Australia's ABC New Inventors - several links where grey or contaminated water suggestions have been presented;
Perpetual Water - Designed by Dr Marilyn Karaman and John Grimes
The Perpetual Water system is a fully automated urban grey-water treatment system that treats shower, bath and laundry water to the highest standard. It makes it safe for long term garden watering, toilet flushing, and clothes washing.
ABC link - www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s1420309.htm
Inventors' link - www.perpetualwater.com.au
Solar Water Purifier - Designed by John Ward
The Solar Water Purifier uses direct sunlight to convert any source of contaminated water – seawater, bore water, effluent, wine – into drinkable water. It uses no filters, no electronics, has no moving parts, rarely needs cleaning, and gives a greater yield than existing solar purifiers.
ABC link - www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s1794038.htm
Inventor's link - www.solarwaterpurifier.com
Hydrasolar - Michael Patterson
The Hydrasolar is a solar tracking device, for solar panels, that does not rely on electric motors or computers to track the sun.
ABC link - www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s1881905.htm
Inventor's link - www.portasoltrackers.com.au
Tornado - Garry Ewan
The Tornado Rainhead is a funnel shaped rainhead that links a box gutter to a round downpipe, and encourages the creation of a spinning ‘vortex’ in the water going down.
ABC link - www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s1965006.htm
Inventor's link - www.tornadorainhead.com
Sun Lizard - Colin Gillam
The Sun Lizard is a solar-powered ventilation system that incorporates both a photovoltaic panel and a large solar collector, which (along with plenty of ducting), moves heated or cooled air around your home without you having to even think about it.
ABC link - www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s1986999.htm
Inventor's link - www.sunlizard.com.au/
ABC's - The New Inventors - a list of many inventions reviewed by the panel over several years.
ABC link - rage.net.au/tv/newinventors/inc/categories/InventionsByCat_ENVIRONMENT.htm
Housing - What's this all about?
Every time you turn on a tap, a light switch or even feel the comfort temperature of your home needs adjustment, have you ever thought how your choice is going to affect thousands of other people?
Today many new homes are planned to cater for the changes climate change is dictating. Unfortunately some of the changes are extremely expensive and beyond the means of the average home buyer but small changes can be made that will help. Read through these pages and see what can benefit you and your needs now and in the future. Remember you have to spend money to make money so a dollar spent today will save many dollars in years to come.
The following points should be considered when planning your home:
- How can the sun warm my home in winter and yet help it stay cool in summer?
- How can I use nature to save on using electricity or gas in my home needs like hot water, heating etc?
- What's the advantage of using pavers against concrete for paths around the home?
- Do curved paths limit the reflection of heat when compared to straight paths around the home?
- Does a dark coloured roof absorb more heat into the roof space compared to a lighter colour?
- Do certain plants assist in cooling the house in the hot parts of the day?
- Will grey water be okay for my toilet, garden and basic household needs other than drinking?
- Have I space to instal a large rain water tank and have it plumbed to the house?
- How much insulation is really enough in the walls and ceilings?
- Is double glazing a posibility or can I increase my eaves to stop direct sunlight in summer shining directly on my window panes?
- Am I able to taken advantages of gully or sea breezes in cooling my home in summer?
- What type of fences and trees am I going to have? Will they allow air to circulate at reduced speeds or cause total wind breaks?
- Am I going to use energy sources that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere or am I able to use green fuels instead?
These and many more questions can be asked and answered. Your answers will be determined by what you can afford, but some of the choices you make are relatively cheap especially when you are concerned about the externals of your home like the roof colour and landscaping. Give Australia's future a go and see how you can help save a few dollars in the long rung by sound decisions now rather than later. Good Luck!
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Adelaide University - a common fuel for all agricultural equipment down on the farm.
The annual fourth-year Mechanical
Engineering Project Exhibition will be
held at the University on Friday 27
October, giving students the chance
to display their hard work, technical
expertise and creativity to a wide
audience.
Many of these projects have industry
and government sponsors. “The exhibition is a showcase of talent
that provides final-year students with
direct contact with industry, resulting
in valuable experience and future
contacts as well as giving industry and
the general public an insight into what
our graduates are capable of,” said
the Head of the School of Mechanical
Engineering, Professor Colin Hansen. “Many employers have commented
that they see the involvement with
the industry-sponsored projects as
equivalent to many months of work
experience. This gives the students an
additional advantage when entering the
graduate employment market,” he said.
This year, many student projects have
addressed the issue of increases in
the cost of petroleum by looking at
alternative and sustainable fuels for
transport.
Making a real difference
5815Biodiesel Motorbike
Built as an experiment to see whether a bio diesel motorbike was feasible for agricultural purposes allowing one source of fuel for all farm machines led to the adaptation of the petrol vehicle illustrated. Dr Colin Keswell, Senior Lecturer in Engineering
believes the bike will benefit all workers on the land where up until know many types of fuel had to be stored for the running of farms, properties and stations. He went on to say "the
primary aim of the project was to
create a commercially viable biodiesel
motorbike to demonstrate the versatility
of biodiesel compatible engines".
Throughout 2007 the design will be
refined so that the bike can successfully
compete in the 2007 Panasonic World
Solar Challenge (WSC) Greenfleet Class,
to help demonstrate to a worldwide
audience its full potential.
Bio-Oil Motor Trike
The objective of this project is to design
and build a motor trike that can run solely
on vegetable oil. The bio-oil trike will be
entered into the Greenfl eet technology
class of the World Solar Challenge in
2007, which provides a public forum to
demonstrate fuel-effi cient technology
and low carbon fuels.
Mechanical Engineering student Heath McBain on the “Bio Bike”, the biodiesel motorbike designed and developed at the University of Adelaide. Heath, who is also studying for a Finance degree, is one of nine Mechanical Engineering students to work on the bike as part of their fourth-year project.
Photo: David Ellis
Source: Adelaidean - News from the University of Adelaide - October 2006, Volume 15 | Number 8
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Daimler Chrysler, the Western Australian Government and Murdoch University are testing hydrogen buses in a world wide research encompassing 9 countries.