Research proposal is feasible to delivering package with drone in the

Is feasible to delivering package with drone in the nearest future - Research Proposal Example from this drones to cruise missiles that are also remotely controlled is the fact that drones can be reused and can lift payloads that are either lethal or not. Their importance is in the miniaturization of the cost of producing a full-scale aircraft. the inability to cost the pilots life in case of an accident and host of electronic masquerades that make them invincible in war zones. In an attempt to make automatic the systems that handle letters and parcels, various computerised technology have been applied. These are mainly used in the sorting of the bulky letters and parcels. In the delivery, manual transportation is used that involves human labour. In the delivery system, the automation of the process through the use of drones is a potential area of infusion of technology. In encouraging the acceptance of technology, the automation of services through drones could reduce the workforce or ensure the high level of efficiency that can result in the reduction of time. While using drones in the delivery mechanism, the reduction of the number of the mailmen, and the resultant cost is supposed to increase organizational profits, hours of work and accuracy of the delivery process. This aspect is what inspires the extensive research into the delivery process that uses the unmanned aerial vehicles that are in most cases referred to as drones. Despite being a potential area of improvement of service and the use of technology, the drones raises some economic, legal and safety concerns. The questions that will be handled, in their use, in the delivery system are: The method will involve a secondary research technique. The resources that will be used to conduct the research include books, journal, research articles and papers and information available on the internet portal. The audience of this research are companies that operate parcel delivery services and the other stakeholders like the federal aviation authority. The information that it will provide is crucial to

Switched Mode Power Supply Engineering Essay

Switched Mode Power Supply Engineering Essay ABSTRACT Switched Mode Power Supply (SMPS) is the most prevailing architecture for DC power supply in modern systems, primarily for its capability to handle variable loads. Apart from efficiency the size and weight of the power supplies is becoming a great area of concern for the Power Supply Designers. In this thesis an AC to DC converter SMPS circuit, having a power MOSFET for switching operation and a PWM based Feedback circuit for driving the switching of the MOSFET, is designed and simulated in NI MULTISIM circuit design environment. Further the same circuit is Hardware implemented and tested using NI ELVIS Suite. In this design the line voltage at 220V/50Hz is taken as input, this voltage is stepped down, rectified and passed through filter capacitor to give an unregulated DC voltage. This unregulated voltage is chopped using a MOSFET switch, driven by PWM feedback signal, to control the output voltage level. An Isolation Transformer is used to isolate the DC output from input supply. The transformer output is again rectified by the high frequency Diode bridge rectifier and is filtered using a capacitor to give the regulated DC output. A Voltage regulator is connected to give the precise voltage output. The feedback network generates a high frequency PWM signal to drive the MOSFET switch. The dc voltage at the output depends on the width of the switching pulse. The pulse width is varied with the changes in the DC output voltage level, this change in the pulse width cancels the output voltage change and the SMPS output remains constant irrespective of load variations. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. INTRODUCTION Power Electronics is the art of converting electrical energy from one form to another in an efficient, clean, compact, and robust manner for convenient utilisation. The never ending drive towards smaller and lighter product poses serious challenges for power supply designers. The aim of the project is to design, test and implement a switched mode power supply (SMPS) circuit for AC to DC conversion, having a power MOSFET for switching operation and a PWM based feedback circuit to drive the MOSFET switch using NI MULTISIM circuit design environment and NI ELVIS Breadboard. Figure1.1 BLOCK DIAGRAM :: SMPS CHAPTER 2 THEORITICAL BACKGROUND 2. THERORITICAL BACKGROUND Power Supplies: A power supply is a component, subsystem, or system that converts electrical power from one form to another; commonly from alternating current (AC) utility power to direct current (DC) power. The proper operation of electronic devices ranging from personal computers to military equipment and industrial machinery depends on the performance and reliability of DC power supplies. Power supplies are circuits that generate a fixed or controllable magnitude dc voltage from the available form of input voltage. Integrated-circuit (IC) chips used in the electronic circuits need standard dc voltage of fixed magnitude. Many of these circuits need well-regulated dc supply for their proper operation. Even a commodity switch-mode power supply must be able to survive sudden peaks that far exceed its average operating levels. Engineers designing power supplies or the systems that use them need to understand their supplies behaviour under conditions ranging from quiescent to worst-case. Todays power supplies are driving to a level of efficiency never seen before, requiring design engineers to perform numerous specialized power measurements that are time-consuming and complex. The power supply is integral to virtually every type of line powered electronic product, and the switch-mode power supply (SMPS) has become the dominant architecture in digital computing, networking, and