Sustainable Design Update

Invitrum Cabinets

Valcucine has designed a line of cabinets that are made from 100% recyclable materials.  While I’d like to see the Invitrum line become both 100% recycled content and 100% recyclable, but as-is these cabinets represent a big step in the right direction.

Working as a carpenter many years ago I remember many kitchen renovations where we ended up taking old cabinets to the landfill.  We now have good cabinet recycling options if the cabinets are in good condition, but after a long life most cabinets are not things most people want in their houses.

Invitrum cabinets have fewer parts than most cabinets and due to the ruggedness of the materials, they should last nearly forever.

From Valcucine:

Disassembled glass base unit

Products made of single materials have been used: 100% recyclable glass and aluminium. The structure can be completely disassembled and is connected by mechanical joints.

Non-toxic, without glues and easy to dispose of because the materials can be recycled.

Lengthy research into materials and into their limits of resistance have allowed Valcucine to revolutionise the furniture industry, producing the first 100% recyclable base unit in glass and aluminium. The production process of recycled aluminium has the advantage of consuming only one-twentieth of the energy needed to obtain primary aluminium. Traditional kitchens usually entail base units that are installed side-by-side, meaning that the chipboard side panel is double and can reach a thickness of 36mm; Valcucine, on the other hand, has developed the structure of its kitchen horizontally and uses a single carcass side in glass that is only 10mm thick.

• 100% recyclable
• 100% glass and aluminium
• No glues
• No formaldehyde emissions.
• Completely water-resistant
• Designed to be disassembled at the end of its life cycle

Treadle Pump (Sierra Magazine)

Nearly two billion people live off the grid or with very limited access to electricity.  If you live in slum cities with limited power or in rural parts where the power lines don’t reach,  lack of power limits your options in life and it causes unique environmental problems.  For one, if you light your home with candles, kerosene or battery operated lights, you create pollution at an alarming rate.

Recently  Sierra Magazine ran an article about what can be done to provide opportunity for people without electricity while helping the environment.  Sierra also mentions our work at The Appropriate Technology Collaborative and our efforts to help people with economically viable and sustainable technologies.

WITH 1.6 BILLION PEOPLE LIVING OFF THE GRID, the financial and environmental costs pile up quickly. Residents of the world’s poorest nations sometimes spend a third of their income on kerosene, a fuel that poisons lungs and poses a fire hazard; a kerosene lantern emits 550 pounds of carbon dioxide every year. Battery-powered lights are an option, but could result in mountains of tiny cylinders of toxic waste. Inexpensive devices that harness the sun and wind can supply small amounts of power, come from local materials, and create local jobs. The developing world’s population is expected to grow by 2.5 billion over the next 40 years, so these innovative energy savers can’t come soon enough.

More at:  Sierra Magazine

Check out: The Ferris Files

Carbon Capture DNA/Crystal Structure

UCLA chemists have created crystals that can capture carbon dioxide.  The crystals have a synthetic DNA like ability to encode information which is believed to be the key for carbon capture. This discovery could result in a new way to capture greenhouse gas emissions and could lead to cleaner energy and a host of new products - for example the structure could be used to create materials that convert carbon dioxide into new fuel!

From Green Design and Manufacturing:

“We created three-dimensional, synthetic DNA-like crystals,” said UCLA chemistry and biochemistry professor Omar M. Yaghi. “We have taken organic and inorganic units and combined them into a synthetic crystal which codes information in a DNA-like manner. It is by no means as sophisticated as DNA, but it is certainly new in chemistry and materials science.”

“What we think this will be important for is potentially getting to a viable carbon dioxide-capture material with ultra-high selectivity,” said Yaghi. “Potentially, we could create a material that can convert carbon dioxide into a fuel, or a material that can separate carbon dioxide with greater efficiency.”

Yaghi worked with Hexiang “DJ” Deng, a UCLA graduate student of chemistry and biochemistry.

“DNA is a beautiful molecule that has a way to code for information,” Yaghi said. “How do you code information in a crystal in the same way that DNA does? DJ and I figured out a way to do this. The sequence of organic functionalities that decorates the pores of the crystals is most certainly a unique code. DJ has illustrated that one member of a series of materials he has made has 400 percent better performance in carbon dioxide capture than one that does not have the same code.”

