R. E. KEARNEY

Future Pandemic – Is an Outbreak Inevitable?

Scientists, and other researchers, spend much of their time developing ways to prevent possible disasters, both natural and unnatural, from taking place. History is famous for repeating itself, and there have been several recorded pandemics that were responsible for the deaths of a large percentage of the population. The Spanish Flu outbreak, in 1918, is one of the most deadly examples. An incredibly contagious form of influenza, this virus affected everybody and spread to some of the most remote parts of the planet. It is estimated that, over the course of two years, the Spanish Flu killed between 50-100 million people worldwide.

Although our medical techniques, and pharmaceuticals, have advanced significantly since the early 20th century; The General Director of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom, has addressed the fact that we are still as unprepared for a pandemic as we were at the beginning of the 20th century. The dreaded event could begin in any country and spread quickly, before most nations were aware of its presence. Although this is a scenario we have witnessed many times in horror books, and films, the possibility of it happening in real life is much higher than most of us would like to admit.

Tedros pointed out that, ‘Universal health coverage is the greatest threat to global health.’ He went on to explain that as many as 3.5 billion people still do not have access to essential health services. Others that can attain the services are often forced into poverty, because of the high costs of this care. To avoid this problem many people neglect seeking medical treatment, even when it is necessary. This results in many illnesses progressing further than can be treated, and an unnecessary spreading of infectious diseases. This negligence could result in the earliest signs of an outbreak being overlooked.

Each country’s health organization relies on funding from their government to monitor the spread of diseases, as well as ensure the proper treatment. The (CDC) Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States, has recently announced that its budget for the epidemic prevention programs is being cut by 80%. In light of a possibly outbreak occurring at any moment, other countries are also experiencing the same difficulties. This demonstrates that governments are viewing healthcare as an unnecessary cost, instead of a necessary investment.

Tedros pointed out that healthy citizens are an advantage to the economy of any country. It has been proven that proper healthcare from children are in the womb, which is continued throughout their childhood, helps to make them stronger members of society. He also noted that at the moment a possible pandemic couldn’t be predicted, but dreads the terrible toll it would take on humanity. Despite there being no guarantee that a pandemic free world will ever be created, he is urging that we take back the control of our own lives. The best way to ensure our survival is by governments investing in proper healthcare, in every way possible, for each and every one of its citizens.

SpaceX Launches Falcon Heavy

Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, is dedicated to advancing space exploration and development. Another step in their program was completed on February 6, 2018, when they successfully launched ‘Falcon Heavy,’ the world’s most powerful rocket. The spaceship blasted off from The Kennedy Space Center, in Florida, with a course set to take it in an elliptical orbit around the sun, before heading to Mars. In addition to being the world’s most powerful rocket, Falcon Heavy is also the largest to be launched, since NASA’s Saturn V in 1973. To demonstrate its ability to carry heavy cargo outside the Earth’s atmosphere, the rocket is transporting a limited edition Tesla Roadster (Elon Musk’s personal car) throughout its journey.

The Falcon Heavy was constructed from the cores of three Falcon 9s, SpaceX’s previous rocket model. The designers had planned for the three cores to return to Earth, after the launch, but the middle one missed its target. The two side cores landed, as planned, on twin pads at the Cape Canaveral Coast. These will be reused in the making of future rockets. Although initially designed to transport passengers, Space X has ruled this out for the future, because of how well development on their BFR (Big F*cking Rocket) has progressed. The company now intends to use the rocket to transport large national security payloads, such as satellites, that will be too heavy for small spaceships to carry. The Falcon Heavy can be launched with weight that would be equivalent to a 747 jet, full of passengers, their luggage and enough fuel for a long journey. This is more than twice the capacity of the world’s second largest rocket.

The launch has been highly publicized, to attract possible investors in the company’s future endeavors. Although NASA is developing a system to send missions to Mars, via their Space Launch System (SLS) program, they are facing severe budget restrictions and have concentrated the majority of their efforts on returning to the moon. Elon Musk has demonstrated that passenger trips outside of our planet will most likely be organized by private companies, with SpaceX being at the forefront. NASA’s SLS is anticipated to be more powerful than Falcon Heavy, and should be ready for launch by 2022. The amount that each journey would cost on SLS would be between $500 million and $1 billion, compared to $90 million aboard the Falcon Heavy. SpaceX has also estimated that this cost will decrease for further launches, emphasizing that the future of space exploration really belongs to private companies.

