Use of scenario analysis in studying emerging technology – Case Grid computing

Tutkimuksen selvitettiin miten skenaarioanalyysia voidaan käyttää uuden teknologian tutkimisessa. Työssä havaittiin, että skenaarioanalyysin soveltuvuuteen vaikuttaa eniten teknologisen muutoksen taso ja saatavilla olevan tiedon luonne. Skenaariomenetelmä soveltuu hyvin uusien teknologioiden tutkimukseen erityisesti radikaalien innovaatioiden kohdalla. Syynä tähän on niihin liittyvä suuri epävarmuus, kompleksisuus ja vallitsevan paradigman muuttuminen, joiden takia useat muut tulevaisuuden tutkimuksen menetelmät eivät ole tilanteessa käyttökelpoisia. Työn empiirisessä osiossa tutkittiin hilaverkkoteknologian tulevaisuutta skenaarioanalyysin avulla. Hilaverkot nähtiin mahdollisena disruptiivisena teknologiana, joka radikaalina innovaationa saattaa muuttaa tietokonelaskennan nykyisestä tuotepohjaisesta laskentakapasiteetin ostamisesta palvelupohjaiseksi. Tällä olisi suuri vaikutus koko nykyiseen ICT-toimialaan erityisesti tarvelaskennan hyödyntämisen ansiosta. Tutkimus tarkasteli kehitystä vuoteen 2010 asti. Teorian ja olemassa olevan tiedon perusteella muodostettiin vahvaan asiantuntijatietouteen nojautuen neljä mahdollista ympäristöskenaariota hilaverkoille. Skenaarioista huomattiin, että teknologian kaupallinen menestys on vielä monen haasteen takana. Erityisesti luottamus ja lisäarvon synnyttäminen nousivat tärkeimmiksi hilaverkkojen tulevaisuutta ohjaaviksi tekijöiksi.

Evaluation of Implementation of BSc IT Curriculum at Tumaini University

In Tanzania computer knowledge is vital to supplement the pace fast growing economic and development activities, which demands high and reliable level of expertise in com- puting field. In 2006, a research carried out at Tumaini University with purpose to design and implement a contextualized curriculum that can supplement for such needs hence facilitate development in Tanzanian context. A contextualized curriculum took advantage of six principles namely curriculum contex- tualization, projects, practical, interdisciplinary orientation, international recognition and continuous research for the program’s formative and development. Implementation of the curriculum followed the CATI (Contextualize, Apply, Transfer, and Import) model with emphasis on students to identify societal expectations at the early stage in learning process, in which case the graduates will potentially cater for societal expertise needs on ICT. This study adopts an emergent exploratory cross-section research design, while employ- ing a qualitative approach. This study was conducted at Tumaini University in Iringa where by purposeful sampling was used to obtain participants such as students, teach- ers, administrators and employers who participated in several focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and participant observation. The study reveals that six principles are satisfactorily met,despite of bottlenecks such as incompatibility in pedagogical thinking and technology availability for e-learning, learning attitudes, insufficient experts with actual skills and experience,in academic field among the others. The study recommends that iterative longitudinal study should be car- ried out to design for proper intervention in response to these problems which will help in improving and stabilize the curriculum.

Modelling of North-West Russian market behavior considering technical restrictions of transmission grid

Nowadays the Finnish-Russian electric energy interaction is carried out through the back-to-back DC Vyborg substation and several power plants working synchronously with Finnish power system. Constant amount of energy flows in one direction — from Russia to Finland. But the process of electricity market development in Russian energy system makes the new possibilities of electrical cooperation available. The goal of master's thesis is to analyze the current state and possible evolution trends of North-West Russian system in relation with future possible change in power flow between Russia and Finland. The research is done by modelling the market of North-West Russia and examination of technical grid restrictions. The operational market models of North-West region of Russia for the years 2008 and 2015 were created during the research process. The description of prepared market models together with modelling results and their analysis are shown in the work. The description of power flow study process and results are also presented.

Development of power flows around Baltic countries with new grid links

In the Thesis main focus is done on power flow development paths around the Baltic States as well as on market-based requirements for creation of the common Baltic electricity market. Current market regulations between the countries are presented; barriers for creating competitive common Baltic power market and for electricity trading with third countries are clarified; solutions are offered and corresponding road map is developed. Future power development paths around the Baltic States are analysed. For this purpose the 330 kV transmission grid of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is modelled in a power flow tool. Power flow calculations are carried out for winter and summer peak and off-peak load periods in 2020 with different combinations of interconnections. While carrying out power balance experiments several power flow patterns in the Baltic States are revealed. Conclusions are made about security of supply, grid congestion and transmission capacity availability for different scenarios.

