Silent Generator

Posts Tagged ‘Generation’

The baby boomer generation was born after 1945 when their parents (the silent generation), started to establish families and communities after the hardship of the second world war.

Many baby boomers are now finding themselves with elderly parents to care for. Decisions regarding caregiving and life transitions to nursing homes or assisted living centers are difficult. Caring for the silent generation parents in their own home or even moving them out of their home presents many challenges for downsizing and getting rid of belongings and family ephemera that has long been treasured by its owners.

There are many reasons why the elderly parents of the baby boomer generation may have been reluctant to purge or get rid of stuff over the years. Understanding the emotional and social influences on that generation of people might help you to understand why all that stuff is still hanging around.

You should understand that the major influences on your parents generation were:

the great depression second world war the post war boom

The Great Depression

Many silent generation parents will remember living through the great depression when they had nothing and had to make do on their own. Resources were scarce and everything was recycled and re-purposed. Throwing something away was considered to be wasteful and people were convinced that saving and reusing things was a measure of good character. Your parents may not be able to get rid of things because it makes them feel like they are a bad person. They want to believe they are a person of good character and they would like others to think that too so they hang onto things to prove it.

The Second World War

Experiencing life through the second world war created the value of duty before self. It would have been impossible for soldiers to go off to war and for their families to be proud of them if this value was not embraced by the society in general.

Your elderly parents may not think of an item and its usefulness in terms of their own needs but in terms of whether or not that item may have usefulness for someone else – especially family members. They will not be able to bring themselves to part with items that may be useful to someone else since they consider it their duty to preserve items for future use.

Sometimes the silent generation is referred to as the veteran’s demographic because of the great influence the second world war had on their way of thinking. There can be little doubt that this particular way of thinking can lead to accumulation of goods that have long since outlived their usefulness.

The Post War Boom

Once the war was over the veterans generation tried to settle into some sort of normal life and what could be more normal than marrying and raising children so that’s what they did!

Economic prosperity became the norm and the silent generation began to expect that their personal worth and assets would continue to increase. They had done their duty and were promised prosperity as a reward for living through and participating the war efforts both abroad and at home.

Wages continued to go up and real estate values rose so that the silent generation became used to being prosperous. Bear in mind that this was all happening on one household income as women were still not a normal or expected part of the workforce.

Being able to enjoy prosperity through attention to money management and land ownership created an expectation that the accumulation of material goods would make life better and more enjoyable and so those material goods began to pile up.

Over a life time quite a bit of stuff can be accumulated if you never learn how to balance what comes into your home with what goes out.

If you are a member of the baby boomer generation these influences may have also had a great effect on you and it may be necessary to examine your own ideas about clutter before you can help your silent generation parent with the difficult task of downsizing for the transitions ahead.

Thermoelectric power generation using a Tellurex Z-max thermoelectric module. By applying heat, we create a temperature difference across the two services of the thermoelectric module, resulting in enough power to energize the light connected to the thermoelectric module.

A home solar dish that activates a Stirling engine and moves a 3 kilowatt/hour power generator would make most electrical power generation and distribution grids, obsolete. This small, apparently insignificant Solar Generator installed at each of the 124 million households in America would deliver the energy that is needed to power up homes for heating, lights, cooking, water heater, TV sets and all the electrical amenities required to provide modern human comfort, now and years to come. A small equipment or appliance could solve a problem of gigantic proportions and would surely provide a more sustainable and new world order.

A series of articles along these topics will explore the solar power generation equipment, the centralized power generation and distribution system, demand for electricity and world growth, international energy agency position, sustainability of the electric industry and more related issues. These articles wish to make a modest contribution toward world sustainability and fairness in energy distribution. Finding investors that can contribute in developing the home solar power generator would be the largest plus for these articles.

Solar Equipment.- The Appliance

Homes in the US require an average of 25 to 35 kilowatts per day, or about one megawatt per month. Average homes need about 12 megawatts per year which may cost about 1,800 USD, every years. On the other hand, a home solar generator with an electrical storage system should cost less than $1,800 for the equipment and free sun power from then on. The solar generator receives about 10 hours of sun light per day, and can produce the temperature change needed to activate a Stirling engine. The Stirling engine in turn would drive a 3 KW hour power generator during sun light hours and deliver a direct current that is stored in a battery bank. Then the battery bank would provide on demand, 24 hour electricity to the home outlet.

