Hydraulic Fracturing or Fracking

I am not a big fan of fossil fuels as I am worried about the impact of fossil fuel extraction, impact of oil wells and empty reservoirs in the earth's crust on likelihood of pollution of water bodies and tectonic activity and the impact of burning fossil fuels on the atmosphere. 

Hydraulic fracturing is used to increase the rate at which substances such as petroleum or natural gas can be recovered from subterranean natural reservoirs.- Wikipedia.

From 1940s a parallel activity with less environmental impact is being carried out to extract mainly natural gases ( Methane) from these fragmented and separated gas and oil wells called shale gas and oil reserves.

Click here for an excellent video.

 

Though the discovery of shale gas and drilling of shale wells has brought immediate prosperity to the local communities by way of increased taxes and revenues for infrastructure development and so on, the damages it causes in the long run also needs to be studied. The main concerns raised by the public against fracking are

 

1. use of water to fracture the rocks, 70 to 140 billion gallons every year (500-600 billion litres of water) . This could lead to water being converted for non-human activities.

 

2. Contamination of ground water resources, leading to future generations taking the brunt of the health issues

 

3. while oil reservoirs are concentrated, the shale wells are small, shallow and more distributed resulting in large areas getting polluted and made barren

 

4. the possibility of tectonic activities that can result after the crust has been fractured at many places leading to instability.

 

5. The presence of proppants in the shale wells drilled, can be a lasting environmental threat over many years due to the chemicals and surfactants in the proppants

 

Most of the shale wells produce gases and some oil too, the gross impact on the environment is lot less than created by oil wells. In the short run the impact on the environment may not be severe but we are yet to fully understand its impact of the environment in the long run.

 

How can planet earth provide enough food for its inhabitants ?

We are already 8 billion people on planet earth. The two big challenges staring us at our faces is 

• a growing population that would hit 10 billion by 2050 AD and possibly peak at about 12 billion and then level out.
• Climate change reducing land under cultivation and the depleting fresh water reserves

Image courtesy The Hindu

How can we overcome these two challenges. ?

It was interesting to go thru an article in CNN (click here)  that list out six innovations.

• Plant based coatings - that can prevent fruits and farm produce rotting or wilting
• Climate resilient crops - that can thrive even in salt sea water
• Precision farming - using digital mapping, drones and sensors to administer exact pesticides, precise watering, preventing adulteration of nearby lands 
• Insect protein - is grown as food for worms that convert food waste into protein-rich feed for poultry or cattle, even humans 
• Producing food sustainably - preserving eco-diversity across all ecosystems including coastal, marine and terrestrial, including forests, agricultural land and urban areas
  
• Urban farming - using vertical farming in urban areas like old buildings, warehouses etc help to get almost 10 times the output from horizontal farming, by making use of LED lights, giving water at the roots of plants, with no chemical fertiliser use.

Wasting less food on our dining tables and kitchen and using more of greens and fruits is one of the best ways to ensure that humanity will never run out of food in the coming decades.

George.

 

An AI powered home - is it for the better ?

The quote by Sundar Pichai on AI is given here. His quote is very important to humanity as his company influences more than three fourth of humanity, through the cloud, Gmail, Google maps, Google Playstore, Google Chrome and the like,

I got my first Amazon AI pod Echo dot in 2017 Oct, within 2 months of Amazon releasing it in India. Ever since I have been a great fan of AI pods by Amazon, as it made by music listening experience much richer and joyful. Through Amazon AI, I came to know of artists of whom I had never heard and who were as good or even better than the artistes I knew. After a gap of 3 years after Amazon's Alexa, Google also got into this area with Google home. 

 

As of Sunday,14 May  2023, I have finally got my whole home in Electronic city Bangalore AI powered. With Amazon AI pods in all rooms, front room lights controlled by AI and Google Home in 2 rooms, it is AI way. In addition my office room in Alliance University central campus is also powered by an Amazon echo dot AI pod.

Dont know whether is for the good or bad, but keeping a bit ahead on the Gartner hype curve 2023. Only time can tell.

As a teaching professional, it is of utmost importance for me to be ahead of the hype curve. In the hype curve for AI for year 2022 (given below), Machine Learning (for example Amazon Echo, Google Maps, Amazon e-commerce) is just finished its initial hype and is climbing the maturity curve while Natural Language processing (in Amazon echo) in on the downward slope of the initial hype.