Curriculum innovation in teacher education : exploring conceptions among Tanzanian teacher educators

The focus of the study is to understand curriculum innovation from the perspective of Tanzanian teacher educators. It is argued that the deterioration of quality of education in schools is partly to be attributed to the way in which teachers are educated. Curriculum innovation is considered as an essential strategy for bringing about improvement in teacher education. Therefore, in 2000 a new curriculum was introduced; however, right from the inception the curriculum was criticised by teacher educators. The overall aim of the study is to investigate teacher educators’ conceptions of curriculum innovation. In the theoretical framework the main focus is on discussion about different curriculum approaches for teacher education and innovation. In order to achieve the aim of the study, a phenomenographic approach is employed. This approach is used in order to identify similarities and variation in educators’ conceptions of curriculum innovation. The empirical basis of the study consists of interviews with thirty teacher educators working in eight teachers’ colleges situated in various parts of Tanzania. The findings, in brief, reveal variation in teacher educators’ conceptions of the dominant domains of innovation. Two broad conceptions of teaching with six aspects are identified. Conceptions of educational studies are presented in four broad categories of description with four aspects. Similarly, in methodology subjects two conceptions are described with four aspects. On the integration of subject matter studies and subject methods, two broad conceptions are presented with six aspects. Conceptions of textbook prescription policy are characterised in two broad categories of description with four aspects. With the use of modules two broad conceptions are identified with six aspects. In addition, the study identifies four broad conceptions of future curriculum approaches with eight aspects. Looking across the categories of description, the results indicate that educators cope with innovation individually. Three character types of teacher educators are presented: loyal, creative and critical. Furthermore, four types of phenomena suggesting critical areas about teacher educators’ conceptions of innovation are described: educators’ prior educational background, technical factors, student teachers’ factors and shifting from teaching to learning. On the whole, educators express a number of frame factors in the process of change towards the aim of curriculum innovation. This indicates that the new curriculum (2000) is not implemented as intended by curriculum developers. Constraints to the implementation are presented and discussed in detail. From these findings, two models of educators’ stance towards curriculum innovation are presented and can be used as a framework for planning successful curriculum innovations and analysing practice in teachers’ colleges.

Two-phase flow measurements with spacer grid in a rod bundle geometry

Heat transfer effectiveness in nuclear rod bundles is of great importance to nuclear reactor safety and economics. An important design parameter is the Critical Heat Flux (CHF), which limits the transferred heat from the fuel to the coolant. The CHF is determined by flow behaviour, especially the turbulence created inside the fuel rod bundle. Adiabatic experiments can be used to characterize the flow behaviour separately from the heat transfer phenomena in diabatic flow. To enhance the turbulence, mixing vanes are attached to spacer grids, which hold the rods in place. The vanes either make the flow swirl around a single sub-channel or induce cross-mixing between adjacent sub-channels. In adiabatic two-phase conditions an important phenomenon that can be investigated is the effect of the spacer on canceling the lift force, which collects the small bubbles to the rod surfaces leading to decreased CHF in diabatic conditions and thus limits the reactor power. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) can be used to simulate the flow numerically and to test how different spacer configurations affect the flow. Experimental data is needed to validate and verify the used CFD models. Especially the modeling of turbulence is challenging even for single-phase flow inside the complex sub-channel geometry. In two-phase flow other factors such as bubble dynamics further complicate the modeling. To investigate the spacer grid effect on two-phase flow, and to provide further experimental data for CFD validation, a series of experiments was run on an adiabatic sub-channel flow loop using a duct-type spacer grid with different configurations. Utilizing the wire-mesh sensor technology, the facility gives high resolution experimental data in both time and space. The experimental results indicate that the duct-type spacer grid is less effective in canceling the lift force effect than the egg-crate type spacer tested earlier.

Fundraising and investor relations in social enterprise: Marketing your way out of the pioneer gap in African off-grid renewable energy

Social enterprises apply the best of business for the pursuit of social or environmental mission while also generating revenues. Globally, nearly 1,3 billion people lack access to electricity, as well as another billion having access to only low quality and infrequent electricity. Off-grid renewable energy, like solar, will increasingly have a key role in the solution of the energy access issue. The pioneer gap in off-grid renewable energy consists of financing (or funding) gaps and capacity gaps, to do with both the early stage of the enterprises in question, as well as the early stage of the whole industry. The gaps are emphasised by specific characteristics of off-grid renewable energy business models and the requirements of operating in bottom-of-the-pyramid markets. The marketing perspective to fundraising is chosen to uncover the possible role enterprises themselves have in bridging the pioneer gap. The purpose of this thesis is to study how social enterprises operating in off-grid renewable energy in Africa utilise marketing activities in their investor relations in bridging the pioneer gap. This main research question is divided into the following sub-questions:  How does the pioneer gap affect fundraising for these enterprises?  How are the funding needs for these enterprises characterised?  How do these enterprises build trust in their investor relations? The theoretic framework is built on relationship marketing and investor relations, with an emphasis on creation of trust. The research is conducted as a thematical case study. Primary data is gathered via semi-structured interviews with six solar energy companies and two accelerators. According to the findings, the main components affecting trust-creation are diminished information asymmetry and perceived risk, mission alignment as well as a personal fit or relationship with the investor. Therefore, an enterprise can utilise e.g. the following marketing activities in their investor relations to bridge the pioneer gap: ensuring investor material, the enterprise story and presenting of them is clear, concise and complete to “package” the enterprise as an investment; taking investor needs and motivations into account as well as utilising existing investors as ambassadors.