Centralized Power Generation

Our current electrical power grids are the product of big business, big lobbyist and big government because they require large investments. An electrical power grid can be integrated using Nuclear, Coal, Gas, hydro power, or thermal turbines, to generate the steam which drives the power generator. The electrical energy is then sent though cables thousands of miles and delivered to homes, offices, and industrial buildings. Consumers need to be tied to electrical grids to have power. Having large number of consumers in a location maintains the electrical delivery systems within cost. This central power generation and distribution system, needs a large institutional infrastructure, including institutions such as the Department of Energy, a Nuclear Commission, an International Energy Agency, agencies to handle clean coal, liquid Natural gas to say the least. This complex power development model established in the past century and current today, increases entry cost to all societies and furthers development and underdevelopment of nations, in favor of countries that created the model and can afford the energy.

Power Plants require either carbon base fuels, uranium, thermal or hydo power as the energy source. Powerful special interests exists for the carbon based fuels, such as coal, natural gas and petroleum, to continue its usage and its proliferation. American foreign policy has been shaped to protects fuel supplies, and inhibit US participation in Green House Gas emission treaties. The centralized power generation model is so strong that it has elevated the initial investment for these plants, and position them at the Billion dollar marks. This situation has further contributed to the need for a World Bank, and an International Monetary Fund, who would fund those countries that need to buy Power Plants.

Freeing homes from electrical power grids implies that any home, anywhere, can power up if they have installed their $1,800 home solar generator, having the same human comfort that city dwellers now enjoy. . Governments or Power Companies would no longer need to invest 5 billion USD per Nuclear reactor to provide 1.5 Gigawatt capacity. Land used for the electrical transmission cable, would be recovered once the electrical power grids were dismantled.

 

 

Can’t bear these soaring electricity-bills anymore? Well, “Build Solar Power Generation” System is definitely something you should seriously examine. The first impression may not reveal that, but this technique makes it possible for almost anyone – novice/professional to get it to work in just a few days. If you read this article you’ll be able to discover more about how this technology can help you to significantly cut your expenses.

Quick introduction

Did you know that “Build Solar Power Generation” System doesn’t have to be that expensive as most people think? Nowadays there are quite few excellent guides on the Web that teach you everything about assembling Solar-Panels on your own. Choosing a guide is probably one of the most important actions you need to take; check for real customers case studies, make sure it provides descriptive illustrations, photos, and tech support. Anyway, here are some important benefits and tips that can help you to know a little more about this topic.

Important benefits

Let’s quickly go over the main benefits provided by this unique solution:

* Requires no more than a weekend to be installed.
* Made of simple parts/tools found at any local hardware store.
* Rely only on your own energy-resources and not the ones supplied by governments or corporations.
* Knowing that we are doing our part to conserve the planet.
* Enables us to get an extra income by quickly providing such sys. for others.

Tip

In order to optimize it, make sure to place the solar-paneling unit in a spot that gets the most sun at all times of the year.

Summary

Using this cost-effective “Build Solar Power Generation” System is quite enjoyable and it requires no special technical/professional skills on the user’s side. It would be quite easy to find other pluses provided by this remarkable ‘machine’, simply because it is revolutionary. It is time for an action, so at this point it is highly recommended to simply try it and experience how it takes just days to start enjoying from its benefits.

Hydrogen Fuelled Electricity Generation

U.SURESH KUMAR*

* Professor/HOD in electrical electronics department

MOHAMED SATHAK ENGINEERING COLLEGE,KILAKKARAI,T.N,INDIA

E mail uskrk@sify.com

Summary 

          This paper describes their tasks and the current state of development of fuel cell and some of practical applications also explained why I have taken to this topic because,Hydrogen is being promoted as the perfect environmentally friendly fuel of the future.

Introduction

         It will still be available when fossil fuels are exhausted  It is the earth’s tenth most abundant element and is the most abundant element in the universe It is generated from water and returns to water when it is burnt. It is available in vast quantities from the World’s oceans.

           What many “Hydrogen economists” don’t make clear is – Where will the energy come from to extract the hydrogen from the water?

              Hydrogen is an energy carrier, not an energy source, so the energy it delivers would ultimately have to be provided by a conventional power plant. 

