technological innovations for sustainability

April 11, 2023Technological Innovations for Sustainability

U N D E R S TA N D I N G T H E C O R R E L AT I O N S B E T W E E N T E C H N O L O G Y, I N N O VAT I O N A N D S U S TA I N A B L E D E V E L O P M E N T

Technological Innovations for Sustainability

Prepared by-Swapnil Soni & Sowmiyan Morri

DoMS, IISc

Course-Management of Technology for Sustainability

Instructor-Dr. Balachandra Patil

2 April 11, 2023Technological Innovations for Sustainability

Index

Introduction

Need of Technological Innovation

Technology, Sustainability & Development cycle

Technological Innovations & Sustainability Impact

Organizations’ approach to Technological Innovation

Case Study Creation and implementation of sustainable technology

Marketing of sustainable technology

Challenges of sustainable development for innovation policies

Future recommendation for Technology & Sustainability

References


Introduction - ‘Technology’

ScienceApplication of intellectual and practical activity for systematic study of physical and natural world through observation and experiment

EngineeringApplication of Science

TechnologyApplication of Science and Engineering to study problems and provide solutions

Need Science Engineering Technology

Something more…!


Ye dil mange more…

Innovation is the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, unarticulated needs, or existing market needs.

This is accomplished through more effective products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas that are readily available to markets, governments and society.

Introduction - ‘Innovation’

Need Science Engineering Technology

Something more…!


Introduction - ’Sustainability’

SustainabilityLong-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions

Sustainable DevelopmentDevelopment which meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

(Brundtland Commission 1987)

Parameter Measure

Technology Productivity & Efficiency

Growth

Macroeconomic indicators- GDP, Per Capita Income

Sustainability



Growth of ‘Population’ follows Exponential path (Developing countries)

Growth of ‘Technology’ follows Logistic path

Unfortunately population growth is not easily capped

Fortunately technology & innovation is our own intellectual property

Developing countries pose exponential growth trend of population

Developed countries pose logistic growth trend of population

Sustainability can be achieved by aligning both the Technology & Population in a common logistic trend

S-shape: Logistic path -> Sustainable trend

J-shape: Exponential path-> sporadic trend

Pop

ula

tion

/Tech

nolo

gy


World Population Growth


Supply < Demand Crisis !!

Solution: Sustainable Development


Technology, Sustainability & Development cycle

Resource

Need

Technology

Solution

Externalities

Growth

Assimilation by Environment

Non assimilative

Equity

Development

Innovation

Feedback

Solution required!

• Technology exploits the resources to provide solutions to meet the need of society and generates externalities.• These solutions & externalities instigate innovation to get better solution.• Thus, if technology is the source of problem then it is the source of solution too.• Technological innovation leads to development of the society.


Technological Innovations & Sustainability Impact

Technology InnovationSustainability Impact

Economic Ecology

Thermal Power plant

Regenerative heat exchanger

(Robert Stirling in 1816)

• High installation cost• Economical in operation• Less fuel input to boilerIncreased efficiency (25% to 40%)

• Less emission of Carbon footprints(100 to 95kg/GJ )

Automobile Catalytic convertor

(Eugene Houdry, 1950)

• Additional cost ($ 150) • Norilsk, Russia-polluted due to Platinum supply used for catalytic convertor• NOx emissions in the US falling to 8.2% in 2008, from a high of 17.77% in 1998

Steel Plant BLT charging furnace

(Pauwurth 1972)

•High installation cost• Increased furnace productivity• Lower operating costs due to reduced coke consumption• Longer campaign life & less maintenance

• Less carbon emission due to reduced coal consumption

Automation Computer

(Charles Babbage, 1837)

• Better productivity & quality in industrial sectors• Unemployment

•Non-biodegradable Technotrash• Reduced waste due to re-work• Paper less communication



Large companies: Sustainable development is an element of the long-term strategy, because economic

and environmental aspects are increasingly interdependent. Adapt the concept of sustainable development to their activities, making it an “ad hoc”

concept Own R&D structures or sufficient financial resources to have access to technologies

developed by others Technological innovation is a means of standing apart from competition.Company Innovation centers Purpose & Achievements

Robert Bosch Research Centre (Bangalore, 1991)

www.boschindia.com/

To accelerate progress in the highly promising fields of the environment, energy, and mobility. Cyber-physical systems will address green technology for instance and conserve energy in buildings

Engineering Research Centre(Pune, 1966)

www.tatacars.com/innovations/

Vehicle emission analysis for petrol, diesel or CNG. This laboratory helps to achieve fuel consumption efficiencies that would conform to international standards & to bring down levels of atmospheric pollution caused by vehicular exhaust.