Printed Solar Tiles – Life Changing Clean Energy Technology

The size of traditional solar panels has made them difficult to move around, as well as relatively expensive and not conducive to life in many parts of the world. Researchers at The University of Newcastle, Australia, are hoping to change the way the sun’s energy is harvested with their printed solar tiles. Their method, called functional printing, is cheaper, easier and quicker than other solar panels, and an upgrade to the way the sun’s rays are converted to energy. Professor Paul Dastoor has led the team’s research, and they are now in their final testing phase monitoring Australia’s first printed solar field.

The technique uses an advanced electronic ink which is printed on paper thin, clear laminated sheets using a conventional printer. The ink is made by the team, from non-toxic carbon-based materials, which can be used as is or further processed into water-based inks or paints. The film is light enough to be held to the roof and walls, at the site, using velcro. Production cost is less than U$10 per tile, and they can be manufactured quicker than any other renewable energy source. A commercial printer would be capable of manufacturing kilometers of the panels each day. Dastoor’s team believes this could be the answer to the country’s search into finding ways to reduce the demand for base-load power.

It is estimated that there are currently at least 1.2 billion people worldwide without access to electricity, and this technology promises to take it into many remote communities. In addition, it would revolutionize the way in which solar power is provided, in other areas. One of the obstacles currently associated with solar power, is the initial cost of installing the panels. Printed solar tiles can be distributed by energy providers, and packages could be recommended based on each household’s usage requirements. The panels are also ideal for recovery efforts, and disaster relief, because of the speed at which they can be printed and transported via airdrop. They would also be advantageous to military operations, as the panels can provide electricity noiselessly.

The current demonstration site in Australia, has been built as a final testing stage. Researchers aim to identify any modifications that may be necessary, before the product is marketable. The site sends feedback every half hour, and is the first time the panels have been tested in a real life situation. The long term testing will determine the durability of the printed solar tiles, and has already demonstrated that they have a more constant power flow in low-light and cloud cover, which would prevent customers experiencing dips in their service. The material is also sensitive enough to produce small amounts of energy using moonlight.

Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor

India’s size, and number of inhabitants, means that the country needs a significant amount of electricity. Over a number of years the government has introduced projects which will help them move away from coal-fired plants, and the country has recently closed 30 coal mines, with the intention of switching to renewable energy. India has taken these steps to clean up its environment, as the country is currently the world’s second largest contributor to warming gasses, after China. To help decease this, scientists have built a facility in the city of Kalpakkam, which is the home of the country’s Prototype Fast Breeder Nuclear Reactor (PBTR).

After WWII, several countries began building nuclear power plants, most of which use light water reactors to create nuclear energy. The prototype at the Madras Atomic Power Station in Kalpakkam, is a Fast Breeder Nuclear Reactor. It is part of a three stage nuclear power program, which was proposed by Homi Bhabha, in the 1950s, to allow the country to achieve long term energy independence. The program’s ultimate goal is to use the country’s large thorium reserves to meet the majority of its energy requirements. Designed by The India Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, the facility is expected to become functional in early 2018.

Fast Breeder Nuclear Reactors differ from other nuclear plants, as the neutrons that sustain the atomic chain reaction travel at higher velocities. The use of elemental uranium in these reactors also makes it possible for them to generate more fuel. Fast reactors are therefore safer, significantly reduce the amount of radioactive waste emitted, as well as have the ability to extract up to 70% more energy. Once the PBTR in India is fully functional, it is expected that it will use rods of thorium in place of uranium.

Apart from the PBTR located in India, there is only one commercially operable Fast Breeder Nuclear Reactor in the world. This is the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant, located in the Ural Mountains, Russia. This plant uses uranium to provide energy for various parts of the country. China is also experimenting with Fast Breeder Nuclear Reactors, but their progress is behind India’s by about a decade. The technology has proved extremely difficult to produce, and maintain, and other countries, such as France and Japan, have been unsuccessful in their attempts to utilize it. The world will continue to observe the capacity to which India can put their nuclear plant to use, and there may be attempts to replicate it in the future.

