Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Critical Reflection


The effective communication module has been extremely beneficial in improving not just my communication and presentation skills, but my technical writing ones as well. When the module first started, I did not expect to have much takeaway as I was ignorant and skeptical of a communications module in an engineering major. However, as the weeks went by, I slowly realised that there was so much about presentation and writing that was unknown to me. For example, I did not know that acknowledging a person, especially one of higher status, via eye contact when he or she enters the room during my presentation was so critical. In the first week, our professor tasked us to list down our strengths and weaknesses in an introductory letter and that became my goal to achieve by the end of the thirteen weeks. I am proud to say that my time and effort spent on this module have not gone to waste. Not only have I improved on my strengths, but I have also worked on my weaknesses and gained more confidence in speaking and writing through it.

Out of all the tasks that have been assigned to us throughout the thirteen weeks, our final presentation was the biggest takeaway for me as one of my biggest weakness listed in my introduction letter, was the fear of shutting down mid-presentation. However, my teammates and I strategized and picked a topic that all of us were familiar with. Having chosen a topic that I have worked on for previous assignments, it gave me the assurance I needed for the presentation as I had confidence in the content that I was delivering to the audience. This presentation also helped me realised that my style of presentation is not built upon hours of practicing to myself at home but has a more improvised nature to it. When the day of the formal presentation came, I was confident and spoke at a calm pace, not as rushed as I used to be during my polytechnic days. I made it a point to make sure I looked at every single person in the room at least once before my part ended as well. When my group was done presenting, I held my head up high, satisfied with my performance. Looking back at these 13 weeks, I never thought I could have as much fun or takeaway as I did, and now, I believe I am equipped with the necessary skills and have the knowledge to take the necessary steps to deliver a wonderful presentation again.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Technical Report Draft 2


Executive Summary

This report is written in response to a letter of authorization dated January 15, 2020, and aims to advise the Seabin Project team to integrate the recommended modification to the Seabin as it will play a crucial part in increasing the adaptability of the product.
Over the years, the Seabin has been effective in filtering out trash from marinas and ports. However, the device is still unable to tackle the dangers of microplastics effectively. As microplastics can travel up the food chain by being ingested by marine life, these pollutants pose a serious threat to both the human and marine populations. This report discusses the potential area of enhancements of the Seabin by introducing adaptations to the current design and how these adaptations can better equip the device to reduce the microplastic concentration in our waters.
Through our research, the team found that the Seabin is heavily reliant on an electrical power supply to power its suction mechanism, confining the device to places such as marinas and ports where electricity is readily available. The device is therefore unable to tackle the dangers of microplastics effectively as the majority of the marine population that consumes these pollutants is in the ocean. To tackle these limitations, the team proposes a modification to improve the Seabin’s adaptability and allow it to have a greater impact on reducing microplastics in our water bodies.
The proposed modification is to incorporate an underwater turbine to the Seabin’s design which will allow the device to be brought offshore, using the waterbody’s natural tide and current to power the device’s suction mechanism rather than relying on an electrical socket. Integrating this modification will not only allow the Seabin to be implemented in the ocean but in any waterbody with an active current, increasing its adaptability immensely.







Personal Statements


Keith Chua
Keith personally feels that working on the modifications for this product is crucial as the Seabin has so much potential to be the most efficient micro plastic filtering device on the market. However, due to some limitations and constraints in its design, the product is unable to deliver its effectiveness to more parts of the world.
Chua Jarl
As a student who pursued a diploma in Clean Energy, Jarl was able to broaden his knowledge of renewable energy by taking up projects that would benefit the environment. One such project required him to work in a team to build an autonomous watercraft that helped to reduce the waste in Singapore’s water bodies. This is one of the reasons why Jarl felt that this project was the right fit for him.
Jonathan Chan
Jonathan finds this project especially meaningful to him as he loves all sorts of water sports like surfing and diving. By improving the ocean cleaning devices currently available in the market, he can do his part in conserving the marine environment for future generations. Also, with his background in engineering composites, he will be able to advise the team on the right materials to be implemented on the project.








