. Aluminium alloys provide improved resistance to abrasion and produce strength over temperature range. Improves the performances of the piston and thus the engine. 4.3 ALTERNATE MATERIAL FOR CRANKSHAFT As the crankshaft is the heavier moving part in the automotive engine, the material selected for this part has to be strong and light. Titanium alloys having high strength with reduced weight is used for crankshaft until and unless cost is not considered, as this material is very expensive. http://amt-advanced-materials-technology.com/s/cc_images/cache_867254901.jpg[17] 4.3.1 POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF TITANIUM ALLOYS Titanium has high melting point of about1678 °C which specifies strong creep and strength above wide temperature range. The density is about 55% of steel with comparable strength. Ti alloys exists in two allotropic forms ÃŽ ± and ÃŽ ² Presence of thin oxide surface film-resistance over atmospher and sea environments including chlorine and organic chemicals. Reacts rapidly with oxygen, nitrogen and constituents in cutting tools at high temperature. 4.3.2 LIMITATIONS Embrittlement occurs during fabrication because of susceptibility of hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Forging with titanium alloys is expensive but it increases the strength of the material. Ti alloys has a tendency to madden when tightening with connecting rod using bolt. Titanium is more difficult to machine due its reactive nature. Niobium Titanium[16] CHAPTER 5 ALTERNATE MANUFACTURING PROCESS 5.1 ALTERNATE MANUFACTURING PROCESS FOR PISTON 5.1.1 SAND CASTING Sand casting is a one of the most feasible manufacturing process where the unit production is comparatively less. In this process a mixture of sand and clay is compacted around the pattern in which the pattern retains the shape of the original component to be produced. Then the pattern is removed in order have the cavity in the shape of the pattern. Generally low cost wooden patterns with gateways and runner are used. The molten metal is poured into the gateway by which it runs through the runner and fills the cavity and forms the exact shape of the cavity. Actually this whole system is housed in a box called flask. After which the molten metal allowed to solidify by cooling it. As the molten metal is solidified the sand pattern is broken and final work is done to obtain the finished component. The figure below shows the manufacturing process of the sand casting in detail. http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/file.php/1689/T173_2_020i.jpg Fig(8.1) Sand Casting Process [18] 5.1.2ADVANTAGES Low tooling and equipment cost Component with any complicated shape can be produced Relatively cheap process Possibly components can be produced in large quantity. 5.1.3 DISADVANTAGES High tolerance ratio is required Labour cost is high. 5.2 ALTERNATE MANUFACTURING PROCESS FOR CON-ROD 5.2.1 SQUEEZE DIE CASTING Squeeze die casting or liquid metal casting involves the process of solidification of molten metal under high pressure. The machinery includes a die, punch and ejector-pin. Under the pressure applied by the punch keeps the entrapped gases in solution and the rapid heat transfer takes place at the die-metal contact which results in fine microstructure with good mechanical properties.[ss] Elimination of shrinkage and gas porosity happens because of precise metal metering, quiescent die filling and high pressure. 5.2.2 ADVANTAGES Precise dimension, Excellent surface finish, Fully shaped component is obtained Complex part can be made to near-shape. 5.2.3 DISADVANTAGES High initial cost Limitation of high fluidity metals[20] 5.3 ALTERNATE MANUFACTURING PROCESS FOR CRANKSHAFT 5.3.1 FORGING In forging operations the metal is squeezed to shape by die in which the metal is subjected to large plastic deformation. These metals are placed in-between closed dies under high temperature and pressure which results in succession of the final shape. http://www.forcast.ca/images/00436_faq1.gif[21] Forgings generally are subjected to additional finishing operations, such as heat treating to modify properties and machining to obtain accurate final dimensions and surface finish. 5.3.2 ADVANTAGES Good utilizations of materials Good dimensional accuracy High production rate Good reproducibility Low die costs 5.3.3 DISADVANTAGES Initial cost is high Not economical for small quantities Machining often necessaries

Arthur Neville Chamberlains Governmental Timeline :: Government European History Essays

