Challenges to Help Engineer a Better World - Engineering's Grand Challenges

It seems that the unifying characteristic that defines engineers across the board is: problem solving. No matter what particular field of focus or technical expertise, whether it is design, drawings, manufacturing, production or maintenance, an engineer will typically be the go-to problem solver.

So, when a panel of experts compiles a list of Engineering's Grand Challenges, it is a way for society as a whole to call on engineers to solve the greatest problems of our time. Although, in this sense, these engineers, or technological architects, will include inventors, researchers, high school students, hackers and just about anybody that is willing to learn, think up novel solutions and work ideas into real, usable products.

One of the popular categories of the Grand Challenges is solar energy. Recent discovery in this field addresses the issue of cleaning solar panels in hot, dusty climates where such technology is likely to be deployed in earnest. Originally developed for use on mars, self-cleaning solar panels uses an alternating electric current on the surface of panels to sweep charged dust particles across the surface. [TR] Ultimately, this sort of rethinking is directly in tune with the goals of the Grand Challenge: innovative solutions.


Sorry, but I could not prevent the video from starting automatically.

The categories for the Grand Challenges are:

• Make solar energy economical
• Manage the nitrogen cycle
• Advance health informatics
• Prevent nuclear terror
• Advance personalized learning
• Provide energy from fusion
• Provide access to clean water
• Engineer better medicines
• Secure cyberspace
• Engineer the tools of scientific discovery
• Develop carbon sequestration methods
• Restore and improve urban infrastructure
• Reverse-engineer the brain
• Enhance virtual reality

Each of these is discussed in greater detail on the Grand Challenges website. They feature interesting comments, media and links to additional resources. Although the site does not satisfy as a one-stop shop for finding out where the cutting edge research is happening for these fields or how to get involved, it is a great source of inspiration! Find out more at: http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/challenges.aspx.

There are many other avenues beyond the three covered in this series through which you can help engineer a better world. The worst thing to do is nothing. Do some research. Join or organize a team. Register for a project. Or, just spread the word. Thanks for reading!

Go to part:          1          2          3

Challenges to Help Engineer a Better World - X Prizes

I recently wrote about the excitement revolving around solar-powered vehicles and autonomous vehicles. Another recent mention of the future of vehicles in the news has been the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE race whose winners were announced on September 16, 2010. The essence of the X PRIZE is unrivaled innovation spurred by competition within small teams. This was indeed the case with the recent winner Very Light Car, a four-passenger vehicle by Edison2 which recorded an impressive 102.5 MPGe (Miles Per Gallon Gasoline equivalent)
X Prize

The X PRIZE Foundation is a non-profit organization rooted in the belief that dedicated teams in pursuit of a prize can revolutionize the world and benefit humanity. The idea is that "an X PRIZE incites innovation by tapping into our competitive and entrepreneurial spirits." - http://www.xprize.org/x-prizes/overview . The original X PRIZE, renamed the Ansari X PRIZE, was awarded to Mojave Aerospace Ventures' SpaceShipOne on October 4, 2004 in the amount of US $10 million.

Winning this prize was no easy fit. As described on the website, the winner must launch a spacecraft capable of carrying three (3) passengers to 100km above the Earth's surface and repeat this, within two weeks. SpaceShipOne did just that! Also, by successfully completing this momentous spaceflight without significant government assistance, a new industry of private spaceflight was ignited, flames of which are just now being seen [LAT].

Now, don't be gloom if you missed your shot at the Ansari X PRIZE, there are two other active prizes. Here are all of them so far:

• Ansari X PRIZE - $10,000,000 (Won by SpaceShipOne) - Carry 3 people to 100km above the Earth's surface twice within 2 weeks.
• Progressive Automotive X PRIZE - $10,000,000 ($5m Won by Very Light Car) - 100MPGe production-capable car that is also safe, affordable and desirable for consumers.
• Archon Genomics X PRIZE - $10,000,000 - Sequence 100 human genomes in 10 days for less than $10k per genome.
• Google Lunar X PRIZE -  $30,000,000 - Safely land a robot on the moon which subsequently travels 500m on the lunar surface while sending images and data back to Earth. Hurry, deadline for registration is December 31, 2010!

There are also several other X Prizes coming down the pipeline, so keep a look out and start getting your team ready today. Learn more about future X Prizes here: http://www.xprize.org/future-x-prizes.


If the humanitarian aspect is more in tune with your aspirations, then the United Nations' Millenium Development Goals might be your niche. Otherwise, if you're looking to innovate on the very leading edge of engineering and technology in almost all aspects of society, take a look at the Grand Challenges for Engineering as compiled by the National Academy of Engineering. These Grand Challenges comprise the greatest impedances to social advancement at the time when the panel of experts was convened to compile the resource. They serve as a benchmark for the leading edge in technology and the trailing edge in social development producing an inspirational perspective of how far we've come, yet how much more we are facing right now. It is a call to action for engineers and all other members of society, sitting idly by while the world spins is no longer acceptable. It is vital that we contribute our time, talent, education and innovation in whatever ways we can - the Grand Challenges are a good way to start exploring. Click here to continue reading >>

Go to part:          1          2          3

Challenges to Help Engineer a Better World - Millennium Development Goals

.
The General Assembly of the United Nations in New York wrapped up today [AP] with stern rhetoric regarding the need for novel, sustained action beyond rhetoric on the part of delegates. Ultimately though, failed talks on war, nuclear proliferation and the irreverent provocations of Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, are in stark contrast to the only significant take-away from the assembly: reaffirmation of anti-poverty efforts through the Millennium Development Goals.


Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
The United Nations convened for the Millennium Summit in September 2000 and committed to a fifteen-year deadline for combating extreme poverty and the myriad preventable health issues facing women and children across the developing world. The Millennium Development Goals are eight (8) definite milestones toward the elimination of such poverty and disease by 2015 and improving the general welfare of the global human society:

• End Poverty and Hunger
• Universal Education
• Gender Equality
• Child Health
• Maternal Health
• Combat HIV/AIDS
• Environmental Sustainability
• Global Partnership

These are lofty goals indeed, but the UN is an organization steep in such radical idealism, without which, the gloom and hopelessness of reality can not be dispelled. Ultimately though, the MDG's are a challenge to policy-makers, non-profit organizations and citizens of both the developing and the developed world to seriously tackle such monolithic problems with innovation and determination.


Fast forward to this past week, the UN summit manages to secure US $40 billion over the next five years to specifically address the portions of the MDGs regarding Women's and Children's Health. Although the pledged amount alone is not sufficient to solve any of these problems entirely, it is an encouraging reminder of the dedication of the international community to fulfill it's promises to the developing world. To find out more, visit the gateway for the efforts at: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/.


Now, if you're looking for other big ideas on how to improve the state of our world, look no further than the X PRIZE! The X Prizes are a distinct and widely recognizable avenue of innovation and technological development. Click here to continue reading >>


Go to part:          1          2          3

Solar Vehicles - Pushing the Bounds of Technology and Design

Mechanical Bike 
I've been doing a lot of work on my sister's bike recently and pretty much merged the parts of my older bike into it. After replacing a few parts and several failed attempts to tune the brakes, I finished today and went on a much anticipated victory lap around our neighborhood. Now, I put a lot of effort into this Frankenstein of a bike just to get it moving (and stopping) well, so I have much respect for a guy that can make a bike run on the sun. That's right, a solar bike!

Solar Electric Bike
Hama Zero's Fujin is an electric bike which can charge it's batteries using sunlight. It runs up to 45mph, which is suitable for most roads and should be able to complete a 30-mi trip with just a 9-hour bath in the sun. In the video below, the creator of the bike, Mr. Yamawaki, discusses the bike and the inspiration for reducing it's rolling friction.



The reason such technology is so interesting to me is more than just amazement at the workmanship that it takes, but also it's influence on and statement about the current industry of solar energy: On The Go!

Mobile Energy Sparks Imagination
It seems that everywhere you look, solar energy is taking to the streets, the skies, and even in space! There seems to be a general shift in the design paradigm at the fringes of engineering and technology. While the production industry is focused on improved efficiency and lowering costs, the design side is looking to meet non-traditional needs to renew excitement about the technology. Sure when we hear news about full scale photovoltaic plants being built, concentrating solar power generators and even government rebates for home installations, we get excited. But what really ignites the imagination is news about solar briefcases for third-world healthcare and stuff like this: Solar power on a bike. Wow!


Solar On The Move
I don't know why such technology strikes a deep harmonious tune with me. Maybe it's the stark contrast to oil spills, atmospheric pollution and exploding oil rigs. It could also be the faint dream of perpetually available, free energy - a beautiful, though fanciful dream indeed. Nontheless, I chose to put together a quick mock-up of solar vehicles that I have heard about recently in the news:

Solar Motorcycle - Fujin
http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/05/hama-zeros-solar-bike-fujin-runs-thanks-to-the-sun-not-on-it/
I would give anything to get my hands on this thing!

Solar Car - Infinium

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/30/students-go-sun-day-drive

Solar car's are not brand new, but a nod from the White House gives the impression that these achievements are nothing to be sneezed at. 

Solar Plane - Solar Impulse

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10550430 [+VIDEO]
Heard about this guy, Bertrand Piccard, and his plan to fly without fuel sometime last year, so it was almost surreal when I heard his plane completed a 26-hour flight! Flying through day and night without a single drop of fuel is the amazing brand of inspiration that can effect a true paradigm shift regarding solar power.

Solar Satellite - IKAROS

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/solar-sail-spacecraft-100902.html
Solar panels have indeed been used in space for decades now, but never has the power of the sun been harnessed to provide thrust anywhere. IKAROS, a Japanese probe, recently demonstrated that it has actually gained thrust from the incidence of light from the sun alone. That, is AWESOME!  So, not only can you utilize sunlight in photovoltaics and solar thermal applications, you can also propel a craft with sunlight using a solar sail.

It seems that though it is difficult to predict the realistic potential for solar energy to expand in the energy market without financial incentives (carbon tax, etc), the imaginative potential for it's use is vast and seemingly limitless. 

