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Peter Hehenberger Maki Habib David Bradley Editors EcoMechatronics Challenges for Evolution, Development and Sustainability EcoMechatronics · · Peter Hehenberger Maki Habib David Bradley Editors EcoMechatronics Challenges for Evolution, Development and Sustainability Editors PeterHehenberger MakiHabib SchoolofEngineering DepartmentofMechanicalEngineering UniversityofAppliedSciences TheAmericanUniversityinCairo UpperAustria NewCairo,Egypt Wels,Austria DavidBradley AbertayUniversity Dundee,UK ISBN 978-3-031-07554-4 ISBN 978-3-031-07555-1 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07555-1 ©TheEditor(s)(ifapplicable)andTheAuthor(s),underexclusivelicensetoSpringerNature SwitzerlandAG2022 Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.AllrightsaresolelyandexclusivelylicensedbythePublisher,whether thewholeorpartofthematerialisconcerned,specificallytherightsoftranslation,reprinting,reuse ofillustrations,recitation,broadcasting,reproductiononmicrofilmsorinanyotherphysicalway,and transmissionorinformationstorageandretrieval,electronicadaptation,computersoftware,orbysimilar ordissimilarmethodologynowknownorhereafterdeveloped. Theuseofgeneraldescriptivenames,registerednames,trademarks,servicemarks,etc.inthispublication doesnotimply,evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexemptfromtherelevant protectivelawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse. Thepublisher,theauthors,andtheeditorsaresafetoassumethattheadviceandinformationinthisbook arebelievedtobetrueandaccurateatthedateofpublication.Neitherthepublishernortheauthorsor theeditorsgiveawarranty,expressedorimplied,withrespecttothematerialcontainedhereinorforany errorsoromissionsthatmayhavebeenmade.Thepublisherremainsneutralwithregardtojurisdictional claimsinpublishedmapsandinstitutionalaffiliations. ThisSpringerimprintispublishedbytheregisteredcompanySpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG Theregisteredcompanyaddressis:Gewerbestrasse11,6330Cham,Switzerland Foreword Introduction WhenBarackObamawasaskedonaUStalkshowin2020whathisgreatestlesser- knownachievementasPresidentwas,hisanswerwassurprising:appliancestandards. Hesaidnewrulesforenergy-efficientappliancesequatedtotheequivalentoftaking 20millionautomobilesofftheroadannuallyingreenhousegasemissionreductions. Particularlyintheenergysector,incrementalimprovementsareoftenoverlooked bypoliticiansinfavourofcompletelynoveltechnologies.Intherun-uptotheUnited Nations climate change conference COP26, US climate envoy John Kerry caused a stir by saying that 50% of the reductions that are required to get to Net Zero are going to come from technologies that we don’t yet have. There is a tension betweenthosewhobelievewecanlivesustainablythroughacombinationofexisting low-carbon technology and behavioural change (e.g., much less flying and meat consumption)andthose,sometimesreferredtoasEcoModernists,whobelievethat new technologies like nuclear fusion and geoengineering will be able to enable prosperouslifestylesforallwithoutcompromise. What is clear, however, is that every increase in efficiency or more sustainable resource use will make Net Zero more achievable and less expensive. Incremental improvementscanalsobeachievedfasterthanbydevelopingnew,unproventech- nologies.Asclimatechangeisacumulativeproblem,near-termactionismorevalu- ableinpreventingdangerouslevelsofglobalwarmingthanemissionscutsinfuture decades. Theclimatesystemiscomplexandmodellingitinvolvesinherentuncertainty,so everysmallpositivechangewemakenowreducesthechancesofreachingvarious ecologicaltippingpointsthatcouldresultinworst-casescenariosforhumanityand thenaturalworld. v vi Foreword DefinitionsofSustainability Theultimateaimoftheglobalenergytransitionthatisunderwaymustbetoprovide agoodstandardoflivingforthegrowingbillionsofpeopleintheworldinamanner that is sustainable. Various definitions of sustainable abound, and are explored in EcoMechatronics, but the most famous is perhaps Brundland’s development that meetstheneedsofthepresentwithoutcompromisingtheabilityoffuturegenerations tomeettheirownneeds. Itisoftennoteveneasytodeterminewhichtechnologiesaresustainable.Often renewable energy is conflated with sustainable energy, but this is not necessarily thecase.Nuclearpowerinitscurrentformisnotstrictlyrenewable,butwithsome moderateinnovationinuraniumminingandrecyclingofwaste,itsfuelcouldbecome essentially inexhaustible, meaning that it would be sustainable. Conversely, using biomassforenergyistechnicallyrenewablebut,withoutverystrictcontrolofwhere thesourcematerialcomesfrom,itmaynotbesustainable.Similarconcernssurround policiestopromotetheuptakeofelectricvehiclesgiventhehighembeddedcarbon emissionsandresourceextractioninvolvedinmanufacturing,inparticular,lithium- ionbatteries.Rethinkingourapproachtotransportmaybeabetterideathanreplacing