Arthur Neville Chamberlain's Governmental Timeline Arthur Neville Chamberlain was born in Birmingham, England, on March 18, 1869. After being educated at Rugby School he spent seven years managing his father's plantation in the Bahamas. Chamberlain arrived back in England in 1897 where he went into the copper-brass business. He was active in local politics and in 1915 was elected Lord Mayor of Birmingham. In the 1918 General Election Chamberlain was elected as a Conservative in the House of Commons. He rose with speed and ease, and by 1923 Stanley Baldwin appointed him as Postmaster-General. The following year he became the Minister of Health, in which he served for five years. He also achieved the title of Chancellor of the Exchequer in the National Government headed by Ramsay MacDonald from 1931 to 1939. He was an efficient administrator abolishing the Poor Law and reorganizing unemployment assistance. Chamberlain became Prime Minister when Stanley Baldwin resigned in 1937. The following year he travelled to Germany to meet Hitler in an attempt to avoid war between the two countries. The result of Chamberlain's appeasement policy was the signing of the Munich Pact Chamberlain confronted the threat to peace posed by Germany and Italy. Seeking to appease Adolf HITLER and Benito MUSSOLINI, he first negotiated a treaty with Italy accepting the conquest of Ethiopia on condition that Italy withdraw from the Spanish Civil War. Turning to the Czech question, Chamberlain conferred with Hitler and Mussolini. The Munich pact was signed on September 29, 1938, by Chamberlain, along with Germany, Italy, France. The agreement accepted Hitler's territorial claims to predominantly German areas of Czechoslovakia. Though Chamberlain assured Britain that his concession had brought "peace in our time, Hitler soon broke his agreement and marched into Czecho-Slovakia and subsequently made most of the country a German protectorate. In May 1939 Germany and Italy signed a pact pledging to support each other in war. ). To prevent this in a new war Hitler and the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin signed a ten-year nonaggression pact on Aug. 23, 1939 (see Stalin). On Sept. 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. England and France demanded that Germany withdraw its troops; Hitler refused. Resulting in Britain and France declaring war on Germany. Under the pressure of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, and India aligned themselves with Chamberlain. Ireland was the only member of the British Commonwealth to keep out of the war. Arthur Neville Chamberlain's Governmental Timeline :: Government European History Essays Arthur Neville Chamberlain's Governmental Timeline Arthur Neville Chamberlain was born in Birmingham, England, on March 18, 1869. After being educated at Rugby School he spent seven years managing his father's plantation in the Bahamas. Chamberlain arrived back in England in 1897 where he went into the copper-brass business. He was active in local politics and in 1915 was elected Lord Mayor of Birmingham. In the 1918 General Election Chamberlain was elected as a Conservative in the House of Commons. He rose with speed and ease, and by 1923 Stanley Baldwin appointed him as Postmaster-General. The following year he became the Minister of Health, in which he served for five years. He also achieved the title of Chancellor of the Exchequer in the National Government headed by Ramsay MacDonald from 1931 to 1939. He was an efficient administrator abolishing the Poor Law and reorganizing unemployment assistance. Chamberlain became Prime Minister when Stanley Baldwin resigned in 1937. The following year he travelled to Germany to meet Hitler in an attempt to avoid war between the two countries. The result of Chamberlain's appeasement policy was the signing of the Munich Pact Chamberlain confronted the threat to peace posed by Germany and Italy. Seeking to appease Adolf HITLER and Benito MUSSOLINI, he first negotiated a treaty with Italy accepting the conquest of Ethiopia on condition that Italy withdraw from the Spanish Civil War. Turning to the Czech question, Chamberlain conferred with Hitler and Mussolini. The Munich pact was signed on September 29, 1938, by Chamberlain, along with Germany, Italy, France. The agreement accepted Hitler's territorial claims to predominantly German areas of Czechoslovakia. Though Chamberlain assured Britain that his concession had brought "peace in our time, Hitler soon broke his agreement and marched into Czecho-Slovakia and subsequently made most of the country a German protectorate. In May 1939 Germany and Italy signed a pact pledging to support each other in war. ). To prevent this in a new war Hitler and the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin signed a ten-year nonaggression pact on Aug. 23, 1939 (see Stalin). On Sept. 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. England and France demanded that Germany withdraw its troops; Hitler refused. Resulting in Britain and France declaring war on Germany. Under the pressure of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, and India aligned themselves with Chamberlain. Ireland was the only member of the British Commonwealth to keep out of the war.