 

The AI apps that I work to make life easier, pleasant and enjoyable are 

• Google Maps, 
• Amazon AI Alexa and Google home for selecting a great collection of songs and artistes across all genres, languages and strains, including classical, instrumental and percussion, 
• Google AI and Open AI for lot of technology and management related topics for carrying research and greater understanding, 
• generative AI apps for artistic output, artistic AI apps, 
• AI powered ecommerce apps of Amazon with unmatched security,  
• Gmail emailing app offering powerful AI powered security 
• Amazon and Google AI smart assistants and the like.

Are you aware enough of the developments that are happening across the world on the Internet ? 

Nick Bostrom, the Oxford Professor and Swedish philosopher, author of Super Intelligence, Human Enhancement, Global Catastrophic Risks and others says this about Machine Inteligence,

Machine Intelligence is the last invention that humanity will ever need to make - Nick Bostrom

Nick Bostrom is of the strong opinion that the moment machine intelligence crosses that of humans, we will become useless and will become subservient to machines, that also speaks of the doom on humanity and the human race.

George

Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobster released six days back..

The new Ubuntu version has been very encouraging regarding loading time and other software. But still I am unable to access my Microsoft email (official email) and have to read it over my mobile or the laptop with Google Linux.

I have been religiously following all Ubuntu releases every April and October and am happy that with each relase the software is upgraded. The version I downloaded is the final one, the Mate and Cinnamon versions are beta versions.

Being a Linux fan, I was naturally looking for the new Ubuntu release Ubuntu 23.04 that happens every year during the months of April and October versions .04 and .10 . This year 23.04 (the release in 2023 April month) is called Lunar Lobster. 

Ubuntu 23.04 comes with the latest Gnome 44, better accessibility for the challenged people in society, new QR code facility for sharing wifi code over the network. 

Ubuntu comes with the new Linux kernel 6.2 and new icons and screens.

Ubuntu 23.04 comes bundled with new versions of the following software.

• Python 3.11
• LibreOffice 7.5
• Mozilla Firefox 112
• Shotwell 0.30.17
• Remmina 1.4.29
• Transmission 3.0

My office desktop with the new Ubuntu 23.04

A 109 MB Lunar Lobster mini ISO variant is also available with just basic text features which is very useful in cloud settings.

For downloading the Ubuntu 23.04 Mate version click here.. and click here for the Cinnamon version.

Overall the fact that though with very minor additions and improvements for productivity and gaming apps, the official support will be available only for 9 months reg updates, the new versions of Ubuntu are coming out, it is a sure sign that the software system you get in Ubuntu is the latest update you can get in the world, safest and most secure, up-to-date.

George.

Why is a safe and healthy workplace important for organisations ?

 White collar and blue collar workers on an average spend almost 8 - 12 hours at the workplace. Everyday we go to the workplace, we proceed with the good intention to return home that evening safe and sound. Nobody wants to go to the hospital instead of home by evening. 

Imagine you come in the morning to the workplace, and by afternoon you inform your work colleagues that you wish to visit the hospital and be out of action for the next two weeks and intentionally insert your finger into the machine. Even in our wildest dreams we would never do such a blunder. Every worker wants his / her workplace to be the most safest in the world and they expect this workplace to be the most healthiest and comfortable too. 

Offering the workers a safe and healthy workplace is the bounden duty of the employer as it is in the organisation's interest to have sincere workers to work for them. If the workers are injured due to accidents or illness, it is a loss for the organisation, not the worker. The worker can take rest and reclaim the health. Therefore it is of the utmost interest of the organisation to offer the best and healthiest workplace to its workers. Click here to find the top 10 reasons why workplace safety is important.

I work in Alliance School of Business campus in Anekal, Bangalore, about 30 kms from central Bangalore. Even though the outside temperature during this April month is really high and humid, inside the campus and in my room, I have a very comfortable time of 8-9 hours daily. It keeps me in good health and good mind to be at my best and give the best to the students and work.

Recently while at GE, I was amazed to find their stress on occupational safety and health hazards. We had a 10 min presentation on occupational safety and workplace hazards (OSWH) before we were taken inside the plant. Also we were shown the safe assembly point outside the plant in case of an emergency inside the plant. The same exercise was repeated at SKF Engg in Mysore. No wonder because of their safety and in-plant health standards, their employees are very fit and healthy and the organisation rarely loses precious man-days or employee turnover because of some untoward incident.

A safe and healthy workplace protects workers from injury and illness. It can also lower injury/illness costs, reduce absenteeism and turnover, increase productivity and quality, and raise employee morale. In other words, safety is good for business. - www.colliers.com

This increased stress on safety and healthy work environment is a great learning for us and the students too.