Fuel Cells The fuel cell was invented in 1839 by Welsh lawyer Sir William Robert. It takes in Hydrogen and Oxygen from the air and puts out electricity, heat, and water. It doesn’t use fossil fuels and it doesn’t produce greenhouse gases and so it should be the ideal solution to providing distributed or portable electrical power. Despite its obvious advantages it was not until the 1950s in response to the needs of the US space programmer that practical devices were developed. Even today, although there are many variants of fuel cells working in development labs throughout the world and small  scale deployment of demonstration units in some countries, there is still no volume production. What is holding back the commercialization of fuel cells? The following diagram shows the key system components for providing AC or DC power(see figure 1 )   

                         But this diagram only tells part of the story. Though the basic principle is quite simple, converting this into a practical product involves many engineering challenges and up to now the solutions proposed have not been cost effective. Fuel cells are an expensive way of providing electrical energy. The prize of cheap, clean, renewable energy is still unclaimed but engineers are getting ever closer to winning it.

How Fuel Cells Work: Fuel cells don’t store energy like batteries. They only provide electrical energy while the active chemicals are supplied to the electrodes. The process is described in more detail in the two examples below.  

Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell The most common fuel cells use Hydrogen as the fuel and Oxygen from the air as the oxidant. The basic reaction can be illustrated by the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell. (Also called the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cell.) The overall equation for the reaction is

2H2 + O2 ? 2H2O

The equation for the reactions at the individual electrodes are shown where they take place on the diagram below.fig2 

The Electrical Energy The electron flow between the anode and the cathode caused by the chemical reactions in the cell represents the conventional electrical current flowing in the opposite direction. This electrical current is available to do work in the external circuit.   Catalysts Catalysts are needed to increase the rate of oxidation at the anode and the rate of reduction at the cathode. In this way they allow the chemical reaction to take place at a lower temperature. Alternatively to avoid the cost of expensive catalysts, some fuel cells are designed to work at elevated temperatures.The platinum catalyst used in PEM and some other cells is very expensive and extremely sensitive to poisoning by even small amounts of Carbon Monoxide making it necessary to employ an additional filtering processes in the system to eliminate potential contaminants.

                          The working of the direct Methanol fuel cell is similar to the PEM fuel cell shown in the above diagram.The electrolyte is a polymer and the charge carriers are the hydrogen ions. Liquid Methanol (CH3OH) is fed into the anode of the cell where it is oxidized in the presence of water generating Carbon Dioxide (CO2). The cathode chemistry is the same as in the PEM cell with the Oxygen combining with the Hydrogen ions and electrons from the external circuit to produce water. The reactions are as follows:

Anode Reaction:

CH3OH + H2O ? CO2 + 6H+ + 6e–

Cathode Reaction:

3/2 O2 + 6H+ + 6e– ? 3H2O

Overall Cell Reaction:

2CH3OH + 3O2 ? CO2 + 4H2O

 Like PEM fuel cells DMFCs work at low operating temperatures in the range from about 50ºC to 120ºC but they have a relatively low efficiency and power density. Output power using current technology is limited to about 1.5 kW which enough to power most consumer goods but insufficient for automotive applications which require much higher power. Nevertheless the ability to use liquid fuel coupled with the elimination of the reformer make these fuel cells very attractive 

Balance of Plant (BOP) The fuel cell stack alone can not generate electricity. Practical systems need sub-systems to supply the fuel and to provide the necessary control over the processes involved in the energy conversion. The essential ancillary equipment , the so called “balance of plant”, can be just as expensive and complex as the fuel cell stack itself. Some of this equipment is outlined in the following list; 

Fuel Supply or Storage

The largest item is the reformer (See below) which provides local generation of the Hydrogen fuel. The reformer itself must have storage capacity for the reformat fuel used in the process. If Hydrogen generation is not part of the system, there must be some form of storage to carry the Hydrogen fuel to be consumed by the fuel cell. This requires expensive high pressure tanks or cryogenic storage tanks (See also below)