Globalization and Implementation Plan Essay

This report will provide business and demographic information to determine a platform of business strategies and alternatives for Home Depot to re-enter or abandon the Argentinian retail market for home improvement centers. Home Depot must be very specific and strategic to try to re-enter the market due the abject failure in entering the market in 1997 and existing the market in 2001 from the lack of profits and community acceptance. Home Depot cannot afford another failure in Argentina or South America. (Home Depot. 2013). Home Depot: Home Depot is the 4th largest retailer in the US, the 5th largest retailer in the world and ultimately the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer. In 35 years, Home Depot operates 2,257 retail stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Canada, and Mexico. The foreign locations (294) generate just 12% of Home Depots’ total revenues. They have engineered entry and expansion into foreign markets through acquisition of smaller retailers and expanded upon their success. The Home Depot, Inc. operates as a home improvement retailer. It sells building materials, home improvement products, and lawn and garden products, as well as providing installation, home maintenance, and professional service programs to do-it-yourself, do-it-for-me, and professional customers. It serves home owners, professional remodelers, general contractors, repairmen, small business owners, and tradesmen. From the beginning, The Home Depot has developed strategic product alliances directly with leading manufacturers delivering the most exclusive products and national brands. They also provide a combination of proprietary products like Ryobi ® tools, RIDGID ® tools, BEHR ® paint, LG ® appliances, and Toro ® lawn equipment. Home Depot has set the standard for innovative merchandise for the do-it-yourselfer and the professional contractors. In addition, they can provide exporting servicing for products worldwide. (Home Depot. 2013). Argentina: This portion of the report will review the demographics, economic markets, income levels and currency values, culture and along with the legal and political environment in Argentina and South America for Home Depot reentrance. The total population of Argentina is just over 42 million people covering 2.8 million square kilometers (km). It is the 8th largest country in the world and speaks primarily Spanish and Italian along with English, German and French. The population is primarily located among five largest cities of the country in northern 30% of the country and within 600 km of the capital Buenos Aires with 13 million citizens. It has less than 1% population growth and the average age is 30 years old with a 98% literacy rate and 16 years of formal education. Regretfully, the average unemployment rate is estimated to be 10.2 and higher for females. The income level for individuals per capita is $18,820 and ranks 73rd in the world. The labor force is comprised of 17M workers and ranks 36th in the world. The percentage of the population below the poverty line is 30%. Between the poverty line and the percentage of unemployment and contraction in the economy is does not provide a lot of discretionary money to be used for purchasing homes, maintenance, and remodeling. The culture of Argentina is based upon traditional Roman Catholic values (92% membership) centered upon family values and 100’s of years of religious beliefs, values, dependence and fostering upon local relationships. The culture is also driven by personal relationships with the expectation of working with you to find solutions to consumer needs. Many Argentinians do not like the big box impersonal retail stores that do not have the personnel to spend time creating trust and loyalty with customers. (CIA Factbook. 2013). International Considerations for Argentina and Home Depot: The economy of Argentina is the 22nd largest in the world with a growth rate of 2.6% with a GDP of $475B in 2012. It has a diversified economy due to the many natural resources available to them. Manufacturing is the largest segment of industry with 20%; agriculture with 5% and the remaining in the services and tourism sector. The currency in Argentina is based upon the peso and the current exchange rates ranges for US dollars range from 1 peso to 4.1 to 4.6 dollars. Argentina is a member of Mercosur with Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay implementing a Common External Tariff (CET) for non-members to pay tariffs up to 35%. This was implemented to protect those economies from the dumping of cheaper foreign goods. Argentina defaulted on its debt in 2002 leading foreign investors to flee and take their investments elsewhere. Since then, Argentina nationalized the $24 billion pensions fund and limited the amounts of foreign purchases of land. Argentina has not been able to pull out if the economic slump and economic growth has completely stalled. The optimistic view point for economic growth in Argentina in 2013 will be less than 3.5% for consumer