communications systems. A single switch-mode power supplys performance or its failure can affect the fate of a large, costly system. SMPS The prevailing DC power supply architecture in most modern systems is the Switch-Mode Power Supply (SMPS), which is known for its ability to handle changing loads efficiently. The power signal path of a typical SMPS includes passive, active, and magnetic components. The SMPS minimizes the use of lossy components such as resistors and linear-mode transistors, and emphasizes components that are (ideally) lossless: switch-mode transistors, capacitors, and magnetic. Like a linear power supply, the switched mode power supply too converts the available unregulated ac or dc input voltage to a regulated dc output voltage. However in case of SMPS with input supply drawn from the ac mains, the input voltage is first rectified and filtered using a capacitor at the rectifier output. The unregulated dc voltage across the capacitor is then fed to a high frequency dc-to-dc converter. Most of the dc-to-dc converters used in SMPS circuits have an intermediate high frequency ac conversion stage to facilitate the use of a high frequency transformer for voltage scaling and isolation. The high frequency transformer used in a SMPS circuit is much smaller in size and weight compared to the low frequency transformer of the linear power supply circuit. The Switched Mode Power Supply owes its name to the dc-to-dc switching converter for conversion from unregulated dc input voltage to regulated dc output voltage. The switch employed is turned ON and OFF (referred as switching) at a high frequency. During ON mode the switch is in saturation mode with negligible voltage drop across the collector and emitter terminals of the switch where as in OFF mode the switch is in cut-off mode with negligible current through the collector and emitter terminals. On the contrary the voltage-regulating switch, in a linear regulator circuit, always remains in the active region. Details of some popular SMPS circuits, with provisions for incorporating high frequency transformer for voltage scaling and isolation, have been discussed in next few lessons. In this lesson a simplified schematic switching arrangement is described that omits the transformer action. In fact there are several other switched mode dc-to-dc converter circuits that do not use a high frequency transformer. In such SMPS circuits the unregulated input dc voltage is fed to a high frequency voltage chopping circuit such that when the chopping circuit (often called dc to dc chopper) is in ON state, the unregulated voltage is applied to the output circuit that includes the load and some filtering circuit. When the chopper is in OFF state, zero magnitude of voltage is applied to the output side. The ON and OFF durations are suitably controlled such that the average dc voltage applied to the output circuit equals the desired magnitude of output voltage. The ratio of ON time to cycle time (ON + OFF time) is known as duty ratio of the chopper circuit. A high switching frequency (of the order of 100 KHz) and a fast control over the duty ratio results in application of the desired mean voltage along with ripple voltage of a very high frequency to the output side, consisting of a low pass filter circuit followed by the load. The high frequency ripple in voltage is effectively filtered using small values of filter capacitors and inductors. SMPS technology rests on power semiconductor switching devices such as Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFET) and Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT). These devices offer fast switching times and are able to withstand erratic voltage spikes. Equally important, they dissipate very little power in either the On or Off states, achieving high efficiency with low heat dissipation. For the most part, the switching device determines the overall performance of an SMPS. Key measurements for switching devices include: switching loss, average power loss, safe operating area, and more. Choice of Topology There are several different topologies for the switched mode power supply circuits. Some popular ones are: Fly-back Forward Push-pull Half bridge Full-bridge A particular topology may be more suitable than others on the basis of one or more performance criterions like cost, efficiency, overall weight and size, output power, output regulation, voltage ripple etc. All the topologies listed above are capable of providing isolated voltages by incorporating a high frequency transformer in the circuit. Applications of SMPS To reduce cost, size and weight of a power supply. TVs, monitors, PCs, laptop and camcorder power packs, printers, fax machines, VCRs, portable CD players, microelectronics-based devices in automotive, computing, communications, consumer electronics, and industrial applications use SMPS. 2.5 PWM Concepts PWM or Pulse Width Modulation is the modulation technique where frequency and Amplitude of the pulse signal is not varied and the pulse width or the duty cycle is varied to encode the information. A common use of PWM is to control the average current or Voltage input to a device. In this project the PWM Signal is generated as feedback control signal for driving the switching of the MOSFET switch. The output Voltage is taken as the reference level. A sine wave is generated using LMH6622MA OPAMP and 555 Timer. This sine wave signal is compared with the reference voltage using LM311 comparator, and the pulse width of the PWM is determined by this comparison. This switching period determines the voltage at the output. Thus if there is any change at the output Voltage, the corresponding change in the PWM pulse width will nullify its effect and the output voltage will be restored to desired value. Figure2.1 PWM wave generation CHAPTER 3 ELECRONICS DESIGN TOOLS 3. ELECTRONICS DESIGN TOOL 3.1 NI MULTISIM NI Multisim  or formerly  MultiSIM  is an electronic  Schematic Capture  and simulation program which is part of a  suite  of circuit design programs, along with  NI Ultiboard. Multisim is one of the few circuit design programs to employ the original  BerkeleySPICE  based software simulation. MultiSIM was originally created by a company named  Electronics Workbench, which is now a subsidiary  of  National Instruments. Multisim includes a microcontroller simulation module called MultiMCU, as well as integrated import and export features to the  Printed Circuit Board  layout software in the suite, Ultiboard. Multisim is the chief competitor to  Cadence  OrCAD, another electronic schematic design and simulation software. 