Don't really have one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Don't really have one - Essay Example All of this also happened to a man who is known to history as Frederick Douglass, the first black man to appear on a presidential ticket. In his early narrative Frederick Douglass: Life of an American Slave, the author details his early life and education in such a way that he illustrates both the dehumanizing effects of slavery as well as those factors that operated to inspire him to ‘become a man’ rather than remaining in the role of a slave. Douglass’s narrative begins with his earliest knowledge about himself, which is far less than most people’s knowledge and highlights the degree to which black people were considered beasts of the field. Douglass sadly informs the reader that he is uncertain of his age or the day he was born and, although his mother died when he was seven years old, he was relatively unaffected by the news as he had been separated from her since infancy. â€Å"Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of [my mother’s] death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger† (Ch. 1). In highlighting this unnatural separation of mother and child, Douglass also points out that he never knew who his father was although there had been some rumors that he was a white man. However, the important element of these early chapters is the way in which the slave is creat ed from birth, separated from his family to destroy any natural human feelings of attachment and support and cruelly treated to keep him always in fear. By the time he was seven, he had learned of the death of his mother, watched his aunt brutally whipped and had taken his own place at work in the fields. He describes the life of the slave, illustrating its bestial level of survival existence and the types of behaviors they were expected to exhibit when they were in the presence of their masters. A turning point in the book

Market Intervention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Market Intervention - Essay Example The prime argument for the initiation of minimum wages has been the removal of economic disparity. As it has been observed time and again that the poor workers have been deprived of the minimum facilities and benefits by the employers all over the globe, the concept of minimum wages aimed to end the economic oppression. United Kingdom has not been an exception either. It was in the year of 1999 that the government of United Kingdom (led by the Labour Party) introduced the minimum wage. The initiation of the ‘National Minimum Wage’ is considered as one of the most significant interventions by the government in the labour market. The other major party of the United Kingdom, the Conservative Party which opposed the minimum wage previously in 1991, also vouched for the cause since 2005. The major objective of the minimum wages has been the rise of standard of living of the working class of the society (Center for Economic Performance, â€Å"Policy Analysis†). Prior to the implementation of minimum wages, the concerned quarters of the industry speculated that the installation of minimum wages might reduce up to two million of jobs alone in the market of United Kingdom. It was so predicted because it was estimated that the employers will reduce the number of posts as they would have to pay minimum wages for any new employment and therefore, they would rather try to extract more work from those who already have higher wage. But the various research reports prepared in the subsequent years proved such speculation to be impractical as there was no reported news of spillover. The implementation of minimum wage proved to be extremely beneficial to the female workforce of the United Kingdom. Also, it was observed that the implementation of such wage structure contributed to increase of wage for about 5% to 6% of the workforce of the United Kingdom during the initial years.

Human Trafficking and Sex Tourism in Latin America Essay

Human Trafficking and Sex Tourism in Latin America - Essay Example Brazil is one of the countries in the Latin America mentioned in many international reports to have experienced blossoming sex tourism and human trafficking. The tremendous development of sex tourism and human trafficking in Brazil attributes to various historical, political, economic and social factors. Currently, serious cases of children involvement in commercial sex have gained an upward gradient as many of the participants are under-educated or totally illiterate. Evolution of the Menace According to Hannum, sex tourism in Latin America evolved as a result of increased demand for sex among the wealthy Europeans who travelled to Latin America to obtain cheap sex from the regional women. The evolution of sex tourism in the Latin American countries also relates to the establishment of military bases of foreign armies in those regions. The British armies are held as major participants in the evolution sex tourism in the Latin America. In the views of Hannum, governments of the Latin American countries like Brazil resolved to support tourism in their specific countries as this was one of the ways to generate massive revenues. Promotion of tourism in these areas coupled with the increase in number of commercial sex workers desperate for the foreign European currencies. Sex tourism as per the current statistics has grown to a multibillion dollar industry in Brazil. However, most of the revenues gathered from the sector do reach the government in either ways (Hannum). The industry encompasses women, males and international clients who either come to obtain sex or to sell their sex to respective consumers. Current Status, Trends and Predisposing Factors Hannun in reference to the reports of End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Child Trafficking (ECPAT), estimates that child sex tourism in Brazil rose to 500,000 in the year 1994. This is number is exceptional to Brazil alone without putting into count similar cases in other Latin American countries. Hannun reports that research conducted by the Predo Foundation averred that most incidents of prostitution among children in the larger Latin America correlate to regional incapability to care for its population. Reports indicate that most children resort to prostitution as an alternative way to earning a living. In addition, most of the children engaged in prostitution in the Latin American countries, specifically Brazil are victims of civil conflicts who faced abusive families. Hannum further demonstrates that increase in child sex tourism in Brazil links to the growing dislike of the old sex workers feared to have infections of sexually transmitted disease. Moreover, Hannun confirms that child sex tourism in Brazil and entire Latin America is factored by sex clients’ feeling of freedom from their social cultural rules that restrict the practice. The rigorous growth of child sex tourism in Brazil also relates to the increased media advertisements of jobs that lure desperate childr en to apply for such rare vacancies in their respective countries (Hannum). Advertisements of luxurious free travel have also been one of the ways used by dealers in the sex tourism industry to hunt for children and other sex tourism practitioners. Increase in sex tourism in Brazil also links to the wide internet advertisement of sexual pictures that trigger the urge for sex among the

Market Intervention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Market Intervention - Essay Example The prime argument for the initiation of minimum wages has been the removal of economic disparity. As it has been observed time and again that the poor workers have been deprived of the minimum facilities and benefits by the employers all over the globe, the concept of minimum wages aimed to end the economic oppression. United Kingdom has not been an exception either. It was in the year of 1999 that the government of United Kingdom (led by the Labour Party) introduced the minimum wage. The initiation of the ‘National Minimum Wage’ is considered as one of the most significant interventions by the government in the labour market. The other major party of the United Kingdom, the Conservative Party which opposed the minimum wage previously in 1991, also vouched for the cause since 2005. The major objective of the minimum wages has been the rise of standard of living of the working class of the society (Center for Economic Performance, â€Å"Policy Analysis†). Prior to the implementation of minimum wages, the concerned quarters of the industry speculated that the installation of minimum wages might reduce up to two million of jobs alone in the market of United Kingdom. It was so predicted because it was estimated that the employers will reduce the number of posts as they would have to pay minimum wages for any new employment and therefore, they would rather try to extract more work from those who already have higher wage. But the various research reports prepared in the subsequent years proved such speculation to be impractical as there was no reported news of spillover. The implementation of minimum wage proved to be extremely beneficial to the female workforce of the United Kingdom. Also, it was observed that the implementation of such wage structure contributed to increase of wage for about 5% to 6% of the workforce of the United Kingdom during the initial years.