1.             Introduction

1.1.       Background.

As stated in the Seabin Project website (n.d.), the main purpose of the V5 Seabin is to accomplish the goal of the Seabin team, which is to live in a world where water pollution is non-existent. The primary function of the V5 Seabin is to remove waste from calm water bodies. By teaming up with various ports such as Poralu Marine and Safe Harbour Marina, the Seabin team was able to rapidly distribute its product to all corners of the earth (Seabin Project, n.d.).

The Seabin is a microplastic-filtering device that is deployed mainly in marinas and ports to remove waste from the water body. It is a device “considerably smaller than the average municipal garbage bin” and can hold a maximum of 20 kg of waste (Hicks, 2018). A submersible water pump that is attached to the Seabin sucks water in from the surface and as water passes through, any waste larger than 2mm is left behind in the device’s catch bag. Additionally, the Seabin requires little attention to maintain it as the catch bag only needs to be emptied as needed. According to the Seabin Project under its frequently asked questions, the coating of the device also uses a “non toxic and highly durable anti-fouling system” reducing its cleaning interval to a period of six to eight weeks. 

However, when it comes to the problem of marine and micro plastics pollution in water bodies, the main complication that directly affects the ecosystem develops when the wildlife in the waters ingest micro plastics, one of the three main categories of plastic pollutants. These micropollutants can rapidly climb up the food chain and be eaten by humans as well. As the Seabin is currently situated where wildlife is minimal (Seabin Project, n.d.), its effectiveness in tackling the main problem of micro plastics is vastly limited.

Seabins are currently limited to marinas and ports because of its power source. According to the Seabin’s website (n.d.), the Seabin has to be plugged into a constant power supply of 110/220V and that the “Maximum distance to an electric energy supply point is 6 meters”. The current Seabin is limited to areas where a wired power source is located within the product’s vicinity like marinas and ports. With that said, by implementing modifications to the power supply of the Seabin, the Seabin Project can bring its product offshore to rivers or seas where it can have the highest impact on reducing pollutants on the earth's waters.

An ideal microplastic-filtering device is equipped with an underwater turbine to make use of the tidal motion to power the suction mechanism and pull micro-pollutants into an in-built filter, preventing the pollutants from spilling back out into the waterbody.

1.2.       Problem statement.

However, one of the most viable products currently in the market, the Seabin, still needs to be permanently plugged into a 110/220V power outlet to power its suction mechanism (Seabin Project, n.d.) and is thus confined to places where electricity is readily available such as marinas and ports. With the implementation of an underwater turbine, the suction mechanism in the filtering device can be sustained as long as there is a constant current flow in the water body, allowing devices such as the Seabin to be brought offshore to remote water bodies in the world.

1.3.       Purpose statement.

The purpose of this report is to advise the Seabin Project team to integrate the recommended modifications to their products as it will play a crucial part in strengthening the adaptability of the Seabin.




2.             Current and Proposed Solution

2.1.       Current.

The existing Seabin has to be connected to an electric energy supply point of 110/220V, 500W to operate (Seabin Project, n.d.). The default Seabin comes with a 6m long electrical cable and any extension needs to be modified by the user manually. This limits the Seabin to ports and marinas and vastly reduces its effectiveness. There have also been trials on adapting Solar panels onto the Seabin to allow the product to be implemented offshore as seen in Image 1 (Calleja, 2019). However, factors like shading, instability, battery infrastructure (Ahmad, 2016) and occupancy space make this solution cumbersome and suboptimal in the long run.

Image 1: Seabin with Solar panel adaptation.

2.2.       Proposed.

The team’s proposed solution is to make use of a hydro turbine to power the Seabin. A hydro turbine produces electricity with the help of the natural tide of the water (Donev, 2018). As the Seabin is deployed in the water, changing the source of power to a hydro turbine instead of a power socket would be the ideal solution. Hydro turbines come in a myriad of sizes and variations, which makes finding a compatible hydro turbine challenging. The best plan for the Seabin team would be to design a small prototype, test it and develop it. The final design would be able to produce 110/220V, anchor the Seabin and run effortlessly without any major issues. One good example of an ideal solution would be the use of the SeaUrchin Tidal Turbine, shown in Image 2, to generate power for the Seabin. This product features two hydro turbines with each turbine generating 2kw of power, which is enough power to operate four Seabins concurrently.