More at:  Green Design and Manufacturing

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Photo: carbon-capture-crystals-cnsi.ucla

Prototype DIY Nickel Iron Battery

Appropriate Technology Collaborative and Michigan State University Nickel Iron Battery Project

Nickel Iron Batteries have been around for a long time.  Edison patented one in 1903, and he wasn’t the inventor.  The batteries are rechargeable and they last a very long time.  Some NiFe batteries have been in service for over 50 years.

The materials that make up the battery are relatively non-toxic compared with what we are using in our cars and cell phones these days.  So, why don’t we use NiFe in our cell phones?

There are two big draw-backs to the NiFe battery.  1.  They need to be BIG.  Imagine carrying around a common brick attached to your cell.  You get the picture.  The energy density of the NiFe is pretty low.  2.  They are expensive.  Right now the only place to get NiFe batteries is a company that imports them from China.  Shipping adds to the high cost.

We are looking at NiFe batteries to go with our small home energy systems for low income people around the world.  In a rural setting a NiFe battery could be the best compliment to a solar, wind or other renewable energy system.  Solar lasts 20 - 40 years, so do LED lights, why shouldn’t the batteries?

The engineers working on our NiFe Battery are a Capstone Engineering design team from Michigan State University.  The team has made several prototypes and is making up a “cook book” on how to make your own batteries.

In developing countries we will work with local trades people to make batteries and service them in our renewable energy projects.  Instead of purchasing batteries from overseas we can source most of the parts we need locally.  This will create more jobs in the countries where we work while providing long term solutions for people who live off the grid.  A win-win-win!  (jobs, clean tech, access to electricity)

We plan on updating this site with developments as they happen.  Final documents will be available at www.apptechdesign.org

Burj Khalifa - Closed

The world’s tallest skyscraper has unexpectedly closed just a month after it opened. The viewing area had been the only portion of the 2,717 foot building open to the public and it is now indefinitely closed amid Dubai’s struggle to revive it’s economy.

Electrical problems are at least partly to blame for the closure of the Burj Khalifa.  But little has been reported by the spire’s owner leaving it unclear if any of the empty floors will be open any time soon.

From Archinet:

The precise cause of the £960m ($1.5bn) Dubai skyscraper’s temporary shutdown remained unclear. In a brief statement responding to questions, the building’s owner, Emaar Properties, blamed the closure on “unexpected high traffic”, but then suggested that electrical problems were also at fault.

“Technical issues with the power supply are being worked on by the main and subcontractors and the public will be informed upon completion,” the company said, adding it is “committed to the highest quality standards at Burj Khalifa”.

More at: Archinet

Related Posts:

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Green Engineering

I just received a link to a great post at a blog for online engineering degrees.  Don’t let the focus of the blog put you off, this is a great source of green tech info.

From the intro:

The Engineering A Better World Blog is about applying the general principles of engineering; testing, method, research, creativity, and artistry, to our world in a very practical way. By highlighting the creative work of others and by presenting new ideas, we’ll attempt to improve the world around us in our little way. Practically speaking, we’ll cover new ideas, highlight people who are making a difference, and provide resources to inspire you and give you the resources to assist you in changing the world for the better as well.

A Sample of Green Engineering Blogs:

1.  Green Engineering Blog at Design News : Design News editor-in-chief John Dodge weighs in on how engineering and technology can incorporate environmentally-friendly elements into as many projects as possible. Many of the other blogs on the site feature similar valuable content as well.

2. Environmental Engineering Diary : Environmental engineer Arie Dipareza Syafei covers numerous aspects of his chosen field, serving as both a primer and introduction for newcomers and a sounding board for professionals. Many posts concern his graduate research into membranes.

3. Environmental Engineering Blog : This multidisciplinary blog relates environmental issues and green initiatives back to engineering and technology, and posts touch upon a wide variety of related subjects. Politics, law, geology, and real estate all determine how environmental engineers develop products for a healthier planet.

4. Environmental Engineering at Suffolk : Students and staff at Suffolk University discuss their personal projects as well as environmental engineering trends and topics from around the world. Most posts, however, understandably tend to focus on Massachusetts.

It looks like the Engineering a Better World Blog may become a new source for good information on green tech, if it can become independent from the online University blog …

More at:  50 Must-Read Green Engineering Blog

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