demand, industrial production and exports. This will apply additional economic pressure for homebuyers to make purchase homes and banks willing to lend. They have implemented a number of measures to keep dollars in the country restricting foreign currency exchanges and debt obligations in defending the value of the peso. These restrictions have effectively made it almost impossible to obtain US dollars for the purposes of real estate purchases. The federal tax agency’s authorization is now required before making any foreign exchange purchase. The implementation of these tight policy measures has the real estate activity in 2012 fell approximately 40%, making it one of the sector’s worst performing years in the country in a decade. â€Å"The number of commercial real estate transactions in Buenos Aires fell 46% to 6,315 and residential transactions fell 15% in 2012. (Bifani. 2013) The legal system for Argentina has become very restrictive over the years to protect their business and economy from inflation and currency issues. They have the Argentina’s Customs Code (DGA), which registers all foreign importers and exporters. They apply import duties and taxes to all imports along import duties, statistical taxes, value-added taxes and excise duties. Argentina has strict regulations and fees regarding the purchasing of property by foreign interests, which limits the potential for revenues and growth. (CIA Factbook. 2013). Market Considerations for Argentina and Home Depot Is Argentina, the best possible country for Home Depot to reinvest into? Argentina ranks in the bottom 10 countries in the world for foreign businesses to do business in. Specifically for Home Depot, it takes 12 months for a construction company to obtain a construction permit, which double what it takes throughout the rest of South America. This would greatly impact Home Depot ability to build stores and expand within Argentina. The majority of businesses hours operate between 9am – 7 pm and can run to 9 or 10pm for retail stores. The business hierarchy is top down with ideas and instructions come from the top. They are very respectful of business protocol and will not break those social norms or status structure. With these facts in mind, it demonstrates Argentinians require time to develop trust and familiarity, especially for foreigners. Negotiations will take a considerable amount of time and you must be willing to argue and debate to get their support and consensus. They will not hesitate to interrupt and argue for the finer points of agreements before proceedings to the next step. (Communicaid. 2009). The following are business points regarding the desire to potentially expand into Argentina. They have a value added tax (VAT) across the economy and a wealth tax. These taxes discourage both internal and external business to invest in larger business ventures due the country’s desire to confiscate profits from business people from investing. The government has huge political swings of ideology and purpose. This creates an environment that can propagate corruption, bribery and short term political or economic decisions to encourage voting support. They are a 60% tax evasion rate, which is triple that of US citizens. For many of the key economic indicators, Argentina ranks the bottom 25% in the world for doing business, economic freedom, human rights, taxes, and corruption. The inflation rate is about 10% and outside economists are reporting about 20%. Credit cards have low credit limits restricting higher purchases and up to a 45% interest rate. This does not encourage businesses to take any risks or initiatives for business growth i.e.: construction businesses. (Chafkin, M. 2001). Overall according the financial reports, Argentina is now considered a third world country due to its difficulty with globalization and working with foreign countries. * They have established strict foreign investment guidelines prohibiting foreign ownership. * They have restricted construction companies for building and developing business areas. * They have high tax rates and low reinvestment rates back into their country. * They have problems with government corruption, bribery and ethics. Entry Modes (Globalization & Implementation Plan) This portion will cover the various possibilities for establishing the Modes of Entry for Home Depot to reenter Argentina. Home Depot’s expansion in foreign markets has been less than successful such as the ones in South America, China and Southeast Asia. They have had some success in Canada and Mexico due to being substantial trading partners in the NAFTA agreement and similar ideology of home ownership and access to credit, Exporting: This mode of business entry will not effectively work for expanding and opening home improvement stores in Argentina at this time. Local competitors will prefer to source construction products from local suppliers rather than to purchase from foreign suppliers. They have implemented restrictions for international trade with tariffs and entrance barriers, which will increase the possible