Three important lessons (PLato's Apology) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Three important lessons (PLato's Apology) - Essay Example In truth, Socrates was imparting a lesson that was central to his work and to his beliefs. His apology was a lecture on the triumph of knowledge over ignorance and he was beseeching his listeners to discard old and traditional beliefs and embrace modern intellectual development. The background of the Apology is that Socrates is being charged with the corruption of the youth and disrespect towards the Gods. He begins by saying that â€Å"The task is not an easy one; I quite understand the nature of it. And so leaving the event with God, in obedience to the law I will now make my defence.† (Plato, quoted in Biffle, 34) He confronts his accuser Meletus and demonstrates exactly why and how the charges against him are false. However, despite his use of logic to defend himself, he is still found guilty and sentenced to die. It is clear throughout the text that Socrates wants to emphasize that he will counter his accuser’s lies and accusations with wisdom. This is the first lesson: the importance of wisdom. He also wishes to emphasize that it is his wisdom and knowledge that make him persecuted, but this wisdom and knowledge will be of much use to the city of Athens. Therefore, instead of using pathos, or arousing pity, he was appealing to the logic of the crowd. Instead of beseeching the people to spare his life, he reasoned with them – making logical and coherent arguments with the end in view of convincing them that they would be better off with him alive than with him dead. To quote: For if you kill me you will not easily find a successor to me, who, if I may use such a ludicrous figure of speech, am a sort of gadfly, given to the state by God; and the state is a great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life. I am that gadfly which God has attached to the state, and all day long and in all places am always fastening upon you, arousing and persuading

Security policies and alternatives Essay Example for Free

Security policies and alternatives Essay In light of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the United States has made several efforts to increase the country’s security. Within the last year, one of the largest debates has been with regard to border security. While the terrorist attacks are some of the fuel behind the debate, other issues include providing for the needs of illegal immigrants and their families and the economic impact of illegal immigration. Though in theory the debate centers on all American borders, the focus has been primarily on the southern border with Mexico and little discussion has been had about improving the security along the Canadian border. New border legislation enacted in 2006 provided for the building of a wall measuring several hundred feet long on the United States/ Mexico border in Texas, longer jail sentences for those convicted of smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States, and the posting of National Guard troops along the United States/Mexico border. A report in the September 21, 2006, edition of the Washington Post states that recent bills passed by the United States Congress regarding border security have all been somewhat weak, and have covered disparate aspects of border security that have little to do with each other. Little has been done to create laws that are both tactically strong in preventing illegal immigrants and terrorists from crossing the borders of the United States as well as providing laws that are fair and equal to those wishing to emigrate by legal means. Heightened interest in illegal immigration has led to more reporting of conflicts between Mexican Nationals and those charged with patrolling the border. These conflicts have simply added fuel to the cry for improved border security. Recent advances in technology have made it so that the United States can employ newer technology, ranging from facial recognition software to fingerprint readers in their effort to have more control over who enters the country via the southern border. Because the technology is complicated and new, many lawmakers are concerned about the potential invasion of privacy that it might cause, as well as the expense that it will entail. In addition, many who do not live in the Border States or are unfamiliar with American geography may have trouble envisioning both the length and scope of the American-Mexican border. Many policy makers have difficulties understanding the specific nature of the problems and therefore end up developing inadequate or poorly functioning solutions that don’t do anywhere near enough to resolve the problems created by these inadequate solutions. According to Ackleson (2005) one of the main issues in helping policy makers develop functional, efficient policies is the fact that very few people in power understand exactly what creates a situation where border security is both efficient and fair. One of the major complaints that have been made about current border security and immigration policy is that it does little to stop illegal immigrants, or potential terrorists from entering the country. Little has been done by the Federal Government to expand the rights of INS Border Patrol Agents to act in order to prevent illegals from entering the country. The National Guard presence on the border is minimal and nowhere near enough to patrol the thousands of miles of unprotected border. Another issue is that of the Untied States border with Canada. Several thousand miles of this border are completely unguarded, and in many places, people can simply walk into the United States from Canada. According to Mass (2007) one of the major issues is the influence of major corporations on the political agenda in the United States. This is most true regarding industries that rely almost completely on the flow of illegal immigrants. Fields such as agribusiness, and the service industry that includes multi-national corporations such as Con-Agra and McDonalds have all had issues in the past with the hiring of illegal immigrants, and many of these businesses have a powerful lobby in the U. S Congress. This lobby affects the ability of lawmakers to put more effective border security policies in place on the United States Mexico border. Mass (2007) also characterizes the current lack of border security as an effort by the government and the lobbies of major corporations that influence political policies to create a North American Union similar to the European Union. This may, or may not be true however, it is a strong possibility that this could happen since countries in Asia, the Middle East, and South and Central America are moving towards similar alliances. Many have proposed the idea that the border begins not just at the physical entry points to the United States but in places where people and cargo embark upon the journey to the United States. Problems with border security are not just related to Mexican and Canadian borders but with the entry of people and goods from Europe, Asia and the Middle East as well. The numbers are rather overwhelming given the fact that land based borders between the U. S and other nations are around 7,500 miles long, 95,000 miles of coastline, and over 500 million people to contend with. This means that we need to be doing much more than we are currently doing in order to protect our borders. Jennifer Lake (2007) of the Congressional Research Service states that we must focus on border security for two primary reasons. First, alternative solutions to border security must be addressed in order to protect the United States from terrorism. Second, something must be done in order to stem the flow of illegal immigration from Mexico, and Central and South America. We also do very little to limit or stop immigration from countries with large numbers of suspected terrorists, or to limit student and temporary work visas even further. Although President Bush proposes increasing the number of available temporary worker visas, some people argue that this is not a