Bangladesh: World Bank approves US$300 m for gas sector

on 24/10/2023

The World Bank has approved 300 million US dollars to help Bangladesh improve the efficiency of gas distribution and end-use through prepaid metering systems for residential and industrial consumers and reduce methane emissions along the natural gas value chain.
The Gas Sector Efficiency Improvement and Carbon Abatement Project will address natural gas leakage and losses along the gas transmission and distribution network, reduce wastage in use by residential and industrial users, and strengthen network monitoring capabilities, said the Washington-based lender in a statement received here Friday. It will install more than 1.2 million prepaid gas meters in Dhaka and Rajshahi divisions. Among these, 1.1 million prepaid meters will be deployed in Greater Dhaka covering 54 percent of residential customers of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited, and 128,000 prepaid meters in the Rajshahi division, covering the entire residential customer base of Pashchimanchal Gas Company Limited (PGCL).
It will also pilot rolling out about 50 smart meters to larger industrial users to demonstrate the viability of smart meters to better monitor and manage gas use in the industrial sector. The project will install a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition and Geographic Information System on the PGCL network to improve gas flow monitoring and help reduce methane leaks. They will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions with better monitoring of the gas network for identifying and repairing methane leaks.
“Improving energy efficiency will be important for Bangladesh to achieve its 2021 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) commitment of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030,” said Abdoulaye Seck, World Bank country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan. “The project will help cut down natural gas wastage in households and industries and reduce fugitive methane emissions in gas pipelines, which are often caused by leaks from gas production, processing, transmission, and distribution,” said the country director.

Automated Weather Stations Installed in Naseerabad, Jafferabad

on 24/10/2023

International Rescue Committee (IRC) has installed Automated Weather Stations Installed in the Naseerabad and Jafferabad districts of Balochistan as Part of Monsoon Disaster Risk Reduction Measures.
Shabnam Baloch, Country Director of IRC has shared this information on his Linkedin page: Automated Weather Stations Installed in Districts Naseerabad and Jafferabad, Balochistan by International Rescue Committee as Part of Monsoon Disaster Risk Reduction Measures. Comprehensive training sessions were delivered to District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) on how to efficiently utilize the gathered data from these automated weather machines. This capacity-building initiative ensures that local authorities are well-equipped to analyze, interpret, and act upon weather-related information, thereby strengthening their ability to mitigate the risks and minimize the impact of potential weather-related disasters.

Sources of Energy Harvesting

on 24/10/2023

Both the military and the commercial sectors have shown a great deal of interest in energy-collecting technologies that transform ambient energy into electrical energy. Some systems use motion, like that of ocean waves, to generate electricity that oceanographic monitoring sensors may use on their own. The deployment of high-power output devices (or arrays of such devices) in remote sites to act as dependable power stations for huge systems may be among the uses of the future. Additionally, energy can be captured to power tiny autonomous sensors made with MEMS technology. As a result of their dependency on batteries, these systems’ uses are constrained despite their frequent small size and low power requirements. Smart sensors might be able to operate endlessly by scavenging energy from the surrounding vibrations, wind, heat, or light. The typical power densities offered by energy harvesting devices depend greatly on the particular application (which influences the generator’s size) and the design of the harvesting generator itself.
Generally, energy can be kept in a battery, supercapacitor, or capacitor. When an application needs to deliver significant energy surges, capacitors are used. When a gadget has to supply a constant flow of energy, batteries are utilized since they leak less energy. Depending on the type being utilized, these battery characteristics change.
The windmill and the waterwheel are responsible for the development of energy harvesting. For many years, people have been looking for ways to store the energy that heat and vibrations produce. The desire to power mobile devices and sensor networks without batteries is one of the driving forces behind the hunt for innovative energy-harvesting technologies. The goal to combat climate change and global warming is another driver behind energy harvesting. In order to power low-power electronic equipment like wireless sensor nodes, wind energy that is easily available in the environment is harvested by micro wind turbines. A net pressure difference between the wind speeds above and below the turbine blades is created as air flows through the blades. A lift force will be produced as a result, which will cause the blades to rotate. Similar to photovoltaics, wind farms are being used to produce significant amounts of electrical energy and have been built on an industrial scale.
Various turbine and non-turbine generation methods can capture airflow. The airflow is mined by towered wind turbines and airborne wind energy systems (AWES). There are numerous businesses in this area, with Zephyr Energy Corporation being one example. Its unique Windbeam micro-generator harnesses airflow energy to recharge batteries and power electronic gadgets. Due to its innovative construction, the Windbeam can run quietly in winds as low as 2 mph. The generator comprises an exterior frame and a lightweight beam suspended by strong, long-lasting springs. When exposed to airflow, the beam oscillates quickly as a result of various fluid flow processes. The oscillating motion of the beam is transformed into useful electrical energy by a linear alternator assembly.
Wireless photovoltaic energy harvesting technology has a number of advantages over cable or battery-only sensor solutions, including essentially endless sources of power and minimal to no negative environmental consequences. Up until now, the energy source for indoor photovoltaic harvesting systems has been amorphous silicon, which is most commonly found in solar calculators. Recently, innovative PV technologies, such as dye-sensitized solar cells, have taken the lead in energy harvesting.
The fluctuating capacitance of vibration-dependent capacitors serves as the foundation for the electrostatic kind of harvesting. A charged variable capacitor’s plates are shaken apart, converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. A polarization source is required for electrostatic energy harvesters in order to function and transform mechanical energy from vibrations into electricity. The power management circuit is significantly more complicated because the polarization source should be in the range of several hundred volts.