competitive pricing to become less attractive for Home Depot. Turn-Key Operations: This mode of entry will not be a viable alternative due to the fact that Home Depot does not provide any explicit technology over the local DIY businesses such as EASY. This mode could damage Home Depot by training and possibly improving competitor’s ability to compete with Home Depot in other markets in South America like Mexico. Licensing: This mode of entry is similar to Turn-Key due to the lack of control over the foreign business and again Home Depot cannot provide any real production improvements other than economies of scale to existing or new business. It would only provide royalty fees to Home Depot and would not warrant the business investment. Franchising: Franchising is similar to licensing. It works when companies have a strategic production process like such as mentioned in the text with Fuji-Xerox or even McDonalds. Home Depot does not provide the specialized processes or supply chain to support the development of franchising into foreign markets. Wholly Owned Subsidiary: This is the method and mode of entry Home Depot tried before and failed. At that point in time, Argentinians ability to own and purchase property was very restrictive for a majority of the population. Argentinians are not accustomed with reinvesting into their homes or dwelling. They did not have the incentives to reinvest or the desire to learn how to perform the tasks that it would take to complete a successful DIY project. Also, Home Depot is not an Argentinian or Latin American business, which creates a lack of respect and loyalty. The Easy company growth is due to Home Depot building the model and Easy taking them and restructuring them for Latin American consumers. (Hill, C. 2011). Joint Ventures: This is the only method or mode of entry that makes sense for Home Depot to pursue. In the textbook, there are examples of Tesco and Jollibee competing with bigger more entrenched businesses by using joint ventures and investments to establish a foothold. For Home Depot to renter the South American market and specifically Argentina, I believe the only choice Home Depot has is to engage in joint ventures with smaller DIY businesses in Argentina and gain some traction similar to Tesco in Europe and Asia. Also, EASY is now the big player in the market with 49 DIY stores. It is doubtful they would entertain any joint ventures without the ability to be the controlling partner or give up its majority interest. Monetary Systems: This portion will evaluate Argentina’s history of monetary policy and its effect upon the potential desire or ability for Home Depot to reopen home improvement retail stores there. Argentina history relating to financial and monetary policy has been turbulent and at a crisis stage numerous times. Argentina is working hard to revamp their economy and currency ratings. It has a GDP of $475B ranking 22nd in the world and one of the largest economies in South America. In 1998 Argentina entered a four year depression resulting from governmental tax increases, devaluing of its currency, freezing bank deposits, defaulting on foreign debt up to $93B, and finally removing the linkage between the peso and the US dollar. Some of international issues relating to Argentina’s reputation have been reducing the international trade/currency exchanges have been their protectionist’s policy and rated the worst in the world by the World Bank. They have seized control over the largest oil and airline companies in the country. They are also being censured by the IMF for dishonest reporting of national statistics specifically inflation rates. (Singer, H. 2013). Argentina has attempted practically every single monetary system known today to their economy and all have failed resulting in financial crisis over the last 35 years. The flexible exchange rate system led to a hyperinflation and the currency board has led to dramatic recessions. During the first three crises, Argentina was using a fixed exchange rate to allow government control. The first crisis was in 1975 with the collapse of that stabilization plan resulting in the devaluing of their currency by 100% and more than a dozen followed the next year. The second crisis was to the Tablita plan in 1981; the Tablita plan was to reform banking regulations and capital account restriction affecting its currency and exchange rates. It still ended with an 82% devaluation of its currency in one year. The third crisis occurred within 12 months in 1982 with Alemann Plan. This plan was designed around the banking and insurance industries connected to foreign currency exchanges. At this time, Argentina abandoned the fixed exchanges for a floating exchange system. The next strategy Argentina attempted was after the 2001 crisis and implemented a dual exchange rate system to manage and control their economy and currency values. This allows them to use both fixed and/or floating system with the ability for different fixed and floating rates during the same period of time. The fixed exchange rates are used for essential imports and exports account transactions. The floating exchange rates are used for capital account transactions determined by the market critical to providing foreign cash reserves for the country. Usually, countries implementing dual exchanges rates are using protectionist control to protect their economy and financial markets such as China. (Investopedia. 