Team Profile

Abstract

Makt Stad Abstract

"What is a city, but the people; true the people are the city."  -- Coriolanus III

     Makt Stad, Swedish for power city, is deserving of its name, as it is designed to unleash the power within every individual to make our city the best it can be. This effort begins with our unsurpassed education system. Learning styles can be visual, audio, tactile, or a combination.  Some people are literal thinkers, others are conceptual. Citizens can choose to be educated in a traditional school building, at home through a monitor system, or in an independent specialized learning center, customizing their education.   This way, everyone learns at their own pace and in their own style, maximizing their potential, making learning easier and more exciting.

     Our citizens are offered more than just a stellar education.  We have several different kinds of recreational activities, including relaxing on the beach, touring museums, movies, libraries, live theater, sports, and zoos. Makt Stad has many parks and farms to reconnect with nature. Physical activity and good health are goals each of our citizens pursues. 

     Our citizens live in individual homes which are programmed with the Master Automated Intelligent Device (MAID).  MAID administers to human needs and controls all household chores such as scheduling, lighting, media, appliances, cleaning, HVAC, health monitoring, and food inventory. It alerts the owners when daily mail arrives through tubes from the Post Office straight into the buildings. All waste is sent underground directly from the home or business to different plants, sorted by machines, and processed. We have two main methods of recycling; waste-to-energy and reuse of materials. All garbage is recycled, converted into energy, or reused. Makt Stad has no landfills.

     Makt Stad’s infrastructures are laid out in an overlapping grid formation.  This allows for coverage of all services should there be a breakdown in a particular grid section.  Our police and fire system also uses an overlapping grid of separate departments, which keeps our crime rate at 1% and insures no part of our city is left without fire protection. Our hospitals are award winning facilities, as well. Below ground, we have a system of roads that can take you anywhere in the city via automated cars guided by GPS and sensors. Additionally, we have above ground streets and sidewalks for short commutes.

     Being the power city, we cannot forget about our energy sources. Nuclear fusion is our main source of energy. When two hydrogen molecules fuse together, they create energy, and their only byproducts are helium and neutron, so it is safe. As mentioned before, waste-to-energy is another important source of power eliminating the need for landfills.  Additionally, Makt Stad has incorporated piezoelectric pads throughout our buildings, homes, roads and sidewalks. Whenever pressure is applied to our roads or sidewalks, power is harnessed through our piezoelectric pads. We also use hydrogen, solar, and wind power in smaller amounts.

     All of this plus an unemployment rate of zero makes Makt Stad the best city, past, present or FUTURE!!!

Essay

Makt Stad Nanotechnology Essay

     Makt Stad is very proud of our use of nanotechnology throughout our city, especially in our water infrastructure. The water infrastructure of any city is important because clean water is vital to all parts of life. Water is essential for drinking, growing crops, cleaning, and countless daily activities. Without a reliable source of clean water, people die.

     Bacteria, pathogens, and contaminants are potential threats. Their presence in the drinking supply may cause illness/death to the population.  Another hazard is toxic waste, which can be dumped or seep into the water supply. The presence of particles, foreign objects, and organisms that can damage the water system infrastructure or facilities is a third threat. Finally, there is a potential threat of bioterrorism, a large scale attempt to sabotage the water supply using chemicals or bacteria.

     Our system monitors for all these threats. The main disease-causing bacteria monitored are E-Coli, Salmonella, and Giardia. These bacteria are unacceptable in any amount. Our system also monitors for many toxic contaminants. The most critical are Cyanide, Thallium, and Xylenes, which can cause neurological damage, organ damage, and blood changes. Acceptable levels, measured in milligrams per liter, are: Cyanide- 0.2, Thallium- 0.0005, and Xylenes- 10. The water treatment system also monitors for and eradicates harmful living organisms. The most significant organism in Makt Stad is plankton, which clog pipes and infests drinking water. Finally, our system monitors for bioterrorism; specifically botulism, smallpox, anthrax, plague, viral hemorrhagic fevers and tularemia. All are unacceptable in any amount.

     Monitoring begins with nanosensors lining the intake pipes (See Figure 1). They monitor water flow to determine if the intake filters are clogged. When water flow decreases by 5%, the nanosensors will activate a filter cleaner and email a cleaning report to the system controller.  The water continues into a cross-flow filter tank through a series of graduated filters, monitored and cleaned in the same way. The cross-flow filter tank separates all of the macromolecules (larger contaminants) from the water. The water is fed in parallel to a Semi Permeable Aqua Membrane (SPAM). Downward pressure forces water through the SPAM, filtering out contaminants. No clogging occurs because the high parallel water flow rate doesn’t allow sludge to collect on the pipes or SPAM.  The water is suctioned into a holding tank through Zeeweed, which are polymer, straw-like strands with nanopores so tiny that only 0.0001% of bacteria and contaminants can pass through. Magnetic nanobots are added to the holding tank, attach themselves to the contaminants, and heat the contaminants until the hazards disintegrate. The exit valve is then opened, and as the water is released, a magnet retrieves all of the nanobots. Beyond the magnetic retrieval point, the pipes are embedded with nanosensors that detect any remaining bacteria and contaminants.  If the water is pure, it is sent to homes and businesses. If any contaminants are present, the control system:

     At this point the head engineer must determine the problem and remedy it.

     Engineers were involved in every aspect of Makt Stad’s water filtration system. Mechanical engineers designed the pipe system, holding tanks, filters, and the nanobot delivery/magnetic retrieval system. Electrical engineers designed the power grid for the plant. They also worked with chemical engineers to design the chemical sensors. Robotic engineers manufactured the nanobots that heat up the contaminants. Computer engineers computerized the entire system minimizing human intervention.

     The nanotechnology engineers designed into the water system has many advantages. First, by using nanotechnology, the machines needed were much smaller.  Nanotechnology also allowed more automation and minimal human intervention of time-consuming tasks, like filter cleaning  and water sampling, resulting in a very efficient system. Finally, computers and sensors automate flow control using a production/demand ratio system that automatically increases or decreases water filtration speed based on demand and weather. Clearly, Makt Stad is proud of its use of nanotechnology in our water infrastructure.

Bibliography

 

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