3.2 Features of MULTISIM You dont need to be a SPICE expert to design with Multisim. With an intuitive capture environment and an easy-to-use interface to industry-standard SPICE simulation, Multisim software can help you immediately begin designing and validating your PCBs. You can prevent costly prototype iterations and lost development time, as well as ensure quality with simulation and measurements earlier in your design flow. The Multisim product family (Base,  Full,  Power Pro) provides a complete set of tools for professional PCB designers: Intuitive design environment Modeless wiring and placement Interactive virtual measurement instruments to view simulation and real signals Circuit wizards for automatically generating commonly used circuitry Rubber banding on parts/moves Fast-retrieval parts bin Easy export to  NI Ultiboard  for layout Complex designs can be accomplished with advanced Multisim features from 24 sophisticated SPICE analyses to a comprehensive component library all the while taking advantage of an easy-to-use design environment. Designers can incorporate the latest parts using a custom component wizard. They can also use NI LabVIEW measurement software to introduce real measurements into simulation for rapidly prototyping and testing designs. More than 16,000 components, all with models ready for immediate simulation Device models from leading manufacturers such as Analog Devicesâ„ ¢ and Texas Instrumentsâ„ ¢ Easy addition of new parts and simulation models Comprehensive suite of analyses, including Monte Carlo and Worst Case 3.3 NI MULTISIM 11 Multisim and Ultiboard 11.0 introduce a number of new features and enhancements to make capturing designs, simulating behaviour, and defining board layout faster and easier. Feedback circuit of this project work was designed in NI MULTISIM 11 and rest of the circuit was imported from version 10 to 11 and then integrated in MULTISIM 11 for final simulation. 3.4 NI ELVIS The National Instruments Educational Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Suite(NI ELVIS) is a LABVIEW based-design and prototyping environment for Universities science and engineering laboratories. The NI ELVIS featuring an integrated suite of 12 instruments in one compact form factor is ideal for hands-on learning (http://www.ni.com/nielvis/). NI ELVIS is a primary component of the NI electronics education platform along with NI Multisim, the leading tool for SPICE simulation and schematic capture, and NI LabVIEW software. ( http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/7159) 3.5 Components of NI ELVIS NI ELVIS includes 12 of the most commonly used laboratory instruments including an oscilloscope (scope), digital multimeter (DMM), function generator, variable power supply, dynamic signal analyzer (DSA), bode analyzer, 2- and 3-wire current-voltage analyzer, arbitrary waveform generator, digital reader/writer, and impedance analyzer in a single platform. This compact, yet powerful assortment of instruments translates into cost savings for the lab, both in terms of lab space as well as lower-maintenance costs.( http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/7159) Figure 3.1 Following Components were used for this project work:: Figure 3.2 The Function Generator Figure 3.3 Variable Power supplies Figure 3.4 Digital Multimeter Figure 3.5 Oscilloscope Figure 3.6 Complete Circuit Setup with NI ELVIS CHAPTER 4 COMPONENTS SELECTION 4. COMPONENTS SELECTION For NI MULTISIM 4.1 Power supply AC power Figure 4.1 Voltage RMS = 230V Voltage offset= 0V Frequency (f)= 50Hz Time Delay = 0ns 4.2 Step-Down Transformer Transformer Rated available in multisim Library Figure 4.2 Primary Voltage (max) = 350V Primary Current (max) = 5A Secondary Voltage (max) = 15V Secondary Current (max) = 1A Output Power (max) = 5kVA Primary to Secondary Turns Ratio = 20 Leakage Inductance = 1mH Primary Winding Resistance =1Ohm Secondary Winding Resistance = 1Ohm 4.3 Unregulated Rectifier 1J4B42 Single Phase Bridge Rectifier Figure 4.3 Repetitive Peak Reverse Voltage (max) = 600V Average Output Rectified Current = 1 A Junction Temperature = -40 to 150 oC Peak Forward Voltage (max) = 1V 4.4 MOSFET for Switching Application BS170 N-Channel Enhancement Switching Transistor Low On- resistance High Switching Speed Low Capacitances Used for :: Analog and/or Digital Switch Switch Driver Converters/Choppers Figure 4.4 VDS max. = 20V VGS max. = +15/-40 V ID max. = 50 mA RDS (typ) = 25ÃŽ © ton = 1ns toff = 5ns 4.5 High Frequency Isolation Transformer Figure 4.5 4.6 Rectifier with high Frequency Diode IN4148, Fast Switching Diodes Figure 4.6 Repetitive peak reverse voltage = 100V Reverse Voltage = 70V Forward Voltage (max) = 1V Average Forward current = 150 mA Reverse Current (max) = 50 mA Breakdown Voltage (min) = 100V Diode Capacitance (max) = 4 pF Rectification Efficiency (min) = 45% Reverse Recovery Time = 8ns 4.7 Voltage Regulator LM7805CT 3 terminal-1A Positive Voltage regulator Figure 4.7 †¢ Output Current up to 1A †¢ Output Voltage of 5V †¢ Thermal Overload Protection †¢ Short Circuit Protection †¢ Output Transistor Safe Operating Area Protection Line regulation = 4-100mV Load regulation = 9-100 mV Quiescent Current = 5mA Dropout Voltage = 2V Peak current = 2.2 A 4.8 555 Timer