2008 Winning Essay
School: Heritage Middle School
City: RA
Team: Glen Gainer, Emma Henderson, and Jeremy Boyd
Teacher: Debbie Pellington
Engineer: Ted Beidler
RA
“City of the Sun”
The city of RA is a world leader in the use of cutting-edge nanotechnology to monitor and maintain the city’s sewer infrastructure. Engineers designed a monitoring system that guarantees quality wastewater treatment, structural integrity, and technical reliability, along with economic and environmental sustainability. These components are critical in protecting citizens’ health by destroying harmful bacteria and preventing the release of chemicals, which adversely affect the environment.
Environmental and civil engineers designed the revolutionary Nanaste Treatment System (NTS) to monitor and mitigate potential threats affecting the integrity of the infrastructure. Threats, such as deadly gases or fractures in sewer lines, could result in malodorous bacteria-laden wastewater being released, posing health hazards to citizens. Potential pipe corrosion caused by blockage from suspended solids could contaminate the environment and aquatic life. The state-of-the-art NTS was designed to measure velocity, gas levels, and pipe stress in sewer lines throughout RA.
Civil engineers established a centralized monitoring station, the Anqet Complex, along with two substations located in the northern and southern portion of RA, to monitor sewer lines citywide. Overseen by city engineers, stations also serve as backup support stations to ensure infrastructure stability. Furthermore, civil and structural engineers developed a dual sewer piping system, encased within a main support pipe, to maximize transport of wastewater, monitoring, and repairing capabilities.
Due to dry weather conditions in RA and to ensure unobstructed sewer lines, engineers set NTS wastewater flow parameters at a minimum velocity of 2 feet/second with a maximum velocity no greater than 10 feet/second to prevent pipe corrosion. Another priority was designing adequately sloped sewer lines to reduce the production of deadly hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas which builds in stagnant sewer lines. Proper velocity and slope must be monitored and maintained so anaerobic conditions within sewer pipes prevent H2S from reaching lethal levels. Engineers determined that H2S levels of 300ppm were dangerous and 600ppm deadly. Civil engineers set corresponding proportions between pipe diameter and pipe length to ensure effective slope/pipe length ratios are maintained (i.e.: a pipe diameter of 12” would require a pipe length of .26 up to 5 feet). Civil and chemical engineers worked together to establish safe gas content values. Values that rise above established levels (i.e.: levels of H2S at 280ppm or above), triggers a response in which a controller takes action to dissipate deadly gas. Simultaneously, engineers are notified via the smart table, which threshold has been breached and which response is being actuated.
To maximize NTS efficiency, electrical engineers designed microelectromechanical machines (MEM’s) to oversee nanosensors implanted within pipes. MEM chips act as information centers to monitor nanoaccelerometer sensors. The nanoaccelerometers, embedded within sewer pipes, use a weighted silicon shaft to determine changes in wastewater flow. If the velocity varies beyond established parameters, the sensor detects the change and wastewater is automatically rerouted to alternate piping to maintain flow. Simultaneously, nanodigibots transmit pictures to MEM’s which communicate with smart tables, displaying all variables, the detected problem, and the action taken. If a blockage exists, the MEM activates robotic nanopigs to flush the blockage. Through wireless transmission, MEM’s communicate with smart tables, allowing engineers to evaluate all action initiated. Given that molecules of gas bond to the surface of carbon nanotubes, MEM’s integrate carbon nanotube sensors in sewer pipes to detect chemical vapors such as H2S. If the sensor detects elevated H2S levels, it notifies the MEM which activates the robotic nanopig. The robotic nanopig uses nanosponge vacuums to absorb gas and transport it back to the treatment plant for reprocessing. The MEM also oversees nanosensor stress bots, which monitor pipe stress. If stress is revealed, a signal sent to the smart table alerts the engineer and MEM’s deploy “bandage bots” located in the outer piping layer to repair any fracture.
Through use of advanced nanotechnology throughout sewer lines, RA engineers have created a monitoring system that is unsurpassed. Revolutionary nanotechnologies such as microelectromechanical machines, nanosensors, robotic nanopigs, nanosponges, carbon nanotubes, nanodigibots, nanosensor stress bots, and smart table technology have been used throughout the system. All provide RA engineers with precise data, a state-of-the-art monitoring system, automated repairs, and precise problem detection that is economically advantageous, protects citizens’ heath, and preserves the environment. RA: the ideal living paradise.
Word Count: 699 Words
