Saturday, October 18, 2008
Item 4: What difficulties do you have writing in your engineering classes? You may use your work in MLE1101 to give examples. How do you resolve the d
For each experiment, seven items need to be included into the laboratory report. These items are Aim, Introduction, Procedure, Data and Analysis, Discussion, Conclusion and Reference. In order to write a good report, every item in the report requires a higher level of detailed writing and good organisation skills. The ideas bring across in the report must be explicit so that my tutor can understand the report I wrote. Thus, to resolve the difficulties I faced in writing my laboratory report, I have to refresh on what I have learned in EG1471 and apply the writing skills on to my report.
Firstly, the Aim of the report acts like the thesis statement of an essay. It contains the main idea and the specific topic of what I am going to investigate in a very clear and brief manner. Secondly, for the Introduction of the report, it defines the subject of the report. It contains the relevant information to support the thesis and suggests ways to approach the experiment. The paragraph in the Introduction must be well linked with transition signals to ensure the flow of the report. Next, for the Procedure of the report, I can apply what I have learned for process essay using chronological order. This forms of writing able me to describe the procedure precisely. Therefore chronological order signal words are important to link the sequence of the steps clearly. For Data and Analysis, it only involves the calculating and plotting of graph or charts; hence not much of writing involves. After that, under the Discussion, I have to relate my data to the existing theory. Therefore, the data and graph serve as supporting details to support my hypotheses graphically. Furthermore, I have to organise my writing and sometimes, planning (brainstorm) is required which was taught by EG1471. Transition signals have to be used to ensure a logical flow in the discussions. In Conclusion, I have to reiterate the thesis of the experiment and summarise what I discovered based on the experimental results. Lastly, for Reference, I have followed the APA style given by EG1471 except that, for the report, in-text citations are not required.
Generally, writing a good report requires not only a good theoretical background, but also requires a good foundation in writing. It will be very disturbing for the readers or tutors to understand my work if the report is not well-organised and full of grammatical errors. With the help of EG1471, I am able to organise my ideas well. However, I found out that there is a lack in transition signals in my report and quite a few grammatical errors. Thus, these are two of the areas have to improve on to make my report a better one. This can be done by doing some grammars exercise in the SELF or read more English articles. I can also refer back to the EG1471 textbook to refresh on some of the transition signals which I can used.
Writing Assignment 2: Based on Stephens’ article and your related readings, do you think R&D (i.e., Research and Development) should focus on coal-bas
The burning of fossil fuels will emit carbon dioxide which exacerbates the effects of global warming. Thus, CCS was introduced to capture the emissions of carbon dioxide. Based on Stephen’s article (2006), CCS “incorporates a variety of technology associated with the capturing of carbon dioxide from power plants and storing it in naturally occurring, underground geologic reservoirs.” It is true that countries such as America and China have abundance of coal and we cannot neglect CCS. However, CCS serves as a temporary solution. It will be of no use once coal is completely depleted. Stephens (2006) has said that CCS is no longer restricted by the feasibility of technology. Thus it is invalid to play the emphasis of R&D in CCS.
Furthermore, CCS posed many doubts and problems which have yet to be solved. Firstly, CCS cannot be applied for every country. The storage locations for carbon dioxide are not feasible for every country. Those countries without the proper storage space such as ocean storage or oil and gas fields will not be able to use CCS technology.
Another problem Stephens (2006) mentioned is the “lack of clear regulations that provide economic incentives for investment.” The economic incentives generated by CCS are still very vague and investors will be reluctant to invest this technology. Moreover, “the (CCS) technology is used in small-scale applications, [and] it has not been demonstrated on a commercial-scale power plant.” Presently, there is no large-scale power plant proven to be successful in using CCS technology. Thus investors may not have the confidence in expanding this technology, fearing that they will lose all their investment if CCS technology does not work in large-scale.
In addition, there is a risk of leakage of carbon dioxide and the consequences are devastating. Schiermeier (2006) commented that “a sudden catastrophic release of carbon dioxide, which is heavier than air, can suffocate people at low lying areas.” He also said that “gas-filled reservoirs could potentially trigger landslides and tsunamis.” For ocean storage, if there is a leakage under the sea, it will increase the acidity of the seawater, thus threatening the marine life. To add on, when carbon dioxide is injected into deep saline aquifers, brines will be displaced into overlying aquifers, “with concomitant potential to contaminate potable water supply” (Schiermeier, 2006). With so many problems associated with CCS, R&D should not be focused on CCS technologies.
Although the costs of building plants for both CCS and other technologies are comparatively the same, more efforts should be placed on the latter. Other technologies which are not reliant on fossil fuels are renewable and sustainable. Most importantly, they are environmental friendly. Such technologies include solar, nuclear and water energy. They are in abundance and obtainable without much efforts. These technologies have been improvised for the past decades and should not be neglected.
