Young engineers make fuel-efficient cars

[voltairemad]

archive.inquirer.net/view.php?db=1&story_id=275243

Young engineers make fuel-efficient cars

First posted 19:33:12 (Mla time) June 12, 2010
Amy R. Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

A YOUNG breed of Filipino student engineers will soon race their way to Malaysia where they are set to unveil what could be the next frontier in sustainable mobility – three prototype vehicles that will drive past the borders of fuel efficiency.

Armed with extensive research and training, top students from the country’s leading engineering schools will be representing the Philippines in the first Shell Eco-marathon Asia in July, when they will present their own designs and concepts of what makes a fuel-efficient car.

Future engineers from Don Bosco Technical College, Mapua Institute of Technology and University of Sto. Tomas will compete with over a hundred teams from different countries in Asia at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

Though set in a famous F-1 racetrack, the Shell Eco-marathon will not be about breaking speed records, but rather about going the farthest distance possible with the least amount of fuel or energy consumed and the least carbon emissions produced.

“The Shell Eco-marathon is a major educational project where students work together to explore potential solutions to both current and future transport and energy challenges,” said Shell VP for communications Roberto S. Kanapi.

According to Kanapi, these prototypes are not merely ordinary vehicles, but rather “inventions worthy to represent the Philippines in the historic Shell Eco-marathon.”

It was only Thursday last week that the students had officially revealed their entry vehicles.

The teams

Headed by Mark Lester Arrieta, the Don Bosco team is hoping to snag a win in July as it used lightweight materials, minimized road friction and reduced the engine’s RPM (revolution per minute). The vehicle was dubbed as Team Grigio, taking after the name of Don Bosco’s guard dog.

The Mapua Cardinals, headed by Jericho Paulo Rivera, used an interesting technique when it punctured more than 300 12-millimeter holds in the low stress areas of the vehicle thus making it more aerodynamic. The group likewise used an F-1 inspired steering wheel for its vehicle, which it dubbed Team Atlanta.

For the UST Tigers, keeping the engine displacement low and using the modern Electronic Fuel Injection technology to accurately control fuel consumption may be their key in securing a victory in Malaysia. The team, headed by Tim Mervin Orille, has named its entry Tiger 400.
According to Kanapi, the objective of the marathon is two-pronged. First, it can provide future engineers and opportunity to practice hands-on application of concepts learned in the classroom, and second, it will build passionate drivers among Filipinos and encourage them to help others save more fuel.

The Shell Eco-marathon, he adds, would also serve as an arena where Philippine universities can showcase their programs capable of breeding globally competitive engineers.

“This is a perfect venue where Filipino students can demonstrate that they are at par with other engineering students in Asia in terms of technical superiority. The Shell Eco-marathon is an excellent platform for promoting technical careers among the Filipino youth, which is vital for the country’s growth and development,” Kanapi notes.

The Philippine delegate to Malaysia will also be joined by the winners of Shell’s Smartest Drivers challenge, a competition aimed at challenging Filipino drivers to come up with creative and practical tips to minimize fuel consumption.

Like the students, the winners of the Smartest Drivers challenge will compete with other Asian countries for the title of “Asia’s Smartest Fuel Saver.” The oil company hopes to inspire thousands of other drivers to save on fuel as well.

Origin

The Shell Eco-marathon concept began in 1939 when the “Shell Mileage Marathon” scientists in the US challenged each other in an internal competition to see whose car gave the best mileage. The idea was resurrected decades later and served as the inspiration for the introduction of the first Shell Eco-marathon Europe in 1985.

The Shell Eco-marathon Americas meanwhile debuted in 2007.

According to Shell, the marathon does not only aim to inspire engineering students to develop innovative approaches to mobility and fuel efficiency.

It was meant to help promote efficient energy use, address environmental concerns linked to the use of fossil fuels, understand current patterns of consumption, and to explore alternative energies.

[Tom A. Saiyan]

Nagmistulang isang malaking Rubik’s cube ang mga kahon ng softdrinks na may iba’t ibang kulay at itinayo ng mga estudyante ng University of Santo Tomas (UST) sa harapan ng Quirino Grandstand sa Rizal Park bilang exhibit ng isang pavilion na pinatatakbo ng solar power. (Jonas Sulit)

www.abante-tonite.com/issue/apr2113/index.htm





Green pavilion houses green technologies

MANILA, Philippines – Over 2,000 recycled vegetable crates were stacked to build the country’s first green pavilion which opened a week ago at the Rizal Park in Manila.