Pumps, Compressors and Expanders Pumps are needed to pump the reactant air through the stack and to provide forced cooling. Higher power systems require compressors to handle the higher airflow rates. Expanders are needed to reduce the high pressure of the stored Hydrogen to the required input pressure at the stack. Filters  Filters are needed to remove any contaminants from the fuel supplies which could poison the catalysts or damage the cells reducing their power production and ultimately causing their shut down. Particular offenders are Carbon Monoxide, resulting from incomplete reactions in the reformer, which affects the platinum catalysts and Sulphur found in reformats derived from fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, which contaminates the Hydrogen gas and in turn attacks and degrades the anodes. Thermal Management High power systems use forced cooling with fluid coolants to remove the heat. This requires fluid pumps and a radiator/heat exchanger to expel the heat.The system also requires heaters to bring the stack temperature up to its operating point on start up.An overall thermal management system is required to balance the heat flows to keep the temperature of the stack at its optimum operating point Water Management The conductivity of the electrolyte in the cell is proportional to the water content and it must be kept moist to remain conductive. The airflow and the heat generation in the cell tend to work against this. Consequently the air supplied to the cell must be humidified to stop electrolyte drying out and this requires a humidifier. Cold temperature operation in freezing conditions also brings problems due to the formation of ice crystals which can damage the electrolyte or membrane. The system must incorporate a method of purging the water or alternative anti-freeze controls.Another pump may be required to remove surplus water from the cathode. Electrical Power Management Though some fuel cells may be required to provide a steady operating current and voltage, most systems must be responsive to variable demands. This means that the system should provide for a variable output current and as a consequence, all the fuel, air and water flows must be varied accordingly. At the same time the heat dissipation will change and the temperature must be maintained within its designed operating range. The same will apply to the reformer if this is part of the systemThe fuel cell system output voltage is fixed but the application may require a different voltage or, in the case of most distributed power generators, an alternating current output. In these cases DC/DC converters or AC inverters may be an integral part of the system. Electric Motors Motors of different sizes are required to drive the pumps and compressors. Sensors Sensors are required to monitor temperatures, pressures, fluid and gas flows as well as electrical currents and voltages. Battery The fuel cell does not start to deliver electrical energy until it approaches its operating point. During start up, batteries are required to power all the electronic control systems, as well as the pumps, compressors and heaters needed to get the stack up to its operating point.The battery also provides an independent stable voltage to power the system electronics.Because of the slow dynamic performance of the fuel cell, the battery may also be required to provide a temporary power boost when the fuel cell is subject to a sudden demand. Safety Systems Safety systems must provide fail safe operation, protecting the system from out of tolerance conditions and abuse and shutting it down if necessary. Control SystemThe system could not function without comprehensive electronic control systems to manage all the sub-systems listed above. 

Electrical Output

Voltage Fuel cells typically generate about 0.6 Volts to 0.9 Volts DC per cell.Due to the internal impedance and losses within the cell, the output voltage falls as the current is increased. Multiple cells in a stack must be used to provide higher voltages.  Current and Power The current output from a single cell is directly proportional to the area of the electrodes. As with batteries the effective area of the electrodes and hence their potential current carrying capability can be increased without increasing their physical size by making the surface porous and using materials with very fine particle size.Typical power outputs are about 1 Watt /cm2 of electrode plates.  Dynamic Response PEM fuel cells operate at relatively low temperatures of around 80°C (176°F) which allow reasonably fast warm-up times (currently 10 to 20 seconds) compared with high temperature fuel cells which take as much as 30 minutes to reach their operating temperature. This is particularly important for automotive applications which require quick start-ups.  Efficiency Because the energy conversion in fuel cells is accomplished in a single direct conversion process, much higher efficiencies are possible than with conventional electricity generation by means of steam turbines which involve three energy conversion processes. As noted above, the output voltage of a fuel cell falls as the current drawn from it increases. The net effect of this is that the efficiency also drops as the power drawn from the cell increases so that the efficiency is almost proportional to the output voltage. The typical operating efficiency of a fuel cell running at 0.7 Volts is about 50%. This means that 50% of the energy content of the hydrogen input is converted into electrical energy; while the remaining 50% will be dissipated as heat or lost through incomplete oxidation within the cells.The waste heat from the fuel cell electricity generating process can be used in combined heat and power CHP) applications to provide local heating and thus improve the overall energy utilization efficiency of the Hydrogen fuel. This is particularly attractive for high temperature fuel cell systems. Fuel Cell Variants

A range of fuel cell designs using variants of the basic chemistry has been developed to meet different design or operating criteria such as less expensive construction, more efficient fuel utilisation, faster start-ups or the use of more convenient or less expensive fuels. Higher power outputs can be achieved by operating at high temperatures, by using catalysts to accelerate the fuel cell chemical reaction and by using electrodes with a greater surface area. Lower operating temperatures can be obtained by using more expensive catalysts.  

