"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Urban Systems
Benefits of Building With Brick
12/17/24
“What are the benefits of building with brick?”
People can create buildings out of a wide range of materials. Brick buildings are commonly found in places like the Northeastern US. Why did people make this choice? Well, bricks are durable, low-maintenance, fire-resistant, and good for the environment. The Benefits of Building With Brick make this material an obvious choice for countless developers.
Open Loop Water Source Heat Pump
12/14/24
“How can extract water to use in a water source heat pump?”
Water source heat pumps extract heat from water for a building. One of the most common types is to extract water from a source, extract the heat from it, and then return it to the source. This configuration is called an Open Loop Water Source Heat Pump and is one of the most common designs.
Image credit http://www.energyvanguard.com
Closed Loop Water Source Heat Pumps
12/13/24
“How can we make water source heat pumps that don’t directly extract water?”
Water source heat pumps use water to heat a building. however, many systems rely on water extraction. How can we make one that’s more sustainable? Well, what if we were to make something that simply exchanges heat using sealed pipes? Well, this exists as Closed Loop Water Source Heat Pumps. This technology is not only more sustainable but also more resilient against winter freezing.
Image credit http://www.energy.gov
Ground Source Heat Pumps
12/07/24
“How can heat pumps use the ground as a heat source?”
Heat pumps take heat from one place and transfer it to another. Typically, underground layers in the Earth are much more mild compared with the Earth’s surface. This means that heat can be transferred from the ground to a building on a cold day and vice versa on a hot day. This is how Ground Source Heat Pumps work.
Water Source Heat Pumps
12/06/24
“How can a heat pump use water as a source?”
Heat pumps take heat from one medium and transfer it to another. Water Source Heat Pumps extract heat from a body of water to heat a desired space. Water source heat pumps typically have a higher heat transfer rate than ground source heat pumps.
Image credit: http://www.kimpton.co.uk
Ex Situ Bioremediation
11/24/24
“How can we evacuate contaminated areas to a bioremediation treatment facility?”
Bioremediation is a powerful way to decontaminate pollution on the planet. While bioremediation techniques can be directly applied to the contaminated area, they can also be removed to a controlled environment for treatment. These are called Ex Situ Bioremediation techniques.
In Situ Bioremediation
12/23/24
“How can bioremediation treat polluted sites directly?”
Bioremediation uses biological organisms to treat pollution. Techniques that directly treat polluted sites are known as In Situ Bioremediation. Potential applications range from directly applying oxygen flow to unsaturated soil zones to adding helpful bacteria.
Bioremediation
11/22/24
“How can we use biological organisms to remove pollutants?”
Pollution remediation is necessary to restore nature to its proper function. What if we were to use biological systems to accomplish this? Well, this Bioremediation can be carried out using plants, fungi, microalgae, and bacteria to remove pollutants from the environment. Bioremediation is often less expensive and more eco-friendy than artificial processes.
Citizen Advisory Committees
11/21/24
“How can governments work with committees of residents?”
Governments may want to work with their residents on hot-button topics. One way to accomplish this is to form a Citizen Advisory Committee to take in recommendations from community members and local experts on key issues.
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