oneinefficientmodeoftransportwithanother. Predictions that humanity would run out of key resources, or of ecological collapse,havealsocomeandgone,ofcourse.Humanshaveproventhemselvesinge- niousatextractingmoreresourcesfromthegroundandimprovingfarmingproduc- tivity.Todayweproduceenoughfoodgloballysothatfaminesarealmostunheard of, except when caused by political strife. Innovation in the oil and gas sector to expandtoreservesofextractablefossilfuelsalsomeansthatclimatechangewillnot besolvedbypeakoil. Thisingenuitywouldbesomethingtocelebrateiftherisktotheworldwerenot sogreat.Ourplanetisacomplexsystemandpositivefeedbackloopsmayresultin theaccelerationofclimatechangetotheextentthatwecannotinnovateourwayto sustainabilitywithoutrapidemissionsreductionsandactiontopreserveresources. RisksandChallenges Some of the risks and challenges of delivering a Net Zero world are explored in EcoMechatronics. The rebound effect, or Jevon’s Paradox, is the observed phenomenon of how making something cheaper or more available will mean that people use more of it. For example, although recent advances in energy-efficient lighting have reduced overall energy use, it has become so inexpensive that much moreartificiallightingisusedthaneverbefore. Technologicallock-inisanotherrisk.Decisionsmadetodaymayputusonpaths that make sustainability more difficult to achieve. In reaching Net Zero, carbon captureandstorage(CCS)isconsideredcrucial.ButCCSisnotonetechnology,it Foreword vii is a fleet of technology options, and none have yet been proven to be economic at thescalerequiredtohaveanimpact.Multi-billion-poundinvestmentswillneedto bemadethatmayleadusdoneanexpensiveandinefficienttechnologycul-de-sac. Boththereboundeffectandtechnologicallock-ineffectsmayalsooccurdueto theuptakeofautonomousvehicles.Iftheautoindustrydeliversonthepotentialof self-drivingcars,theconveniencemaymeanthatmoresustainableformsoftransport becomelesspopular. CauseforOptimism Thereisreasontobeoptimistic,however.Costreductionsofwindandsolarpower have exceeded all expectations. Battery electric vehicles are following the same trajectory,albeitadecadebehind.Wearealsodevelopingmoreresilientinfrastruc- ture that is able to withstand rising seas and more powerful storms. More contro- versially, solutions to global warming that involve geoengineering are being taken moreseriously.ThecollectivecommitmentsmadeatCOP26mayhavegottenusto apointwherelimitingglobalwarmingtotwodegreesCelsiusisachievable,butonly if every country lives up to its promise. Geoengineering may be necessary if they don’t. One trend that isalready happening, and which willcontinue todevelop, isthe increasingelectrificationofourenergysystem.Electriccarsalesarerisingexponen- tially and eventually in a large proportion of the heating systems in buildings gas boilerswillbereplaced,atleastinpart,byheatpumps. These,andotherdevelopments,openupopportunitiesformakingincreaseduse ofbigdataandsmarttechnologytoimprovetheefficiencyofbuildingsandtransport systems,especiallyastheybecomemoreinterconnected. EcoMechatronics Theboundariesbetweenengineeringdisciplineshavebeenbreakingdownformany decades. EcoMechatronics is an important next step. It recognises the benefits of interdisciplinarityandhighlightsthepotentialofengineeringtomakegiantleapsin progressbyintegratingbigdataandemergingfieldslikeartificialintelligence. Byembeddingsustainabilityinallstepsoftheengineeringprocess,EcoMecha- tronicsisafieldthatcanmakeanenormouscontributiontoourracetolivesustain- ablyonEarthbeforewereachanenvironmentaltippingpointfromwhichwecannot recover. Itisnotjustaboutimprovingefficiency;itisaboutimprovingtheuserexperience. Basicelectricvehicleshavebeenontheroadforalongtime,butuntilthelastdecade havebeenconsideredunfashionableandimpractical.Whathashappenedinrecent viii Foreword yearsisthatpeopleareincreasinglytryingoutelectricvehiclesandfindingoutthey arenotonlycleanerthanthosewithaninternalcombustionengine,butalsooffera betteruserexperienceforthedriver. The benefit of EcoMechatronics, therefore, lies not just in making our devices, building, and vehicles more efficient, but in making them more desirable to the consumer.Wecannotrelyontheenvironmentalistinstinctsofpeopletochoosethe moresustainableoptionoutoftheiraltruisticinstincts. Building decarbonisation isonegood example. Itissometimes saidthathome- owners like their gas boilers and will be reluctant to give them up, but they have notyetbeenpresentedwithabetteroption.Newsmartheatingsystemsandventila- tionmanagementmayeventuallyencouragearapiduptake.Homeswillbeableto control temperature and humidity room-by-room and they will generate their own electricity and share it with their neighbours. The EcoMechatronics approach will also see engineered systems interact not just with each other, but also responding