feasible solution since it could allow for the entrance of terrorists into the country. The potential problem is similar to an existing one: there is no enforcement to assure that people with temporary visas leave when their visas expire. Many proponents of increased border security argue that the United States must first enforce the current immigration laws on the books, including taking action against the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country. Many argue that until the current laws are enforced, adding more laws will simply be additional laws that illegal immigrants ignore. Desired Situation The key issues in border security are preventing terrorists from entering the country via weak borders and stemming the flow of illegal immigration from Mexico and South and Central America. Ideally, the objective would be for national security interests to be able to identify anyone who chooses to set foot on American soil. The overall goal would be to know who is entering the United States and for what purpose. Preventing Terrorism Preventing terrorism is one of the major issues that must be addressed when looking at border security. Since September 11, 2001 much has been done to ensure border security in this direction. However, there is still a great deal of work to be done. A. Airport Security: Enforcing federal guidelines regarding airport security is vital. Critics of the Transportation Safety administration say that the regulations are enforced differently at various airports across the country and that many airport security personnel are poorly trained and ineffective. In reality, this may currently be one of the most secure entry points into the United States and efforts need to be made to make the physical borders of the country as safe as the airports and harbors. B. Terrorist Acts. Regardless of public outcry over profiling, the U. S. Immigration and Naturalization Service needs to have more stringent control on the immigration of people from countries with high numbers of known or suspected terrorists. This could include more stringent background checks before visas are issued and a mechanism by which INS is alerted if a person with a temporary visa fails to leave the country on time. It might also be worth considering some sort of monitoring system so that persons of suspect origin can be monitored while in the United States on a temporary visa. Other things to consider are: 1. Limiting the number of available student, or temporary worker visas. Many of the 9-11 terrorists entered on these types of visas. Many of their visas were also expired. INS need to be authorized to do extensive pre-entry background checks on those requesting visas and needs to have an effective enforcement arm for deporting those who stay beyond the length of their visas. 2. Adequate supervision of immigrants coming in from the Canadian border; instead, we focus on the mass numbers coming in from Mexico. Both borders must be equally secure so that terrorists do not simply adapt to changing security issues. 3. Utilizing more of the advanced technology that has been developed in the wake of 9-11. Fingerprint readers and facial recognition software should be available at every legal port of entry into the United States. Stemming the Flow of Illegal Immigration An equally hot topic in the border security debate has been the issue of stemming the flow of illegal immigrants that cross the border from Mexico. Many of these immigrants cross the border where there are no security checkpoints and therefore federal security agencies have no way to monitor who might be entering the country. Opponents to the prospect of tightening border security have claimed that we need the illegal immigrants to take service sector and farming jobs American-born workers refuse to do. While this type of culturally-biased and bigoted rhetoric has no place in the immigration debate, the country does need to address employment needs as part of an overall immigration reform package. Additional proposals for increasing security on the southern border include: 1. Using a mix of enforcement officers to patrol the border, including INS, National Guard and U. S. Border patrol. 2. Empowering border patrol agents to act with impunity in protecting the borer. When a border patrol officer is convicted of attempted murder for firing at someone illegal crossing the border, there is a problem. 3. Border crossing stations on all roads, not just major highways. 4. Using biometric, and computerized border control methods 5. Extending walls between United States and Mexican borders, and making them much higher than they currently are. 6. Longer jail sentences for illegal immigrants and those who smuggle them into the country. 7. Encouraging economic growth and development in Mexico and South and Central America Evaluative Criteria In creating the desired solution, the United States has many issues to consider. These are very long borders and therefore will require a mixture of approaches and means of enforcement. Furthermore, to effectively reach the desired solution, the entirety of the political structure has to reach a consensus regarding the goals and outcomes desired. Currently, the two sides of the immigration debate cannot even agree on the desired outcome. Issues that will have to be considered are: 1. Can this solution be reached through political consensus? Because the political parties in the United States have been so diametrically opposed of late, there seems to be little chance that the parties will agree on a solution that is both politically expedient and effective in any manner. The one thing that might alter this is the public outcry last spring over the legislation that congressional leaders put forth. 2. Can this project be done in a cost-effective manner? With more than 7500 miles of borders to the north and the couth, the United States needs to make a major investment in border security and doing so requires selling the majority of the populace on the need for that security. 3. Do we have the technological capabilities for this solution? One proposal before Congress gave the INS one 24-hour period to determine if someone was eligible for a temporary visa into the United States. This restriction is ludicrous. Other countries often take months to determine if a person is eligible for a short term visa. 4. Can we justify this solution to ourselves and the world? America has long been considered the land of opportunity. If we take significant steps which effectively reduce the number of immigrants allowed into the country, are we betraying our past? 5. Does this solution address the need to grant political and religious asylum to persecuted peoples around the world and is it so cumbersome as to make legal immigration even more difficult? 6. Does this solution adequately address matters of national security such as knowing who is within our borders and when they leave? Current Situation Currently the United States is not going as far as it should in protecting our borders. We are still stuck in the frame of mind that assumes that border security involves merely the increase of manpower. This is not necessarily true. We have tools that can be utilized to both protect our borders, and to ensure that the system operates in an efficient and an effective manner. As of right now the United States has increased the Border Patrol run by the Immigration and Naturalization Service by several thousand employees. The Federal Government has also stationed several National Guard units along the U. S, Mexico border. They are doing little or nothing to protect the Canadian border. Through the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration, some entry into the united States has become more monitored and more difficult, but the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already within our borders proves that country is not doing enough to protect itself from outside treats. Scenario One Jose and Rita live in Mexico near the border with El Paso. Rita is pregnant and Jose believes that he can find better employment in the United States. He applies