George.

Industry visit to SKF Engg, Mysore.

On 21 April 2023 with 17 students and myself with drivers Vivek and Suresh, we were finally off to Mysore in our college bus at 6.30 am from Anekal campus to visit the SKF Engineering and Lubrication India Pvt Ltd in the KIADB Kadakola Industrial Estate, Mysore. I boarded from Electronic city bus stand. SKF is a global MNC manufacturing bearings and seals (from small button type to ones on OTR tyres) that started operations in Sweden in 1907 and is now spread across the globe.

 

Mr. Vijayakumar taking us through SKF history

The newly prepared road connecting Bangalore and Mysore was world class and  excellent. Our bus even touched touched 90+ kmph. In 2 hours by 9.45 am we were in Mysore city. After a good breakfast at Hotel Sidhartha in Mysore city, we were off by 10.30 am, our bus reached SKF plant at 11 am. 

The first part of the training was the initiation session in the training hall. Suraksha from HR was very attentive, caring and alert for the student needs. In the ten years of the plant being in existence from 2012, we were the first academic group to visit them. The interaction started with the Plant and Supply Chain head General Manager Mr. Vijayakumar talking to the students. It was a good introduction and gave a bird's eye view of SKF global operations and their financial might at $87 billion from operations in Europe, China, India, US and Latin America. SKF India turnover was around a billion USD, Mysore plant accounted for about Rs 200 crores. https://www.skf.com/in

 

SKF started its India trading operations in 1923 and this year is also the one hundredth year of SKF trading operations in India. The manufacturing activity in India started only in the 60s with plants in Pune, Bangalore, Mysore, Ahmedabad and Hardwar.

 

Over tea, Bala took us with great devotion and interest through the basics of Lean Operations. He was explaining all lean terms to the students in layman terms. We were also introduced to the environmental sustainability initiatives of SKF Mysore - very useful for the students. With a 2.2 MW solar plant, they were on the right track to reduce their Carbon footprint and ensure Carbon neutrality. The plant is also a zero discharge facility. Nandakumar and Prashanth Kumar Shetty also enlightened us quite deeply on the environmental sustainability aspects and production aspects in the plant. It was great to know that SKF Engg Mysore is a zero discharge plant.

 

With about 30% of the Mysore plant retained green, it was interesting to note how the plant had secured the coveted ISGBC LEED Gold rating. SKF Mysore is in addition accredited with ISO 14001 (environmental management) , ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety ) and ISO 50001 (Energy Management )

After a very good lunch, (irrespective of grade all employees get the same food), we were taken inside the plant from the raw material store to the moulding unit, injection unit, tool section and final joining section. In all these areas there were specific areas earmarked for visitors for walking. While crossing the walking paths, the zebra crossings inside the plant were something new for us. We were explained to great depth the operations that were happening, mostly relating to mechanical engineering. 

 

Bala taking us through the basics of Lean operations

SKF does not use natural rubber for their seals, everything is artificial rubber. We were also taken aback by the top-down commitment to the implementation of 5S across the shop floor and Kaizen improvements that were implemented. A good poka yoke demonstration was the FIFO method of assigning the mould unit that was going for the phosphating process.

 

Regarding their vendor policy, the plant head mentioned how the dual supplier policy was being practiced at SKF as they found it to be a safe policy whenever one supplier failed they could approach the second supplier and salvage the situation. 

 

Though robotic systems using AI were implemented in two of the lines, as the shift change was happening we were not fortunate enough to see the robotic production line. SKF has a very transparent system where they have great trust on their employees and does not use any surveillance mechanisms in the plant.

In the final interaction session the doubts from the students were cleared by Bala. The explanation of the 8 wastes and OEE was great, their value of OEE was 72%. The Andons on the shop floor and the waste management by different bins at different points for collecting the shopfloor waste was a great learning. The physical Kanbans were a great learning for the students.

 

By 3 pm the visit got concluded and after a brief tea and clicking pics, we were back in the bus to Bangalore.  Other than a small stop for tea we were all longing to reach Bangalore and our homes and hostel rooms. By 6 30 pm, in 3 hours, I got down in ecity and by 7 PM the bus reached the college. This visit went on fine without any incidents. Some of us were going through the newly opened Bangalore Mysore highway for the first time, it was a great experience for us. 

