And then, The Fat Lady Sings. (Week 11 and 12)

So this is it, my last TWC Blog. And sitting awake, at 12. 44 am in the morning, I am trying to find the right words to say to make this blog count. But then I realise, that this subject is such that it does the fascinating and interesting part itself. Which is why I am just going to summarise the presentations and let do the words do the talking. 

This blog is a collaboration of week 11 and 12. In the past two weeks, it had been reversal of roles, as we were the ones teaching, while Prof. listened and learnt. There were a total of eight presentations. Given below is a short summary of each one. 

1. Futuristic Buildings: This group focused on the future use of technology in creating buildings of tomorrow, its implications, drawbacks, advantages and feasibility. I think they did work hard and did some goo research. 

2. Clean Energy: This is probably one of the most elaborate presentations I have ever seen. They did very intensive research which was in great detail. I think they did a good job on content, but were lacking a bit on presentation. However, still an interesting topic. 

3. Nanotechnology: This was a very engrossing presentation which was well researched and well presented. This group covered the past, present and future of nanotechnology. 

4. Mind-controlled Prosthetics: I think this was a very futuristic topic, which had the scope for doing the most good to all people and had in numerous benefits to offer. 

5. Transhumanism- This topic was similar to the previous one (4.) but went a little further in considering the ethical implications of creating a separate type of advanced humans.

6. Food: Our Future- This was another interesting topic which dealt with world poverty and possible solutions which could be implemented through the use of technology. They validated all their points with good research and were very innovative in their approach to the topic. 

7. Advertising and Sexuality- This was done by my group. We studied the science of knowledge and went deeper to reveal how sexuality in the media has progressed over time, considering the past, the methodology, implications and future considerations. I do believe that our group did a good job and we did have fun exploring a rather different and interesting topic and applying everything we have learnt. 

8. Virtual Reality- This is another topic which is more based on the future. Its an upcoming technology which could change the way we operate and communicate. This could benefit so many companies and individuals all over the world. 

And with that not only did we conclude our TWC presentations, we also concluded our TWC class. Summarising  this class in a few words will be hard. But all I can say is I have thoroughly enjoyed this class and have learnt a lot from it. I do hope that I can continue to apply everything I have learnt in this class all through my life. 

Im going to miss this class :( Thank you to Prof. Shahi and Victor, my TA for making this course worthwhile. Also a big thanks to all my classmates for being a part of this journey of understanding. I really did learn a lot and am very thankful.

Ratings for TWC- 10/10

Always waiting for the Viral to hit :)

Individual Topical Paper (Final)

Pneumatic underground waste collection.[1]

Sahana Iva Raghavan (siraghavan.2013@business.smu.edu.sg), Bachelor Of Business Management, Singapore Management University.

1.1 Executive Summary

Waste has had an increasing effect on mankind over centuries. Right from contaminating our resources, to breeding diseases to destroying our environment, it has done no good. Now with the rising population, the total amount of waste produced is increasing at an exponential rate.

This report considers the application of an effective and sustainable alternative. Pneumatic waste systems are a developing technology that can be used for efficient and clean waste management. Given below are a detailed history of waste collection systems and the origin and revolution of underground systems. This is then followed by the current position of waste collection systems and whether there is scope for this system in the future. This report is concluded by an evaluation of the system and its applications.

1.2 Introduction

Last year alone, i.e. as of 2012, the total waste collected was 7.27-million tonnes. (Solid waste management, 2013). Every year we accumulate all types of waste- domestic and industrial, solid and non-solid, hazardous and non-hazardous, etc. The largest form of waste however definitely comes from domestic waste systems such as households, offices and restaurants. Domestic waste is the single largest cause for a variety of problems ranging from lack of disposable area to generation of harmful diseases. Domestic waste has also led to reducing the aesthetic appeal of the areas it affects, causing many air and water bone diseases like pneumonia, cholera, etc. (Health Impacts of solid waste, 2013)

Waste has many threats to pose. Waste may include any type of garbage or rubbish, which may be from leftover food, to scrap paper to old items, etc. However, what we humans fail to understand is that there is a direct relationship between increasing quantity of waste and increase in diseases and environmental damage. Waste produced accumulates a lot of space. In order to dispose the waste in any method possible, large areas are going to be needed to store the waste until it can be disposed. Waste management techniques like landfill sites also take up large amount of a space. With an ever-growing population, there already exists a critical pressure on land resources. With increased amounts of garbage, there may not be place to accommodate the expanding population.

