Using matrices of specifications,factors and concepts to assist design-engineering students

In this work a matrix-type tool is used to assist design-engineering students to develop product design projects. The ‘specifications-factors-concepts matrix’ or SFCM is proposed as a specific tool to organize and relate product requirements, design factors and projected solutions. Taking into account the early stages of the design process, two types of projects that are denominated, respectively, with imposed specifications and with derived specifications, are differentiated. In each case, SFCM conveniently integrates the main contents of the project in order to carry out a comprehensive study of the design problem. SFCM was implemented in higher education, particularly in Degree of Engineering of Industrial Design and Product Development. The design of a hydraulic front brake handle for motorcycles (imposed specifications approach) and a waking up enabler for children (derived specifications approach), were proposed. The process of creation as well as the resulting matrix is shown in each case. In addition, the development and results of the experience are exposed. Students assessed by means of a survey how it helped them to develop the main tasks involved in the design projects giving, globally, a positive opinion about its usefulness.     

Eine soziologische Systemanalyse und sozio-ökonomisches Review der Soziotechnik Energiewende

The transition of the energy supply system in Germany from fossil-nuclear energy resources to renewable energies is a policy issue and defines a society technics. Society technics takes responsibility for an essential societal need and should be based on an agreement between all actors in all involved systems. According to a society-technics there are benefits for encouraging research, good governance for political support, public understanding of science (PUSH), and academic consultation for politics.Positive implementation will results in optimal coordination as all systems will function and all actors will work for synergy-effects. But a sociological system analyses works out many “dyssynergies”, handling the transition only as technological challenges and failing in underlying this transformation as a socio-technical system. Using renewable energies will not only change the technological system architecture but also modifying social systems and individual attitudes.     

Analyse der Marktaussichten von Biogasanlagen

Without guaranteed compensation, granted by the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (Erneuerbare Energien Gesetz/EEG), biogas plants compete with all other plant types on the market for electrical energy. However, exchange-based electricity products do not currently permit an economically viable operation of biogas plants owing to their cost situation.     

Price Competition and Market Segmentation in Retail Gasoline: New Evidence from South Korea

I examine price dispersion in retail gasoline and focus on differentiation along the service dimension: full service versus self service. Consistent with more intensive search by self-service customers, I find that price dispersion always decreases with the number of nearby self-service stations, but does not decrease with the number of nearby full-service stations. When I segment the market by brand, I observe that the estimates are sensitive to how brands are separated into different types. These findings show that the market is more clearly segmented by service level than by brand type and also highlight the importance of product differentiation when modeling price dispersion.     

中国成品油市场月度分析

回顾 1.需求 1月份,受经济危机和春节长假的双重影响,国内经济活动继续萎缩,估计当月出口、固定资产投资和工业增加值三项经济指标会出现显著下滑.     

中国成品油市场月度分析

回顾 1．需求一季度中国部分经济数据的好转给市场带来了一些希望。国内投资和消费增长强劲,但出口依然低迷,经济回暖的迹象仍较微弱。4月份PMI（采购经理人指数）上升至53．5％（一般50％以上为经济活跃）,连续5个月上升,但4月份国内CPI和PPI指数进一步下滑。4月底中国政府调低了城市轨道交通、煤炭、铁路、公路、商品住房、邮政、信息产业等投资项目要求的资本金比例,以期进一步刺激投资。     

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