MUET Alumni Get Together Canada – A Celebration of Connection and Contribution

on 24/10/2023

The first-ever international gathering of alumni of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology – MUET Alumni Get Together Canada was held on 15th July 2023 at RC Taylor Hall, Mississauga Valley Community Centre. The historic event brought together MUET alumni from around Canada for fostering connections and celebrating achievements.
The evening commenced with a warm welcome from Engr. Sana Qalbani, the gracious host, greeting esteemed guests, including Prof. Dr. Tauha Hussain Ali, Vice Chancellor of MUET.
Engr. Faisal Siddiqui, the General Secretary of the MUET Alumni Chapter Canada, extended a heartfelt welcome and provided an overview of the chapter’s purpose and inception.
Prof. Dr. Tauha Hussain Ali took the stage as the Chief of Honor, captivating the audience with his vision for MUET’s future in 2030. Delving into MUET’s illustrious history since 1963, he highlighted key contributions and commended former principals and vice-chancellors for nurturing the institution’s growth. Prof. Dr. Tauha emphasized the profound impact of alumni contributions, stressing the collaborative efforts required to elevate MUET further. He unveiled the university’s ambitious “RISE” vision for 2030, focusing on research, innovation, sustainability, and educational excellence.
“This event is a testament to the unwavering commitment of MUET alumni to the growth and progress of our beloved institution. Their dedication and support are invaluable,” remarked Prof. Dr. Tauha during his speech.
Prof. Dr. Bhawani Shankar Chowdhry, who was honored for his remarkable contributions to MUET, expressed gratitude to the Canadian alumni for making the event a reality. The evening was filled with heartwarming messages and experiences shared by different alumni, strengthening the bonds of the MUET community.
The grand celebration concluded with a captivating musical program, uniting the diverse backgrounds of MUET alumni from various regions. The enchanting performances showcased the rich cultural heritage of Pakistan and its people, bridging borders and creating unforgettable memories.
The MUET Alumni Get Together Canada event was a milestone in the university’s history, underlining the enduring connections among its global alumni community.

Non-native English speakers struggle more in science research

on 24/10/2023

Researchers who are non-native English speakers spend more time and money than native speakers in contributing to the global scientific community where the language is prevalent, a group of international scientists said, calling for more inclusivity.
Their survey of 908 environmental scientists of eight nationalities revealed greater costs for non-native speakers in reading and writing English papers and that they even forwent attending international conferences held in English, according to research published last month in PLOS Biology.
The study conducted online in 2021 sought to compare and quantify the effort made by researchers from Bangladesh, Bolivia, Britain, Japan, Nepal, Nigeria, Spain and Ukraine, with varied English proficiency and income levels.
“The results unveiled profound disadvantages for non-native English speakers in conducting all scientific activities surveyed,” the group said, noting the significant impact it had, especially on researchers early in their careers.
Those with low English proficiency who published only one English-language paper devoted a median of 90.8% more time reading scientific papers compared with native speakers, their study showed.
Besides needing more time to write a paper in English, low- and moderate-speaking respondents were 2.5 or 2.6 times more likely to see their papers rejected by journals due to poor English than the 14.4% of native speakers.
Almost 43% of researchers from non-English speaking countries said they were asked to improve their English writing during their paper revision, or 12.5 times higher than native English speakers.
Apart from late-career researchers with moderate English proficiency, non-native speakers asked someone to proofread 75% or more of their submitted papers, while native speakers did this for less than half of theirs.
Income level played some role in attempts to close the language gap.
Researchers from Japan, with low English proficiency and a high income level, tended to pay for professional English editing services. But those with similar linguistic levels and from lower-middle-income countries like Nepal had no one to check their paper.
The language barrier is so high that approximately 30% of early career researchers from Japan and high-income Spain combined often or always abandoned attending English-language conferences. Of those who did attend, around half preferred to avoid giving oral presentations.
Conference preparation took more effort, with moderate and low English proficiency speakers spending more time preparing and practicing for oral presentations than native speakers.
Non-native researchers often struggle to explain their research, particularly those in their early career and of low English proficiency nationalities, with over 65% of them describing difficulty and lack of confidence.
“The scientific community needs to recognize these types of burdens,” said Tatsuya Amano, who was part of the research team.
The senior lecturer at the University of Queensland in Australia suggested promoting the use of artificial intelligence for English editing or for journals to offer such services, echoing the study’s proposed solutions.
He also called for conference organizers to create an inclusive environment and put in place a system of people designated to support researchers who struggle with English.