legally for a temporary work permit, crosses the border daily for work and then applies as a legal immigrant. This is, of course, the best case scenario and the way it should work. If Jose attempts to get a temporary visa, the government should conduct an appropriate background check and issue the visa. He should be allowed to work in the United States and return to his native country to live. These day passes are a normal thing in border towns. The key issue here is that we must monitor to make sure they are leaving when the temporary pass expires. Scenario Two Juan and Carmelita want their unborn child to be born in America so that it will be an American citizen. After several days of observation, they find a spot in central Arizona along the fence where they can sneak into the United States. Carmelita’s child is automatically an American citizen because it was born in the United States. The problem here is that there are miles of unsecured border where illegals can sneak through and that we reward them for the effort by providing them with free medical care and free citizenship for their children. We need to develop a way to prevent illegal border crossing and to discourage its use. Scenario Three Terrorists observe the American border with Canada is largely unprotected and find ways to enter Canada. Then, they purchase hiking gear and backpacks and simply hike across the border into northern Minnesota. Homeland Security has no way of knowing they have entered the country and no way to protect the populace. The Canadian border is very rugged in some places and difficult to monitor. However, the border must be monitored to prevent terrorists from simply walking across it. ALTERNATIVES: Solution One Provide more border security by utilizing computer, and biometric technology as well as infrared cameras etc to monitor the flow of people in and out of the U. S/ Mexico and the U. S /Canada borders. Utilize these technologies to inspect cargo as well as people. A technological approach will be costly given the length of the borders and the terrain in some regions. In addition, there will need to be additional manpower to respond to threats detected by the technology and to monitor the machines reporting. Solution Two Decrease the number of work visas available for high tech, or medical fields (there are jobs in these fields but this is not where the majority of illegals work) and increase work visas for the service sector (this is where the majority of illegal immigrants work). In addition, the screening process before these visas are issued should be more extensive and the reporting requirements for employers should be more extensive as well. For example, if an employer hires a person with temporary work visa and that person suddenly stops coming to work, there should be a reporting mechanism within the INS so that his location and intentions within the country can be determined. Solution Three Increase the number of United States Customs Agents in airports, train stations at international borders, highways, and sea and river ports. Solution Four Reduce the number of services available to illegal immigrants even further than they are now. Currently they receive services for children born in the United States by making these unavailable there would be little motivation to sneak across the U. S border in order to receive them. Solution Five Offer aid to Mexico and Central and South American nations to help them raise the minimum wage rate, and attract new industries to Mexico. By improving the employment conditions in these countries we reduce the number of illegal immigrants crossing the borders. Make it conditional on governmental responsibility and fair distribution of funds. Stakeholders Defining who has a stake in the immigration debate is difficult as it includes all American citizens, Canadian and Mexican citizens and those wanting to immigrate to the United states from anywhere in the world. Among the largest stakeholders though are American politicians. Politicians are faced with an on-going crisis of national security unlike any they have ever faced before. Despite their best efforts, there is not simply a place or a person that the country can use as a military target and end the threat to national security. Instead, politicians are left with the requirement that they make the country feel safer and, if possible, be safer from external attacks. Politician’s further interest in the subject comes in the form of campaign donations and voting blocks. Many fear that if they are viewed as strong on immigration policy, they may lose voters among the Hispanic community and in other groups which believe that American opportunity should be available for everyone. On the other side of the coin, mostly Republican lawmakers are concerned about the big business interest in illegal immigration and do not want to offend the donors with big wallets. Caught in-between is the average American, Canadian or Mexican citizen. Many in border states grew up in a time when crossing the border was as easy as going into the next state. Many are mentally unprepared for the idea that Mexico and Canada really are sovereign countries and that a passport is required to visit them. Furthermore, people living in Border States have no desire to lose additional civil liberties in the name of security. Recommendations/Rationales American border security options have been criticized worldwide from countries which do far more to police their borders and regulate immigration than we ever have. Even Mexico, which has fence with concertina wire on its southern border, has argued that the United States should not protect itself from illegal border crossings. The people of America disagree. Middle America wants to feel safe from terrorist attacks and citizens in the Border States would like to feel that their jobs are secure from replacement with illegal immigrants. Unfortunately, with world criticism and a self-image based on the Statue of Liberty’s invitation to the â€Å"poor huddled masses yearning to be free†, it is difficult to find a solution that is both economically feasible and politically feasible. The best option is to increase physical security on the border including both personnel and technology. Building a wall is a fruitless and ridiculous idea that will waste valuable resource. Instead, we need to encourage the economies of Mexico and Central America while instituting serious enforcement of our border crossing laws. We also need to eliminate social welfare programs for illegal immigrants and restrict or eliminate auto-citizenship for newborns. Or, if we really do want to be the nation of immigrants we once were, we need to establish a new Ellis Island, in Texas or California, where people can line up and wait for their chance to swear allegiance to the United States and become citizens the right way. Success Indicators Perhaps it is the insidious nature of the problem, but measuring success of border security will be difficult. The largest measure of success is freedom from outside attack, but that is only one component of this issue. The further measure of success would be to see a decline in the number of illegal immigrants in the country and an increase in the number that are here legally. References Ackleson, Jason. Border security technologies: local and regional implications. The Review of Policy Research 22. 2 (March 2005): 137(19) Dizard, Wilson P. , III. DHS gets down to details on SBI: new technology plans include budget and staffing blueprints; cost put at nearly $8b. (Department of Homeland Security, Secure Border Initiative). Government Computer News 25. 34 (Dec 11, 2006): 1(2). I â€Å"House Passes Border Security Bill† Washington Post, September 21, 2006: http://www. washingtonpost. com Lake, Jennifer E. Border security: the complexity of the challenge. Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs. Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs, 2007. Mass, Warren. Why cant we secure the border? In truth, we can secure the border. The problem is that the federal government is pursuing an open-borders policy as a steppingstone to North American merger. (SPECIAL REPORT: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION). The New American 23. 8 (April 16, 2007): 25(2). I