The main variants are as follows:

PEM Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells follow the basic design described above. They have a good combination of efficiency, power output and low operating temperature make it the cell of choice for automotive applications. Though the maximum working temperature of most designs is 100°C to avoid damage to the fragile membrane, some products have been designed to work at temperatures up to 120°C. AFC Alkaline Fuel Cells use aqueous electrolytes of potassium hydroxide. They were some of the earliest practical cells and were used in the Apollo space programme, generating drinking water as well as electrical power. Although they are inexpensive compared with PEM cells, operating efficiencies of 60% are possible. Unfortunately they have a low power output and the catalyst is prone to poisoning from Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere.   PAFC Phosphoric Acid electrolyte Fuel Cells run at a high temperatures of around 220°C delivering high power of a MegaWatt or more but a with relatively low efficiency of around 35%. The consequence of poor conversion efficiency is high heat generation in the fuel cell stack. Because of the high working temperature the efficiency losses can be mitigated by using the waste heat in combined heat and power (CHP) applications.  MCFCMolten Carbonate Fuel Cells run at even higher temperatures of 650°C to 1000°C. Their unique chemistry needs Carbon Dioxide from the air a part of the process. Efficiencies achieved are 45% or more and power outputs of over 1 MegaWatt are typical in grid supply applications. Because of their high working temperature they can operate directly with hydrocarbon gases which are reformed within the cell and do not need a separate Hydrogen supply. The high temperature also means that less expensive catalysts are needed, but the molten electrolyte imposes special requirements on containment and anti corrosion measures.   SOFC Solid Oxide Fuel Cells also operate in the same or higher temperatures as the molten carbonate cells with the same fuel and catalyst advantages. The ceramic electrolyte which can run as hot as 800 degrees Celsius has the advantage that the electrolyte stays solid. They can deliver powers of several Megawatts but at a lower efficiency of around 35%.  

System Cost/kW

     Care must be exercised in comparing costs since some estimates may be for the fuel cell stack alone while others may include all the balance of plant costs which could double the cost. 

 Large systems providing distributed power generation are significantly more expensive than small systems used in automotive applications. Currently, costs are around $650/kW.The Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) formed by the US Department of Energy to promote the development of environmentally friendly solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) has a cost target for a solid-state fuel cell module of no more than $400/kW. At this price, fuel cells would compete with gas turbine and diesel generators.Automotive ICE power plants currently cost about $25-35 / kW. A fuel cell system needs to cost less than $50 / kW for the technology to be competitive. Currently costs are around $70/kW.

                The US Freedom CAR project has set cost targets for PEM fuel cells at $45/kW by 2010 and $30/kW by 2015. 

Fuel Costs

The real cost of the energy supplied by fuel cells depends very much on the cost of the Hydrogen it consumes and this in turn depends on how the Hydrogen was produced.Until recently, steam reformation of natural gas was the cheapest way of producing Hydrogen but production costs have risen with the cost of the fuel. Currently, assuming the cost of natural gas is about $10per M Btu (Million Btu) the bulk cost of Hydrogen at the production plant will be about $5/Kg. The cost of pressurizing the gas and distribution it to refueling stations will add to this amount. Generating Hydrogen by electrolysis from wind farm electricity is now the cheapest way of producing the gas. Currently the retail price of pressurized hydrogen from an unsubsidized supplier is about $100/kg plus cylinder rental. 

Practical Fuel Cell System Applications  

1.Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

The chemical reaction taking place in a fuel cell is an exothermic catalytic oxidation. The excess heat generated in high temperature fuel cells such as SOFC, PAFC and MCFC can be captured and used to heat water in a combined heat and power (CHP) application giving overall system efficiencies of 80% or more. 

CHP is an ideal way of utilizing waste heat from less efficient fuel cell electricity generators fig 3.

           2.Automotive Applications Hydrogen powered internal combustion engines can already be found in emission free, traction (automotive) applications. The earliest examples were built in Germany by Rudolf Err en in the 1920s.Automotive engines can also be designed for multi-fuel use with the ability to use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or other fuels as well as Hydrogen. This could be an attractive option for early adopters of Hydrogen technology providing peace of mind on long journeys until a well developed network of Hydrogen dispensing stations has been installed.

         3. Electrical Power GenerationHydrogen powered internal combustion engines can also be used with rotary generators to generate electricity as shown in the following diagram: fig 4

 Though this is perfectly viable, small, stand  alone Hydrogen powered electricity generators are more likely to use fuel cells

Conclusion

              We have explained only few application of fuel cell. Also this one of the our ideas If we will generating the electricity   based upon the fuel cell application we have to be saved the our environment from co2 emission and also free from pollution

Reference

1.Tomorrow’s Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel      Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet (Hardcover) by peter hobffman (Author), tom harkin (Author)

 

2.Fuel Processing: for Fuel Cells   BY GUNTHER KOLB (Institut für Microtechnik Mainz      GmbH, Germany)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You probably already know how irritating can expensive electricity-bills be, well, finally it doesn’t have to be that way – “Make Solar Power Generation” System can amazingly cut most of that cost for you. It may be surprising, but this technique makes it possible for almost anyone – novice/professional to get it to work in just a few days. If you read this article you’ll be able to discover more about this revolutionary technology.