Figure 4.8 4.9 LMH6622MA OPAMP Figure 4.9 4.10 LM311N comparator Figure 4.10 CHAPTER 5 TESTING CIRCUITS AND SIMILATION RESULTS 5. TESTING CIRCUITS AND SIMULATION RESULTS 5.1.1 Following Circuit was designed for AC-DC conversion Figure 5.1 5.1.2 Simulation Output of AC-DC conversion Figure 5.2 5.2.1 Circuit for Analysis of MOSFET Switch performance Figure 5.3 5.2.2 Simulation output for MOSFET Switch at 50kHz Figure 5.4 5.3.1 Circuit of Analysis of Voltage regulator combined with Rectifier Figure 5.5 5.3.2 Simulation Output of Voltage Regulator performance Figure 5.6 5.4.1 Open Loop Circuit Without Isolation Transformer Figure 5.7 5.4.2 Simulation Output of Open Loop Circuit Figure 5.8 5.5.1 Feedback Circuit Figure 5.9 5.5.2 Feedback Circuit Simulation Output Figure 5.10 5.6.1 SMPS Circuit Figure 5.11 5.6.2 SMPS Output Figure 5.12 CHAPTER 6 HARDWARE IMPLIMENTATION ON NI ELVIS 6. HARDWARE IMPLEMENTATION ON NI ELVIS The SMPS circuit designed in NI MULTSIM was further implemented in hardware using NI ELVIS as the suitable platform for circuit implementation and testing. 6.1 Component Used 6.1.2 Diode 1N4007 bridge Rectifier 6.1.3 BS 170 MOSFET Switch 6.1.4 Radio Transformer Isolation Transformer 6.1.5 Diode 1N4148 High frequency rectifier 6.1.6 555 Timer Square wave Generation 6.1.7 TLO6021 OPAMP Sine wave Generation 6.1.8 LM311 Comparator PWM Switch driver signal 6.1.9 LM 7805CT Voltage Regulator 6.1.1 Step down Transformer 1.6 AMP 12 0 12 configuration Figure 6.1 Figure 6.2 SMPS circuit on NI ELVIS 6.2 Simulation Outputs OPEN LOOP 6.2.1 Stepped Down AC Voltage from Transformer Figure 6.3 Stepped down AC input 6.2.2 Rectified Unregulated DC voltage from (IN4007) Diode Bridge Rectifier Figure 6.4 Rectified Unregulated DC 6.2.3 Output waveform from the Filter capacitor Figure 6.5 Unregulated DC From filter Capacitor 6.2.4 Chopped DC From the MOSFET switch Figure 6.6 Mosfet Chopped DC 6.2.5 Output from High Frequency (40-50 KHz) Transformer taking in chopped DC . This Transformer also Isolates input from output. Figure 6.7 High Frequency Transformer Output 6.2.6 Output from Bridge Rectifier designed from 1N4148 High frequency Diodes. An approximate DC signal Figure 6.8 High frequency Diode Rectifier Output 6.2.7 Final Output of the SMPS An stabilized voltage of 5 V maintained with aid of feedback mechanism and the Voltage Regulator LM7805 Figure 6.9 SMPS Output Feedback Circuit 6.2.8 555 Timer based Square wave generator circuit output 44.4Khz Square wave Signal Figure 6.10 555 Timer Generated Square wave 6.2.9 Sine wave generated from TLO6021 OpAmp based circuit taking as input the square wave generated from 555 Timer based generator circuit. Figure 6.11 Sinewave generated from Opamp TLO6021 6.2.10 The sine wave generated above is compared with the final SMPS Output And a PWM wave is generated to drive the MOSFET switch in a way that the output is regulated back to fixed desired value (5V) if it deviates. Figure 6.12 Feedback PWM Signal CHAPTER 7 CONCLUSION CONCLUSION Suitable components were selected and tested for desired performance. Functional verification was performed on combined circuit of the selected components for open loop network both in NI MULTISIM and on NI ELVIS. PWM based feedback network was successfully designed tested and implemented both in NI MULTISIM and in Hardware using NI ELVIS Suite. The Design and implementation of desired SMPS circuit was successfully completed.

gatdream F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby - Just Dream It! :: Great Gatsby Essays

The Great Gatsby: Just Dream It! In Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, all the characters are, in one way or another, attempting to achieve a state of happiness in their lives. The main characters are divided into two groups: the rich upper class and the poorer lower class, which struggles to attain a higher position. Though the major players seek only to change their lives for the better, the American Dream is inevitably crushed beneath the harsh reality of life, leaving their lives without meaning or purpose. Tom and Daisy Buchanan, the rich socialite couple, seem to have everything they could possibly desire; however, though their lives are full of material possessions and worldly goods, they are unsatisfied and seek to change. Tom, the arrogant ex-football player, drifts on "forever seeking a little wistfully for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game"(pg. 10) and reads "deep books with long words in them"(pg. 17) in order to have something to talk about. Though he appears happily married to Daisy, Tom has an affair with Myrtle Wilson and keeps an apartment with her in New York. Tom's basic nature of unrest prevents him from being satisfied with the life he leads, and so he creates another life for himself with Myrtle. Daisy Buchanan is an empty character, someone with hardly any convictions or desires. Even before her loyalty to either Tom or Gatsby is called into question, Daisy does nothing but sit around all day and wonder what to do with herself and her friend Jordan. She knows that Tom has a mistress on the side, yet she doesn't leave him even when she learns of Gatsby's love for her. Daisy makes her love to Gatsby apparent, yet cannot bring herself to tell Tom goodbye except when Gatsby forces her too. Even then, once Tom begs her to stay, even then Daisy ultimately leaves Gatsby for a life of comfort and security. The Buchanans are the ultimate examples of wealth and prosperity, and the American Dream. Yet their lives are empty, unfulfilled, and without purpose. Though Myrtle Wilson makes an attempt to escape her own class and pursue happiness with the richer set, her efforts ultimately produce no results and she dies. She is basically a victim of the group she wanted to join. Myrtle tries to join Tom's class by entering into an affair with him and taking on his way of living, but in doing so she becomes corrupt as if she were rich.