 Image 2: SeaUrchin Tidal Turbine

The SeaUrchin Tidal Turbine will be attached to the Seabed as shown in the image below, preventing the Seabin from moving out of the designated space. The power is then transmitted using waterproof electrical cables that will run from the hydro turbines to the Seabin. This allows the Seabin to run continuously without the need for a power socket, increasing its deployability.

Image 3: Illustration of Seabin with adaptation of Hydro turbines

3.             Benefits

The incorporation of an underwater turbine as a power source replacement will significantly increase the Seabin’s adaptability as it will allow the device to be brought out of marinas and ports and into seas and other water bodies.
Firstly, having an underwater turbine means that the device will not have to rely on a power socket to power its suction mechanism. Rather, it will take advantage of its environment and use the water body’s tide to generate its own self-sustaining energy. Drawing energy from the water is also more dependable compared to other natural sources of energy like solar energy, which is affected by the sun’s positions, and wind energy, which is unpredictable especially if the device is deployed in places with no open space. Water is also denser than air, allowing the underwater turbine to generate the same amount of energy as a windmill “but at slower speeds and over less area” (Clark, n.d.).
Secondly, the underwater turbine powering the Seabin is of a small scale and does not require as much space as a solar panel or windmill as the suction mechanism only requires “2.5amps @ 500 watts” (Seabin Project, n.d.), making its deployment in remote locations more convenient. In addition, the small space taken up by the underwater turbine could allow for multiple devices to be installed in the same location, increasing the filtration’s area of effect greatly.

4.             Limitations

The main challenges of adapting a hydro turbine onto the Seabin are the increase in weight, cost and the corrosive seawater environment (Ahmad. 2016). The addition of a hydro turbine with the required power rating would add approximately 57kg (Kojima, 2014) onto the product and as the Seabin operates at the surface of the water, the increase in weight would require the Seabin to increase its buoyancy devices in order to remain at the surface of the water. Harsh sea conditions and the environment is the nemesis of any hydro turbine as seawater, which is very corrosive, is constantly exerted onto the moving parts of the hydro-generator like the turbine blades causing the components to corrode and rust rapidly (Ahmad, 2016). Particles like sand carried in the water also quickly erode the components in the hydro turbines. The adaptation of hydro turbines onto the Seabin will definitely increase the cost of the product. This is because hydro turbine components are relatively expensive as they have to be durable enough to withstand the harsh sea conditions.

However, improvements in engineering composite materials like carbon fiber will help tackle the challenge of the corrosive seawater conditions and allow underwater turbines to operate even in low tidal currents, increasing the Seabin’s operational ability once the turbine has been incorporated into the Seabin’s design. Although this modification would result in a price increase for the Seabin (estimated 1.5 - 2 times of its current cost), the operational cost of the device as a whole, which currently runs at 3USD per day (Seabin Project, n.d.), would be significantly reduced. Additionally, the Seabin would still remain as one of the most affordable marine cleaning devices available on the market.

5.             Methodology

The team decided to use secondary research to source information that is crucial and relevant for the report.

5.1.       Secondary Research

To begin with, the team decided to use the information found in the Seabin project website as a reference for elaborating on the benefits and functionality of the Seabin. Following that, the team used the google search engine to find sources regarding any modification made onto the Seabin. This would help to show the efforts made by the Seabin team to improve the current model. Lastly, along with google search engine, ScienceDirect was also used to source for online technical reports and articles regarding hydro turbines and its benefits.

6.             Conclusion


As the dangers of micro plastics continue to grow and with micro pollutants finding more ways to enter our water bodies, the micro plastic filtering products on the market have to be just as adaptive as well. Even though the Seabin does not have an area of effect as large or the adaptive ability as complex as other micro plastic filtering products, it is still one of the most cost-effective devices on the market. With the Seabin’s endless modification possibilities, it’s potential to grow is also immense.