Interlaminar Stress Behaviour of the Flywheel Rotor

Interlaminar Stress Behaviour of the Flywheel Rotor 1.1 History of the Flywheel For over thousands of years, flywheels have been used in potter wheels and spindle wheel whorls Gowayed et al., 2002 The concept of storing energy in a rotating disk dates as far back as 2400 BC when rotating wheels were used by Egyptians to handcraft pottery. In fact, flywheel systems were widely used in everyday life (Genta, 1985): in warring chariots, water pumps and even power generations. However, these conventional flywheels are not as efficient as energy storage devices due to the large amount of mass required for the relatively meagre amount of energy stored not to mention the capability of delivering power for only a relatively short period. The advent of the industrial revolution brought about the significant advances of the flywheels. In the 18th century, Man witnessed the widespread use of metal in the construction of machines and soon, flywheel had found its way into steam engines. This development of the flywheel had been attributed to the works of James Watt. With flywheels made of cast iron, a higher mass moment of inertia could be achieve and thus a significant weight saving as well. During the industrial revolution, James Pickard developed a solution for transforming reciprocating to rotary motion with the combination of a crank and flywheel. And it was not till the last thirty years that we witness high performance flywheels being significantly developed with marked improvement and demonstrate the potential as energy storage systems in a wide range of applications. The energy crisis of then 1970s marked the beginning of another significant era for the development of flywheels as the need to search for an alternative energy storage implement. Large amount of money were invested by the governments of many nations into the development of flywheel energy storage technology with subsequent establishment of research programs in the development of flywheel devices as alternative energy storage systems (Genta, 1985). However, development pace since to slow down as fuel prices begin to stabilized in the early 1980s. That particular time period was nevertheless a crucial development era for the flywheel; during which the use of flywheels are explored and developed for electrical vehicles. In addition it was also explored as a device to help utilities manage peak power demand. With the incorporation of high specific strength advanced composite materials into flywheel designs, weight reductions and strength increment can be achieved; and this cannot be achieved with the use of metallic alloy. However, the use of flywheels can yet be commercialized even with the significant improvements in the design concept of flywheel as it remains a challenge still to design flywheel systems that are cost competitive to other energy storage devices. In addition, composites, though stronger than metal, would require the use of advanced bearings due to the inability to withstand certain forces exposed in high performance application (Kim, T.H. 2003). The 1990s witnessed developments in stronger, lightweight composite materials, magnetic bearings and other electronic devices, and all of which contribute to the exciting development of the flywheel. Excessively high rotational speed could now be reached, with a subsequent increment in energy stored, making them a possible candidate again for energy storage system of superior performance. As a summary, the improvement in the flywheel quick energy recovery, high efficiency, low maintenance and long service life, high amount of stored energy per unit volume and mass, high output power levels, as well as lower product and operational cost (Horner, 1996) as well as environmental friendly components are all that have made the flywheel energy storage system a feasible option. 1.1.2 Flywheel as an Energy Storage Device Flywheel energy storage (FES) has, in various past researches, proven its superiority over conventional battery technology based energy storage system in terms of its higher energy density, durability, rapid charge and discharge capability, as well as its tolerance over a wide range of temperature with very minute environmental concerns; and with the progress in power electronics, loss reductions techniques and advanced materials, the then seemingly inconceivable idea of economical flywheel energy storage (FES) devices are no longer chimerical (Hebner et al, 2002). In fact, all of the prepossessing characteristics mentioned briefly above (in comparison with those that of conventional battery system) are what that result in the advanced flywheel systemsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ appeal as one of the fast- gaining attention alternative for energy storage devices. (Arvin Bakis, 2006) A flywheel is an inertial energy storage system where the rotating mass functions as the energy storage retainer. While connected to the motor (possibly electrical motor), a flywheel can be accelerated to a specific angular velocity. In this process, electrical energy was converted into kinetic energy and the rotating inertia of the composite rotor acts to store this form of mechanical energy. When the need arises, the mechanical energy can be transformed back to electrical power by the motor. Thus, the motor in the flywheel system acts not merely as a motor to accelerate the energy storing process but also as a generator in recovering the transformed electrical energy. A typical flywheel energy storage system consists of five primary components (Lazarewicz et al., 2006), namely the rotor, the bearings, the motor/generator unit, the vacuum enclosure and the power electronics. A rotor consists of a hub and rim. As the rim is the main rotating mass of the rotor, it is quite easy to comprehend the fact that the rim acts to store most of the energy whereas the hub functions to connect to the rim to a shaft. The rotating flywheel shaft on the other hand is supported by bearings which could either be of the mechanical or magnetic variety. These bearings allow for low resistance to rotor rotation. However, magnetic bearings are preferred over mechanical ones due to the energy loss associated with energy loss. The motor, as the third major component introduced, acts to accelerate the rotor when electrical energy us supplied to it; whereas the generator acts to extract electrical energy from the rotating rotor by decelerating the rotor. This is in accordance with the principle of conservation of energy. As a result of the rotor deceleration, torque is inevitably produced and is typically transferred between the rotor rim and the motor unit via the hub and the shaft. In addition, as the occurrence of input and output events are not concurrent, the combination of the motor and generator into a single functional unit is typically done to the advantages of weight and cost reduction (Hebner et al. 2002). In addition, a low pressure, vacuum environment is maintained via the use of a pressure vessel enclosure, which serves also to support the structural assemblage of the flywheel and bearing system. This vacuum compartment also serves to house all of the rotating components of the flywheel to reduce aerodynamic drag. Other than that, such a compartment is also crucial in protecting the system from catastrophic failure as a consequence of high energy debris. The power electronics on the other hand act as the interface between the motor/ generator unit and that of the electrical power system by converting the input power into a suitable electrical signal for the operations of the motor/ generator unit. Flywheel energy storage devices have the potential to store a higher amount of energy per unit mass than typical chemical batteries. Where design weight is of major concern, and where maximum energy storage is a fundamental necessity, flywheel energy storage systems seem to offer the most