Trident Submarine Case Study Essay Example for Free

Trident Submarine Case Study Essay In the fall of 1971, as President Nixon was attempting to convince The Soviet Union to include submarines and ballistic missiles in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT), the US Navy was planning on introducing a new class of submarines called the Trident. The Trident submarines were to succeed the Polaris submarines, which was developed in the 1950s. The Trident submarines were not only physically larger than the Polaris submarines, they also possessed revolutionary propulsion components and weaponry. If the US could successfully launch the Trident program, Nixon felt it would generate progress in SALT by demonstrating the United States’ commitment to strategic submarines and missiles. However, if the Trident program was unable to deliver, Nixon would consider revamping the Polaris class, which could halt the Trident program indefinitely. In response to Nixon’s focus on the United States’ submarine capabilities, the Navy declared that they could assemble a Trident submarine just as quickly as building a Polaris. These bold claims introduced additional pressure on the people behind the Trident program, as the estimated build time had now been reduced. The updated time frame also shifted the discussion to the type of contract the Navy would use when dealing with contractors on the Trident. Instead of designing the contract to distribute risk equally and promote easy management, the Navy now needed a contract that would guarantee delivery of the first submarine within six years and would include strict controls over the project. The contract discussion quickly turned into a debate between the supporters for cost-reimbursement and fixed price contracts. A fixed price contract holds the contractor responsible for delivering a product that meets all of the performance specifications for an agreed price. A cost-reimbursement contract means that a contractor attempts to meet the customer’s performance, time, and cost requirements and will be reimbursed for the cost of the project. Both fixed-cost and cost-reimbursement contracts can be crafted in multiple forms. However, the Navy traditionally used fixed-cost contracts for products with known build times and little development effort. Cost-reimbursement contracts were typically used in first time development projects, where the time and costs could not be accurately estimated. The Navy has a history of using cost-reimbursement contracts on the first or lead ship and then using a fixed-cost contract for any additional ships. While the rationale behind using a cost-reimbursement contract on the lead ship in a class is understandable, I believe the Navy would benefit more from a fixed-cost contract in this situation. More specifically, by taking into account the shortened time frame, strict management requirements, and the desire to protect the government’s interests, I believe the Navy should use a Fixed Price Incentive (FPI) contract. A FPI contract establishes a final contract price that includes a target cost plus a profit adjustment. FPI contracts can use a formula to calculate the final cost allowing for an adjustment in profit if the cost and schedule changes. An FPI contract also contains a negative fee feature, which can be applied to adjust the profit of the contractor if the final cost or schedule exceeds the target cost or schedule. I believe the FPI is applicable because there is not enough information to set a firm target cost for the work, but there is enough information to establish initial target cost, initial target profit, and an initial profit adjustment formula. Moving forward after the lead ship is developed, the Navy can negotiate a firm-fixed-price contract when the actual cost is better defined. However, the fact remains that the Trident submarine is a new ship, and the shipbuilders could be faced with unrealized production challenges, such as mirror welds, which could slow down the build time and increase labor costs. These types of unexpected costs are the basis for the cost-reimbursement contract approach and remain a risk within every fixed cost contract. Fixed cost contracts also run the risk of reducing the quality of work in favor of remaining under budget. Considering the risks associated with a fixed-cost contract, I still believe that a fixed-cost contract in this situation will be more successful. It will allow the Navy to strictly enforce the contract, which will appease Admiral Rockover and bolster confidence in the House and Senate. The incentive portion of the contract is intended to ensure that the shipbuilders devote adequate time and resources to the Trident project as it directly impacts their profits. I also believe that risk associated with high development related costs is reduced by having the propulsion and weapons delivered to the shipbuilders as government furnished equipment (GFE), which are prefabricated systems that just require installation. The shipbuilders are experts in building submarines, so while the Trident ships will be larger the real development costs have already been experienced when creating the GFEs, so unexpected spikes in cost should be avoided.

Nature of a Diamond :: essays research papers

The unique nature of diamond is heavily dependent upon its composition, crystal structure, and mechanical, thermal, and electromagnetic properties.1 Of those dependencies, composition exacts the most influence over the characteristics. Crystal structure is the repeating pattern of diamond’s composition, and each of the properties are the result of molecular interaction which is determined by composition. Therefore, composition is paramount in the determination of the qualities of diamond. Before its discovery, adamantane was known as decaterpene, the name applied by Decker to his tricyclic hydrocarbon. Decker believed that his decaterpene was similar in structure as the diamond lattice. Decaterpene, as in diamond, was proposed by Decker to be highly structured and strain free.2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Decker proposed decaterpene in 1924, but that was all it was until 1933 when the structure was proven to exist. Isolated in the petroleum of Hodinin, Czechoslovakia by Landa and Machachaeck, decaterpene became incarnate.3 However, the fact that they found the structure Decker predicted did not mean that his nomenclature would be used to identify the compound. That honor was bestowed upon its discoverers Landa and Machcahcaeck who used the Greek translation of diamond, adamantane, to identify the compound.2 Crude petroleum is separated into its component compounds by fractional distillation. The procedure involves a sample of the petroleum to be heated until the sample is vaporized leaving behind any solid impurities. The resulting steam enters a fractional distillation column in which a temperature gradient had been instilled. The temperature of the column decreases as the steam rises through the column. The idea is that, as the temperature of the column decreases, the vapor temperature will decrease. When the boiling point of a compound is passed, the compound will condense on the sides of the column and be collected in the fraction well at that point. Thus the mixture is separated into fractions of compounds with similar boiling points in a mixture.4 Adamantane’s high boiling point caused it to be one of the initial compounds to condense with the kerosene fraction in the 190o C cut.5 The only problem with the fractional distillation method is that adamantane cannot be extracted in large quantities because it exists in only a small quantity in petrol. The presence of adamantane was found to be only 0.0004% of the composition of petroleum by the fractional distillation method.2 Adamantane is not alone in the petroleum distillate in which it is present.