Mental Models About a Person’s World Essay

INTRODUCTION: Meeting a person for the first time, can either be a positive or negative experience and the way someone interacts with this person can also show both positive and negative behaviours. So the question is, how can mental models about a person’s world, both aid them and also limit their perceptions when meeting a person for the first time. Through exploring how and why these perceptions can be assisted and limited, we can start to question the reasoning behind our mental models. MENTAL MODELS Throughout the years, academic literature has defined a mental model in many ways, however the best way to understand what a mental model is, is the deeply imbedded ways of thinking or even certain images, that trigger assumptions and generalisations, ultimately affecting the way a person responds too or behaves in the world, be it towards a person or a life situation (Senge 2006). A good example of a mental model is, the generalization that only rich people live in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. This generalisation may be true in some cases, but in other cases, other people may live there because they have lived their all their lives, and so, we can see this particular generalisation or â€Å"mental model† has not be thought through. Not questioning mental models, can often lead to false generalisations, this situation can also arise when meeting a person for the first time. When meeting a person for the first time, our mental models can help us both understand and ultimately get along with the person or they can limit our perceptions, meaning we make assumptions or generalisations that eventually alter our perceptions about this person or how we act towards them. Very often, we see that we are not consciously aware of our mental models and the affects that they can have on our behaviour (Chermack 2003), this in turn, restricts our perceptions. Mental models are often vague, incomplete and imprecisely expressed (Karp 2005) however, once believed, mental models are extremely difficult to change (Chermack 2003). This is highly due to the  fact that people are unaware of their own mental models, and the only way for a person to change their mental model, is for them to acknowledge that they have one to start with. Mental models can be useful as they can help us to process information and make decisions quickly (Unknown 1997) and they can also be imperative foundations for building knowledge about the world we live in (Karp 2005). For instance, when an individual has a mental model that all take away food is bad for their health and wellbeing, when given the option of either having take away food or a healthy meal at home, the individuals mental model will therefore lead them to quickly decide to eat a healthy meal at home. However, very strong mental models can hinder active thinking and the acceptance of new ideas (Unknown 1997), and often arise problems when they are tacit, meaning that they are below the level of awareness (Senge 1992). Using the example of the Detroit auto maker, not recognising that they had the mental model that all that customers cared about was styling, believing that â€Å"all people care about is styling†, evidently shows us that their mental model had become tacit. This mental model continued to be unexamined, and because this mental model remained unexamined, the model remained unchanged, and thus as the world changed the gap grew between the mental model of this Detroit automaker and the world (Senge 1992). Clearly, mental models can perform as filters that screen incoming information that come to us, limiting our ways of thinking and also our perceptions (Unknown 1997). An individual’s mental model represents their view on the world, it also provides them with the context in which they view and interpret new material and also new people in which they meet for the first time (Kim 1993). It not only helps us to make sense of what is going on around us, but it can also restrict our understanding of a certain situation. For example, when someone has been labeled as not a nice person, with never questioning the validity of it, people create a mental model that, that person is not nice, and so when they do or say something nice it goes unnoticed, and therefore, the behaviour does not fit with the mental model people have towards this  certain individual. These untested assumptions or mental models can eventually cause conflict and misunderstandings between people. Developing skills in reflection and inquiry can aid us in realising our mental models and also with dealing with others. When we use skills of reflection we slow down our ways of thinking and acknowledge how our mental models are formed and how they affect our behaviour. Where as skills of inquiry, is concerned with how we operate in face-to-face situations with others, especially when we are dealing with complex and conflictual issues (Senge 2006). Together with the tools and methods used to develop these skills these constitute the core of the discipline of mental models, which consists of; the distinctions between espoused theories and theories-in-use, recognising â€Å"leaps of abstraction†, exposing the â€Å"left-hand column† and balancing inquiry and advocacy (Senge 2006). When an individual says that they value or desire something, that is known as espoused theory, however, what they actually say or do, is known as theories-in-use (Bocham 2010). Acknowledging the gaps between what we say and what we do, can be seen as an effective reflective skill in becoming more aware of our mental models. Someone may profess their view (espoused theory) that people generally are trustworthy, but their actions (theories-in-use) show differently, as they never lend out money and keep their possessions to themselves (Senge 2006). As evident in the example above, there is a gap between the individual’s espoused theory and their theory-in-use. By recognising the gap between espoused theory and the theory-in-use, learning can occur, as we as individuals question whether or not we really value our espoused theory (Senge 2006). When we meet a person for the first time, we can quickly jump into generalisations as we never think to question them. For example, when we meet a person and they say that they are a doctor, we automatically assume that they are smart, as it is a generalization that all doctors are smart we never seem to question this mental model. These are known as â€Å"leaps of abstraction†. â€Å"Leaps of abstraction† occur when we move from direct observations to generalisations without questioning them, this ultimately  impedes learning because it becomes axiomatic, as what was once an assumption is now treated as a fact (Senge 2006). Therefore, this becomes another limitation, in which mental models can have on our perceptions when we meet people for the first time. However, these â€Å"leaps of abstraction† can easily be identified when people ask what