appealing capabilities. This is particularly so in space applications where the crucial design weight necessitates the need for a high energy storage capacity in the smallest available size and mass (and thus weight). Other than its high specific energy density, flywheel also possesses superior specific power and when used with magnetic bearings and advanced motor/ generator system, more than 90% of the storage energy can be retrieved, an efficiency far more superior than that if conventional chemical batteries are used where the reclaimed energy constitutes less than 80% of the energy input. In addition, the increment of the amount of energy stored in flywheels can be achieved via the increase of s peed of the rotating rotor while chemical batteries would possibly need some reassembling of the connections from parallel to serial. Flywheels are very effective devices in avoiding unbalanced or oversized design of power systems due to the way they store energy and this is especially crucial in the deliverance of peak power on demand. For instant access to the desired efficiency of energy storage as well as energy required, flywheels repeat the charging and discharging cycle. This process of charging and discharging occurs at a rapid speed as both processes occur in the very same motor/generator. In addition, the flywheel life will not be affected with the large amount of charging and recharging cycles whereas chemical batteries undergoing a similar process will need a replacement after every few years. In addition, flywheel, as a mechanical type of battery, is also tolerant of the extremity of temperatures and as flywheels do not contain acidic and other hazardous material, flywheels are easily handled during manufacturing process, and disposed of at the end of the flywheelsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ lif e cycles. Flywheel energy storage systems had since found its way into various applications such as transportation and space satellites, to name a few. In transportation, flywheel systemsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ deep recharge and rapid charging capability, the ability to provide high pulses of power as well as the tolerance to a wide operating temperature range as well as the longer operating life on top of weight reduction make flywheel systems an obvious choice in replacing chemical batteries in mobile applications such as electric vehicles. (Hebner et al 2002). A reliable, steady state power quality is of vital importance for critical manufacturing, hospitals, and internet servers. In this context, the flywheel energy storage systems have also found its way into electrical load levelling application such as in ensuring an uninterruptible power supply by providing a smooth and effective transition between a main power source when necessary (Hebner et al 2002) This is one of the current capability of the flywheel and it seems promising that as the technology improves in the near future, flywheel could possibly be applied to peak power managing, where excess energy produced us stored and later released at the peak time in energy consumption. The concept of flywheel is also not novel in the hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) industry, where small combustion engine is operated while the vehicle is moving at a constant speed. The acceleration process is executed with the extra power provided by the additional battery power supplier. This additional power, on the other hand is generated and stored in the battery when the vehicle brakes such that no additional power is wasted in the form of heat dissipation generated by the friction during brakes. At the present moment, flywheel seems promising in being use for hybrid buses as chemical battery is expensive. In space applications, light weight, compact with high energy density storage capability devices are highly sought after. With increase performance demands on space systems, space programs had had to make consistently huge effort in reducing rim mass to increase payload capacity as well as reduce launch/ fabrication costs. Although chemical batteries had long been a trusted source of energy but flywheel offers much better weight and life benefits as well as the potential to store a larger amount of energy at a lower weight, not to mention the capability to be used as attitude control actuators in replacing reaction flywheel assemblies and control moment gyros. In 2000, Truong et al introduced the Flywheel Energy Storage Demonstration Project, initiated at the NASA Glenn Reasearch Center as a possible replacement for the Battery Energy Storage System on the International Space Station; whereas Fausz et al. had, in the very same year reported that the Flywheel Attitude Control, Energy Transmission and Storage (FACETS) system could combine all or parts of the energy storage, attitude control, and power management and distribution (PMAD) subsystems into a single system, this significantly decreasing flywheel mass (and volume). Thus, in space applications, crucial weight reductions for satellites could, and have hitherto, been achieved with the use of the multi-function high speed flywheel system which not only functions as energy storage but also in providing a gyroscopic effect for attitude control. (Bitterly, 1998, Hebner et al., 2002) But even until recently, the historical development of flywheels and their uses has largely been dependent on advances in both materials and machine technology, coupled with opportunity and necessity (Horner, et al,.1996) However with technological advancements in such a rapid pace, it is not hard to envisage the status of flywheels in the near and distant future. 1.1.3 The Use of Composite and Fiber- Reinforced Materials in Flywheel Design The kinetic energy stored in a flywheel rotor increases linearly with mass but quadratically with rotational speed. . With the increasing demand for high energy storage, flywheels in present applications are often designed for high angular velocities; and these correspond to large centrifugal loads and consequently a higher circumferential and radial stresses, i.e. the dominant stress distribution are hoop stresses (concentric). In this context, the use composite materials with fibers of high unidirectional strength would be desirable. (Shah, 2008) For a fixed axis rotation, the energy stored in a thin rotating ring rotor is [1.3.1] Where I = the rotor moment of inertia ÃÆ' °Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ºÃƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡ = is the rotor angular velocity. It seems feasible that to increase the stored energy, the mass of the flywheel must be increased and thus its moment of inertia. However, it must be noted that the energy is only linearly proportional to the mass of the flywheel whereas the energy is proportional to the square of the rotational speed. These relations indicate that the rotational speed for a given radius will have a higher influence to the energy density than that of the mass of the flywheel; and to achieve a high rotation speed, a high strength per weight material must be used. Further derivations of the equations below will explain this condition. Resultant force along the hoop and circumferential directions [1.3.2] [1.3.3] Where = force summations in the radial direction = force summations in the circumferential direction dm = mass of the mass element located at radius r rdÃÆ' °Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Æ’ = arc length of the mass element located at radius r ar = radial acceleration of the mass element located at radius r From equation [1.3.3], [1.3.4] With [1.3.5] Where ÃÆ' Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ = mass element density V=mass element velocity B=mass element width Substitute equation [1.3.5] into [1.3.4] and knowing that V=rÃÆ' °Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ºÃƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡ and for ÃÆ' °Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Æ’ [1.3.6] The tensile stress in the circumferential direction [1.3.7] The stress in a