In the current field of mechanical engineering, many endeavors are focused on taking existing technologies and making them more advanced and more efficient. Most of the modern equipment we use has been around for decades, if not centuries. What separates the current equipment from its older iterations is how well it can do its job and how little energy it can use. Examples of this include cars, whose mpg has increased drastically in the last half century; planes, which can now go much farther and faster, all while using less fuel; and trains, which can now transport more cargo using less energy. Major examples aside, even simple products such as bikes have changed as a whole to expand the different terrains they can handle and create a smoother ride. The case in point being that almost all the technology we need exists, but it is up to us to continually improve upon and enhance it.
The discipline I am currently studying is mechanical engineering and a common crossover between my studies and outside life can be found in transportation; it is one of the largest consumers of fossil fuels and is full of inefficiencies that are often distressing. After living in a city (Boston) for the last 2 years, one of the largest inefficiencies I have noticed is with the city buses. They all run on diesel and make frequent stops. Often times they are driven by impatient drivers who accelerate and break rapidly in order to catch breaks in traffic just to stay on schedule. This combination of factors leads to a tremendous amount of wasted energy.
One of the largest ways my discipline could help solve this problem would be to create large expansions in the hybrid and electric motor sectors for buses. The use of electric motors in buses alone could have a tremendous impact on the amount of gas the city uses in addition to the decrease in emissions and lingering exhaust fumes around stations. By their nature, electric motors generate almost no heat/wasted energy and are very efficient at accelerating. Equally important is the fact that they can also regenerate energy through braking, compared to typical brakes that just turn useful energy into heat. If such technology were to be implemented in the city’s major fuel consumers, including buses, garbage trucks, and EMS/Police, it could have a profound impact on the city’s reliance on fossil fuels and in turn make the city much greener.