their generalisation is based-on and whether or not the generalisation is inaccurate or misleading (Senge 2006) Senge (2006) identifies the â€Å"left-hand column† as a powerful technique whereby individuals begin to see how their mental models operate in differing situations. This exercise can show individuals that they indeed have mental models and show them how those models play an active part in sometimes negative interactions with people, not only do these people become aware of their mental models, but they begin to acknowledge why dealing with these assumptions is imperative (Senge 2006). In order for good communication between individuals to arise, people need to recognise that in order for the communication process to be effective, mental models must be managed properly, this is done by balancing advocacy and inquiry (Peggy & Bronn 2003). Advocacy is the process of communicating an individual’s ways of thinking and reasoning in a manner that makes it clear for others (Peggy & Bronn 2003). When there is advocacy without inquiry, it only leads to more advocacy, and therefore leads to two individuals stating their ways of reasoning and thinking, they both are keen to here the others views, but do not inquire into what they are saying because they believe that what they are saying is ultimately the best way of thinking. A way to tackle this, is through the process of inquiry. Inquiry engages two individuals into the communication process in a joint learning process (Peggy & Bronn 2003). Here the objective is to understand the reasoning and thinking of the other individual, this can be done by asking them questions in order for them to determine the origin for their conclusions and statements (Peggy & Bronn 2003). Individuals can do this by asking questions such as; â€Å"What is it that leads you to that position?† and â€Å"can you illustrate your point for me?† (Senge 2006). Thus, it is evident  that grasping the skill of balancing advocacy and inquiry, is highly advantageous in interacting with other individuals, especially those you meet for the first time. CONCLUSION: Therefore, it is imperative and highly advantageous for us to question our mental models in everyday situations, such as meeting people for the first time, as it will deter us from automatically making assumptions and making generalisations. Through acknowledging ‘leaps of abstraction†, using the â€Å"left-hand column† technique and also personally mastering the skill of balancing advocacy and inquiry, we can learn to question these mental models, and thus questioning whether or not they really do hold their value in our world. Thus, when we meet a person for the first time, before we make assumptions and generalisations, we may need to recognise our imbedded mental models and learn to question them, therefore aiding the process of communication to be a positive experience. REFERENCE LIST: Bochman, DJ & Kroth, M. 2010, â€Å"Immunity to transformational learning and change†, _The Learning Organization,_ vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 328-342. Chermack, TJ 2003, â€Å"Mental models in decision making and implications for human resource development†, _Advances in Developing Human Resources,_ vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 408-422. Karp, T 2005, â€Å"Unpacking the Mysteries of Change: Mental Modelling†, _Journal of Change Management,_ vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 87-96. Kim, DH 1993, â€Å"The Link Between Individual and Organizational Learning†, _Sloan management review,_ vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 37-37. Peggy, SB & Bronn, C 2003, â€Å"A reflective stakeholder approach: Co-orientation as a basis for communication learning†, _Journal of Communication Management,_ vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 291-303. Senge, P 2006, â€Å"Mental Models†, _The fifth discipline: the art and practice of learning organizations,_ rev. edn, Doubleday, New York, pp. 163-190. Senge, PM 1992, â€Å"Mental Models†, _Planning Review,_ vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 4-4. Unknown 1997, â€Å"What are Mental Models?†, _Sloan management review,_ vol. 38, no. 3, p. 13.

Chinese Nationalist Party Essay

On 1 October 1949, Mao Zedong, leader of the Chinese Communist Party declared victory over the Nationalist Party (Guomindang) and brought an end to four brutally long years of Civil War. The Communist victory in the Civil War has however, created significant debate among historians, namely: was a Communist victory inevitable and if so is it more sensible to see the Chinese Civil War as a Communist victory or as a Nationalist defeat?When researching these questions it becomes blatantly obvious that the Guomindang government led by Chiang Kai-Shek was riddled with problems and they are very much the cause of their own downfall. Widespread government corruption, spiraling inflation, loss of public confidence and intractable poverty are just a few of the failings the Guomindang afflicted upon the Chinese people. These monumental failings make a Communist victory seem almost inevitable, in that they just happened to be there to assume power as the Nationalists lost support and drowned in their own mistakes. In this sense it is more sensible to view the Civil War as a Nationalist defeat, rather than a Communist victory. On the other hand, the Communists were able to turn dismal rural poverty and the Japanese invasion into assets, using them to convince villagers that radical change was imperative and that the Communist Party was best qualified to bring about this change. Seen in this light, superior strategy and organisational methods allowed the Communists to achieve victory and not just â€Å"move into a vacuum† as suggested by Barnett (Barnett, 1965: 1). There is certainly an element of inevitability with regard to the Communist victory, however, in this essay I will argue that not only was the outcome of the Chinese Civil War not preordained, but I will also critically evaluate the reasons the Guomindang lost the Civil War and explain that given their policy mistakes, the Civil War should be seen as a Nationalist defeat rather than a Communist victory. If the Nationalists had been willing to adapt and had they initiated some changes in their strategies, the Communist Party, no matter what its internal organisation or external strategies, would not have been able to bring revolution to China. This theory is not supported by Kubek, who argues that the cause of the  Nationalist defeat was due to a lack of aid from the United States, declaring â€Å"sovietisation of China and Manchuria could be the only logical outcome of post-war United States policy in China† (Kubek, 1965: 62). This view point is unduly simplistic and overvalues America’s role in China, an opinion supported by Chang, who believes the Guomindang government’s â€Å"failure was due not so much to lack of American support, but to its inherent defects† (Chang, 1965: 40). Before