Built within a week, the pavilion is a 200-square-meter greenhouse-looking structure that displays a variety of green technologies, or technologies which are environmentally friendly in its production process and usage.

My Shelter Foundation, an environmental non-government organization, built the pavilion 20 meters away from the Rizal monument to symbolize the start of a revolution aiming for a greener environment for everyone.

According to the foundation, green technologies are often installed on corporate towers or homes in exclusive subdivisions. Very few Filipinos have access to these technologies because they are expensive.

With the installation of the green pavilion, Filipinos will now be more aware of how to use and create green technologies in their lives.

The green pavilion is open until the June 12, 2013. Since it is capable of being transferred from one place to another, Project Coordinator Architect Rodelon Ramos said they are planning to next mount the green pavilion in Baguio City.

Green technologies on display

One of the displays is a living wall or a vertical garden. It uses a geo-textile planting pocket system meant for houses with no space for gardens. A geo-textile is a permeable fabric used for planting which can separate sediments and protect plants. It is used to help support the herbs, leafy vegetables and other ornamental plants planted on the wall.

Filipinos can also adapt the aquaponics method, which is an integration of aquaculture (raising aquatic animals) and hydroponics (cultivating plants in water). It is a method of growing crops and fish together without using soil.

Other green technologies on display are a rainwater-harvesting system, water purification method, cement water pump system, hybrid power air conditioning, and recycled arts, among others. Hanging bamboo hydroponics will also be put up inside the pavilion in the coming weeks.

Solar bottle light for communities

The green pavilion also houses the foundation’s main project, the solar bottle light under the movement called “Isang Litrong Liwanag” (A Liter of Light) aiming to bring eco-friendly bottle light to communities living without electricity.

Since its 2011 launch, the project has brightened the lives of 70,000 people in Metro Manila alone.

It then became a worldwide movement, reaching as far as India, Indonesia, and Switzerland.

Because the solar bottle light could be used only during the daytime, the foundation's executive director and founder Illac Diaz told Rappler the solar bottle light has been developed for night use.

The main difference between the solar bottle light and the solar night bulb is in the materials used with the bottle.

The solar bottle light has a mixture of water and bleach in the bottle which illuminates a dark room during the day by absorbing the light from the sun. It is installed by creating a hole at the rooftop of house with the bottle firmly secured in the center. The top portion of the bottle is exposed to sunlight while the bottom half – being inside the house – serves as the light bulb. This bulb needs sunlight to work.

The solar night bulb needs a solar panel in the surrounding area of the top portion of the bottle; LED lights are installed inside the bottle. Because of the solar panels, the bulbs can work at night.

Diaz said he wants to teach Filipinos how to assemble and repair the bulb, including its electronics, for sustainable use and maintenance.

Fighting poverty, energy for all

During the pavilion's opening, My Shelter Foundation also launched an environmental campaign called “Energy For All,” which intends to fight poverty and provide food, power, shelter, and water for all Filipinos.

Since access to green technology is limited to those who can afford it, the pavilion has a learning center that aims to empower the people who are in most need of low-cost infrastructure by teaching them to create these technologies.

The students of the learning center have a hands-on experience building their own solar light bottles and other green technologies which are easily replicated from locally sourced materials.

(In this video, Diaz demonstrates how to make a solar bottle light with just circular patterns, soda bottles, cement and other construction tools.)



“The way we’re going to do that is to equip students, volunteers or anybody who walks into the pavilion with the technology and, at the same time, ask for their cooperation to help us implement these things around the country, and make these things succeed,” said Diaz in a call for action video released a week before the pavilion's launch.

Spirit of volunteerism

Volunteers, companies, and equipment suppliers worked as one to build the country’s first green pavilion.

Project coordinator Ramos said that a soft drink company donated 15,000 PET bottles for the "A Liter of Light" project.

He asked for volunteers to turn these bottles into solar bottle lights to brighten the lives of community beneficiaries.