thin- ring rotor is: [1.3.8] It is observed that the maximum speed achievable by a flywheel rotor is limited by the strength of the material from which it is made. The critical speed of the thin ring rotor can be approximated as [1.3.9] Where is the material ultimate strength. From the substitution of equation [1.3.9] into [1.3.1], the specific energy stored in the rim is obtained [1.3.10] K= Flywheel shape factor (Typically 1 for uniform stress disc and 0.5 for thin ring) The dependency of the maximum specific energy stored in the flywheel on the specific strength of the material is thus observed. With the demand for high specific energy in flywheel rotor design, the use of suitable material is thus of paramount importance. Due to their high stiffness to strength, composite materials have successfully been established in flywheel rotor design. Fiber reinforced composites are particularly attractive for use as flywheel materials due to their high strength and low density (Takahashi et al., 2002) The use of composite materials in flywheel designs offer numerous advantages over metallic alloys, including weight and increased strength. This is due to the high tensile strength of the fiber reinforcement phase. In 1986, a composite flywheel rotor was developed by Potter and Medicott for used in vehicle applications. In 1995, the study by Curtiss, et al. shown that the composite Carbon fiber epoxy disc rotor is capable of a 38% higher rim speed or 91% greater rotor energy density than a rotor built of an isotropic high strength to weight ratio Titanium or steel alloys. The carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) flywheel proposed by Kojima, et al. (1997) shown that high-modulus graphite/epoxy filament wound composite flywheel is able to rotate at a higher speed. The polar woven flywheel by Huang (1999) was shown to possess weight savings features as well as the improvement in life and reliability of the total spacecraft system, and in 2002, the Multi-Direction Composite (MDC) flywheel systems was reported by Gowayed and Flowers. The MDC flywheel system studied employed a new approach to strengthen flywheels with additional reinforcement in the radial direction along with the typical hoop direction reinforcement. In fact, analytical and numerical approaches had over the years been presented to determine the stress, and displacement distribution of the rotor. With the increasing demand for high energy storage, flywheels in present applications are often designed for high angular velocities; and these correspond to large centrifugal loads and consequently a higher circumferential and radial stresses. And the determination of these stresses as well as the ply orientation became especially crucial. As early as 1977, Danfelt et al. published an analytical method for a hybrid multi-rim flywheel with ply-by-ply variation of material properties and based on the assumption of axisymmetry. The method by Danfelt was later extended by Tzeng (1997,2003) which accounts for viscoelasticity effects. In addition, the original method by Danfelt had also been supplemented by a series of researches by Ha with additional consideration of the interference between adjacent rims and varying fiber angles (Ha et al., 1998), the rim radii of numerous material lay- ups for a constant angular velocity (Ha et al. 1999b), residual stresses due to the curing process (Ha et al., 2001) and the subsequent research on a split- type hub (Ha et al., 2006). The effect of rim thicknesses and angular velocity was studied by Arvin and Bakis (2006) while Fabien (2007) studied the optimal continuous variation of fiber angle in a single-material rotor. Other than that, finite element approaches have also been used for stresses and displacement computations which, though computationally more demanding, have gained importance for the analysis and design optimization of flywheel rotors because of the greater modeling depth offer by such methods. It is also possible to assemble the flywheels as a hybrid with rims of different materials in a sequence of increasing ratio of stiffness per density value E/ÃÆ' Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  for increasing radius, r (Arvin Bakis, 2006) using a method called ballasting. From their studies, with circumferential fiber reinforcement, the radial stress distribution is purely tensile with a maximum located approximately in the midplane between the inner and outer radii. But with two-material rotor, the radial stresses turn compressive in the region near the material interface due to the lower stiffness of the inner material which would result in greater expansion. A compressive stress minimum thus exists at the material interface, with two tensile stress maxima found close to the innermost and outermost radius. Despite the increase in circumferential stress level for the outer composite carbon/epoxy rim, such a condition still arises due to the lower radial stresses as a consequent of rotor strength inc rement. After all, composite materials are generally weaker in the transverse direction than in the longitudinal direction. As fiber reinforcement is typically aligned in the circumferential direction, radial tensile stress is often more crucial in comparison with the other mode of stresses due to the weaker strength in this direction. Thus, the dominating stresses are typically those of the circumferential and radial stresses. In this context, much effort had been invested to enhance the efficiency of the composite flywheel rotors by applying stress reduction methods. In view of this method, Danfelt et al. (1997) suggested a sandwich-like rim lay-up with a compliant material between the composite rims of one material to decrease interlaminar stress transmission. 1.2 Literature Review 1.2.1 Interlaminar stresses of Composite Laminates Interlaminar stresses arise when there are discontinuities in the load path, such as free edges and notches. (Wilkins, 1983). In particular, models with a significant amount of curvature. This is because the presence of high interlaminar stresses due to the effect of shell curvature could result in delamination and possibly failure of the laminate at a lower load than that predicted by in-plane failure criteria had they not been properly accounted for. (Edward, K.T., Wilson, R.S. and McLean, S.K. ,1989; Lagace, P.A., 1983) The accurate determination of interlaminar stresses are thus crucial in the design of laminated composite models as the interfacial surfaces of a laminate represent planes of minimum strength (Pagano, N.J. Pipes, R. B., 1973). Classical laminated plate theory (CLPT) was formed in conjunction with the kinetical assumptions of Kirchhoff classical plate theory by assuming a layerwise plane state of stress. However, 2-D CLPT theory alone is not sufficient to explain stress concentration phenomena in various lightweight constructions in aviation vehicle, such as the free-edge effect where full-scale 3-D and singular stress fields occur in the interfaces between two dissimilar layers along the free edges of thermally and/ or mechanically loaded laminates (Mittelstedt Becker, 2003) which decay rapidly with increasing distance from the laminate edge. Such stress localization problems is caused by the discontinuous change of the elastic material properties of the laminate plies at the interfaces and might result in premature failure of the laminate. This is thus an area of concern by designers and much researched has been done since the early 1970s, with the studies initiated by of Pipes and Pagano on the free edg e effects in laminated structures. Early analytic studies were conducted by Hayashi (1967) on edge stress effects consisting of anisotropic plies and adhesive layers transferring interlaminar shear stresses. In early 1970s, Pagano and Pipes also introduced approximation equations for interlaminar normal stresses in the interfaces and was expanded by Conti/ De Paulis in 1985 for the stress- approximation in angle-ply laminates and the calculation of interlaminar stress distribution through the laminate thickness. Whitney simple stress approximations