The team believes that with the incorporation of the underwater turbine, the Seabin will not only be a groundbreaking micro plastic filtering device but a key solution to the world’s water pollution problem.









References

Clark, J (n.d.). How can the moon generate electricity? Retrieved from https://science.howstuffworks.com/moon-generate-electricity1.htm

Calleja, C. (2019, August 9). Europe's first solar-powered seabin is cleaning up Spinola Bay. Retrieved from https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/europes-first-solar-powered-seabin-is-cleaning-up-spinola-bay.727784

Hanania, J., Le, C., Reed, R. W., Stenhouse, K., Donev, J. (2018). Hydro Turbine Retrieved from https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Hydro_turbine

Kojima, K. (2014, March 9). Award-winning Portable, High-Efficiency Hydroelectric Generator Now on the Market. Retrieved from https://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id034740.html

Seabin Project. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from https://seabinproject.com/the-seabin-v5/faqs/

Sleiti, A. K. (2016, November 21). Tidal power technology review with potential applications in Gulf Stream. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032116308991







Letter of Transmittal

Team BIN-GO
March 17, 2020

Professor Brad Franklin Blackstone
SIT@NP
537 Clementi Road
Singapore 599493

Dear Professor Brad,

Proposal for improvement to Seabin(V5) with hydro turbines

In response to your letter of authorization dated January 15, 2020, my team would like to present to you the following design proposal for the modification of the Seabin V5 marine pollution filtering device.

With the increase of marine pollution globally, getting rid of plastics and micro plastics in our waters have become one of mankind's greatest challenge. As the accumulation of large plastic waste in the ocean breaks down into micro plastics, this allows for easy plastic consumption by marine animals. The rise in the death toll of marine animals results in catastrophic effects on the ecosystem. By adapting hydro turbines onto the Seabin, we can implement the Seabin offshore, placing it at critical localities where the Seabin can have the greatest impact.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to go through our design proposal. It has been an honour to take up this assignment and we hope the proposal will provide you with the details on the immense potential of the Seabin.

Yours sincerely,
Chua Jarl
On behalf of BIN-GO


Sunday, March 15, 2020

Annotated Summary Draft 1

Ohm, S. (October 10, 2019) YUNA microplastic water filter buoy win james dyson award in spainIntelligent Living. Retrieved from https://www.intelligentliving.co/yuna-microplastic-water-filter-buoy-win-james-dyson-award-spain/

This article provides aintroduction on the micro plastic filtering device, YUNA, and how it aims to tackle the issue of micro plastic pollution in our world. The device takes advantage of the tide of the ocean instead of relying on electricity to filter out micro plastics, using its sunfish-inspired design to spin itself with the sea currents and collect any micro pollutants flowing in its direction. The buoy will use the sea currents to orientate the inlet of its filter against the direction of the current flow, using “active charcoal and similar agents” in its multiple layers to trap micro plastic particles. The device is also cost efficient as the externalpolyethene structure of the buoy is constructed by merging two halves from the same mould, encasing the microplastic filtration system inside.

The article serves as a useful source of research for our project on improving the effectiveness of the Seabin in its power source aspect. By incorporating the YUNA’s ability to use the tide of the ocean to filter out micro plastics, into the Seabin, the Seabin will be able to bring its functionalities out from marinas and ports, into other water bodies where the threat of micro plastic pollution is more severe.  While the article only elaborates on the effectiveness of the YUNA along coastlines, the information on the product’s design still provides a stable foundation for further modifications to be built on, which proves to be relevant and essential for our research project.

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Technical Report Draft 1


Background

As stated in the Seabin Project website (n.d.), the main purpose of the V5 Seabin is to accomplish the goal of the Seabin team, which is to live in a world where water pollution is non-existent. The primary function of the V5 Seabin is to remove waste from calm water bodies. By teaming up with various ports such as Poralu Marine and Safe Harbour Marina, the Seabin team was able to rapidly distribute its product to all corners of the earth (Seabin Project, n.d.).

