Category: Process-Matter

A new way of creating water reserves in arid areas could contribute to greater water availability.

Artificial glaciers in high mountain areas, such as the Himalayas, are regarded as a #TechnologyLandmark for use in an #OmegaMap.

The information presented here is based on an interview with engineer Sonam Wanchuck  on the website Mashable, August 23, 2020.

The locus of innovation is a new Principle of Operation. Water is sourced from streams during the wet months and stored in pipes that build gravity pressure. In the dry months the water is released, shoots up and freezes immediately into cones of ice. These cones, called stupas, are 100 feet high. Because of their shape they do not melt until late spring and provide water for half of the arid times. Sonam Wanchuk plans to build 20 more artificial glaciers. The research was funded by a grant from the Rolex Foundation

The effect of this innovation is to improve the Functionality : Process-Matter. Its position is indicated on the Functionality Grid. (See diagram below).

The dominant Functional Performance Metric is an increase in the ratio; months with water availability to arid months.

The Technology readiness level on a scale of 1 to 9 is estimated at TRL 5: i.e., “Technology validated in relevant environment”.

Technical terminology is covered in: Van Wyk, Rias, (2017) Technology: Its Fundamental Nature, Beau Bassin, Mauritius, LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, (http://amzn.to/2Avsk3r)
For descriptions of: 

• Technology Landmark; pp. 83-84, Diagram 11.1, Stage 3
• Principle of operation; p. 20
• Functionality; pp. 24-25
• OmegaMap; pp. 92-93
• Functionality Grid; pp. 29-32

The rapid purification of salty or brackish water could become a most popular technology in the coming years.

Rapid and inexpensive purification is regarded as a Technology Landmark for use in an Omega Map. The information presented here is based on an article “Scientists Create a Material That Makes Salty Water Safe to Drink in Minutes” written by David Nield in Science Alerts on 15 August 2020. A further source are the comments of Prof. Huanting Wang, Monash University, Australia, in an article “Breakthrough technology purifies water using the power of sunlight” in EurekAlert!, 10 August 2020, as well as further sources by the same author.

The technology is based on a new Principle of Operation that uses metal-organic framework compounds (MOFS). Under dark conditions they remove impurities from the water in just half an hour. A freshwater yield of 139.5 litres per day would be achieved. This yield would be accomplished with an energy consumption of 0.11 Wh per litre to desalinating 2,233 ppm of brackish water. But then: “After just four minutes of exposure to sunlight, the material releases all of the salt soaked up from the water, and is ready to be used again.”

The effect of this innovation is to improve the Functionality: Process-Energy. Its position is indicated on the Functionality Grid. (See diagram below.)

The dominant Functional Performance Metric to be watched for is a decrease in the time taken to produce a volume of clean water. Future metrics could see an improvement in the amount of MOF material (one kilogram) required to produce a daily output of clean water (139.5 litres).

The Technology Readiness Level on a scale of 1 to 9, is estimated at TRL 3: i.e. “Experimental Proof of Concept”.

Technical terminology is covered in: Van Wyk, Rias, (2017) Technology: Its Fundamental Nature, Beau Bassin, Mauritius, LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, (http://amzn.to/2Avsk3r)
For descriptions of: 

• Technology Landmark; pp. 83-84, Diagram 11.1, Stage 3
• Principle of operation; p. 20
• Functionality; pp. 24-25
• OmegaMap; pp. 92-93
• Functionality Grid; pp. 29-32
• Technology readiness levels; pp. 22-23

Self healing glass is considered a Technology Landmark for use in an Omega Map

The information contained in this post is taken from an article written by Antonio Vilas-Boas and published by the World Economic Forum cooperating with the Business Insider on 22 December 2017. The research was done at the University of Tokyo. The diagram shows two pieces of glass fused together with slight pressure. The fusion line is visible.

The locus of innovation is a new Principle of Operation. Previous systems for bonding glass required independent adhesives. Here the bonding of glass requires slight pressure

The effect of this innovation is to improve the Functionality : Process-Matter. Its position is indicated on the Functionality Grid. (See diagram below).