Rates of Reactions Essay

Apparatus: 4 beakers (250 ml), 4 test tubes (18 mm x 150 mm), centigram balance, test tube rack, measuring cylinder (25 ml), marking pen, stop watch, thermometer, water and ice cubes, top pan balance, hot plate, power source, safety goggles, a lab coat, 3.0 molar hydrochloric acid and uniform size of marble chips. METHOD: 1. Label four 250 ml beakers A, B, C & D. 2. Pour150 ml of water into beakers A, B and C only. In this experiment, these beakers will be used as water baths and for this reason, place a thermometer in each of these beakers to check the water bath temperature. Beaker D is to remain empty until step 9. 3. Put a test tube containing 10ml of 3.0 molar of hydrochloric acid into each of the beakers (A, B and C) partly filled with water. 4. Place the beakers (B and C) containing the test tubes on an electrical hot plate, switch on the power and place a thermometer into each of the four test tubes. 5. Read each thermometer until the water in beaker B reaches 37Â ºC and the water in beaker C reaches 100Â ºC (i.e. when the water boils). At these points, remove the beakers from the hot plate and switch off the power. 6. Wait a few minutes and check the thermometers until the test tube temperatures are constant, and similar to the temperature of the water bath. 7. Add 0.25 g of weighed marble chips to beaker B (37Â ºC), and time the period of reaction between the marble chips and the hydrochloric acid with a stopwatch. When all the marble chips have fully dissolved and the reaction ceased, stop the stopwatch and note down the time taken for the reaction. 8. Write down these results into the results table and repeat this process for beaker C (at 100Â ºC) and beaker A (at room temperature – approximately 20Â ºC). 9. Finally with beaker D, place a thermometer in this beaker to provide a temperature check and then add 150 ml of crushed ice to act as a constant temperature ice bath. Again, wait a few minutes and check the thermometers until the test tube temperatures are constant and similar to the temperature of the ice in the beaker (I.e. 0Â ºC). Add 0.25g of weighed marble chips. Then finally use the stopwatch to time how long it takes for the marble chips to dissolve in the hydrochloric acid and write down the results. 10. Clean up used materials and wash hands thoroughly. VARIABLES: Independent Variables: Temperature. Dependent Variables: The reaction time. CONTROLS: The standard 10 ml volume of 3.0 molar hydrochloric acid in each test tube, the mass, uniform size and surface area of the five marble chips placed into each acid, constant temperature measurement using a thermometer for each beaker and test tube (I.e. A: 20Â ºC, B: 37Â ºC, C: 100Â ºC and D: 0Â ºC) and time observation using a stopwatch to measure the duration of reaction time of acid on the marble chips. RESULTS: This table clearly shows that the higher the temperature, the faster the reaction rate. In these experiments, I used five marble chips for each test tube to ensure consistency and therefore production of carbon dioxide. CONCLUSION: This experiment showed that the higher the temperature, the faster the reaction rate and thereby, the faster the production of carbon dioxide from hydrochloric acid acting on marble chips. EVALUATION: My results table above successfully proved that the temperature had a large effect on the rates of reaction and showed that the higher the temperature, the faster the rate of reaction. The rates of chemical reaction increases with temperature, This is because when the temperature is increased, the particles in the solution have more energy and therefore collide more often during a certain period of time. These colliding particles will have activation energy resulting in more successful collisions between particles, the cause of reaction. As shown on my graph, the rate of reaction approximately doubles each time the temperature is increased by 10Â ºC. With regard to sources of error, some time was taken to press the stopwatch when the marble chips had thoroughly dissolved. This would have altered the length of reaction time a little bit and therefore alter the rate of reaction results. At first, I weighed one marble chip and multiplied it by 5 to get the mass of five marble chips. As this would have made my results inaccurate, I weighed the five marble chips all together to get the exact mass of 0.25g.

Land Acquisition in Nigeria - 2135 Words

Introduction and Major hindrances of 1978 Land use Act: In the Niger Delta region, the traditional land holding system have been thwarted by the land use act as the interest of a majority of the people have been hijacked by a few powerful individual who now control land and land resources in collaboration with multinational companies. In most part of southern Nigeria, particularly the Niger Delta region, the administration of Landwas carried out under the customary tenure. At this point of time Nigeria was under military dictatorship.Following are a couple of the drawbacks of the Act: 1)Power of Governor to revoke rights of occupancy. The main fault of the Land Use Act of 1978 was that it transferred title and ownership of†¦show more content†¦The young people who as a result of the poverty in the region have little access to education, and those who are educated have no access to decent jobs nor capital for investment, therefore, resorted to militancy,violent crimes and of recent Kidnapping and demand for ransom. †¢ As the land mass within the Niger Delta region gets degraded as a result of oil exploration and exploitation, the demand for agricultural land, housing and other human needs increases. †¢ Another factor affecting land use and land availability within the Niger Delta region is the multi ethnic nature of the region and attendant population pressure on lands within particular areas claimed by individual ethnic group. †¢ Land availability, land resource, land use, land policy and management all have adverse effect on the social economic situation in the Niger Delta region today. 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