title: Thermocline management of stratified tanks for heat storage

authors: Walmsley, Michael R.W.

subjects: stratified tank

abstract: Stratified tanks are useful for maximising the thermal energy efficiency of non-continuous and semi-continuous processes. Liquid at two or more dissimilar temperatures is stored within the same tank to provide a buffer for variations in heating and cooling loads. Control of the thermocline between the hot and cold fluid regions is needed to minimise thermocline growth and maximise operation of the storage tank. An experimental programme using a scale model of an industrial stratified tank (aspect ratio 3.5) and Perspex tank (aspect ratio 8.2) is reported. The behaviour and growth of the hot-cold thermocline under various operating conditions is presented. A siphoning method to re-establish the thermocline without interrupting the use of the tank is tested. Siphoning of the thermocline region from either 20%, 50% or 80% of the tank height is an effective strategy for uninterrupted interface re-establishment. However, the rate and position of siphoning and the load balance of the exit streams are critical variables for minimising the time for effective re-establishment of the two temperature zones.

text: Thermocline management of stratified tanks for heat storage Stratified tanks are useful for maximising the thermal energy efficiency of non-continuous and semi-continuous processes. Liquid at two or more dissimilar temperatures is stored within the same tank to provide a buffer for variations in heating and cooling loads. Control of the thermocline between the hot and cold fluid regions is needed to minimise thermocline growth and maximise operation of the storage tank. An experimental programme using a scale model of an industrial stratified tank (aspect ratio 3.5) and Perspex tank (aspect ratio 8.2) is reported. The behaviour and growth of the hot-cold thermocline under various operating conditions is presented. A siphoning method to re-establish the thermocline without interrupting the use of the tank is tested. Siphoning of the thermocline region from either 20%, 50% or 80% of the tank height is an effective strategy for uninterrupted interface re-establishment. However, the rate and position of siphoning and the load balance of the exit streams are critical variables for minimising the time for effective re-establishment of the two temperature zones.

year: 2009

title: Investigating stable and dynamic aspects of psychological needs using generalisability theory

authors: Drabble, Scott Dean

subjects: Stable

abstract: Satisfaction of psychological needs has been linked to human flourishing and improved wellbeing and basic psychological needs are central to self-determination theory (SDT) and include autonomy, relatedness, and competence. Accurate distinction between stable and dynamic aspects of these psychological needs is necessary for the development and assessment of interventions aiming to maximize satisfaction of these needs. The widely used Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction scale (BPNS) was developed to measure the degree to which people feel satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs but its ability to reflect stable and dynamic aspects of needs and generalisability of assessment scores of were not thoroughly examined by implementing an appropriate methodology. Generalisability theory (G-theory) has been recommended as an appropriate statistical method to evaluate the state-trait distinction while providing reliability analysis and accurate evaluation of sources of measure error. G-theory was implemented to distinguish between state and trait aspects of psychological needs and to assess the reliability of the BPNS. A longitudinal person by item by occasion observational design was applied to an adequate sample of 116 participants who completed the 21- item BPNS at three time points with a one-month interval between assessments. The total BPNS showed acceptable reliability and generalisability of scores in assessing the need satisfaction trait across sample population and occasions (G = 0.75-0.88) while individual subscales of the BPNS appeared less reliable due to dynamic nature of needs reflected by these subscales. A brief subscale to measure the most dynamic needs as a state was developed using items reflecting dynamic aspects of psychological need. The overall good reliability of the total BPNS and dynamic properties of the individual subscales, suggest the overarching latent trait of neediness that varies across individuals while specific needs are state like and therefore can shift from one aspect to another depending on circumstances of individual’s life.

