Transcript Enviromental Issues Within Electrical Engineering

Environmental Issues Within
Electrical Engineering
Issue:
The process of many facets of
Engineering can be somewhat
harmful to the environment and the
organisms that live in the
surrounding ecosystem.
• Example Issues would include:
– Harmful effects of a coal burning power plant.
• Carbon Dioxide/Carbon Monoxide
– Increase in Carbon Dioxide depletes oxygen content in
atmosphere.
– Carbon Monoxide is lethal to living organisms and it’s
presence is undetectable by most mammals.
• Acid rain/Air pollutants
– Acid rain is a product of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
– Greatly effects plants and trees, as well as decreases the PH
balance of fresh and salt water
• Global Warming.
• Particulate matters damage to living organisms.
– “Coal Miners Disease”
– Other assorted cardiac and respiratory diseases
• Electronics Manufacturing Waste Disposal (e-Waste):
– Lead from Solder is a metabolic poison in
mammals.
– Mercury found in monitors, tubes and switches is
also a metabolic poison and can effect brain
function.
– Cadmium found in batteries, alloys and light
sensitive sensors can contaminate soils, cause
lung damage if inhaled and kidney damage if
ingested
– Brominated Flame Retardants cause nervous
system and liver damage.
• Wind Farm Issues:
– Huge effect on the surrounding environments
flying organism population due to strikes during
migration of birds/bats.
– Negligible effect of noise pollution on surrounding
human population.
– Possible increase in relative cold due to
convection currents during winter, and cooling
during summer months (possible benefit to
certain crops).
• Coal power: www.iea.org
• E-waste: http: www.epa.gov
–http://inece.org/
Social Impact
• As engineers, what are our responsibilities to
society regarding the decisions we make during
the design process?
Electricity
Telephone
Internet
Case Study: Napster
Invented by Sean Parker & Shawn
Fanning
Excellent technology and design for
sharing files via Internet
Facilitated illegal activities (copyright
infringement)
Started the decline of CD sales,
Huge effect on the music industry
Who is liable for how
technologies/products are used?
www.torrentsecurity.com
Social Responsibility
Engineers must understand they design
systems, products & processes that
effect the public in many ways
Examples: bridges, buildings, power
systems, modes of transportation ,
medical equipment, forms of
communication
Almost every element of design work
can have a public impact/consequence
The public must feel they can trust that
engineers will develop products that are
well-designed and safe
As engineers we must consider the
potential effects on society in all of our
engineering designs
www.siderealview.worldpress.com
Social Unrest
Don’t be that
engineer!
Politics in Engineering
• Engineering had been involved politics since the creation
of Government.
• War dramatically increases engineering efforts.
• Congress regularly debates bills on highly complex,
technology-related issues
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energy policy
fuel economy standards
climate change
cybercrime
food safety
• Few legislators bring technical expertise to their deliberations.
World Leaders
http://www.economist.com/node/13496638
USA vs. China
United States
China
• Obamas Cabinet:
• Hu Jintao:
– Obama – Harvard Law
– Hillary Clinton
(secretary of state) –
Yale Law
– Eric Holder (Attorneygeneral) – Columbia
Law
– Joe Biden (Vice
president) – Syracuse
Law
– Leon Panetta (Director
of CIA) –Santa Clara Law
– Hu (president) –
Hydraulic engineer
• His predecessor, Jiang
Zemin – electrical
engineer
– Wen Jiabao (prime
minister) – Geological
engineer
– Politburo's standing
committee (senor body
of communist party)
• 8 out 9 are engineers,
1 is a lawyer
Engineering in War
• Wars are won by having an upper hand.
Engineering new technologies can provided
this upper hand.
Engineering in War
• Civil War:
– Railroads
– Gatling Gun
– Telegraph
• Not invented in this time
but used extensively
– Barbed wire
– Rifled gun barrels
http://bigdesignevents.com/2012/02/fiveinnovations-from-the-civil-war/
Engineering in War
• World War 1
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Tanks
Flamethrowers
Poison Gas
Air Traffic Control
• Radio telegraph messages
exchanged in flight
• Range of 140 miles
– Aircraft Carriers
– Mobile X-rays
http://mentalfloss.com/article/31882/12technological-advancements-world-war-i
Engineering in War
• World War 2
– Pressurized Airplane
Cabins
– RADAR
• Not invented but
implemented heavily
– Control Systems
• Used to guide missles
– Jet Engines
– Nuclear Power
– …continued
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/general/1286
401/top-10-technical-innovations-of-worldwar-2/9
Engineering in War
• WW2 led to the creation of the first computer.
• It was used to decode German encrypted messages
Space Race Engineering
• Satellites
– Long distance
Communications
– GPS
• Satellite Dishes
• MRI’s and CAT scans
• Cordless power tools
– For drilling moon rock
• Memory foam
American Politics Today
https://www.deloitte.com/assets/DcomAustralia/Local%20Assets/Documents/Industries/Government%20Services/Pu
blic%20Sector/Deloitte_DefenseUAV_DI_CaseStudy_2Apr2012.pdf
American Politics Today
• Drones Uses:
• Military and Intelligence
– Reconnaissance /Surveillance
– Strike
– Close combat support
• Clearing buildings
• Security
– Policing
– Border Patrol / Perimeter security
• Environmental, emergency
response and infrastructure
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Surveillance
Storm and weather monitoring
Search and rescue
Emergency management
• wild-fire monitoring, suppression,
and fire-crew information tool)
• Drone Facts:
– First used by George W. Bush but
used much more heavily under
Obama.
• Due to increases in technology and
political views.
– Exact number of strikes unknown.
Engineering in Politics, Conclusions
• In general, politicians are “Big Picture” oriented.
• Politicians negotiate highly complex, technologyrelated issues without technical expertise.
– The solutions are left up to engineers
• Wars prompt engineering growth.
The Design Process
Problem and Problem Statement
You want me to build
WHAT?!