Getting some basics

So, what is the secret of this “Make Solar Power Generation” System? – Well, it is about downloading one of these user-friendly guides that explain in simple words how to create Solar-Cells at minimal cost & effort. Just like everything else in life, some guides deliver and some other don’t; make sure it offers clear instructions, video tutorials, diagrams, and technical support. Anyway, here are several tips & benefits that can help you out.

Important advantages

This solution brings several clear key-benefits:

* Saves hundreds month-after-month.
* Helps our nation on becoming less dependent on external oil suppliers.
* Enables us to make a 220V-240V elec. sys.
* It is already proven to work for thousands of people.
* It is now amazingly affordable like never before.

Quick advice

Did you know that it is possible to get the paneling at no cost? – Most professional guides will show how to do that.

Conclusions

Many home-makers already found this outstanding “Make Solar Power Generation” System as one of the most effective ways to ‘eliminate’ these irritating elect. expenses. There are so many other advantages provided by this remarkable ‘machine’, simply because it offers so many important opportunities. The best advice would be to simply try it so you could truly experience the various opportunities that it brings.

Power generator of Honda is the most popular item of its kind throughout the world. A wide selection of power generators is available for specific commercial and consumer applications. They are known for its quiet performance, which makes it ideal for recreation or emergencies. Commonly used for camping and at construction sites, and are both durable and reliable.

Today, portable generators are at work around the world. Over thirty years of power equipment development by Honda engineers have given rise to a varied line of hard-working generators that are ready to provide power for any situation.

The latest models are smaller, lighter and quieter than ever before and many Honda generators produce voltage which is smoother and more consistent than commercially available power sources. So whether your needs are modest and recreational, or highly demanding and job-oriented, there’s a Honda generator with the right features.

Honda is produced in different sizes and with diverse specifications to respond to particular market and user needs. There are small, portable generators, and also those that can be pushed or pulled around on their own wheels or by using a small trailer. There are also huge generators which need to be housed in custom-built containers. Smaller diesel generators are capable of producing a few hundred watts of power, while larger units can produces thousands of watts or even tens of thousands. Special generator models are popular for RV or boat needs.

Depending on how you will use your Honda, there are different categories to meet your needs. This can include recreation, home standby and construction. Honda also offers inverter power tools. Inverter generators are smaller and lighter as power is created electronically and not through a conventional alternator. Inverter power offers the cleanest power output, ideal for sensitive electronic devices.

Honda models provide smooth, clean power for recreation, construction, rental, emergency and home use. All Generators made by Honda meet or exceed all EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and CARB (California Air Resource Board) standards.

Honda has developed a wide range of generators, and since your needs vary, there is surely an intelligent instrument built specifically for you in mind! Imagine being able to create a constant supply of electricity exactly when needed. All you need is a Honda generator to provide the reassurance of a power plant at your finger tips, and then you won’t be left in the dark when an alternative energy source is needed.

Copyright (c) 2008 Success Performance Solutions

The generation that is most comfortable with digital technology, which gives them unprecedented access to all of the world’s knowledge, knows less than the previous generation that lacked this advantage. In other words, the generations whose thumbs do most of their talking can’t express themselves beyond the level of a text message. Could the vast majority of people under the age of 30 (Gen Y and the youngest Gen Xers) be so clueless?

Regrettably the answer is yes. According to a recent Pew Research Center study, 74 percent of 18 to 29 year-olds did not know that Condolezza Rice was the U.S. Secretary of State. Six times more of these young adults were more likely to identify the latest winner of American Idol than the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Another 60 percent did not know the Civil War took place in the second half of the 19th century.

This is a generation who grew up reading blogs instead of books. They read updates about friends on MySpace instead of reading current events in newspapers. They know more about World of Warcraft than they do about World War II.

The result is that just one-third of high school seniors graduated with the ability to read proficiently. Just one-fourth could write a basic paragraph.

The problem is that many young adults are using technology to communicate rather than to learn. In effect by using shorthand texting, they are reinforcing their own illiteracy every time they send and receive a text message.

What’s this mean for employers:

1. In a world of scarce talent, employers will need to transform themselves to make effective use of a generation that isn’t ready to contribute to the traditional workplace. As a result, companies will have to invest in training programs that offer a crash course in the basic skills these workers lack. These programs will need to be tailored so that they are relevant to the actual work the employee will perform.