The dominant Functional Performance Metric is an increase in the ratio; material output to external energy input.  As the external energy requirement is almost zero, the functional performance metric tends to infinity.

The Technology readiness level on a scale of 1 to 9is estimated at TRL 3: i.e., “Experimental proof of concept”.

Technical terminology is covered in: Van Wyk, Rias, (2017) Technology: Its Fundamental Nature, Beau Bassin, Mauritius, LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, (http://amzn.to/2Avsk3r)
For descriptions of: 

• Technology Landmark; pp. 83-84, Diagram 11.1, Stage 3
• Principle of operation; p. 20
• Functionality; pp. 24-25
• OmegaMap; pp. 92-93
• Functionality Grid; pp. 29-32
• Technology readiness levels; pp. 22-23

Biodegradable plastic from cactus has been identified as a Technology Landmark for use in an OmegaMap. If this technology succeeds it will lessen the accumulation of plastic pollution at present afflicting the ecosphere. The information source for this sketch is an article “This Mexican is making biofuel from cactus plants” written by Sean Flemming on March 22, 2019 and published in the World Economic Forum. Background information is contained in an article entitled “Nopal juice forms basis for new biodegradable plastic” published in Mexico News Daily on June 12, 2018.

Sandra Pascoe of the University of the Valley of Atemajac used the juice from the Nopal cactus to form plastic sheeting. She is now cooperating with the University of Guadelajara Centre for Biological and Agricultural Research.

The Nopal juice contains “…monosaccharides and polysaccharides, which can be combined with glycerol, natural waxes and proteins to create a liquid that forms into plasticky sheets.” These plastic sheets decompose naturally when buried.

The functionality that this invention is focused on is Process–Matter. Its position in the functionality grid is illustrated below. Details of functional performance metrics are not available at this stage.

The technology readiness level (TRL) on a scale of 1-10 is judged to be TRL 4 “Technology validated in lab”.

Technical terminology is covered in: Van Wyk, Rias, (2017) Technology: Its Fundamental Nature, Beau Bassin, Mauritius, LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, (http://amzn.to/2Avsk3r)
For descriptions of: 

• Technology Landmark; pp. 83-84, Diagram 11.1, Stage 3
• Principle of operation; p. 20
• Functionality; pp. 24-25
• Functional performance metrics; pp. 40-43
• OmegaMap; pp. 92-93
• Functionality Grid; pp. 29-32
• Technology readiness levels; pp. 22-23

The book Forest Bathing by Dr. Qing Li, Chairman of the Japanese Society of Forest Medicine, describes a medical technology landmark. It is considered a Technology Landmark for an OmegaMap.

The description starts with the natural pleasant sensation that many people have, while spending time in a forest. The five human senses can all come into play –  sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.

The book then turns to aspects of healing. These include; reduced blood pressure, improved cardiovascular and metabolic activity, lower blood sugar levels, increasing the count of natural killer cells, and increasing  production of anti-cancer proteins. These have been scientifically observed by comparing the profiles of people who have engaged in forest therapy with the profiles of control groups. The former significantly outrank the latter.

This leads to a fundamental question. Is there  a physically identifiable emanation in a forest that carries the healing power? The answer suggested is “yes”. It is called phytoncide and is produced by trees to protect them from afflictions. Scientific studies have shown that phytoncides can be of benefit to humans as well. While research is ongoing we should regard available evidence as pointing to a medical technology landmark.

Forest therapy contributes to the functionality of Process-Matter. Its position in the Functionality Grid is illustrated below. Its level of maturity is estimated at a Technology Readiness Level of TRL 6. This level is described as: “Technology demonstrated in relevant environment”.

Technical terminology is covered in: Van Wyk, Rias, (2017) Technology: Its Fundamental Nature, Beau Bassin, Mauritius, LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, (http://amzn.to/2Avsk3r)
For descriptions of: 

• Technology Landmark; pp. 83-84, Diagram 11.1, Stage 3
• Principle of operation; p. 20
• Functionality; pp. 24-25
• OmegaMap; pp. 92-93
• Functionality Grid; pp. 29-32
• Technology readiness levels; pp. 22-23