Apart from that, waste collection and disposal includes a lot of time and effort. Transportation of waste includes resources like money, fuel and manpower. Also it must be noted that waste collection is a huge and tedious process, starting from door- to- door collection, collecting from the public places, segregating the waste and finally transporting it to the main sites where it is to be disposed. In the process of collection, segregation and disposal, it is very likely that a lot of waste will be “loosely” disposed, meaning that lots of waste is left untouched and untreated. This is the most dangerous consequence of waste, as these act as breeding grounds for diseases such as dengue. Also waste, which is disposed into the water to flow down and reach the landfill sites, is another major problem as it contaminates the water. Contaminated water can cause serious health risks such as cholera and spread of other infectious diseases. Solid domestic waste can become smelly and then attract pests and rodents. Also there is the biggest threat, which is the release of the greenhouse gas, methane. Methane is a gas, which captures heat 21 more times than carbon dioxide, and hence poses a huge threat to increased global warming. (Green by Nature, 2009)

From the above discussion, we can conclude that garbage is an increasing worry for people, and if not treated properly can cause irreversible and serious damage to health, environment and resources. This clearly implies that there is a need for a fast, effective and sustainable method for dealing with waste collection and disposal. That’s where the pneumatic waste collection system comes in.

These are underground systems, which help transport and dispose waste through a largely connected underground pipe network system, which will be explored later in detail in section 1.5.

1.3 Historical Perspectives

In order to fully understand the process of waste management, it is important we consider its past implications and how it all began. Right from 6500 BC, archaeological studies prove that Native Americans produced 5.3 pounds of waste everyday. However around this period, man was known majorly to produce biodegradable waste, which had close to a negligible impact on the environment. (Wikipedia, History of Waste management, 2013)

It was known to be that the Mayans had “dumps”, which occasionally exploded. [2] This was the first ever known form of what we would come to call “incineration”.

            The first ever known municipal dump in the Western world was found in Athens, Greece in 500 BC. Around the late 14^th century the English Parliament banned waste disposal in waterways. This is known to be the first step that was taken in a mass form of waste management, run by the government. Yet, waste was still in control and posed no threat to humanity. (Wikipedia, History of Waste management, 2013)

Around the 18^th century, however, events took a turn for the worst. With the advent of industrial revolution, we saw the mass production of new materials such as Steel, Copper and Aluminum, which formed the largest composition of domestic waste at the time. This new form of waste played a colossal impact on history. As these wastes increased, it led to the spread of infectious diseases such as the Bubonic Plague, cholera and typhoid fever, which altered the populations of Europe.     

                                                

 Figure 1.  Roman sewages found in 800 BC

Reproduced from Wikipedia, 2013

Resulting from this came the awareness among people about the danger of waste. In 1885, the United States of America built the first waste incinerator. In the late 19^th century, recycling plants were constructed as well. However, it wasn’t until the late 90’s that different countries implemented laws about waste management.

As far as underground waste management goes, the earliest form of this system was found in ancient Rome between 800 and 735 BC in the form of sewers. It was a used to drain out the city’s dirt and regulate the water supply. The Romans built a complex system, which included the water being drained through central channels into the main sewage and finally into the rivers. This system is based on the same principles as our current pneumatic waste collection systems. The Roman sanitation was considered the best-known artifact for its innovation, complexity in design and effectiveness.