IBM Research(New York, 1945)

www.research.ibm.com/

Invention of innovative materials and structures, high-performance microprocessors and computers, numerous contributions to physical and computer sciences,;Nobel prize award



Small innovating companies: Often in fairly small niche markets , but are convinced that their products correspond

directly to a sustainable development perspective They are impatient with the slow progress of the public authorities’ implementation of

a real global strategy to fight the greenhouse effect and enact environmental protection

Their small size prevents them from having an effective lobbying policy They develop strategies to ensure their maintenance or growth on the current market They pay great attention to their employees and create a favourable climate for R&D.

Innovation is their credo.

Citation: MSME Industries – Peenya, Bangalore

Other economic entities: Harmful environmental effects do not threaten their activities in the short run Sustainable development is not a strategic component, but one aspect among others to

be taken into account.

Citation: Households, Local retail shops, Autodrivers (Process Innovation)


Technology –that was unsustainable !!

• Does all the technologies tread

the way of sustainability?

• Image processing exalted the

fishery

• Yet how long we got the reap

of this

• A steep decline was faced after

1970

• Mistake: Improper utilization

of Technology in the way of

sustainability


Case Study- 1

Generating Nuclear Power through Nuclear Waste

Creation and implementation of sustainable technology

14

Generating Nuclear Power through Nuclear wastes-TerraPower


TerraPower aims to develop a sustainable and economic nuclear energy technology using:

•Next-generation safe, affordable, clean and secure technologies

•Advanced materials for more durable metallic fuels

•World-class leadership for dynamic reactor engineering and innovation

•Supercomputing for reliable and comprehensive modelling

15



Safety:

• Design features meet current regulatory requirements for nuclear reactor safety with the additional benefits of innovative passive safety features.• The traveling wave reactor (TWR) is a Generation IV reactor, of which a key characteristic is the use of passive safety features to mitigate accident scenarios.

Some of the key safety features of the TWR:•As a pool-type reactor, it allows for a large heat sink, thereby slowing the accident scenario considerably because of the time required for the coolant to heat up.

•The TWR uses metallic fuel that has significantly less retained energy than equivalent oxide fuel (i.e., less energy to be absorbed in an accident).

•It eliminates hydrogen-producing materials, such as those created in LWRs when fuel temperatures reach 1,200 degrees Celcius and water reacts with zirconium.

•The TWR incorporates inherent safety features that can shut the reactor down without using control rods.

•Its passive independent residual heat removal systems do not rely on electricity, but rather use natural circulation and coolant to air heat exchangers.

“Using the laws of physics, the plant will shut down automatically without the need for human intervention in the case of a natural disaster.”

http://terrapower.com/pages/traveling-wave-reactor

http://terrapower.com/pages/traveling-wave-reactor

http://www.gen-4.org/



Economic Sustainability:

By making more efficient use of depleted uranium as fuel, TerraPower's design results in a lower cost of power.

•By eliminating fuel reprocessing, the TWR reduces the cost of nuclear energy production. On a country level, this simplifies the infrastructure required to kick-start and operate a nuclear energy program.

•The first generation of TWRs will reduce the need for enrichment and the second generation will eliminate the need for enrichment entirely. This leads to a further reduction of fuel and infrastructure costs.

•The TWR can run without refueling for about 40 years. While the reactor will occasionally pause to shuffle fuel, there is no need to stop for a fuel reload every 18 months. This reduces costs for operation and maintenance.

•Because the TWR burns its fuel more efficiently, it produces less waste for the electricity generated. In fact, it could generate a minimum of seven times less waste than today’s light water reactors. This leads to dramatically reduced disposal and storage costs for spent fuel.

“The TWR is expected to save approximately $2 billion in fuel costs compared to today's light water reactors, over the life of the plant.”


Environmental Sustainability:

•The TWR will provide large amounts of sustainable base load power. For the amount of fuel used, the TWR will produce up to 50 times more power compared to today’s light water reactors.

•The TWR will reduce the amount of nuclear waste produced at end-of-life. The TWR will produce a minimum of seven times less waste than today's light water reactors. With the use of sodium as coolant, the TWR will operate at a higher temperature, allowing higher thermal efficiency for electrical generation.

•The TWR will utilize depleted uranium as its main fuel. Just in the United States, more than 750,000 metric tons of depleted uranium sits useless, like that stored in Paducah, Ky. TWRs could convert this material into enough electricity to power all U.S. households for more than 700 years.

“The TWR produces a minimum of seven times less waste than today's light water reactors.”




Minimizing Security Risks

“Removing enrichment from nuclear energy production allows a clear separation between countries pursuing peaceful uses of nuclear energy and those who are not.”

The TWR simplifies the nuclear fuel cycle, containing it within the core of the reactor. It requires no chemical reprocessing capabilities and eventually no enrichment capabilities. This eliminates key points that traditionally provide opportunity for proliferation.