Is that even possible?
Problem Statement: Manufactureability Case Study
Alternative Solutions
Deadlines, Peer Pressure,
Pride, Management, Money,
Career Advancement, etc.
 Do not let outside pressures
compromise your ethics
 Case study:
<http://ethics.tamu.edu/Portals/3/1992Cases/
AcknowledgingMaistake/ethics.tamu.eduar_usa
way.pdf>
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Analysis of Solution

Honesty, Conflict of Interests, Pride, Deadlines
Speak with
Case study:
Honesty
<http://ethics.tamu.edu/Portals
/3/1992Cases/Acknowledging
Think with
Maistake/ethics.tamu.edu_
Sincerity
pritchar_failure.pdf>
Act with
Integrity

The Decision
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Decide which of the solutions best fit the
problem
Don't force a square peg into a round hole
Conclusion

Use your best judgement in everything
you do!
Always think things through!
Resources:
Case Studies:
http://ethics.tamu.edu
www.kevinkennedyassociates.com
www.justice.gov

Images:
http://www.wirelessduniya.com (RFID)
(coil)
http://electricandelectronicsworld.blogspot.com
http://www.yankodesign.com (Crane)
http://www.designdazzling.com (Decision Path)

Sustainable Engineering Practices
Issue:
 One time use of materials used in the
manufacturing of electronics is diminishing the
finite resources of the planet.
 Also is the cause of greater conflicts and
occurrences such as slavery, genocide and civil
war.
 This model for electronic material collection is
not sustainable.
 And is the creator of the term “Conflict
Minerals”.
Materials Used In Electronics
Manufacturing
Gold: Used in semiconductors, switches and
relays for contact surfaces.
Tantalum: Used in capacitors and high
powered resistors.
Tin: Used in solder.
Tungsten: Used for its density and hardness, in
tools such as drill bits and cell phone
vibration motors.
Materials are mined around the world…
Tantalum is produced from Columbite.
Tungsten is produced from Wolframite.
Tin is produced from Cassiterite.
Guess what gold is produced from!
The issue with these materials:
 These materials are present in various locations
throughout the world, but the most infamous
place is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
 In the DRC millions of slaves are utilized by armed
rebel groups and adjoining Government agencies
to acquire the estimated 20+ trillion dollars in
minerals in the soil.
 These slaves are subjected to the worse lifestyle
that can possibly be lived.
Cont….
These minerals are transported out of the DRC
and sold out of the adjoining countries:
Rwanda, Burundi, Central African Republic,
Uganda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia,
Angola and the Congo Republic.
Why this matters….
 “Conflict Minerals” are a modern day reality for
the people of the DRC as well as its surrounding
countries but they will represent the future
model of all first world nations as the finite
resources of the world are consumed and these
nations fight for last remaining minerals.
 The only way to prevent this is to develop a much
more sustainable model of use and reuse of
these limited resources.
Resource Management
 Recycling used and out-of-date electronics is
the first step in becoming less dependent on
mining and the subsequent depletion of
mined resources for the manufacturing of
future electronics.
citations
• Columbite picture: (30 cm specimen)
http://hyperphysics.phy-ast
• Cassiterite picture: (Tin)
http://hyperphysics.phyastr.gsu.edu/hbase/minerals/cassiterite.html#c1
• Wolframite picture: (Tungsten)
http://webmineral.com/specimens/picshow.php?id=1231&tar
get=Wolframite
• Gold: (Semiconductors, switches)
http://hyperphysics.phyastr.gsu.edu/hbase/geophys/gold.html#c1
r.gsu.edu/hbase/minerals/Columbite.html#c1
Health and Safety
• Hazardous Waste
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Ignitable
Corrosive
Reactivity
Toxic
Environmental
Protection Agency has
500 chemicals listed
Health and Safety
• Fracking is a process used to release natural gases
• 1-8 gallons of water and 40,000 gallons of 600
different carcinogens and toxins per fracturing
• High pressure causes rock to crack and natural
gas to flow into the well by punctures
• Ground water is contaminated from methane gas
and toxic chemicals
• Damages respiratory, senses, neurological system
Health and Safety
How?
• Electrical Overloading
• Electrical Discharge
• Electrical heating
What results?
• Excess heat
• Flammable
• Component/Components
may not work
citation
• Hazardous Materials. 2012. Mt. Leban on Fire
Department, Pitsburgh. Web. 28 Feb 2013.
<http://mtlfd.org/emergency-services/haz-mat/>.