Jiwoo Kim
Mr. Youell
Science E.
20 January 2015
3 promising inventions of 2014 that save resources
Year 2014 has been a
very progressive year for science, as we have improved technology to aid us in
our daily lives. However, mankind is close to hitting their limit as our
resources that has been taken for granted, are running out FAST! There was the
oil price decline crisis as OPEC (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting
Countries) failed to reach an agreement, sending the oil price tumbling from
$115 (June 2014) to below $70 as reported on www.vox.com. Events such as this, have led to lavish, and
wasteful use of limited resources such as water, oil, and coal.
Nonetheless, there have
been successful projects or discoveries that can greatly help to make a sustainable environment.
This blog will introduce you to the 3 most impactful inventions of
2014 that help us save resources.
Car that runs on air
Peugeot has invented a
hybrid car that needs nothing more than air to run, which is even greener than green hybrid electric cars.
How does it work?
This model Peugeot 2008 Hybrid Air's new
air-powered hybrid system consists of 3 cylinder petrol engines linked to a hydraulic
air motor, and a tank of compressed air and oil. On "air mode"(using
only air to run the car), the car runs on the hydraulic air motor which is
driven by pressurized air from the
air tank, like letting air out of an inflated balloon. The air that will be let
out by the air engine is kept under pressure by the captured energy from the
wheels and brakes. The diagram of the functional parts of the car is shown on figure 1. This car can drive at a speed of 43 miles per hour (equivalent
to 69km/h) solely on air, but will have to switch to hybrid or only petroleum
mode to run faster.
The invention of this car, that runs with 0
emission of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and without using fossil fuels up
to 43 m/h, is an incredible achievement. If this car is to be applied or
utilized in daily drives in great quantities from home to work, school, or
wherever, we will see remarkable
effects and greatly reduce the pollutant emissions, as well as the use of our
limited fossil fuels.
 |
| Figure 1 Diagram showing how the car works |
If fossil fuel can be saved by this hybrid car, a necessity of life, water, can be saved and utilized by the next invention to be introduced.
Portable filtering water bottle
Before we get started on the innovative water filter, let me explain how our planet can possibly be running out of fresh water! Our planet contains over a billion trillion litres of water but only 3% of water is safe to drink. Also, 2/3 of the fresh water is locked away in glaciers, and the majority of the rest is trapped in soil or underground aquifers, leaving us with only a tiny fraction to use.
Previous cleansing
techniques had significant flaws such as ceramic filters which could not filter
out some viruses that measured 25 billionth of a meter. Unlike any precedented products,
Lifesaver filtration system uses a handheld pump mechanism to force water from
the outside to the inside of a narrow coiled tube inside the device. The tube
parts have pores that are 15 nanometres wide, small enough to filter out
bacteria as well as viruses. For details and diagram of the lifesaver bottle, refer to Figure 2.
This product can utilize the great majority of water on our planet that has been locked away from our use. This lifesaver water bottle can make use of even the filthiest water and really save lives of those who die from thirst.
 |
| Figure 2 Diagram of the structure of the lifesaver bottle |
Another spectacular invention of the year 2014 can sound very stunning. It can generate light from nothing other than gravity!
Device that generates light from gravity
I found this amazing product, Gravity light on www.theengineer.co.uk. Gravity light is an
innovative device that can generate light from gravity. As shown in Figure 3,
you hang weights on the weight hook and as the weight descends, the potential
energy of the weight generates moderate light which can be used for approximately 25 minutes. The
brightness can be adjusted but the intervals in which you have to raise the
weight back up again will have to be altered accordingly.
According to the product website http://gravitylight.org/, This product is for the
1.3 billion people in the world that don't have access to electricity. Majority
of them rely on dangerous kerosene (potential risk for fire, higher chance of
cancer) for lighting because they can't afford expensive solar power grids.
This affordable product (costing around $5 U.S. dollars) can serve its purpose
of "help eradicate harmful and damaging effects of kerosene" to
preserve the environment and reduce the use of fossil fuels.
 |
Figure 3
Diagram of how gravity light generates light from gravity |
All these 3 inventions of 2014 are undoubtedly noteworthy, and each of them are significant feats. These inventions can potentially help to greatly reshape our world into a society that understands the finite resources on our planet, and works to preserve more, for a better future. I hope this opened your eyes to something new, and raised awareness on the limited resources and some promising products to solve the problem.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.