Case Study- 2

Technological innovation in Horticulture Market

Marketing of sustainable technology

21Technological Innovations for Sustainability

Implementation of Technological Innovation

Objective – Foray into New line of business Domain - Automation in Greenhouse farming market

in India

Target customers- Horticulture organizations & farmers

(commercial farming of Fruits, Flowers & Vegetables)

Target customers’ geography- North-East India, Ladakh,

Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka

Need identification for automation

Market requirement: Increase in demand of horticulture products due to globalization and augmentation in purchasing power

of consumer in India

Requirement of higher productivity in greenhouse farming to suffice the market demand

Operational requirement (to fulfill the above):

Requirement of constant monitoring system in polyfarms for prevention from insects & adverse climate

Maintenance of favorable condition in greenhouse –Soil PH value 5.5 - 6, Temperature 25-35degC,

Humidity 50-60%

Prevention of human entry inside polyfarms during use of insecticides- formalin

2/9/2014

Installed solar power capacity in India: 1.8GW

Greenhouse technology started only during 1980’sNational Committee on the use of Plastics in Agriculture (NCPA-1982)The commercial utilization of greenhouses started from 1988In 1991, 103 projects with foreign investment of more than Rs.80 crores have been approved to be set up in the country at an estimated cost of more than Rs.1000 crores around Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, GOI

Business related facts (India)

2222

Demand driven design

Based on the mentioned key market and operational requirement in line with core competency of

the company, it has to do the reverse engineering to drill down to technical requirement by the

customer-

Automated monitor inside the greenhouse to maintain the favorable condition at low cost

Advanced Sensor to sense & measure the following Temperature Humidity Wind flow speed & direction (external & internal) PH value of soil Water droplets size & velocity of foggers Fungus detection & Leaf sensor

Methodology

Cost effectiveness

2/9/2014

These sensors will fetch the various data of above mentioned parameters and will process to an integrated monitoring system that will monitor the greenhouse and plants on real time basis . Constant monitoring and preventive actions will yield better productivity.

Source: DaeHeon Park, Sunchon National University

A major portion of power to run the system can be sufficed by solar battery itself to ensure cost effectiveness of system.

Implementation of Technological Innovation



Challenges of sustainable development for innovation policies

Filling market gaps To narrow the gap between the private return and the return to society,

between the current and future generations Supporting dissemination of clean technologies

Low on consumption of resources, by favouring the dissemination of information and knowledge

Promoting technological diversityTo avoid getting locked into technologies which may present long-term risks

Reinforcing the long-term innovation capacity Favouring the development of skills and strategic prospecting

StandardizationLaying down procedures to improve coherence of the various agents, to

encourage appropriation of technologies by users and by society (patents) Encouragement

Encouraging citizen participation in developing effective scenarios for a social-economic assessment of technological choices

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Kyoto Protocol

Firm A gets 100 Carbon Credit (permission for 100 Tonne CO2 emission)

Due to its increased production it exceeded the permitted unit to 150 Carbon Credit

Firm B sells its Carbon Offsetters (saved CO2 by CDM- Clean Development Mechanism) & gets fund for its further CDM & as a reward for its fulfilled Social & Environmental responsibility


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Economic & Ecological Impact


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Criticism with Carbon Tax

Carbon Tax

Tax imposed on a firm for GHG emission

Post paid Social cost of damaging

environment

No flexibility

Carbon Credit

Pre-paid Social cost of damaging

environment

Simplicity in calculation & flexible “Kyoto

Protocol”

Tradable Certificate

Promotes enterprise to reduce GHG

emission by adopting CDM

Direct “Reward” to firm developing Eco-

friendly tech (CDM)




Websites www.unece.org en.wikipedia.org www.sustainability.com www.innovationcouncil.gov.in www.coursera.org www.youtube.com www.google.com

Research Papers Technological innovation fostering sustainable development by Cécile Patris, Gérard

Valenduc, Françoise Warrant How Technology Could Contribute to a Sustainable World by Philip J. Vergragt Costing the Earth: Equity, Sustainable Development and Environmental Economics by Sharon

Beder The Role of Technology in Sustainable Development by Sharon Beder

Report Harnessing science, technology and innovation for sustainable development By ICSU-ISTS-

TWAS Consortium ad hoc Advisory Group

Tools used Microsoft Encarta (Encyclopedia for offline references) Microsoft Excel (for data analysis & graphs)

References


Innovation for sustainability at “Caterpillar “

Founded California, United States (April 15, 1925)

Industry Heavy equipment, Engines, Financial services

Revenue US$ 65.87 billion (2012)

Status •1st its industry •44th overall in the Fortune 500 (2009 )

Products Machinery, Engines, Trucks, Defence Products, Agriculture products, Electronics

Video : Innovation + Technology -- Sustainability.mp4

Innovation for sustainability

Hydraulic power pack unit in excavators & cranes

Dual Gas Blending for cost effective fuel consumption

Economic sustainability by optimization of equipments travel using GPS tracking


Quotations

The poor are greatest entrepreneurs who have to innovate everyday to survive & sustain.

- Muhammad Yunus


Thank you!

“If Technology has created problem then Technology itself is only the solution for sustainable development”

We realized….