Using P.I.P. to strengthen roads: Plastic incinerated by plastic
People have become accustomed to single-use plastics. These are plastics that are used once only and are then thrown away or recycled. A piece of plastic can only be recycled 2-3 times before it is of bad quality and can no longer be of use. (Achyut K. Panda, 2019). Plastic waste fills up landfills and oceans, becoming hazardous and harmful to wildlife, while emitting greenhouse gasses. Alternatives, such as metal straws and paper bags have turned out inefficient and plastic is still a great need in society. Another way of getting rid of waste plastic is to burn it. Fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas are being utilised to burn plastic in industry. This causes many harmful emissions, such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide released from burning the plastic. It results in more damage being done than just leaving the plastic in a landfill. These emissions can be cleaned before being released into the atmosphere. Plastic is made of petroleum, so when it is burned it is converted back into a fuel. Plastic can be burned under controlled conditions to create a fuel source that can be used, thereby utilising the waste plastic. The research conducted aims to investigate the use of plastic waste to burn other plastic to create a renewable fuel source and to eliminate plastic waste.
Automated Inflation and Pressure Regulation for Recreational and Professional Cyclists
Cycling is a very popular mode of transport as well as a famous sport around the world. Many people enjoy this sport either professionally or recreationally. Cycling in the UK alone has grown up to 200% since lockdown in 2020. (Chandler, 2020) Cyclists make use of a broad selection of products to enhance their performance. Those products range from wireless gear shifting, advanced geometry, smart suspension. This project is aimed to indicate the importance of tire pressure and to introduce a product which will be able to adjust tire pressure while cycling. This product will give cyclist an advantage on different terrains as well as eliminate some common problems amongst cyclists. Flat tires are one of these problems. It occurs commonly amongst cyclists and can happen due to a variety of reasons. Another problem is wrongly inflated tires. This causes unnecessary loss in a cyclist’s power and speeds due to the high rolling resistance between the tires and the surface. This then results in losing time whether racing or commuting. In an article published in 2014 in Velonews.com, Lennard Zinn states: “Whether on tarmac or singletrack, a tire with lower rolling resistance reduces the power required to move forward while also providing a better quality ride. The tire absorbs small bumps by not transferring them into the bicycle and rider, resulting in a smoother ride, faster speeds, and better cornering." (Zinn, 2014) Taking this in consideration it becomes clear that it is important to develop a system which is able to control tire pressure.
STUDY OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR POLLUTION OF POLTAVA REGION
Ukraine as a whole, as well as Poltava Region in particular, have a problem with the state of atmospheric air pollution, because the vast majority of motor vehicles and industrial, energy, and mining enterprises are not equipped with proper cleaning filters. A clear confirmation of the ineffectiveness of Ukraine in matters of monitoring the condition and protection of the atmosphere, in comparison with European countries, was the scandal with the manipulation of exhausts of the Volkswagen concern (Dieselgate). Diesel engines use a catalyst with injection of a urea solution (AdBlue), or a catalytic converter built on the principle of accumulation of nitrogen oxides on a metal surface made of barium compounds . Synthetic urea in automotive catalysts transforms dangerous nitrogen oxides into harmless nitrogen and water . However, due to the software, during everyday use of the VW engines in question, this function remained disabled and the catalytic converter was simply removed. However, we see such cars, along with others, even more morally and technically outdated, on the roads of Ukraine every day. The practice of burning stubble in spring and autumn also leads to extreme consequences of air pollution. The morally outdated system of monitoring the state of the atmosphere, which has remained in Ukraine since Soviet times, is not able to show the real state of pollution, and the lack of proper control on the part of the state leads, in general, to the worsening of the situation every year. Environmental problems in the country in general, and in Poltava Oblast in particular, are the cause of the spread of cancer and high human mortality. Almost 80,000 people die of oncology in the country every year. According to 2020 data, the mortality of the population of Poltava Oblast from non-communicable diseases exceeds the average indicators for Ukraine: Ukraine – 1,597 people per 100,000 population, Poltava Oblast – 1,793 people per 100,000. Therefore, the relevance of the problem raised is extremely high, and it is necessary to start with monitoring air pollution and raising the problem at the national level, because most of the country's residents do not even know what kind of air they breathe at home and on the street.