in 1973 did not fulfill the continuity conditions in the interfaces, although Whitney assumption of products of exponential and trigonometric functions did fulfilled the equilibrium conditions and the given traction-free boundary conditions. Researches in the area of free edge effects were also done using various approaches by Tang and Levy (1975) with layerwise series expansion, Hsu and Herakovich (1977) with edge displacement fields in the form of trigonometric and exponential terms, Wang Dickson (1978) with the expansion of the displacement fields into series of Legendre polynomials. However, much discrepancy has been reported. In 1981, series expansions for the stresses in the inner laminate regions and in the vicinity of the free laminate edges by Bar-Yoseph/Pian.CLPT was recovered in the inner laminates with this zero-order approach and unknown parameters obtained by minimizing the laminate complementary potential. The subsequent work by Bar-Joseph used the principle of minimum complementary potential, leading to an eigenvalue problem. The approach used by Bar-Yoseph allowed the continuity of interlaminar stresses in the interfaces as well as the fulfilment of the conditions of traction free surfaces of the laminate. The force balance method by Kassapoglou/Lagace in 1986 and 1987 was developed. Stresses were assumed to consist of layerwise products of in-plane exponential terms and polynomials through the thickness with adjustments done on the thickness terms to satisfy the continuity of all interlaminar stresses in the laminate interfaces and such that they blend into CLPT in the inner laminate regions. Despite its simplicity, the force balance method exhibited good performance even for thick laminates and was thus further explored and refined by other authors. The effects of transverse shear and continuity requirements for both displacements and interlaminar stresses on the composite interface was accounted for by Lu and Liu in developing an Interlaminar Shear Stress Continuity Theory (ISSCT) capable of being used for finite element formulation (Lu, X., Liu, D., 1990). Through that particular theory, interlaminar shear stress could be obtained directly from the constitutive equations. But as the deformation in the thickness direction was neglected during the formulation of the theory, the interlaminar normal stress could not be calculated directly from the constitutive equations. Other than that, a small discrepancy between the results of theirs and that of Pagano elasticity solution in the interlaminar shear stresses small aspect ratios composite laminates was observed (Pagano, N.J. 1969). Although, rigidly bonded laminated composite materials models are always assumed in conventional analysis; but it must be noted that poor bonding and low shear modulus could result in a non-rigid composite interface. As a continuation of the ISSCT, Lu and Liu (1992) later developed the Interlayer Shear Slip Theory (ISST) based on a multilayer approach in investigating the effect of interfacial bonding on the behavior of composite laminates. The Hermite cubic shape functions was used as the interpolation function for composite layer assembly in the thickness direction, and the closed-form solution is obtained for the cases of cylindrical bending of cross-ply laminates with non-rigid interfaces. However, results shown that at some special locations, namely singular points, the transverse shear stress or in-plane normal stress remains insensitive to the condition of interfacial bonding. A closed- form solution was later derived by Lee and Liu (1992) for the complete analysis of interlaminar stresses for both thin and thick composite laminates subjected to sinusoidal distributed loading. The theory was proven to satisfy the continuity of both interlaminar shear stress and interlaminar normal stress at the composite interface and also the interlaminar stresses could be determined directly from the constitutive equations An accurate theory for interlaminar stress analysis should consider the transverse shear effect and continuity requirements for both displacements and interlaminar stresses on the composite interface. It is also advantageous if the formulation is variationally consistent so that it can also be used for finite element formulation. (Kant, T., Swaminathan, 2000) Using the first order shear deformation theory, the interlaminar stresses in laminated composite cylindrical stripes under dynamic loading are studied. Dynamic equations of equilibrium are solved by a combination of Navier approach and a Laplace transform technique. Dynamic magnification factor is calculated for the stresses and deflections for various types of loading and for different values of the geometric parameters. (Bhaskar, K. Varadan, T.K., 1993). Higher order layerwise theorectical framework has been used by Plagianakos and Saravanos (2008) in predicting the static response of thick composite and sandwich composite plates. The displacement field in each discrete layer through the thickness of the laminate include quadratic and cubic polynomial distributions of the in- plane displacements, as well as the linear approximations assumed by linear layerwise theories in addition to the Ritz- type exact solution used to yield the structural response of the thick structure. The formulation has been found to be especially robust in comparison to linear layerwise theory due to the number of discrete layers used to model the thick laminate through thickness and in the prediction of interlmainar shear stresses at the interface. In addition, the theory used also offers a better range of applicability due to the better accuracy offered. Over the years, many papers investigating the effects of interlaminar stresses had been published. The finite difference method with classical elasticity theory was used by Pipes and Pagani for determining the behaviour of finite width laminate in uniform axial strain and where interlaminar stress at the free edge is found to be of a significantly huge amount. Other studies soon ensued such as the perturbation solution techniques by Hsu and Herakovich, the finite difference method using large elements with complex stress field by Rybicki; and Wang and Crossman finite difference method, as well as the approximate analytical solution by Pagano and Wang and Choi. However, all of these studies involve the interlaminar stresses at the free edges of finite composite laminates. It is however, well acknowledged that interlaminar stresses arise such as to satisfy equilibrium at locations with in-plane stress gradients (Saeger, Lagace Dong ,2002), and material discontinuity within a structure is another source of arising in plane stress gradients, and therefore, interlaminar stress appear near the material discontinuities. (Tahani, 2005) Rose/ Herakovich, in 1993, further explore the force balance method of Kassapoglou/Lagace with the introduction of additional terms for the consideration of the discontinuous change of the elastic material properties in the interfaces and which accounted for the local mismatches in Poisson ratio and coefficient of mutual influence between adjacent layers. There are reported improvements in the resultant stress field. However, such improvements are also accompanied with a more demanding computational effort for the minimization of the complementary potential. In a similar study done by Kim/Atluri in 1995, thermal and mechanical loads were analyzed by assumed stress shapes which also accounted for both the local mismatches in Poisson ratio (similar to that of Rose/ Herakvich) and coefficient of mutual influence by applying respective mismatch terms in the stress representations. An approach that agreed to equilibrium demands and the given boundary conditions, the unknown stress functio ns were determined by application of the principle of minimum complementary energy of the laminate. The principle of minimum complementary theory was used by Bhat and Lagace (1994) to evaluate the interlaminar stresses at material discontinuities. In their analytical model, the laminate is formed by the merging of two area