2. The small percentage of well-educated, high achieving college students will have their choice of employers and competition for them will be fierce. While this isn’t new news, what’s different this time around is that the gap between the-best-and-the-brightest and the average graduate is much wider. Because the return on investment is so much greater for these star performers, employers can be certain that the competition for talent will only be getting more intense.

The vast silent majority struggling to make a living knows of only one real gap-the widening one between their means and expectations. And this is the only gap that matters in a country like India where the basic questions facing the generations have changed little over the centuries, making the aims of their struggle much the same.

Trying to relate the changes in values and attitudes, the popular political philosophies and the new mores and code of the times to what obtained in the past, the older generation tends to see them in a different perspective. The reappraisal of the ideas and beliefs of a life time that the new exposure calls for may lead to conflicts in some. A natural consequence is resistance. Acceptance of the new fangled ideas does not come easy with most.                                                                   Life Style

No such perspective affects the vision of the youth. Passing through the most impressionable period of life, they are swayed more by the wind of change sweeping all around them and the currents and the cross-currents of ideas, theories and philosophies to which they are exposed. The natural tendency of youth is to welcome anything that seems avant-garde if only they could project it as their very own and see in it a collective expression of their rebellious self.What has changes of late to make this gap a “generation-wide”? Have the social set-up and cultural values undergone such a major transformation as to make the scene one of perennial clashes of interest between the generations? Is there any major issue on which the generations have drifted apart so much making the chances of a dialogue utterly bleak? Precious little.

A cushy job carrying a six-figure salary and all the company perquisites thrown in, with the promise of a foreign trip, or the coveted IAS for those who value power and prestige. The professional’ utopia is America, that glittering world of opportunities, or the new wonderlands sprouting up around the oilwells of Arabia. The attraction remains the same-money, more money to make it up and more of the symbols of material success.

For all the free mixing of the sexes and the interchangeable jeans, the path to wedlock remains still the beaten one of a parental arrangement complete with all the vulgar haggling and the garish display of status, the dowry trebled to make up for inflation. The spreading of matrimonial wares, if anything has become more brazen, the market accomplishments and matching demands lengthening the most avidly read columns of Sunday newspapers.                                 

Married love is still mostly of the cultivated variety, the age-old institution remaining very much intact despite an elopement or two. In fact, the citadels of caste, creed and community have become more impregnable and the new generation gives little evidence of any desire to pull down the man-made barriers. The criteria of eligibility also have not undergone any major change, the personal worth of the individual getting far less weightage than his or her social connections and the status trappings of the family. The young sometimes follow the family code here more ardently than the old, even coming home from foreign lands to marry the homely denizens of native villages, preserving their virginity even at 30. Where the gap in all this?

Health Tips

It has been said that Generation X is the most ignored, misunderstood, and disheartened generation our country has seen in a long time. No one can define who belongs to Generation X. While most agree that there is a generation after the Boomers, no one agrees on who it is. In a September 23, 1996, article in USA Today, six experts defined Generation X, each with a different answer. They ranged anywhere from those born between 1961 to 1981 (78 to 85 million) to those born between 1965 to 1976 (46 million). Although Generation X appears to be the accepted term, other labels have been applied. William Strauss and Neil Howe refer to them as the Thirteenth Generation (the thirteenth generation since the founding of our country). Baby Busters and Twenty-something’s have also been used.

One of the most fundamental requirements for effective coaching is the ability to understand others’ motives, values, and goals, not enforcing one’s own on others. A slight variation of the Golden Rule-instead of “treating others as you want to be treated,” coaches should “treat others as they want to be treated.” This means understanding, and accepting, that people are all different. It also means that there is no “script” for coaching-it is different for every person you coach.

The need to understand differences is especially apparent in the ongoing conflict between Baby Boomers and Generation X. These struggles are rooted in the desire (on both sides) to want everyone to be alike. This would certainly make our lives and relationships easier, but it is not based in reality. Of course, clashes between generations are not new. Remember the generation gap in the 1960s between the Boomers and the Silent Generation?

The fact remains that Generation X are the employees in the workforce today; they are the future. They aren’t going away, nor are they likely to conform to the previous generation’s definition of work. Boomer managers cannot continue to ignore Xers’ differences and try to manage them according to their own mindset. This does not mean agreement with a Xer’s attitude but, understanding them to make coaching easier. The better you know them, the more likely you are to have insight to their “hot buttons”-what motivates them. And, at the very best, understanding them may begin to remove the conflict and hostility that exists between the generations and will lead to positive actions and results that are mutually beneficial to the individual and the organization.