analysing these inherent defects and the reasons that the Nationalist Party lost the Civil War, it is important to understand the fundamentals of the situation in China at the end of World War Two; specifically the consequences of the eight year war with Japan that totally exhausted the Guomindang militarily, economically and spiritually. Hsu argues that the war with Japan is the â€Å"single most important cause for the downfall of the Nationalists† and â€Å"had there been no Japanese war, the situation in China would have been very different† (Hsu, 1990: 734). Many of the Guomindang’s problems such as factionalism, corruption and leadership were prevalent prior to the Sino-Japanese War; however it was during the last phases of the Sino-Japanese War that these problems reached crisis proportions and in hindsight it seems impossible that the Guomindang could have overcome these problems to defeat the Communists (Service, 1965: 29). Chang also believes that the Guomindang faced insurmountable problems prior to the Civil War, stating that â€Å"the government of Chiang Kai-Shek was built on quicksand and clay. How can it stand? Is it any wonder that it fell like a house of cards when it had to face the Communist crisis?† (Chang, C. 1965: 41). Westad, (2003: 7) however argues that â€Å"in spite of the Guomindang’s weaknesses, the outcome of the post-war conflict with the Communists was no way predetermined in 1945†. At the end of the Sino-Japanese War the Guomindang held significant advantages over the Communists, with its widely recognised legitimate government controlling China, giving it the power to tax and conscript. On the other hand, the Communists could not match the Guomindang’s troops in terms of training and equipment and could be  Ã¢â‚¬Å"outgunned and outmanoeuvred in all major regions of the country† (Westad, 2003: 8). Furthermore, the Communist party was hardly represented in the cities at all, which of course was the power base of the Guomindang. However, the Communists also had successes resulting from the war with Japan including increasing their area of control and practiced evolving their strategies of protracted guerrilla warfare against the Japanese which in turn generated public support. Despite this the party’s main forces were still located in North-west China and they were not in such a powerful position that a civil war with the Guomindang would be a mere formality in securing control of the country. The Civil War is therefore simply not a case of the imminent decline of the Guomindang and the Communists’ irresistible rise. Rather the Sino-Japanese War provided the framework for the decisions and strategies that would ultimately lead to Nationalist defeat. The war with Japan left the Guomindang decimated and they did need to undergo reform in order to survive; however the factionalism and corruption within the Guomindang resulted in increasingly repressive controls being implemented upon the war weary Chinese people. At a time when new strategies were needed, the government instead continued its repressive controls and when war again broke out, the government lost even more support and collapsed with cataclysmic speed. This was due in no small part to the leadership of the Guomindang, whose perpetuation of their own power dominated over all other considerations (Service, 1965: 28). The arrogance and mismanagement of the Guomindang alienated the Chinese people and caused a loss of public confidence and respect. This loss of respect not only resulted in the Nationalists losing influence in their own power bases, but made it easier for the Communists to exploit this public disharmony and encourage the Chinese people to think that a change in administration would bring about a change in their fortunes. An example of the Guomindang’s poor leadership strategies can be seen in their occupation of former Japanese colonies (Service, 1965: 29). The Chinese citizens within these Japanese occupied territories had waited eight  years for the return of Nationalist rule, but instead of being treated as victims of war, they were exploited. The Guomindang leaders did not return their land but acquired it as their own property; moreover, they virtually eliminated the monetary assets of these people. This was caused by the currency in the occupied territories going through extreme inflation as the government only offered the exorbitant exchange rate of two hundred to one; when a more reasonable rate would have been half that much (Phillips, 1996: 158). Furthermore, the puppet leaders that had been installed by the Japanese often kept their positions or became members of the Guomindang. Poor policy decisions such as this would lead to the downfall of the Guomindang, as it is impossible to fight an effective war without the support of the people and the economic policies of the government alienated millions of suffering people. The Guomindang’s economic problems were not limited to the territories formerly occupied by the Japanese. All over China inflation was an exceptionally large problem, for as the increases seen during the Japanese War were allowed to spiral out of control during the Civil War. Service, (1965: 29) argues that this is a direct result of corruption within the Guomindang, and that they refused to take any effective steps to check inflation or implement agricultural reforms for fear of losing the support of the landlord class in China. In view of this, the Guomindang developed urban industry at the expense of agricultural and financed this by simply printing more bank notes. Their economic mismanagement was disastrous for the majority of the Chinese people and meant that by 1948 government expenditure had become thirty times larger when compared to its pre-war level; the budget deficit had also blown out to thirty times it pre-war level and inflation was increasing at the rate of thirty per cent a month (Chang, K. 1965: 23). The Nationalist government faced imminent financial doom and the Chinese people were becoming aware of the selfish nature of their government whose economic policies and financial mismanagement destroyed the livelihood of hundreds of millions of Chinese. The failings of the Guomindang would provide the Communist party with ample opportunities to exploit the discontent of the Chinese people. This was one of the reasons for the Communist victory in that they were able to gain the support of people from the rural areas who the Guomindang had alienated. An example of this can be seen in the rural land reforms implemented in newly gained territories. In these areas the Communists promoted production and ensured supplies by creating a self-sufficient economy. To rouse the productive enthusiasm of the peasants, they launched a campaign to reduce rent and interest. Peasant associations and other organisations were urged to demand and enforce a 25 percent rent reduction, with a rent ceiling set at 37.5 percent of the crops. The interest rate on loans was limited