The first pneumatic waste collection system originated in Sweden, with the first installation in Sollefteå Hospital in 1961. It was the first time that the vacuum system was used in order to transport waste in the multi-story hospital. With the great success of the system, an 1100-unit system was built for a multi-story housing complex in Sundbyberg (Stockholm, Sweden), which was active by 1967. (Automated Vacuum Collection, Wikipedia, 2013)

1.4 Current Situation

Currently, there are numerous ways in which we chose to dispose off our waste. Some of these systems, which have been around for centuries now are beginning to fail as they pose an irreversible threat to our environment. People are currently more aware about the ill effects of waste and the need for a solid waste disposal system in all countries, as to ensure the overall sanity and hygiene of the population. Some of the most common methods of waste disposal include landfills, incinerators and composting.

Landfills: This system includes the waste being transported to large open areas where it is then buried in landfill “sites”. Typically, all forms of waste can be buried in these sites, which are then left many layers underneath the surface of the ground. It is one of the oldest and most commonly known methods implemented till date.

However, landfills pose many harmful effects on the environment. The largest problem is that landfills occupy too much space. Also they contaminate the groundwater and leave the land barren, henceforth making it worthless

Incinerators: As discussed earlier, the earliest known form of incineration came from the Mayans. Waste is loaded into huge containers, which burn at high temperatures. This clears the waste fast, but adds to air pollution and also is dangerous to operate.

Composting: This includes re-using organic, degradable waste to add nutrition to the soils and act as natural manure. Though this method poses no environmental damage, its shortcoming is that it can be used only for biodegradable waste and not anything else.

1.5 What is a pneumatic waste collection system?

The pneumatic waste collection system, also known as Automated Vacuum Waste Collection (AVAC), is a high-speed, underground waste transporting system.

This is a system based on a network of fixed collection stations through indoor/ or outdoor collection points. With the help of connected pipes, the waste deposited at the drop-offs can be transported to the collection units. Exhausters create air pressure in the ducts, and hence the air stream transports the waste through the main line to the collection center. (Luiten P., 1976)

Drop off points

These are the substitutes to dustbins. They are the starting point to the AVAC, and are very vital, as it must be ensured that these drop off points are of the right size and are well sealed to offer best efficiency and no wastage. These drop-off points can’t be found inside or outside. They can be separated based on the following grounds:

-       Size

-       Wet and Dry

-       Recyclable and Non-Recyclable

It is important that these drop off points are sealed as to ensure that the garbage is not smelly and hence ensures clean surroundings as compared to the original style of collecting garbage (through dumpsters and drainages)

Figure 2. Difference in garbage collection points 

OLD                                                                                      

 Figure 2. (a) Traditional waste collection points

Reproduced from The Guardian Gowthorpe, A. (Photographer) (2012).

NEW  

 

 Figure 2. (b) Pneumatic system collection points.

Reproduced from The Architects Newspaper Envac. (Photographer) 2012 

Vacuum Air ducts

These are the ducts that help in the transportation of the waste from the garbage drop off points till the refuse containers. Vacuum systems first originated in the United States to collect hospital laundry during the 1950’s. (Luiten P., 1976). They are made up of lateral and vertical metal sheets chutes, where the air intake is at the top of these chutes.  Since these are gravity-type chutes, as soon as the waste is dropped in, it automatically falls down to the bottom of the pit where a collection valve is open. This collection valve then connects to the mainline where there is a high intensity airflow, which draws the garbage through the main line. For the vacuum air ducts to be effective, certain criteria must be fulfilled. For example, the number of ducts in a system, the total capacity of waste the system can hold, the distance along which the system is spread, etc.

 Figure 3. The large interconnected underground pipe system.

