Sustainability

This project supports ECE 379 – WI Make Sustainability, a pilot interdisciplinary makerspace centered class on sustainability using Garage Physics (Fall 2013) by Prof. Duncan Carlsmith (duncan@hep.wisc.edu), Prof. Erica Halverson ( erhalverson@education.wisc.edu), Prof. Giri Ventkataramanan, giri@engr.wisc.edu) Contact Prof. Giri Ventkataramanan to enroll.

This class and project supports sustainability locally and world wide and the mission of the UW-Madison Office of Sustainability:

"The University of Wisconsin–Madison is embarking on an ambitious plan to integrate and enhance research and education thrusts in sustainability science and practice across all parts of campus. The University has a long history of scholarship in a broad range of topics relevant to sustainability, ranging from using recycled industrial materials in infrastructure to ensuring the sustainability of rural agricultural communities.

Creating solutions to the sustainability challenges of the future will require integrated teams and a comprehensive approach that address coupled sustainability problems such as water, finance, energy, health, food and community. Addressing these challenges in practice will require an educated workforce that has been trained to consider sustainability broadly."

This project page

Get involved and informed by attending events of the student sustainability council http://sustainability.wisc.edu/opportunities/student-engagement/. Start an R&D project in the Garage.

Ideas

Check out Startuply. Click on "startup companies" then select "cleantech." http://www.startuply.com/Startups/

Check out a WANDA report on greening the Middle east: http://www.wamda.com/2013/06/csr-a-tool-for-sustainable-development-in-the-middle-east-report

Southeastern universities Clean Energy Challenge http://www.accnrg.com/

Resources

UW-Madison Office of Sustainability http://sustainability.wisc.edu/

WE CONSERVE http://conserve.wisc.edu/hm.html

US Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy http://www.eere.energy.gov/

USAID Development Innovation Ventures http://www.usaid.gov/div

Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN) http://www.usaid.gov/hesn

Classes

ECE 379 – WI Make Sustainability, a pilot interdisciplinary makerspace centered class on sustainability using Garage Physics (Fall 2013) by Prof. Duncan Carlsmith (duncan@hep.wisc.edu), Prof. Erica Halverson ( erhalverson@education.wisc.edu), Prof. Giri Ventkataramanan, giri@engr.wisc.edu) Contact Prof. Giri Ventkataramanan to enroll.

Physics 115 Energy MWF 11am-11:50am Chamberlin 2241

Great Lakes Energy Biofuels course http://www.glbrc.org/education/programs/sustainable-biofuels-course

Search for other UW classes with keywords "energy" and "sustainability" https://portal.isispub.wisc.edu:7052/psp/public/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/COMMUNITY_ACCESS.CLASS_SEARCH.GBL

Research Programs and Funding sources

http://sustainability.wisc.edu/research/

DoE Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative http://www1.eere.energy.gov/energymanufacturing/funding_opportunities.html

Competitions

DoE Solar Decathalon competition: http://www.solardecathlon.gov/about.html.

Ideas for projects

Smart trash

What do you think would happen if your trash can had an electronic lock only you and the trash truck could open and an rf tag ID to identify it as yours and you paid by the pound for trash removal as measured by and identified by the truck and were billed like for electricity and water?

You would buy bulk, avoid and reuse containers and so on I think. Cut trash a factor of two? Retailers would accomodate. It would be a fair system that could pay for itself. We already weigh "large items" for pickup I believe in Madison. Carlsmith needs some folks to study and prototype this.

UW Madison first? Ideas for a premium solar powered with built in scale trash can that tell the user the weight? (Must not be adjustable by the user!) Shows a smiley face when empty that turns into a frown? A built in scale could wirelessly transmit the weight to the city so the truck wouldn't stop unless necessary. Or the user could push a request pickup button when it is full and it could broadcast that request wirelessly immediately to the city and the city route trucks accordingly.

Other smart trashcans:

Big Belly: http://bigbellysolar.com/, http://thinkgreen.com/point-of-view?pid=13 There are issues...

Green inventors: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OrTA57alO0k&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DOrTA57alO0k

Combined power systems

Micro power system - low voltage power from cooking stove. (see Thermoelectric Devices under projects https://wiki.physics.wisc.edu/garage/Thermoelectric%20devices)

Truly micro refrigeration - refrigeration from cooking stove. http://www.ted.com/talks/adam_grosser_and_his_sustainable_fridge.html

Micro combined heat and power -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_combined_heat_and_power http://www.marathonengine.com/

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CE0QFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nist.gov%2Fel%2Fupload%2F5-2-Cocking-Ecopower.pdf&ei=2V0CUvmBG-qEygHnv4G4Aw&usg=AFQjCNHCuOl1E7w6R53LZ6-Sh8z5p9UsGg&bvm=bv.50310824,d.aWc

Einstein's refrigerator - http://www-old.me.gatech.edu/energy/andy_phd/one.htm#I

Thermoacoustic devices

Ben and Jerry's went to thermoacoustic green refrigerators thanks to Penn State University: http://www.acs.psu.edu/thermoacoustics/refrigeration/benandjerrys.htm

Cooking with sound: new stove/generator/refrigerator combo aimed at developing nations http://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2007/05/new-stove-generator-refrigerator-combo-aimed-at-developing-nations/

Green Technology for Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration that uses Thermoacoustic Technology http://www.coolsound.us/

A sound way to turn heat into electricity http://phys.org/news100141616.html

http://www.qdrive.com/UI/default.aspx

Hilsch-Ranque Vortex Tube http://www.oberlin.edu/physics/catalog/demonstrations/thermo/vortextube.html http://www.exair.com/en-US/Primary%20Navigation/Products/Vortex%20Tubes%20and%20Spot%20Cooling/Vortex%20Tubes/Pages/Vortex%20Tube.aspx

3d printing

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2013/07/24/vincennes-u-promotes-sustainability-cuts-costs-with-3d-printing-technology.aspx?=CT21&m=1

Batteries

Environmentally friendly battery made from wood http://www.rdmag.com/news/2013/07/environmentally-friendly-battery-made-wood?et_cid=3386363&et_rid=517740405&type=cta , Tin Anode for Sodium-Ion Batteries Using Natural Wood Fiber as a Mechanical Buffer and Electrolyte Reservoir

Photovoltaics

A direct thin-film path towards low-cost large-area III-V photovoltaics http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130724/srep02275/full/srep02275.html

Plastic solar cells’ new design promises bright future http://www.rdmag.com/news/2013/08/plastic-solar-cells%E2%80%99-new-design-promises-bright-future?et_cid=3423200&et_rid=517740405&type=cta

NRL develops low-cost, high-efficiency solar sensor http://www.rdmag.com/news/2013/08/nrl-develops-low-cost-high-efficiency-solar-sensor?et_cid=3419079&et_rid=517740405&type=cta

Self: Sustainability