The Seabin is a microplastic-filtering device that is deployed mainly in marinas and ports to remove waste from the water body. It is a device “considerably smaller than the average municipal garbage bin” and can hold a maximum of 20 kg of waste (Hicks, 2018). A submersible water pump that is attached to the Seabin sucks water in from the surface and as water passes through, any waste larger than 2mm is left behind in the device’s catch bag. Additionally, the Seabin requires little attention to maintain it as the catch bag only needs to be emptied as needed. According to the Seabin Project under its Frequently Asked Questions, the coating of the device also uses a “non toxic and highly durable anti-fouling systemreducing its cleaning interval to a period of six to eight weeks.  

However, when it comes to the problem of marine and micro plastics pollution in water bodies, the main complication that directly affects the ecosystem develops when the wildlife in the waters ingest micro plastics, one of the three main categories of plastic pollutants. These micropollutants can rapidly climb up the food chain and be eaten by humans as well. As the Seabin is currently situated where wildlife is minimal (Seabin Project, n.d.), its effectiveness in tackling the main problem of micro plastics is vastly limited.

Seabins are currently limited to marinas and ports because of its power source. According to the Seabin’s website (n.d.), the Seabin has to be plugged into a constant power supply of 110/220V and that the “Maximum distance to an electric energy supply point is 6 meters”. The current Seabin is limited to areas where a wired power source is located within the product’s vicinity like marinas and ports. With that said, by implementing modifications to the power supply of the Seabin, the Seabin Project can bring its product offshore to rivers or seas where it can have the highest impact on reducing pollutants on the earth's waters.

An ideal microplastic-filtering device is equipped with an underwater turbine to make use of the tidal motion to power the suction mechanism and pull micro-pollutants into an in-built filter, preventing the pollutants from spilling back out into the waterbody.


Problem statement 

However, one of the most viable products currently in the market, the Seabin, still needs to be permanently plugged into a 110/220V power outlet to power its suction mechanism (Seabin Project, n.d.) and is thus confined to places where electricity is readily available such as marinas and ports. With the implementation of an underwater turbine, the suction mechanism in the filtering device can be sustained as long as there is a constant current flow in the water body, allowing devices such as the Seabin to be brought offshore to remote water bodies in the world.

Purpose statement

The purpose of this report is to advise the Seabin Project team to integrate the recommended modifications to their products as it will play a crucial part in strengthening the adaptability of the Seabin.


Current and Proposed Solution

Current

The existing Seabin has to be connected to an electric energy supply point of 110/220V, 500W to operate (Seabin Project, n.d.). The default Seabin comes with a 6m long electrical cable and any extension needs to be modified by the user manually. This limits the Seabin to ports and marinas and vastly reduces its effectiveness. There have also been trials on adapting Solar panels onto the Seabin to allow the product to be implemented offshore as seen in Image 1 (Calleja, 2019). However, factors like shading, instability, battery infrastructure (Ahmad, 2016) and occupancy space make this solution cumbersome and suboptimal in the long run.


Image 1: Seabin with Solar panel adaptation.

Proposed

A hydro turbine produces electricity with the help of the natural tide of the water (Donev, J. et al, 2018). As the Seabin is deployed in the water, changing the source of power to a hydro turbine instead of a power socket would be the ideal solution. Hydro turbines come in a myriad of sizes and variations, which makes finding a compatible hydro turbine challenging. The best plan for the Seabin team would be to design a small prototype, test it and develop it. The final design would be able to produce 110/220V, anchor the Seabin and run effortlessly without any major issues. One product that the Seabin team can take reference from while building their hydro turbine is the SeaUrchin Tidal Turbine, shown in image 2. 


 Image 2: SeaUrchin Tidal Turbine


Benefits

The incorporation of an underwater turbine as a power source replacement will significantly increase the Seabin’s adaptability as it will allow the device to be brought out of marinas and ports and into seas and other water bodies.
For starters, having an underwater turbine means that the device will not have to rely on a power socket to power its suction mechanism. Rather, it will take advantage of its environment and use the water body’s tide to generate its own self-sustaining energy. Drawing energy from the water is also more dependable compared to other natural sources of energy like solar energy, which is affected by the sun’s positions, and wind energy, which is unpredictable especially if the device is deployed in places with no open space. Water is also denser than air, allowing the underwater turbine to generate the same amount of energy as a windmill “but at slower speeds and over less area” (Clark, n.d.).
Secondly, the underwater turbine powering the Seabin is of a small scale and does not require as much space as a solar panel or windmill as the suction mechanism only requires “2.5amps @ 500 watts” (Seabin Project, n.d.), making its deployment in remote locations more convenient. In addition, the small space taken up by the underwater turbine could allow for multiple devices to be installed in the same location, increasing the filtration’s area of the effect greatly.