Results have shown that R&D has increased the efficiency of existing technologies. According to National Academy of Engineering (2008) the efficiency of solar cells has increased from “10 percent to 34 percent.” In the case of hydroelectric power, Power Technology (2008) stated that the Xiaolangdi hydroelectric plant in China “generated 5.1 billion kWh of electricity a year.” It is because of R&D that we are able to capture the natural energy and convert it into the useful forms we need. The efficiency of the existing technologies can then be further improved with the help of R&D.
Using the non fossil fuel technologies will not produce any form of pollutions. It only produces clean energy which is not harmful to the environment. Some people have raised doubts on using non fossil fuel technology such as nuclear energy. Although the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster has drastic effects on the health of people and environment, the present nuclear plants have been improved with minimum hazards with the help of R&D. As quoted in RadWaste (1996-2008), “The nuclear industry is highly regulated.” Hence, careful procedures have been carried out to ensure the safety of humans and environments. Most of all, the energy produced by nuclear technology is very high. A major commercial plant called ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) which is based at Cadarache in France will produce “a power level of 500 megawatts.” (National Academy of Engineering, 2008). This cannot be done without the efforts of the R&D in the past decades.
Technologies not reliant on fossil fuels are largely dependent on natural sources and weather conditions. It may be true that poor weather can result in poor power productivity; however, technologies have allowed us to store energy for further usage. For instance, “sunlight could power the electrolysis of water, generating hydrogen as fuel” (National Academy of Engineering 2008). R&D has thus stretched the technical abilities in creating storable fuels.
In conclusion, R&D should place more attention on technologies not reliant on fossil fuels, which are more feasible and environmentally friendly. These technologies can be used for many generations which serve as permanent solutions when fossil fuels are used up. On the other hand, CCS technology will no longer require in our generation when the coal has been used up. Therefore, if R&D focuses on non fossil fuel technologies, it can then further improved on the efficiency on the existing technologies, making them more affordable and provide efficient ways to store the energy.
References
Biotour. (2008). Fossi Fuel. Retrieved October 2, 2008, from
http://www.biotour.org/content/Inform%20yourself/fossilfuels.html
National Academy Of Engineering Of The National Academies. (2008). Grand Challenge for
engineering: Making solar energy economical. Retrieved October 2, 2008, from
http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996/9082.aspx
Nature Publishing Group. (2008). Putting the carbon back (pp.620-623)
Power-Technology. (2008). Industrial Projects: Xiaolangdi hydroelectric power plant. Retrieved
October 2, 2008 from http://www.power-technology.com/projects/xiaolangdi/
RadWaste. (1996-2008). Waste link: Laws and regulations. Retrieved October 2, 2008 from
http://www.radwaste.org/laws.htm
Stephens, J.C. (2006). CCS: Research is not enough. In The world energy book (pp.15-18).
London: World Energy Council
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Item 3: Summary of an article
References
National Academy Of Engineering Of The National Academies. (2008). Grand Challenge for
engineering: Making solar energy economical. Retreieved September 21, 2008, from
http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996/9082.aspx
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Reflection:
Although it is true that all the research and essays that I have done in EG1471 is related to engineering, at least I do not have to crack my brain and use equations to solve the problems in my work. EG1471 has given me the opportunity to read up on up to date information with regards to engineering and also taught me the essential skills to write an essay. It has helped me in many areas especially for writing my laboratory reports for Chemistry. In order for students to have their own self pace learning, CELC has provided a study place, called the SELF, which allows student to study and to build up their English foundation. This environment has all the necessary reference books and other facilities just for us.
All in all, it has been an enjoyable lesson for these few weeks in EG1471. It is not only a place for me to brush up my English but also to engage some cultural exchange with all the different nationalities in my class.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Writing Assignment 1: Disadvantages of focusing STEM education rather than language arts.
Over these years, the advancement in technology and science is very remarkable. Science and technology have helped us in many ways and our need and desire on them will continue to expand. In order to sustain this continuing advancement, more emphasis is placed on STEM education rather than language arts. However, focusing more on STEM education instead of language arts will cause some disadvantages which will be discussed in this essay.
Language arts may be deemed as the capability of writing and reading, but it is more than that. According to Homeroom Teacher (2006), language arts can be demonstrated in “poetry, plays, song lyrics, screen plays, novels.” It is a form of communication which we cannot neglect.
Focusing more on STEM education, it will cause the students to be “unbalanced”. Students have minimum exposure of literature and poetry; therefore, they do not have the opportunity to apply and practise their creative style of writing. There will be a drop in the literacy skills of the students and their command of language and usage of grammar will deteriorate. Moreover, famous poetry and novels may lose their values and will not be well-appreciated by the younger generations.
In addition, language arts play a big part in plays, screen plays and song lyrics. Without providing a proper platform, we will not be able to cultivate and unveil potential students who have talent in songs or script writing. The proportion of such talents may diminish in time to come.