Student volunteers responded to the challenge and taught others how to build green technologies, particularly solar light bulbs.

“We’re teaching people and students how to source the technology on their own. We have people and students who are volunteering to teach them how to do it,” said Ramos.

Other uses for the bottle

Last March 19, 2013, "A Liter of Light" built the first-ever bottle center for the aged in Rizal, Laguna using brick bottles filled with trash.

Aside from this new project, Diaz said they plan to construct a school in Bontoc, Mt Province made from brick bottles.

As the school-building project is not yet in full swing, Diaz welcomes volunteers to build the school. People interested in volunteering for My Shelter Foundation can sign up at www.aliteroflight.com. -Rappler.com

[Tom A. Saiyan]

Winning student researchers at UST NeoVation 2013 named

Seven research projects ranging from the utilization of Philippine indigenous materials to the development of instrumentations have been chosen as winners in the 2013 NeoVation held as part of the 50th founding anniversary celebration of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences. The awards were presented on March 15, 2013 during the NeoVation Gala held at the Plenary Hall of the Quadricentennial Pavilion.

The 1st grand prize winner was awarded to a study on “Lareen, anti-acne liquid foundation” formulated by Engineering and Pharmacy students Lara Angeline Briones, Diane Colleen Briones, Reanne May Tiru, Desiree De Castro, Lara Elize Lamigo and Janine Paula Monta. The team adviser was Dr. Aristea Bayquen. The study came up with a liquid solution made of natural ingredients like atis seeds and lagundi leaves extract, which have been proven to inhibit the growth of bacteria while giving coverage for the face as a cosmetic product.

With human health and environmental problems caused by the use of insecticides becoming a matter of concern, this year’s 2nd grand prizewinner was given to the versatile and beneficial properties of the “Roachant Air Freshener” created by Engineering students, Karen Castro, Karen Farolan, Precious Jill Lacuna, Anthony Justin Veneracion and Fine Arts student, Eula Andrea San Juan with team adviser, Engr. Michael Francis Benjamin. The Roachant Air Freshener is an organic, two-in-one gel product that serves as an insect repellent and air freshener at the same time.

The 3rd grand prize went to a research on coconut water as energy drink titled “Hercules Coconut Drink.” The study was conducted by Engineering students Russel James Bernabe, Ana Janine Bulasag, Tiffany Faye Caranto, Ma. Kristine Lim, Alyssa Angelaine Tolentino, Jem Zamora with team adviser, Engr. Carol Encarnado. The team used microfiltration method to prolong the shelf life of coconut water while maintaining its isotonic drink quality.

The winners received P100,000, P50,000, P30,000 for the first, second and third prizes, respectively.

Meanwhile, the runners-up included: “Autonomous Person Trailing Function Integrated in an Automobile Utilizing RGB and Depth Machine Sensors” (1st runner-up) by Engineering and Fine Arts students with Engr. Edison Roxas as adviser; “SILICOLORS: Colors from nature” (2nd runner-up) by Engineering and Fine Arts students with Engr. Lola Domnina Pestaño and Dr. Maria Natalia Dimaano as advisers and “A wide-band low-cost and portable bio-impedance instrumentation and its potential applications” (3rd runner-up) by Engineering and Science students with Engr. Angelina A. Silverio and Engr. Angelito A. Silverio as adivers. The three runners-up received P10, 000 each.

Four entries were also chosen as the Thomasian’s Choice Award based on a survey conducted among the Expo attendees through online voting. The Best Presentation and Most Marketable category was awarded to “A wide-band low-cost and portable bio-impedance instrumentation and its potential applications”; the Most Innovative category was given to “Implementation of Central Control Unit for the Automation of Dam Level Monitoring, Control and Flood Warning System via SCADA” adviser, Engr. Irineo Quinto and Engineering students while the Imbentong Tomasino category was conferred to “SILICOLORS: Colors from nature.” The Thomasian’s Choice Awardees received a cash prize of P10, 000 each.

This innovative challenge aimed to set the “gold standard” for iThomasian (innovative Thomasian) in different areas, for the industry as well as local and international research institutions to recognize the usefulness of the activity’s output and to establish partnerships among the industry, academe and the government.

www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/305348/cbb/winning-student-researchers-at-ust-neovation-2013-named