--
I'm sorry if the collection of articles seems somewhat incongruent. I did not go hunting for these articles, I just ran across them through my regular news consumption (various blogs and podcast references).

BP's Unnatural Disaster in the Gulf

After much consternation and mayhem, it seems that public attention and media coverage on the gulf coast has finally waned somewhat. However, one of the scientists I work with asked me: As an engineer, what do you think of the whole situation with the oil spill? Now, talk about a loaded question. Luckily, I had read through the SPE and ASME releases and had been fairly updated on the situation due to the incessant media coverage through TV, blogs, podcasts and more.

Avoiding the Blowout

My very limited understanding of the situation is that the blowout preventers may have malfunctioned for several different reasons and it is likely that it is not just the result of a single fault.

Taken from Mechanical Engineering magazine by ASME

Oil and natural gas in formation are under a lot of pressure. Well drilling operations will usually stop short of puncturing the reservoir and instead the well is cemented until production. In the case of an overpressurefrom reservoir forcing fluid up the pipe during drilling, blowout preventers are installed in order to seal off the drill pipe. Blowout preventers are hydraulic-powered shear rams which are meant to crush the drill pipe and form a seal.

In the Macondo blowout, the 450-ton, ten-year-old Cameron blowout preventer valves failed to function properly. The blowout preventer’s shear rams designed to cut through the drill pipe and seal it also failed to function. As a result, large volumes of oil and gas reached the rig floor and resulted in an explosion, loss of life, and sinking of the drilling rig. The continued escape of large volumes of hydrocarbons has created the massive oil spill that began hit the Louisiana coast in mid-May. 

The possible reasons for this failure are numerous, but the few listed in Mechanical Engineering magazine include:

1. Age - Although not a specific failure mode, ageing may contribute to wear and tear that may have not been identified during maintenance but lead to catastrophic failure.
2. Modifications - I don't understand what modifications were done, but these may have introduced elements that do not have a predictable effect on system safety.
3. Valve-failure - leakage of hydraulic fluid may have been sufficient to cause failure
4. Drill Pipe - thicker than standard drill pipe required for use at such depths under water may have been beyond the power of the blowout preventer shear rams.

Such issues are ultimately preventable but it was the combination of failures in critical systems that doomed the Deepwater Horizon. 

Spilling Blame

Now, just as the Mechanical Engineering article suggests, I agree that it is much too early to parcel out blame for the gulf disaster. However, when pressed to make the judgement call I had to provide a somewhat reasonable assessment.

I feel that ultimately, BP owns the well and essentially is responsible for the entire operation, although, separate components of the project were contracted to Transocean (drilling) and Halliburton (cementing). The faulty blowout preventer was likely a product under the supervision Transocean which faults them directly for the failure of the device. Such failure, however, is bound to happen when the predominant atmosphere regarding safety is lax and the focus has shifted to profitability.

Taken from Mechanical Engineering magazine by ASME

Large oil companies, in order to meet unwavering consumer demand for their products, are driven economically to produce and do so with minimal delays, especially when bureaucratic delays plague efforts to drill off the coast of the US. In meeting these challenges however, oil companies seem to have blatantly chosen to abandon safety in favor of the bottom line: Some continually push for access to greater drilling resources behind a ruse that it can be done safely and and reliably. Meanwhile, countless offshore rigs and wells continuously leak oil into the ocean at a mind-blowing rate although most can be prevented with better management, maintenance and replacement of aged equipment. What this disaster has shown me is that though the technology behind finding and producing oil and gas is growing at an amazing rate, it is ultimately the individuals and the cultures surrounding the technology that will chart the course for safety in the future.

1. There needs to be vigilant dedication to safety in all industries and at all levels
2. Industry-leaders need to consider the global implications of each project in addressing operational strategies and in selecting contractors
3. Public relations is a relationship, not just multi-million dollar ad campaigns. It is a dedication to safety in the product or service that is provided. It should start with engineering, not marketing.

So, this is not a time for blame. It is a time to remember that lives were lost as a result of ultimately preventable failures. It is a call to action and a call to change. This disaster has revealed major weaknesses in the strategies and technologies of the oil and gas industry. Action must be taken to improve awareness and dedication to safety and changes must be made to address the weaknesses in technology and response strategies  in order to restore public confidence in off-shore drilling and petroleum engineering.

If you are interested in finding out more about deepwater drilling and the Macondo well blowout, download the TechStuff Oil Drilling podcast, and read the Avoiding the Blowout feature in Mechanical Engineering and the somewhat superfluous FAQ on drilling and the spill from SPE. To find the Oil drilling podcast online, in the widget below, click Podcasts then select Oil Drilling Tech from the list.

ENGENIUS CHALLENGE

The answer to last week's riddle: What am I?

     A Snowflake!

Yeah, not a very tough riddle, but it's an original! I might try to write another someday soon.

For this week's challenge, head over to Fantastic Contraption and see how far you can get! I got to level 8 and could go further with more time. It is a really fun game but they have recently added ad-support which you will need to skip and live with - I wish they hadn't added so many ads.