CLIMATE CHANGE

SAVING OUR ONLY HOME: A difficult, but possible, plan to combat climate change

Rollin Dix, Professor Emeritus, Illinois Institute of Technology – cell (630) 842-0773   It’s time to panic!  Climate change is even more serious than World War II.

Read The Uninhabitable Earth to learn about 2018’s evidence and the immediate threats. Tipping points are near.  Ice is melting all over the globe much faster than was believed just a year ago.  All countries are failing to meet their 2015 Paris agreements. Worldwide major oil and gas producers are lobbying and lying to maintain production.

Serious hopes for avoiding catastrophe?

Silicon Valley entrepreneur Tony Seba argues that for fundamental economic reasons, inevitably, by 2030 the world’s electric power will be produced 100% by solar+storage. (Seba’s solar growth includes India, China, Australia, South America, Africa, the Middle East and the EU as well as the US).  I doubt his timetable but not the idea.

China is designing and testing new designs for nuclear reactors that could replace coal-fired electricity generation.  Argonne National Labs developed safe and efficient fast breeder technology and has designs for mass producing such reactors for $500 million each.  When will the US respond?

Methods exist for reducing the amount of solar energy that gets through the atmosphere.  Solar intervention can cut warming while solar cells, wind turbines and nuclear are installed to reduce carbon-burning’s CO2 production.  A worldwide crash program is necessary.

Here are my ideas on how the US can contribute.

1)   As soon as possible start investing $50 billion per year in blocking sunlight (airplane or tethered balloon delivery of SO2 to the stratosphere) perhaps taking scientists and funds from our wasteful nuclear weapons programs.

2)   Start building advanced nuclear reactors at $50 billion per year also creating jobs for ex-servicemen and women released when military budgets are cut.  The waste heat can be used by steel, aluminum, cement and other industries.

3)   Start installing $50 billion per year in solar and battery for replacement of coal and oil-fired electricity generation.

4)   Pass a carbon tax to reduce coal and oil burning, and auto fuel efficiency rules that force conversion to electric cars and trucks.

5)   Government funding and legislative action are unavailable until 2021 so we must convince wealthy individuals to fund R&D now.  Bill Gates has started! 

6)   We must overcome our status quo and optimism biases, then leaders must take unpopular actions to begin projects like those outlined above. 

I’d sure like to hear your ideas.  Please reply. I’ll send Gates’ story and other details. Thanks.

Demise of Pedalong project

The Pedalong development program is now ended.  A combination of competition from gogygogy.com and/or profhand plus advice that walking therapy is much superior to pedaling convinced me stop investing time and funds even though the last prototype worked very well.

June prototype completion expected

Later than hoped, but much more complete, the 2016 Pedalong prototype should be ready for testing soon.  A steering wheel now replaces handle bars.  This 18 inch diameter wheel extends toward the wheelchair at user height and swings to the side for user entry.  Also a "simpler" connector platform was built to save time.   Otherwise, this Pedalong is as described in the 2016 provisional patent filing.

The list of people for whom this prototype will be demonstrated includes:  the patent attorney who filed the provisional, an engineer at RIC, an owner of a physical therapy facility, and a lawyer specializing in startup marketing.  The goal continues to be establishing a process for financing development from October 2017 forward.

Starting 2017

"Best design yet" is nearing completion of a prototype.  The provisional patent filed at the end of 2016 gives protection for the concepts until December 2017.  Its title, "Attachment for Pedaling a Wheelchair," tells one use, but an entire exercise machine based on the steering and power system is also described,

Pedalong subassembly tests successful

I now hope to have a prototype before the end of the year.  Although I’m very optimistic concerning the design, we’re testing subsystems before building the first complete unit.  Also, preparation of a provisional patent is underway.

This Pedalong attaches to a wheelchair at the leg rest brackets very quickly forming a tricycle driven from the front wheel.  The connecting platform adjusts to any leg length.  The steering column’s special design allows steering while the pedals remain directly forward.  More details when the provisional patent is approved.

Summer 2016 Pedalong development

Mechanical design of a test rig for the pedaling apparatus is complete, materials have been purchased and components are being machined.  All of my mechanical engineering graduate student assistants have found summer internships, but will return in the fall.

To make Pedalong a better therapeutic device, we are developing instrumentation to measure many parameters of use and software to record and display the results. Two electrical engineering graduate students are using an Arduino microprocessor and associated sensors to measure and wirelessly transmit the data to a laptop computer.

My professional expert witness activity has recently included learning about inter partes review of patent claim invalidity.  For more information on my career see rollindix.com.

Complex, but workable design?

CAD work on the 2016 Pedalong will be completed this spring with help from Carlos Amor Gomez. Carlos will use this project to satisfy a requirement of his MS degree from his university in Madrid, Spain.

The design departs from earlier versions in driving the wheelchair by a single, steered front wheel which is pedaled by the seated user.  The primary design challenge (now overcome) was separating steering from pedaling.  Another major benefit of this 2016 design is the ease of coupling it to the front with minimum modification to the wheelchair.

Also, the Pedalong assembly can be rotated to the side to permit unrestricted access to the wheelchair seat and adjustability for user height will allow multi-user applications.

Along with its use in rehab centers, this 2016 Pedalong could provide enjoyable exercise during other hospital stays.