 Reproduced from Nederman (2013)

 Large Refuse Containers and Final Transportation

The large refuse containers can be found at the end point of all pneumatic systems. It is the collection point of all the refuse. Usually large in size and kept in locations where they can be loaded and unloaded easily, and large space for them to be stored. The cross section of these refuse containers are square in shape to provide maximum surface area to store the waste. The waste can then be transferred to the vehicles, through bypass pipes, or the trucks can transport the entire container to        

the final disposal site. In the case of recyclable waste, these containers can be present at the sites where the waste is recycled within the city. All the waste can be channeled to these locations. However, when it comes to disposing other solid wastes, transportation of the containers will be needed to the disposal sites, as they present outside the cities in large open land areas.                                     

Currently, the pneumatic waste collection systems are being implemented in over 30 countries, but only in urban areas and not on a large scale.

Figure 4. Transportation trucks used in the

final transporting of the waste.

Reproduced from: Autoevolution (2010)

1.6 Future considerations

There is an increasing awareness about the importance of effective waste management, and hence many companies and countries are moving towards implementing the pneumatic waste collection systems. As development projects are rising in Europe and Asia, countries like Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong are leading the way for implementation. The city of Helsinki, Finland is planning to include this system in its latest development project- the construction of Jätkäsaari residential area

This system is not only being implemented in new upcoming urban areas, but also in historical and cultural areas such as the famous city of Leon, in Castilla y Leon (Spain).

(Gonzalo B., 2002). Due to the solid waste being a huge problem, which is interfering with the preservation of this historical site, the government of Spain is now looking to install this system.

As far of the design of the system goes, the new Movac system is said to contain two new compartments, third generation mobile vacuum vehicle, the VL-5, and the patented screw tank concept. This allows the emptying time to be cut in half and the collection capacity doubled. This increases the scope for liquid and wet waste and well. With this type of system, we would be able to segregate the liquid waste, only enlarging the horizon of this system. All these innovations in the technology will definitely help the AVAC become more sustainable, eco-friendly and not to forget, efficient.

The leading companies that are into this technology are TransVac Solutions, USA (inventor of the system), Envac, Sweden and Ecosir, Finland. Apart form these, there do exist many more companies that are investing their time and money into research and implementation of this technology. (Kwang B.L., 2004/2005).

 Figure 5. The new Movac System.

Reproduced from: Cleanvac (2012)

1.7 Conclusion

The pneumatic waste collection system has a bright future laid out in front of it. This entire paper has clearly outlined the scope this system has in bringing about a revolutionary change in our waste management techniques. Some of the major advantages of this system would be that we would be dealing with a fully automated and mechanized system, including hardly any manpower in the entire process. This increases the efficiency and ensures full-time functioning. The limited manpower that would be necessary will be deployed only at a supervising stage, and no less. This machine offers high safety standards and poses no direct threat as an incinerator would. The complete sealing of the system ensures no smell and odor to attract rats and other pests. Not only does this improve the aesthetics of the surrounding environment, it eradicates all possible infectious diseases increasing the health standards and sanitation among the population.

            This system would wipe out the need to throw solid or wet waste into water bodies, thereby improving water quality and ensuring safe drinking water for everyone. With everything being automated, there would be no need for the daily garbage trucks, thereby reducing sound pollution in the cities. This would overall ensure quiet, clean and hygienic neighborhoods, with more free space to concentrate more on social and cultural activities. The amount of land resources this system can help save is enormous. The largest impacts however, will be the benefits this system has to offer to our environment. Lesser noise pollution, contamination, air pollution and destruction. Cleaner and healthier environments will promote social, cultural and economic growth among countries.

However, every coin has two faces Sides. With the numerous benefits that this system does offer, we must understand that there are certain drawbacks as well. For starters, it has large start up costs, making it an expensive investment which most less economically developed countries would not be looking to adopt. Also in countries, which are densely populated like China and India, it will be extremely hard to implement these underground systems, as it would include lots of construction, effort, time and money.

Most importantly, this system does require some amount of expertise and knowledge as far as research goes. Many developing countries may not have access to these types of resources in the immediate future.