text: Investigating stable and dynamic aspects of psychological needs using generalisability theory Satisfaction of psychological needs has been linked to human flourishing and improved wellbeing and basic psychological needs are central to self-determination theory (SDT) and include autonomy, relatedness, and competence. Accurate distinction between stable and dynamic aspects of these psychological needs is necessary for the development and assessment of interventions aiming to maximize satisfaction of these needs. The widely used Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction scale (BPNS) was developed to measure the degree to which people feel satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs but its ability to reflect stable and dynamic aspects of needs and generalisability of assessment scores of were not thoroughly examined by implementing an appropriate methodology. Generalisability theory (G-theory) has been recommended as an appropriate statistical method to evaluate the state-trait distinction while providing reliability analysis and accurate evaluation of sources of measure error. G-theory was implemented to distinguish between state and trait aspects of psychological needs and to assess the reliability of the BPNS. A longitudinal person by item by occasion observational design was applied to an adequate sample of 116 participants who completed the 21- item BPNS at three time points with a one-month interval between assessments. The total BPNS showed acceptable reliability and generalisability of scores in assessing the need satisfaction trait across sample population and occasions (G = 0.75-0.88) while individual subscales of the BPNS appeared less reliable due to dynamic nature of needs reflected by these subscales. A brief subscale to measure the most dynamic needs as a state was developed using items reflecting dynamic aspects of psychological need. The overall good reliability of the total BPNS and dynamic properties of the individual subscales, suggest the overarching latent trait of neediness that varies across individuals while specific needs are state like and therefore can shift from one aspect to another depending on circumstances of individual’s life.

year: 2021

title: Machine translation for te reo Māori

authors: Keegan, Te Taka Adrian Gregory

abstract: What is Machine Translation? Machine Translation (MT) is a process where computer software is used to translate texts from one natural (or spoken) language to another. Early research centred on two distinct approaches: Rules Based Machine Translation (RBMT) and Statistical Machine Translation (SMT). In simple terms RBMT makes use of large sets of linguistic rules that define languages whereas SMT uses statistical techniques to build language models from large language corpora. Increases in computing power and the amount of language corpora available has meant that SMT had become the preferred option with recent advances in neural networks also being applied to improve the accuracy of SMT. For commercial reasons, this is an area of research that has generated a lot of interest and funding support from some major international computer companies, including Google¹,Microsoft² and Facebook³.
Why is Machine Translation important for te reo Māori? A te reo Māori purist may argue that it is not important to focus activities on having a machine undertake translations for te reo Māori; if people want to understand te reo Māori then they should put in the effort to learn the language. This line of reasoning is difficult to argue with. But, from a Māori language activist perspective the value of MT is not so much in the translation of te reo Māori to (say) English, but rather the translation of English to te reo Māori. If this translation can be done efficiently, with low costs, it will assist in the proliferation of te reo Māori into new contexts, new environments and will assist its normalisation in New Zealand's society.
At this time, two of the major international companies, Google and Microsoft, have invested significantly in MT for te reo Māori. This paper summarises their endeavours and reports on the quality of translations they have been able to generate.

text: Machine translation for te reo Māori What is Machine Translation? Machine Translation (MT) is a process where computer software is used to translate texts from one natural (or spoken) language to another. Early research centred on two distinct approaches: Rules Based Machine Translation (RBMT) and Statistical Machine Translation (SMT). In simple terms RBMT makes use of large sets of linguistic rules that define languages whereas SMT uses statistical techniques to build language models from large language corpora. Increases in computing power and the amount of language corpora available has meant that SMT had become the preferred option with recent advances in neural networks also being applied to improve the accuracy of SMT. For commercial reasons, this is an area of research that has generated a lot of interest and funding support from some major international computer companies, including Google¹,Microsoft² and Facebook³.
Why is Machine Translation important for te reo Māori? A te reo Māori purist may argue that it is not important to focus activities on having a machine undertake translations for te reo Māori; if people want to understand te reo Māori then they should put in the effort to learn the language. This line of reasoning is difficult to argue with. But, from a Māori language activist perspective the value of MT is not so much in the translation of te reo Māori to (say) English, but rather the translation of English to te reo Māori. If this translation can be done efficiently, with low costs, it will assist in the proliferation of te reo Māori into new contexts, new environments and will assist its normalisation in New Zealand's society.
At this time, two of the major international companies, Google and Microsoft, have invested significantly in MT for te reo Māori. This paper summarises their endeavours and reports on the quality of translations they have been able to generate.

year: 2017