Technology and Global Development
(WM0903)Activities
Student Work: Climbing The Epoch Ladder: Exponential technological growth with respect to singularity
EpochLadder_Moolman.pdf
Looking at technology as an evolutionary process with a seemingly exponential growth-rate. In the essay the focus is placed on what is known as The Singularity as defined by Ray Kurzweil. The basic concept of the singularity is with background knowledge, arguments for and against and interpretations are discussed, and an effort is made to extrapolate the validity of the singularity occurring in the near future.
Student Work: “Concentrated Solar Power” Station in the Sahara Desert
“Concentrated Solar Power” Station in the Sahara Desert_Vouwzee.pdf
In this paper, the introduction of new technology into Egyptian society is studied. It involves the placement of a “concentrated solar power” station in the Sahara desert, in the vicinity of the Egyptian capital. The Egyptian society, economy and government is briefly reviewed to obtain a better picture of the possible impact of such a project. Technical Aspects of a CSP station are also studied. To study the relation between culture and technology the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) model is used to construct a technological forecast for this subject.
Student Work: Future of the HVDC Power Grid in Europe, Technology Forecast
HVDC.pdf
What is the possible future of HVDC power grid in Europe? This paper firstly explains what HVDC technology is. Why is there a demand to build a new transmission network, when there is already a huge AC grid, which interconnects the whole continent? A forecast of applications of HVDC transmission systems in Europe is made in the close and distant future. Eventual impacts on the power grid, network operators, but also on environment, society are discussed.
Student Work: How can IT reduce the Gap Between Mozambique and Western Countries?
IT and the future in Mozambique.pdf
Information and Telecommunication Technologies (ICT) have infiltrated many countries since the introduction in the 80's. ICT in Africa was initially applied in research and education, but with the arrival of the internet in the 1990s, ICT has rapidly reached other sectors. The objective of this paper is to elaborate on the conditions necessary to transform the African country into a producer of Information Technology (IT), allowing the country to export IT to developed countries and to use it for its own benefit. This should decrease the technological gap between developed countries and countries in Africa and particularly.
Student Work: Methanol as a New Energy Carrier
Methanol as a new energy carrier.pdf
A forecast for the Introduction of Methanol as Energy Carrier in the Netherlands.
The scarcity of fossil fuels urges our society to look at alternative raw materials for the production of energy and chemicals. Furthermore,global warming and stricter environmental regulations forces us to look at more sustainable ways to satisfy the increasing demands of our energy-intensivesociety. At the moment, hydrogen is seen as a very promising energy carrier for the future. A promising alternativefor hydrogen is methanol. In this report a forecast is made for the possibility of production of methanol in the Netherlands.
Student Work: ( in Dutch) Zeewierteelt voor de productie van biomassa in offshore windparken
Rapport Techniek en toekomst.pdf
Biomassa is op dit moment de belangrijkste bron van duurzame energie in Nederland en heeft grote kansen om door te groeien op het gebied van toepassingen in de chemie, in transport en de energie opwekking. Om aan de toekomstige vraag naar biomassa te voldoen zijn nieuwe vormen van productie van biomassa nodig (zoals geformuleerd in lange termijnvisies van het ministerie van EZ). In dit licht zou grootschalige teelt van zeewier voor biomassa productie een aantrekkelijk alternatief kunnen zijn vanwege het grote ongebruikte areaal in de Noordzee. In het specifieke geval zal in dit rapport worden gekeken naar de combinatie van grootschalige teelt
van zeewier binnen offshore windparken.
Student Work (in Dutch): Wind Amplified Rotor Platforms
Wind Amplified Rotor Platforms.pdf
In dit rapport zal een technologische verkenningworden gedaan in windenergie In deze groep is er een standaard manier van energie opwekking uit windkracht. Deze standaard is de zogenaamde enkele horizontale-as windmolen. De molens nemen een grote hoeveelheid ruimte in, zijn lawaaiig, vervuilen met hun verschijning het landschap en een aanzienlijk aantal vogels zou sterven door botsingen met de wieken. De laatste tijd verschuiven deze windparken dan ook van het land naar locaties op zee. Dit zijn de zogenoemde ‘Off-shore’ windparken. Echter de nadelen die met deze nieuwe locaties zijn gemoeid zorgen ervoor dat alternatieve methoden meer in trek komen. Zo is er de Wind Amplified Rotor Platforms (WARP) techniek. Een voorspelling van het WARP marktaandeel in de toekomstige windenergiemarkt zal worden gemaakt.