One interesting thing we noticed and which will remain in our minds is the extra effort SKF takes to improve safety in the campus and outside for its employees and guests. After the visit we were at the gate and all the formalities were over. The college bus was outside the gate and across the road. All students had to cross the road to board the bus. Our guide Suraksha requested us not to cross the road and instead asked the driver to take the bus around and come to our side so that we could board the bus safely. A simple step to make our lives more safer, but the impression it left on us was great. This was a great learning for all of us on the need to exercise safety in our daily lives and work environment.

 

The visit exposed the students to world class manufacturing and safety systems. Some of them were excited by the great learning they got from the plant. They were telling how inside the class they learn theory and here they could easily see and learn how the theory gets implemented. The lean tools were a great treat for the students. Some students are interested in internship opportunities. For the students, the very well organised 5S workplace and the environmental sustainability initiatives across the plant and the global recognitions for SKF is truly world class.

 

We look forward to more visits in the future to such global units. The technology being implemented was hard core mechanical, but the management part of the learning was entirely based on lean operations management. A big thanks to our PhD student Karthi for making this visit possible.

George  (these pics were provided by SKF)

An experienced water treatment professional interacts with ASB BBA students

The sem 6 BBA students were having their Environmental Sustainability class this morning and there was an interesting guest speaker who came in. Sunny Daniel, IIT Kharagpur was involved in many water treatment projects in the past and is presently working at the Acharya School of Design in Mysore.

Sunny was managing the water treatment plant at Puravankara Complex, about 1000 flats in Marathahalli, Bangalore, as he was staying there. He was the very few knowledgeable people in the colony who understood the need for water treatment and water conservation and was voluntarily looking after the sewage treatment plant for many years.

As per the talk, each of the ten major high rises in the complex have three water tanks on the terrace and one water sump underground. The underground sump helps collect the Cauvery water water which comes very rarely, if not never. The bore well water and tanker water besides some rainwater harvesting water. On top of each of the ten residential blocks, there are three water tanks, one for the fire hydrant system, second for the drinking water that comes from the sump in each building that collects drinking potable water fit for human consumption.

The third tank atop each block carries the water that comes from the water treatment plant and goes to the toilet flush in each flat. The lines are specially coloured to ensure that the treated water does not by any chance leak or mix with the potable water. 

The effluent treatment plant collects the waste water that comes from the bathrooms and kitchens from all flats, black water and grey water, and passes them through coagulation and flocculation, sedimentation process in about 5 tanks before pumping the output, filtered water, unfit for human consumption, to the respective tanks atop each of the ten buildings to give to the flushes in each house. Part of the recycled water is also taken for gardening around the complex. One of the most effective principles of water conservation, proper recycling of water is thus well practiced here.

The city of Bangalore has many such high rises and water usage and recycling through water treatment process though offers great savings in water usage continues to be a big challenge in all these apartment complexes. An audit could be done in some of these complexes to understand the gravity of the situation.

Visit to AU Sewage Treatment Plant

Immediately afterwords we went to the AU water treatment complex at the south east corner of the campus. Both the plants 2 lakh litres per day and 2.5 lakh litres per day plants were functioning, as the campus has maximum occupants now. At full use the Alliance University campus needs almost 5 lakh litres of water daily, considering 10% of this is lost or absorbed, the other 90%, almost 4.5 lakh litres is treated and used. The grey and dark water from the hostels and mess halls are allowed into a sedimentation chamber where all suspended and heavy solids are removed initially. The water is taken for aeration into an open chamber where the suspended organic matter is allowed to oxidise, this removes the bad odour. 

After filtration through three chambers, the final water is allowed to settle in a tank. This water is very transparent and looks just like other drinking water except that it is unfit for human consumption.

As different from the earlier case, here the recycled water is not taken to the toilet flushes in the hostels and is used only for watering the greenery in the campus.

Benefits : 

The water treatment inside the campus helps prevent wastage of fresh potable water for the greenery. The RWH and WT plant saves the campus millions of litres of water and thus helps contribute in a great way to environmental sustainability. 

The author having worked with industrial water treatment plants in MRF Tyres in Goa is experienced in systems where softening of the water is the most important criterion before it is emptied to the Khandepar river .being industrial use the water is not used for human consumption at all and is released to the river after treatment and bringing it to ambient temperature. Clearing the water of pathogens and making it potable for human consumption is not the criteria as much as removing the chemical ingredients in the water in industrial water treatment.

With the onset of the urban dwelling culture and consumption of water on the rise in the cities and urban areas, effective water treatment and water recyling policies is very much needed for the health growth of societies and communities.

George.