2013) Business Strategy for Home Depot to enter Argentina This portion of the report is to provide a platform of business strategies and alternatives for Home Depot to re-enter the Argentinian retail market for home improvement centers. Home Depot cannot afford another failure in Argentina or South America. From the beginning, The Home Depot develops strategic product alliances directly with industry-leading manufacturers to deliver the most exclusive products assortments to customers. Home Depots expansion strategies have been very successful throughout North America when they have used acquisition strategies. Their expansion in Argentina did not produce the same results due to the lack of a substantial home improvement company to purchase. They chose to organically grow the market in Argentina. This strategy failed due to many different situations occurring during the same time frame: political failure of the government and presidential resignations, huge drop in their GDP, default on the foreign debt, currency failure, widespread unemplo yment and public riots. It was like the perfect storm for the country and Home Depot. (Home Depot. 2013). In reviewing the many strategies that are available for Home Depot to re-enter the market in Argentina, there are many limitations based upon the history of Argentina and Home Depot. They definitely have the ability to leverage economies of scale for providing home improvement products at almost any price point that the consumers is willing to pay. These economies of scale would be too large for any competitive business to ignore. Their major competitor, Cencosud is the company they sold their four stores to in 2001. It is the largest retailer in South America with over 1,045 retail store in a variety of markets. It is a $19B company with 125,000 employees. Home Depot is a $70B corporation with 331,000 employees in about 2,294 stores. This would be an extremely difficult acquisition and inevitably against their acquisition strategy of buying smaller businesses and expanding through gradual growth. This also limits the amount of exporting potential to Argentina through Cencosud due to the lack of exporting profits. (Cencosud. 2013). Recommendations All of these factors leave The Home Depot with a limited amount of possibilities to re-enter the Argentinian market. The best possibility is to partner with Cencosud in a strategic alliance or find smaller specialized retailers that are currently competing with Cencosud in Argentina and offer them very attractive distribution, pricing and profit sharing. I would find it difficult to invest in this country’s economy due the protectionist ideology of the government. Their policies have not created real economic growth and restrict the ability for foreign companies to invest without excessive tax on profits. The current business environment, banking system and construction restrictions are not conducive for foreign involvement or investments. Home Depot has already attempted once, I believe it would take an even larger investment to overcome the negative perception in 2001. Also, they have a major competitor Sodimac in place and have had double digit growth since 2005. Their best expansion strategies for Home Depot to get back into go into Argentinian markets would be establishes strategic alliances with the smaller retailers for exportations, joint ventures directly with Fallabella and foreign direct investments to invest with either of the businesses if available depending upon the political complexity of the government. (Forbes. 2011). References: Bifani. (2013). Argentine Real Estate Activity Sharply Falls. Retrieved from http://www.homechannelnews.com/article/hd-expounds-plans-mexico-latin-america Castro, G. (2012). Chile’s new Sodimac home improvement store continues to break ground underground. Retrieved from http://blog.kimcorealty.com/2012/02/chiles-new-sodimac-home-improvement-store-continues-to-break-ground-underground/ Cencosud. (2013). Our Company. Retrieved from http://www.cencosud.com/nuestra-empresa/descripcion/?lang=en Chafkin, M., (2001). Inc. magazine. A Constant Feeling of Crisis. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/magazine/201106/doing-business-in-argentina_pagen_5.html CIA Handbook. (2013). Argentina. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ar.html Communicaid. (2009). Doing Business in Argentina. Retrieved from http://www.communicaid.com/access/pdf/library/culture/doing-business-in/Doing%20Business%20in%20Argentina.pdf Easy. (2013). Easy Argentina. Retrieved from https://www.easy.com.ar/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/es/easyar/information-pag e?identifier=mapa_locales.html Encyclopedia of Business. (2013). Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances. Retrieved from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Int-Loc/Joint-Ventures-and-Strategic-Alliances.html#ixzz2SRvvAulT Forbes. (2011). Home Depot Remodels Its Growth Plans. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2001/11/30/1130homedepot_print.html Global Property Value. (2013). Argentina. Retrieved from http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Latin-America/argentina/Price-History Hill, Charles W. L. (2011). Global Business Today. (7th ed.). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.. ISBN: 978-0-07-813721-1. Home Depot. (2013).About Us. Retrieved from https://corporate.homedepot.com/OurCompany/History/Pages/default.aspx Kaminsky, G., (2009). Thirty Years of Currency Crises in Argentina. External Shocks or Domestic Fragility?. George Washington University. Retrieved from http://home.gwu.edu/~graciela/HOME-PAGE/RESEARCH-WORK/WORKING-PAPERS/argentina.pdf Isora, M., (2009). Importan ce of Strategic Alliances in Company Activity. Retrieved from http://www3.mruni.eu/~int.economics/5nr/Isoraite.pdf Sprawl Busters. (2008). Argentina. Adios, Home Depot!. Retrieved from http://www.sprawl-busters.com/search.php?readstory=821

Freestyle Swimming

Times have consistently dropped over the years due to better training techniques and to new developments in the sport. In the first four Olympics, competitions were not held in pools, but, rather, in open water (1896– the Mediterranean Sea, 1900– the Seine river, 1904– an artificial lake, 1906– the Mediterranean Sea). The 1904 Olympics freestyle race was the only one ever measured at 100 yards, instead of the usual 100 metres. A 100 metre pool was built for the 1908 Olympics and sat in the center of the main stadium's track and field oval.The 1912 Olympics, held in the Stockholm harbour, marked the beginning of electronic timing. Male swimmers wore full body suits up until the 1940s, which caused more drag in the water than their modern swimwear counterparts. Also, over the years, some design considerations have reduced swimming resistance making the pool faster — namely proper pool depth, elimination of currents, increased lane width, energy-absorb ing racing lane lines and gutters, and the use of other innovative hydraulic, acoustic, and illumination designs.The 1924 Olympics were the first to use the standard 50 meter pool with marked lanes. In the freestyle, swimmers originally dove from the pool walls, but diving blocks were eventually incorporated at the 1936 Olympics. The tumble turn, better known as the flip turn, was developed in the 1950's. The Trudgen, introduced in England during the 1880's, has been completely supplanted by the front crawl, also known as the Australian crawl. Lane design created in the early 1970's has also cut down on turbulence in water.

Make Time to Be Solitary

Make Time to Be Solitary Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone. ~ Paul Tillich Books take many hours to write, which gives the public the impression that writers are lonely, solitary creatures. The average person cannot stand being alone. However, its next to impossible to be alone anymore. Im not talking about people interference, though that is an issue. How often do you write without access to the internet? Your phone? Earbuds or background music? Most writers arent solitary. On the contrary they usually cannot stand not to be connected. And maintaining that connection means you are not completely alone which could be impacting your writing. You may think you need the noise, connection, or music because your brain cannot take the concept of being totally shut off from it. Youve convinced yourself you need that accompaniment. Truth is, being focused on one, intense thing like creative writing is a challenge. We multi-task so much these days that we have lost touch with single-tasking. If we are too long silent online, or do not answer our phone, other people worry. Actually, when people are able to slide away into solitary mode and remain there a while, other people become concerned about broken, abnormal behavior. You arent depressed, are you? In reality, all the stimuli we cant keep up with might be more the cause of said depression. Suzanne Degges-White, a psychology professor at Northern Illinois University, says: â€Å"You can’t make good decisions if you don’t ever give yourself time to reflect.† And â€Å"if you’re constantly engaged in the world, it’s harder to make space for those moments of genius.† Resource: https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-fam-need-for-alone-time-1225-story.html Gaming  on your phone is not alone time. Background music is not alone time. Anything conflicting with alone time saps brain function. Find time where nothing is required of you. Absolutely nothing. Regenerate with alone time, then try writing with nothing else active around you. Attempt pure, unadulterated thinking about your story. This allows your writing to pour instead of fighting its way around the distractions.