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.

No climate crisis agreement at G20 environment moot

on 24/10/2023

Environment ministers from G20 nations failed to agree on peaking global emissions by 2025 and other crucial issues to address the global climate crisis at their meeting in India on Friday.
No breakthrough was possible on several key points ahead of this year’s COP28 climate talks, with negotiations also failing to reach a consensus on tripling renewable energy use.
“I am very disappointed,” France’s ecological transition minister Christophe Bechu told AFP after the meeting.
“We are not able to reach an agreement of increasing drastically renewable energies, we are not able to reach an agreement on phasing out or down fossil fuels, especially coal,” he said.
“Records of temperatures, catastrophes, giant fires, and we are not able to reach an agreement on the peaking (of) emissions by 2025.”
The discussions with China, Saudi Arabia, and on climate issues with Russia had been “complicated”, he added.
India’s climate change minister Bhupender Yadav, who chaired the meeting, admitted there had been “some issues about energy, and some target-oriented issues”.
The Chennai meeting comes days after energy ministers from the bloc — which represents more than 80 percent of global GDP and CO2 emissions — failed to agree in Goa on a roadmap to cut fossil fuels from the global energy mix.
That was seen as a blow to mitigation efforts even as climate experts blame record global temperatures for triggering floods, storms and heatwaves.
Major oil producers fear the impact of drastic mitigation on their economies, and Russia and Saudi Arabia were blamed for the lack of progress in Goa.
Campaigners were dismayed by the repeated failure to reach a deal Friday.
“Europe and North Africa are burning, Asia is ravaged with floods yet G20 climate ministers have failed to agree on a shared direction to halt the climate crisis which is escalating day by day,” said Alex Scott of climate change think-tank E3G.
Reports of Saudi and Chinese resistance, he added, “fly in the face of their claims of defending the interests of developing countries”. All present at Friday’s conference understood “the severity of the crisis” facing the world, Adnan Amin, chief executive of this year’s COP28 climate talks, told AFP.
“But I think there’s a kind of political understanding that still needs to be achieved,” he said.
“It’s very clear that every country in the world will start by looking at its immediate self-interest,” he added. Most delegations were led by their environment and climate change ministers, while the US delegation was headed by Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. Also at the talks was Emirati oil boss Sultan Al Jaber, who will lead the upcoming COP28 talks in the United Arab Emirates starting in late November.
He has been heavily criticised for his apparent conflict of interest as head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company because burning fossil fuels is the main driver of global warming.
With raging wildfires in Greece and a heatwave in Italy, European Union environment commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius said ahead of the gathering that there was “growing evidence on the ground of devastating climate impact” and “the livelihoods of people are being destroyed”.
But progress in global negotiations has been slow, with the G20 polarised by Russia’s war in Ukraine and sharp divisions on key issues.
Questions on financing the transition and ameliorating its short-term impacts have long been a point of contention between developing and wealthy nations.
Major developing countries such as India argue that legacy emitters need to spend more to underwrite global mitigation efforts in poorer nations.
“Whatever was pledged by the developed countries must be fulfilled,” Yadav said after the meeting, which he added had reached consensus on other issues including land degradation and sustainable use of ocean resources.

Westinghouse organizes a grand seminar Discovering New Shores – A journey of expansion in Pakistan

on 24/10/2023

Westinghouse, a historic American brand, globally renowned for its innovative technologies and products, conducted a grand seminar in Karachi on July 20.
The event brought together leading consultants, panel manufacturers, and industry professionals from across the country.
The seminar was about Westinghouse’s formal launch and expansion in Pakistan.
Westinghouse has been operating in Pakistan through its partners for the past few years and formally started its operations with its liaison office in Karachi almost a year ago. The company received remarkable success in terms of expansion in this region.
Pakistan is a country full of talented human resources. Westinghouse wishes to empower the local industry of Pakistan through its technology and forge strong relationships that mutually benefit the local community as well as Westinghouse, said Mr. Muhammad Shoaib Khan, Managing Director, Westinghouse LV MV Product in his keynote speech.
The event covered insightful presentations on the Westinghouse’s background, its remarkable journey throughout history, its global presence, exciting plans, and its vision for expansion in Pakistan. The event also covered a short product presentation of Westinghouse’s Medium Voltage and Low Voltage products including Dry Type Transformers, Vacuum Circuit breakers, LV switchgear components, and type test switchgear assemblies.
“Westinghouse’s journey into this new market has been characterized by meticulous planning, extensive research, and a genuine commitment to understanding the unique needs and aspirations of our customers. As my team and I come together, this is a moment of excitement, anticipation, and deep pride as we are gathered to further our journey of knowledge, collaboration, and growth. And while we are expanding our horizons to navigate the ever-evolving business landscape successfully, we express our deepest appreciation for the trust of our esteemed clients, customers, and business partners. It is your belief in our products and services that keep us encouraged to further expand our operations into this new territory” said Mr. Ahmed Rehan Lutfi, Country Manager, Pakistan while his welcome address.
Westinghouse, in just a very short span, has established a very reasonable footprint in Pakistan, especially in the textile, commercial and health, and medical sectors.