However, this is an investment that has greater pros than cons. It is an investment to a brighter, healthier environment. It is one step closer to saving our natural resources and preserving our Earth.

The AVAC system could be the possible solution to a large number of our problems. Though it will require thorough research and heavy investments, it is best if governments around the world begin to consider this method as being the best technique in effective waste management.

In reference to sustainability,

"We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children"

                                                                                    -Ancient Indian Proverb

References

Automated vacuum collection . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_Vacuum_Collection

Green by nature. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.fullcycle.co.za/index.php/what-is-waste-and-why-is-it-a-problem.html

Health impacts of solid waste. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/solwaste/health.htm

History of waste management. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_waste_management

Kwang, L. B. (n.d.). Am15 design of refuse collection system. Retrieved from http://dynamicslab.mpe.nus.edu.sg/dynamics/project0405/thesis0405/design of refuse collection system.pdf

Landfill. ((n.d.)). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landfill

Luiten, P. (n.d.). Vacuum systems for the collection of solid wastes. Retrieved from http://www.seas.columbia.edu/earth/wtert/sofos/nawtec/1976-National-Waste-Processing-Conference/1976-National-Waste-Processing-Conference-39.pdf

Municipal solid waste . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipal_solid_waste

Solid waste management. (2013, August 22). Retrieved from http://app.mewr.gov.sg/web/Contents/contents.aspx?ContId=680

Gonzalo B., Solid waste pneumatic collection system in the historic center of Leon. (2002). Retrieved from http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/archi/programmes/cost8/case/waste/leon.html

Stse engineering. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.stse.com.sg/en/products_cleanvac.html

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[1] Reviewed by Aishwarya Mirania Agarwal and Siddharth Kaul.

[2] These “dumps” were giant pits where the Mayans gathered their waste and then lit it on fire in order to burn the waste.

Technology's Long Tail

Week 10!!! Cant believe it came so quickly. Today was going to be our last official teaching class. The following two weeks were going to be filled with group projects. Seems like yesterday when I first walked into the doors of SMU and walked first into my first class at university - TWC. And now I'm already here writing my last class blog post. 

Moving on from the sadness, we did have a very productive last session. The topic we were doing was technology assessment and forecasting. Right from our first class, we had been studying interesting and emerging technologies. We understood how technology has the power to create a significant impact on society and drive world change. However, we also learnt that if not controlled properly, this change can be destructive rather than fruitful. Hence, the main focus of this class was to develop a framework within which we can control the current technology, while also managing future technology as well. This 'control' would include considering all the implications the technology may  have and also deciding how viable this technology is. 

We watched a few videos, by SIEMENS and Microsoft, which showed us glimpses of the future and what it may look like. We also studied the difference between technology forecasting and technology assessment. Technology assessment is to do with the current, existing technology and how to monitor and improve it. Technology Forecasting however, is to do with future technology, and predicting the next steps and development of technology and preparing it to be feasible in all situations and full fill all criteria in being a good and effective technology. We also exploited the needs to develop a framework for these technologies. Some of the drivers included:
- A large range of new technologies being constantly produced. 
-Also there is a need to understand the kinds of changes it will bring- in economics, social, ethical and environmental aspects. 
- There is also the question of resource allocation and ensuring we don't waste our resources and use them effectively on technologies that will bring change. 

Through our readings we also discussed how different companies and countries are ow moving towards being more proactive when it comes to decisions on technology. We also discussed possible techniques to assess as well as forecast technology. We did conclude, that no current solid methods exist as it is quite difficult to predict what is going to come tomorrow. 

These were the last round of presentations for the semester, and I was one of the five presenters. My presentation was based on an interesting TED Talk, which talked about technology having a 'Long Tail'. This basically stresses on the long lifeline that all technologies have and the different stages they go through. The method elaborated on in this video, suggested that if we were able to monitor these stages, we would be able to predict the future of technology. I thoroughly enjoyed doing this presentation and I hope it was insightful.

