Crude Oil prices and future

Days of higher oil price gouging by OPEC cartel and other oil exporting countries have come to an end. OPEC failed to agree on a unified output cap, effectively letting its 13 members flood the globe with crude in an effort to harm rivals. Most of OPEC's members, including Venezuela and non-members like Russia, need higher oil prices to balance their national budgets or they have to keep on pumping more.

The Saudi move to crush American shale operations via OPEC is doing nothing but forcing a consolidation among the many shale fracking companies in US and Canada. Low prices force the weaker companies to either sell assets or go bankrupt, while stronger companies swoop in to gobble up assets. In the meantime, these stronger hands cap wells and wait for the day that prices rise and the development of newer technology and equipment.

It is also reducing the investment and development of oil field all over the world. If you can get oil for almost free, then why spend money exploring new fields. With present technology, oil field reserve and global demand to reduce pollution, I do not see a bright future for oil industry.

This is good time for oil importing countries to build their oil reserve, build their foreign currency reserve and spend the oil saving to develop new and creative source of energy like solar, energy storage etc. Universities should start a new course that should help future engineers develop alternative source of energy.

Cargo Compartment Temperature & Pressure

Ever wondered what is the pressure and temperature of the 737-400 cargo compartment. We installed a temperature and pressure sensor inside the cargo compartment and measured it. The result is graphed for your educational purpose and knowledge. If you use this graph in publication, please acknowledge the blog. Thanks

Immigration to USA

Many immigrants to USA come from their country for one reason or other. They come here because they want financial, social and religious freedom. In many case they come here because the opportunity is better here than it is in their native country. Some come here legally while others come illegally (without paper). It does not matter how they come, the life is tough in the beginning. You suffer through those difficult time, so that you can enjoy the fruits of you hard work within few years.

Ant vs Grasshopper

My apologies to the original writer for not able to mention his/her name to this article. This article is at least one year old. This article is written with the name of Indian politician. However this will fit to any western country as well. Here you go:

Ant vs Grasshopper: Original Story: The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs dances plays the summer away. Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

Indian Version: The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs dances plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving. NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house. Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.

Left parties call for 'Bengal Bandh' in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry. Akhilesh Yadav orders withdrawal of terror cases to woo Grasshoppers. CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat. M. Karunanidhi remarks ANT as THIEF'. Shinde blames ANT to be a Saffron Terrorist. Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.

Amnesty International and Ban Ki‐Moon criticize the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper. The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the Grasshopper (many promising Heaven & Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non‐compliance).

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the 'Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act'[POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter. Congress makes 'Special Reservation' for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions in Government Services. The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes; its home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV, BBC, and CNN. Arundhati Roy calls it 'A Triumph of Justice'. Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice'. CPM calls it the 'Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden'. Ban Ki‐Moon invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later... The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi‐billion dollar company in Silicon Valley. 100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India. As a result lots of hard working Ants are still feeding the Grasshopper.

AC 25.981-1C Flammability Requirement

AC 25-981-1C  Requirements:

Under Normal condition                     20 or max 50µJ & 25 mA RMS

Under Failure condition                      200µJ & 50 mA RMS

For lighting induced transient            125 mA Peak

Surface Temperature                          450^oF (max temp) – 50^oF (margin) = 400^oF

Flammable Fuel Property                   468^oF for JP-4

                                                                435^oF – 450^oF for JP-1

Monte Carlo Analysis                          Flammability   <= 3%  Normal Day

                                                                                          <= 6%  Warm day limit

Fuel Discharge Rate                            1 m/s (uncovered)

                                                         6 to 7 m/s (covered)

Earned Value Management

Earned Value Management Definitions

There are three definitional aspects of Earned Value.  Each definition logically follows from and is dependent on the other.

Earned Value Management.  Earned Value Management is a methodology that allows both Government and Contractor Program Managers to have visibility into cost, schedule, and technical progress on their contracts to measure and manage performance.  ANSI/EIA 748, Earned Value Management System contains the industry guidelines, which establish the framework within which an adequate integrated cost, schedule, and technical performance management system will be effective.

Earned Value Management System is the integrated set of processes, which implements ANSI/EIA 748.  In its simplest form, EVMS can be implemented without any software.  Software simply enhances productivity, allows the implementation of EVM more economically and facilitates managing complex projects.  EVMS is not software.

Earned Value is the budgeted value of the work actually accomplished.  When compared to the planned (scheduled) work and to the actual cost of that work, performance and progress can be determined.

The three terms cannot be used interchangeably.  Each has a different meaning, however, slight.  When discussing Earned Value Management, the guide makes deliberate distinctions and the terms are consistently employed.

Fundamental Principles of Earned Value Management

Earned Value Management originated in industry, was adopted and further developed by the Department of Defense and spread throughout the U.S. Government, industry and other countries because the management concept embodied fundamentally sound principles for managing performance of projects and programs.  These principles are:

• All work is planned to completion
• The work is broken down into finite product-oriented components that can be assigned to a responsible organization
• The scope, schedule and cost objectives are integrated into a plan by which progress can be measured.
• Actual costs are recorded.
• Performance is objectively measured
• Variances and deviations are analyzed, impacts are forecasted and estimates at completion are based on the actual performance to date.
• Changes to the performance measurement baseline are controlled.
• Earned Value information is employed in the organization’s management processes.