to 1.5 percent a month, or 18 percent a year, much lower that the excessive rate formerly charged by the landlords (Westad, 2003: 11 and Fielding, 1999: 134). They were able to achieve these reforms without confiscating large amounts of land, as considerable redistribution of land to the peasants was accomplished by impo sing graduated taxes in such a way that larger landholders voluntarily sold land because it was no longer profitable. It is arguable that the Communists had no intention of eliminating the economic power of the landlords, but instead they showed the peasants that they could exercise their power locally and play an active role in the war against a government that some had come to despise. The Communists gave the peasants what they wanted: an army of friendly troops who not only did not steal their crops but helped them bring in the harvest and who implemented popular but gradual economic reforms (Ebrey, 1996: 289). This is in stark contrast to the Guomindang who did not understand the peasants and showed no interest in aiding them. They failed to see the revolutionary potential of the peasant masses and unlike the Communist Party never attempted to organise them. This situation was best summarised by Hsu: â€Å"the stone that one builder had rejected became the cornerstone of the other’s house† (Hsu, 1990: 738). However, many of the most important cause of the Nationalist defeat during the Civil War were military ones. Despite emerging from the Japanese War better equipped and trained, the Nationalist Army was a tired force (Hsu, 1990: 734). This war-weariness was felt throughout China and there was  widespread recognition that full scale civil war would be a tragedy for the country. It is therefore, not surprising that the Guomindang’s persistence in military aggression towards the Communists, who were Chinese after all, failed to arouse the same patriotic loyalty as when the enemies were Japanese (Stuart, 1965: 19). Given this situation the Nationalist Army needed good leadership and to gain the support of the people; they were unsuccessful on both counts. This was largely due to the leadership system created by Chiang Kai-Shek that was â€Å"a congerie of conservative political cliques† concerned primarily with maintaining their own power (Service, 1965: 30). Furthermore, the highest military posts were reserved for those who like Chiang Kai-Shek had graduated from the Whampoa military academy and this often meant that more talented officers were turned away. General Barr of the United States said of the Guomindang leadership in 1949 that, â€Å"their military debacles in my opinion can all be attributed to the world’s worst leadership and many other morale destroying factors that lead to a complete loss of will to fight† (Barr, 1949: x quoted in Bianco, 1971: 180). In fact, many battles were lost by the Nationalists without a fight, as hundreds of thousands of troops simply defected or surrendered to the Communists (Barnett, 1965: 5). An example of this may be seen during the Huai-Huai Campaign, where poor military leadership caused the Nationalist troops to become surrounded and resulted in an irreparable loss of manpower without a fight (Phillips, 1996: 158). Rather than undertaking offensives to seek out and destroy the main mobile guerrilla units of the Communists, they holed up for the most part in isolated, vulnerable, defensive positions allowing the Communists to concentrate their forces and attack and overwhelm Nationalists’ positions one by one (Barnett, 1965: 5). This strategy played into the hands of the Communists whose primary goal was to reduce the numbers of the Nationalist army. They were not concerned with holding specific geographic areas and this allowed them to be a lot more flexible in their attacks. Moreover, the Communist troops were ordered to avoid large battles and to engage the enemy only when there was a high probability of victory. Mao Zedong argued that the only way guerrilla warfare could succeed  is if the army had the support of the people, and the Communists certainly had this (Mao Zedong, 1940: x cited in Bianco, 1971: 184). The Communists successfully achieved this through the use of propaganda. They portrayed themselves as defenders of the nation and the Guomindang as enemies of all levels of society, from peasant to scholar (Chang, C. 1965: 40). Chiang Kai-shek himself admitted that the Nationalists failure in propaganda â€Å"was a major defect in our struggle against Communism† (Kai-shek, 1965: 77). Despite this, the Nationalist army had many opportunities to seriously weaken the Communists. However, their leadership too often committed crucial tactical mistakes, which were the result of lack of communication and disputes within the party caused by the factionalism that riddled the Guomindang leadership (Westad, 2003: 11). Clique politics and factionalism would eventually lead to the situation where unified action to either solve the problems in Nationalist held territory or to fight against the Communists became virtually impossible (Barnett, 1965: 6). This is in stark contrast to the leadership of the Communist armies, whose generals were not concerned with personal gain, but instead co-operated with each other and gained the support of the Chinese people and worked towards a united goal (Westad, 2003: 9). These superior military tactics and aforementioned economic reforms brought the Communists wide spread support and ultimately victory. However, this victory would never have been achievable were it not for the military, economic and social failings of the Guomindang. Chiang Kai-Shek himself admitted major defects in organisation and technique in the Nationalists’ war against Communism, however he argued that these defects were remediable, â€Å"so long as our strategy and policy were correct, I believe we still could have won† (Kai-Shek, 1965: 82). It is in this light that the Chinese Civil War should be viewed not as a Communist victory, but as a Nationalist defeat. There is no doubt that the war against Japan was a crushing blow to the Nationalists economic and military power, however it was not fatal. The  Nationalist government could have continued to consolidate its power and authority by the sheer weight of its military strength and financial resources (Tsou, 1965: 28). Even though the Nationalist government was far from popular, it was the most powerful military and economic force in China and could have survived if it had been willing to regain the support of the people. Defeat to the Communists was therefore, far from inevitable, and the Nationalists were very much the engineers of their own demise. BIBLIOGRAPHY Barnett, A. (1965), ‘Multiple factors’, in Pichon Loh (ed.) ‘The Kuomintang Debacle of 1949: Conquest or Collapse?’ D.C. Heath & Company, BostonBianco, Lucien. (1971), ‘Origins of the Chinese Revolution, 1915-1949’ Stanford University Press, StanfordChang, Carsun. 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