andadaptingtofactorslikethereal-timechangesinweatherandoccupancy. In this context, the Covid-19 pandemic has made ventilation a more important factortoconsider,especiallyinworkplacesandpublictransport.Itwillbeuptoengi- neerstocomeupwithsolutionsthatensurewecanbreathecleanairindoorswithout expending huge quantities of energy on inefficient air-conditioning or excessive deploymentofair-sanitationdevices. Skills In2021,theInstitutionofMechanicalEngineers(IMechE)polledourmemberson whattheythoughtwouldbethekeyskillsrequiredformanufacturingengineersin thefuture.Thetopanswer,fromalistof22options,wasautomation,roboticsand mechatronics. Asprofessionalengineeringinstitutions(PEIs),theIMechEhascertainkeyroles. Incertifyinguniversitydegrees,weneedtoencourageacademiatoembedtheconcept ofsustainabilityacrossthewholecurriculum.Engineeringgraduatesshouldenterthe workforcewithaphilosophyofenvironmentalprotectionengrainedintheirthinking acrossdesign,manufacturing,operationandend-of-life. Asecondimportantroleiscontinuedprofessionaldevelopment.Thepaceoftech- nologicalchangemeansthatengineersandtechnicianswhoqualifytodaymayneed toretrainand/orupskillmultipletimesthroughouttheircareers.Businesses,govern- ments and educational establishments should collaborate to ensure the workforce hastherightskillstodayandtheyshouldalsoproactivelyhorizonscantoplanfor whatisrequired10or20yearshence. Itisalsoimportanttoembedaphilosophyofsustainabilityasearlyaspossiblein oureducationsystems.Intheabsenceofdedicatedengineeringteachinginschools, theIMechEandotherengineeringorganisationshelptotrainprimaryschoolteachers sothattheyhaveconfidenceintalkingtostudentsaboutsuchtopics.Volunteersfrom Foreword ix thisinitiative,PrimaryEngineer,wereinattendanceatCOP26inGlasgowin2021 showcasinghands-onactivitiesforyoungpeopletoengagewithemissionsreduction, includingaflat-packwindturbine. Conclusion AlthoughIbegan thisforewordwiththeimportanceofincrementalimprovements intechnology,theEcoMechatronicsapproachisastepchangefrommerelythinking aboutreducingtheadverseeffectsontheenvironment.Activelythinkingaboutwaste, inallitsvariousforms,canbeputtoproductiveusetobenefittheentiresystem.As Simpsonetal.explainsintheirchapter,EcoMechatronicschallengesengineerstogo beyondthemindsetofdoinglessbadandtoinsteadreframefromprobleminterms ofdoingmoregood. MatthewRooney HeadofEngineeringPolicy InstitutionofMechanicalEngineers London,UK Matthew Rooney isaCharteredMechanicalEngineer andHead ofPolicyat theInstitutionof MechanicalEngineers(IMechE)inLondon.HeholdsanMPhilinTechnologyPolicyfromthe UniversityofCambridgeandanMEnginMechanicalandManufacturingEngineeringfromthe Queen’sUniversityofBelfast. Afterspendingsixyearsasamechanicalengineerworkingonthedesignandmanufactureof componentsforparticleacceleratorsattheHarwellScienceandInnovationCampus,Mattreturnedto universitytostudytechnologypolicy.Themainfocusofhisresearchwasondeploymentstrategies for new energy technologies, with case studies including carbon capture and storage and small modularreactors.Followingthis,hespent18monthsasanEnergyPolicyResearchFellowatthe prominentthinktankPolicyExchangeinWestminsterbeforejoiningIMechEinMay2018. HeisaBritishScienceAssociationMediaFellow,havingworkedbrieflyasasciencejournalist withTimesHigherEducation.HisothermediaworkincludesappearancesonBBCNews,BBCWorld Service,andtheNakedScientistsradioprogrammeandpodcast.1 Hehashadarticlespublished inBusinessGreen,2 Professional Engineering, and The Engineer and he hasbeen quoted inthe FinancialTimesandontheBBCNewswebsite. Hehasauthoredorco-authoredovertenreportsonthetopicofenergyandtechnologypolicy. 1www.thenakedscientists.com/. 2www.businessgreen.com. Contents EcoMechatronics:Concepts,ObjectivesandOutcomes ................ 1 PeterHehenberger,MakiK.Habib,andDavidBradley Methods+Technologies Re-envisioningInnovationforSustainability ......................... 13 EddieSimpson,KaiWhiting,andLuisGabrielCarmona MechatronicApplicationsinRespectofSustainabilityandClimate Change ........................................................... 29 BrendanMcGlynn EcoMechatronicsandBioinspiredDesign Ecology,CircularEconomy,andSustainability ....................... 49 MakiK.Habib AHolisticandSustainableViewontheProductCreationProcess forMechatronicSystems ........................................... 65 PeterHehenberger AppliedSensorTechnologies ........................................ 85 AbbasDehghani-SanijandUrielMartinez-Hernandez MBSEforMechatronicSystemsDesignwithHuman,Energetic, Cyber,andPhysicalAspects ........................................ 101 FaïdaMhenniandJean-YvesCholey Concurrent Multi-domain Modelling and Simulation forEnergy-EfficientMechatronicSystems ........................... 111 StanislaoPatalanoandFerdinandoVitolo ArtificialIntelligence,EthicsandPrivacy ............................ 129 RogerWhiteandDavidBradley xi