Limitations

The main challenges of adapting a hydro turbine onto the Seabin are the increase in weight, cost and the corrosive seawater environment (Ahmad. 2016). The addition of a hydro turbine with the required power rating would add approximately 57kg (Kojima, 2014) onto the product and as the Seabin operates at the surface of the water, the increase in weight would require the Seabin to increase its buoyancy devices in order to remain at the surface of the water. 

One of the main challenges faced by all hydro energy power sources is the harsh sea condition and environment. Seawater, which is very corrosive, is constantly exerted onto the moving parts of the hydro-generator like the turbine blades causing the components to corrode and rust rapidly (Ahmad, 2016). Particles like sand carried in the water also quickly erode the components in the hydro turbines. The adaptation of hydro turbines onto the Seabin will definitely increase the cost of the product. This is because hydro turbine components are relatively expensive as they have to be durable enough to withstand the harsh sea conditions. 




Research Methods

Methodology

The team decided to use secondary research to source information that is crucial and relevant for the report.

Secondary Research

To begin with, the team decided to use the information found in the Seabin project website as a reference for elaborating on the benefits and functionality of the Seabin. Following that, the team used the google search engine to find sources regarding any modification made onto the Seabin. This would help to show the efforts made by the Seabin team to improve the current model. Lastly, along with google search engine, ScienceDirect was also used to find online technical reports and articles regarding hydro turbines and its benefits. 

Conclusion

As the dangers of micro plastics continue to grow and with micro pollutants finding more ways to enter our water bodies, the micro plastic filtering products on the market have to be just as adaptive as well. Even though the Seabin does not have an area of effect as large, or the adaptive ability as complex as other micro plastic filtering products, it is still one of the most cost effective devices on the market. With the Seabin’s endless modification possibilities, it’s potential to grow is also immense. 

Improvements in engineering composite materials like carbon fiber will help tackle the challenge of the corrosive seawater conditions and allow underwater turbines to operate even in low tidal currents, increasing the Seabin’s operational ability once the turbine has been incorporated into the Seabin’s design. Although this modification would result in a price increase for the Seabin (estimated 1.5 - 2 times of its current cost), the operational cost of the device as a whole, which currently runs at 3USD per day (Seabin Project, n.d.), would be significantly reduced. Additionally, the Seabin would still remain as one of the most affordable marine cleaning devices available on the market. 

The team believes that with the incorporation of the underwater turbine, the Seabin will not only be a groundbreaking micro plastic filtering device but a key solution to the world’s water pollution problem.


References

Clark, J (n.d.). How can the moon generate electricity? Retrieved from https://science.howstuffworks.com/moon-generate-electricity1.htm

Calleja, C. (2019, August 9). Europe's first solar-powered seabin is cleaning up Spinola Bay. Retrieved from https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/europes-first-solar-powered-seabin-is-cleaning-up-spinola-bay.727784

Hanania, J., Le, C., Reed, R. W., Stenhouse, K., Donev, J. (2018). Hydro Turbine Retrieved from https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Hydro_turbine


Kojima, K. (2014, March 9). Award-winning Portable, High-Efficiency Hydroelectric Generator Now on the Market. Retrieved from https://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id034740.html
                        ://www.japanfs.org/en/news/archives/news_id034740.html

Seabin Project. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from https://seabinproject.com/the-seabin-v5/faqs/


Sleiti, A. K. (2016, November 21). Tidal power technology review with potential applications in Gulf Stream. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032116308991




Critical Reflection

The effective communication module has been extremely beneficial in improving not just my communication and presentation skills, but my te...