The problem with generalizations is that they only go so far and stereotyping runs the risk of alienation. There are always exceptions to the rule, those who will say “that’s not me”. I can sometimes identify with Boomers and sometimes with Xers (you guess my age!). It is impossible to suggest a prototype for how to coach 46-85 million people. As a start, the generalizations made here are based on a review of the relevant literature and personal observations/discussion with coaches-all with the hope of understanding this generation and offering suggestions on how to effectively coach them. To successfully coach and help Generation X, we must learn what they want, how they feel, and how they view their world.

WHAT WON’T MOTIVATE?

Generation X won’t do things because they have a deep sense of mission, or loyalty to an organization. They have nothing but disdain for corporate politics and bureaucracy and don’t trust any institution. They grew up watching their parents turn into workaholics, only to be downsized and restructured out of their chosen careers. They believe work is a thing you do to have a life (work doesn’t define their life).

During the practice situations in our coaching workshops, the coach will often say-”Your behavior is affecting the company and if you don’t change, we won’t be in business in the long term.” They raise the company flag and pull out the loyalty line. This means nothing to Xers-it will not capture their interest, raise their awareness, or stir them to new thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Xers have no expectation of job security, so they tend to see every job as temporary and every company as a stepping stone to something better, or at least to something else. They have been accused of not wanting to pay their dues. But, in todays changing workplace, anyone who is thinking about doing a job long enough to pay dues is out of touch!

Because they won’t put in long hours at what they mostly term “dead end” jobs (Douglas Copland coined the term “Mcjobs,”) and they don’t exhibit the same loyalty as Boomers do towards an organization, they have been called slackers. However, Xers will work very hard for a job that they believe in, for something that challenges them. In a l995 survey, Babson College Professor Paul Reynolds found that “10% of Americans between the ages of 25-34 are actively involved in creating a start-up company, a rate about three times as high as any other age group…it should help dispel once and for all the myth that today’s youth are motivationally challenged.” (U.S. News and World Report, September 23, 1996)

WHAT DOES MOTIVATE?

Value The Individual and Nurture Relationships

Although there doesn’t seem to be one description of Generation X, most will agree that a defining characteristic is that they don’t like to be characterized (as I’m doing in this article!). They don’t want to be treated as a single entity, but want to be looked at as individuals. In addition, this is the first wave of latchkey kids to hit the work force. They are homesick for the home they never had (due to both parents working). Their focus on relationships over achievement is what leads Boomers to complain about their laziness. Isn’t this strong sense of community and personal relationships in the workplace just what we need?

Challenging Work

This generation has sometimes been called the MTV Generation because of their short attention span. Xers want new challenges and the opportunity to build new skills. Training is one of the best motivators. They have a tremendous capacity to process lots of information and concentrate on multiple tasks.

They don’t want to spend a lot of time talking about things or having meetings. They want to get in, do the work, and move on to the next thing. If you’re looking for someone to deliver a report every week, you don’t want a Xer. I recently brought up the subject of understanding twenty-something’s during a coaching workshop. Immediately a manager complained, with a lot of emotion, that kids today don’t want to work and will only stay for a week or so and then leave. Well, the job was very repetitive and offered little challenge. No wonder!

Freedom to Manage Time and Work

Xers don’t want over-your-shoulder, in-your-face managers who constantly check what they’re doing. Perhaps as a result of their latchkey childhood, these young workers are not used to being closely supervised and are remarkably good at working on their own.

Feedback and Recognition

On the other hand, members of Generation X seem to crave time with their bosses and can never get enough feedback on their performance. They may be searching for what was missing when they were growing up. Because of their short attention span, recognition and rewards must arrive quickly. Employee of the month doesn’t do anything for them.

CONCLUSION

The characteristics for which Generation X has received such bad press are the very qualities that make them valuable. We say we want an empowered work force…give Xers the ball and they will run with it…we want a self-directed work force…these workers have been self directed from a very young age…we want computer literacy…Generation X comes out on top…we want flexible, adaptable workers-right on again.

Xers will respond to Boomer managers if they put meaning, into the buzzwords they use so often-empowerment, teamwork, communication. Create an environment where they are challenged by and enjoy their work, where they’re measured on performance rather than on which clothes they wear, where they are informed, included and recognized. Gee, maybe Xers aren’t so different from anyone else!