Furthermore, emphasising on STEM education may cause the loss of traditions as well as the opportunity to build up the character of the students. For instance, Chinese calligraphy is an important art form for the early Chinese civilisation. According to an article (n.d) from ChinaConnection, “Chinese calligraphy can bring physical and spiritual benefits to the practitioner, and can train one in discipline, patience, and persistence.” Therefore, language arts can build up the personalities and inculcate correct values into the students.
In conclusion, STEM education may seem to be of more importance than language arts, but it does not equip us with the essential writing skills and building up our characters. Equilibrium should be reached between STEM education and language arts so that the students will have a more balanced education system.
Reference:
Homeroom Teacher. (1998-2006) Teacher supplier info center: Language Arts. Retrieved
September 2 2008, from http://www.homeroomteacher.com/infolanguagearts.html
ChinatownConnection. (n.d.). Chinese society, traditions: Chinese calligraphy. Retrieved
September 2 2008, from http://www.chinatownconnection.com/chinese_calligraphy.htm
Item 2, Common grammar mistake
One of my common grammar mistakes that I have made in my first assignment will be the inaccurate use of preposition. What is a preposition? A preposition describes a relationship between other words (noun, pronoun) in a sentence. It is often used with other words to form prepositional phrases and preposition normally comes before the noun (Learn English Language, n.d). A preposition usually indicates a logical relationship of its object to the rest of the sentence. For instance,
I placed my laptop on the table.
The preposition, on, locates the noun “laptop” in space or in time.
Preposition can be simple (in, on, into) or compound (in between, because of ). They can also be classified under preposition of time and preposition of space. Sometimes a preposition can be used in both ways. For example,
The bus will be here shortly in a minute or two.
Please help yourself with the food in the kitchen.
In this case, the preposition, in, was used in preposition of time and preposition of space.
Preposition can also be found in parallel form. The preposition will not be repeated if two phrases used in parallel require the same preposition to be idiomatically correct (Capital Community College Foundation, n.d). This can be shown in this example,
You can wear this outfit in summer and in winter.
On the other hand, there are cases which requires different preposition to make the sentence correct. Look at this,
The children were interested in and disgusted by the movie.
Here are a few questions to try out (ESL English Quiz, 2001,2004):
1) ________ my stay in New York, I have made a lot of friends
2) The library is open _______ four to nine.
3) There will be a concert ________ in the evening.
4) We will have a party _______ Christmas Eve.
5) Classes begin _______ nine in the morning.
Referenes:
Learn English Language (n.d). English Grammar: Prepostion. Retrieve September 13, 2008,
from http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/grammar/preposition.asp
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d). Preposition: Locater in time and space.
Retreive September 13, 2008 from
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/prepositions.htm
Kelly, C. (2001,2004) Activities for ESL students: ESL English Quiz. Retrieved September
13, 2008, from http://a4esl.org/q/f/z/zz98bck.htm
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Item 1: The first assignment
The job scopes of engineers are no longer restricted on building and designing buildings or machineries. They can involve in many different sectors which include banking, finance or even health care as engineering tertiary education "trains the mind to systematically analyse complex sets of information and to apply systems thinking in designing solutions" (Prof Seeram Ramakrishna, The expanding world of engineers). There are many areas which engineers can develop their potential on, but the main concerns which I think engineers should focus on will be the vulnerability face by the human.
Due to our rapid development, increase usage of fossil fuel and deforestation, global warming has surfaced. Human activities have degraded the surrounding environment. Forest was cleared for housing and agriculture and more air pollutants were emitted to the surrounding due to industrial purposes. Human are facing the adverse impacts from the melting of the ice glaciers from the North and South poles and weather changes. These have result in poor yields from the farmers and also endanger low laying countries such as Venice due to the rise of sea level. Thus, engineers have to design counter measures to minimise the greenhouse gases without affecting the development of the countries. Natural disasters include earthquake, typhoon have caused lots of damages to properties and loss of lives. Hence, engineers have to explore new methods of protection and prevention to solve this problem.
According to an article, " Global warming is not only a treat to our future health, it already contributes to more than 150000 deaths and 5 million illness annually, according to a team of health and climate scientists at the World Health Organisation and the University of Wisconsin at Madison - and those numbers could DOUBLE by 2030 "( Larry West, About.com).
This astonishing figure is very shocking and it shows our vulnerability to diseases and virus. Pandemics diseases such as the SARS which "has infected more than 6900 people, killing almost 500" (CNN.com, May 8 2003) are deadly to us. Thus, it is important for engineers to manufacture new resistance medicine to counter threatening diseases for the society. Our survivals are greatly depended on these biomedical engineers.
In a nut shell, the engineers have the abilities to analyse different situations and provide the most efficient solutions. Their priority is not only safeguarding the interests of the mankind, but also the environment. Henceforth, equilibrium must be reach between these two areas so as to minimise the vulnerability face by our future generations.