
SECTION 3.3 Calculations for Shifted Gradients
EXAMPLE
3.7
':!~
Chemical engineers at a Coleman Industries plant in the Midwest have determined that
a small amount
of
a newly available chemical additive will increase the water repel-
lency
of
Coleman's tent fabric by 20%.
The
plant superintendent has arranged
to
pur-
chase the additive through a 5-year contract at
$7000 per year, starting I year from now.
He expects the annu
al
price to increase by 12% per year thereafter for the next 8 years.
Additionally, an initial investment
of
$35,000 was made now to prepare a site suitable
for the contractor to deliver the additive. Use i = 15% to determine the equivalent total
present worth for all these cash flows.
Solution
Figure 3- 14 presents the cash flows.
The
total present worth P
y
is
found using g = 0.12
and i = 0.15. Equation [2.24] is used
to
determine the present worth P
g
for the entire
geometric se
ri
es at actual year 4, which is moved to year 0 using (P / F,15%,4).
P
y
= 35,000 + A(P/A,15%,4) + A
1
(P/A,12%,15%,9)(P/F,15%,4)
= 35,000 + 7000(2.8550) + 7000 (0.5718)
[
1
-
(l.12/1.15)9]
0.15 - 0.12
= 35,000 + 19,985 + 28,247
= $83,232
Note that
n = 4 in the (P / A,15%,4) factor because the $7000 in year 5 is the initial
amount
A I
in
Equation [2.23].
For
solution by computer, enter the cash flows
of
Figure
3-14.
If
cells B 1 through
B 14 are used, the function to find
P = $83,230 is
NPV(
15
%,B2:BI
4)+
BI
The fastest way
to
enter the geometric series
is
to enter $7840 for year 6 (into cell B7)
and set
up
each succeeding cell multiplied by 1.12 for the 12% increase.
P
T
= ?
0 2 3
$7000
$35,000
F
igure
3-14
P
g
=?
i = 15% per year
4
5 6 7 8 9 10
11
12
13
0
1 2
3
4
5 6
7
8 9
_Lj
$7tO
+
t
I
j
j
$17,331
12 % increase I
1
--
----+-i-
per year
Year
Geometric
gradient
n
Cash flow diagram including a geometric gradient with g = 12%, Example 3.7.
107
Q-Solv