Molten Salt – A New Way to Store Energy

Solar energy is a clean energy source which, unfortunately, can only be harvested during the day. Researchers have experimented with different mediums to find a way of storing the energy, so that it can be used at any time. SolarReserve has developed a method of using molten salt as both a heat transfer unit, and a thermal energy storage medium. This has proven to be a flexible, cost effective, and efficient method of large scale energy storage, creating an entirely new way in which solar plants can operate. Molten salt has revolutionized the solar power industry by allowing the energy to be stored and dispatched, without the need for back up fossil fuel energy storage, keeping both the harvesting and the storage of the energy clean.

Solar energy plants have a 30+ year lifespan, during which the molten salt will not need to be replace or topped up. It is made from an environmentally friendly mixture of sodium and potassium nitrates, which can be used as a high grade fertilizer once the plant has been decommissioned. The salt is stored in tanks at atmospheric pressure, and about 566°C. The sunshine is reflected by a field of mirrors onto a tower, which heats the salt up. Using the molten salt for both heat transfer and energy storage means that the number of storage tanks and the salt volumes can remain relatively low. The salt is circulated through highly specialized piping in the receiver, during the day, and kept in storage tanks at night.

Once electricity is required, the salt is dispatched from the hot tank though a heat exchanger to create steam. This powers a conventional steam turbine, which then provides the electricity needed. Molten salt energy storage is currently the most cost effective way to store clean energy, and it is expected that the costs will continue to decrease. There are a significant amount of other benefits to using molten salt for energy storage, including:

It facilitates thermal power plants operating in the same way as fossil fuel or nuclear power plants, without the associated harmful emissions as well as eliminating the cost for the fuel. These plants can also operate around the clock, providing power for both on-grid and off-grid applications.
Energy generation can be adapted to meet different needs, using the integrated energy storage method. This also enables the delivery of reliable power at high capacities, where and when it is needed.
Each plant that has a molten salt storage facility can double its energy output every year.
The storage capabilities make the transport system more stable and secure.

SolarReserve has begun using molten salt to store energy in their 110-megawatt Solar Energy Facility in Nevada, which has the ability to power 75000 homes. The company also has similar projects planned for other countries, where they will be capable of storing up to 10 hours of energy.

Smart Cities – Panasonic Promotes the Future

Most futuristic movies feature cities that have increased functionality, which has been obtained by applying technology to everyday life. Leading technology company, Panasonic, has already begun building these ‘smart cities,’ and have shown where they can be the way forward. Their creation, Fujisawa SSC in Japan, is the world’s first city which incorporates technology into its infrastructure to maximize efficiency. The eco-friendly design was based on five major areas:

Energy – Fujisawa SSC’s energy system was created with the intention of consuming as well as generating energy within the boundaries of the city. 30% of the town’s energy comes from renewable sources, and each household can monitor its consumption online. All lighting fixtures are LED and buildings are equipped with solar panels, storage batteries, fuel celled co-generation units and heat pumped water heaters.

Mobility – The community has a mobility sharing service that encourages residents to share electric cars and bicycles. This reduces traffic in the community, promotes a more active lifestyle and creates convenient ways of travel for each person.

Security – For most people, their family’s safety is of the utmost importance. The town features an integrated security system, which has multiple cameras that are constantly monitored, to keep the environment open with minimal danger.

Healthcare – To promote a healthier environment, top quality healthcare is accessible to all residents of Fujisawa SSC.

Community – Monthly events are organized, which encourage residents to socialize and form a bond with their neighbors. This promotes a closeness in the community, which helps citizens come together to adequately determine what is best for the city’s future development.

Panasonic began as a company that enhanced lifestyles through the application of its products, but have an overall vision of creating a future where ‘smart cities’ dominate on a global scale. Their mission of ‘a better life, a better world’ continues to becomes a reality, as the company entered a partnership with Denver, Colorado to build their second smart city. The project began in 2016, and is expected to take at least ten years to come to fruition.

Aspects of the project that have already been installed include: WiFi, security cameras, sensors that can monitor the environment, and an energy grid with the ability to power the entire city for 72 hours in case of an emergency. More recently, the developers included the Colorado Department of Transportation in the designing and making of the city’s roadways. Road X, which costs approximately $72 million, aims to reduce accidents by facilitating communication between vehicles and the road’s infrastructure. This would include guidance about the best route, as well as an ability to alert drivers that are drifting out of their lanes.

Infrastructure is also being constructed that will connect an autonomous shuttle, from the city, to bus routes on Denver’s Tower Road. Panasonic believes that the city’s completion will result in a global desire for more smart cities. This is just another example of the way in which technology is improving the world, and the company continues to be a leading edge creator in the field.