And with that we did wrap up the last official class of TWC. This was undoubtedly, my favourite class this semester. (no buttering intended Prof :p). What I liked the most about the lessons were the versatility and relevance each topic had. I also enjoyed the method in which the classes were conducted. I feel the idea of not having a strict syllabus to study makes it so much more informative and educative. Every time I attended this class, I didn't feel disconnected with the world at all, and really did feel like I was gaining knowledge rather than just studying. 

Really awaiting the next two weeks and all the group presentations. 
My ratings: 8/10

Waiting for the Viral to hit again. :)

Say "Why Not", not "Why".

Today's TWC class was based on the topic of Emerging and Future Technologies. I was quite excited to attend this class, as I was aware I was going to learn about a lot of new things which would be very interesting. Class started of with Prof asking us a simple question. Were we "Why" people or "Why not" people. This simply meant if you looked at life and asked why for all the change and innovations that took place around you, being a pessimist and resistant always. Or were you the type of person who looked at change as "why not"? Always being ready to give new innovations a chance and hoping for the best outcomes. Prof was more interested in knowing if this class had help change our notions at all. I thought about it and then told Prof that I felt before this TWC class, I was just indifferent to everything around me. But now I strongly think "why not"? As crazy and ridiculous an idea may sound, I will always be willing to give it a chance, as that is how a new technology begins and develops. I felt a bit embarrassed that I was ignorant to my surroundings. However, I am thankful to the help I received from this class in changing my perception of technology and that I have gone from being an ostrich to an eagle :)

Again the introductory remarks included us discussing some drivers for this type of development in future technology. Some of the reasons included wide-scale urbanization which has led to an increase in education among people consequentially leading to increase in demand for resources, easy technology, increased supply as a new demand for these products have been created. There seems to exist two types of products. One which is almost a necessity product, whose demand increases with the increase in the population, such as water, food, information, data, etc.; and the other type of product are those whose supply causes an increase in demand. For example, the apple iPhone, iPod, Tablets, etc. These are growing technologies, which are created with the need to keep up with the fast changing world. 

If you think about it, around 20 years ago, we were just starting to rely on communication to keep in touch with our loved ones within a small area. However, as the years have passed, we saw an increasing need to have technologies which helps us connect across cities and countries. Everybody needs a smartphone to connect, to find places through GPRS, to store memories in the form of pictures. All these are needs that humans developed, and didn't necessarily have. It is interesting to observe how much more the needs are going to increase in the future. The needs are going to change. New products will be needed, hence placing a huge importance on future technologies. 

Another important point that we studied in relation to the above point was augmented reality. This basically involves adding a layer of information between what one see's and the object itself. So say you walk past a restaurant, with the help of your phone, you are able to gain complete access to all the info about that restaurant. This augmented reality and smartphone technology is making the world a smaller place. 

Some interesting areas we looked at were- Nanotechnology, BioTechnologies, Robotics, computer based simulation technologies, etc. Through the presentations we understood some interesting technologies which are coming up. I think the nearest upcoming big technology is increasing commuting patterns. So new flight technology like jet packs and flying cars are gaining importance as people are looking for alternative ways of transporting which are easier and more effective. Again can you imagine? Our grandparents generation used their feet as the most trustworthy source of transport. Then slowly we moved to vehicles in our parents generation, and now we are currently trying to develop wings to fly. 

What a funny world we do live in? Where we stop and think back and can't remember yesterday because today is so different. I do think that future technologies are going to play a huge role in our lives and that vital importance must be given to the R and D that is going into these growing technologies. 
I did enjoy this class of TWC and learned quite a bit about emerging technologies, but more importantly on why they must be managed well and established correctly without causing any environmental damages. 

Ratings: 8.5/10 

Next week is my presentation. *butterflies* Hope it goes well :)
Waiting for the viral to hit again :)