Project 1
Student id: m21
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<docHead>
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<title>Project 1</title>
<author xml:id="m21">Chris Murphy</author>
<version n="1" date="2016-07-11"/>
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<problem_stmt> My discipline of mechanical engineering typically deals with problems of
efficiency and in turn sustainability. It addresses current systems in place and works
to improve their output while reducing their energy consumption. In the case of Boston’s
public transportation and sanitation, it is important to address the problem of high
amounts of fossil fuels being burned to keep the city functioning. A change in this area
will not only help combat global warming as a whole, it will lead to reductions in both
air and noise pollution in the city. It will affect both the general public who use
public transportation as well as many residents who live at or near street level in the
city.<note type="instructor">living on Mass Ave., I agree that noise pollution is a big deal!</note> My discipline offers insights into the differences between internal combustion
engines and electric motors. It can compare the cost/benefits of each in terms of
accessibility, reliability, feasibility, and price. The input it provides can then be
used to move forward in making a decision on how to best improve or alter the current
fleet of vehicles that the city uses. </problem_stmt>
<citation n="1" style="APA"><author n="1">Peter Kelly-Detwiler</author> (Mar 4, 2015).
<title level="a">Electric Garbage Trucks: Huge Energy Savings And They Won't Wake
You Up In The Morning</title>. <title level="j">Forbes Magazine</title>, 51 (4),
541-554. </citation>
<annotation>
<background type="source">Ian Wright, a Tesla cofounder, saw vast potential for electric
motors in trucks and other vehicles beyond cars.
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</background>
<summary type="general">Garbage trucks are known to be among the biggest wasters of
energy due to their nature of highly frequent stops. Electrically powered garbage
trucks are highly efficient due to their nature of capturing all of the energy used
in braking and then reusing it, while also not releasing any carbon emissions.
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</summary>
<relevance type="application"> Electric garbage trucks would have one of the most
profound impacts on the energy efficiency of Boston’s public vehicles.</relevance>
</annotation>
<citation n="1" style="APA"><author n="1">Mayor's Office</author> (Apr 7, 2015). <title
level="a">Mayor Walsh Announces Ordinance to Reduce Diesel Emissions</title>. <title
level="j">City of Boston.gov</title>, 51 (4), 541-554. </citation>
<annotation>
<background type="author">Mayor Martin Walsh has announced his support for reducing the
emissions from diesel vehicles owned or operated by the city of Boston.
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</background>
<summary type="general">There are a growing number of health concerns both in the city
and in the world regarding the problems created by carbon emissions from vehicles.
<q>“The asthma rate in Boston’s neighborhoods continues to climb," </q><note type="instructor">we didn't discuss this in class, but you don't need the quotes, the q element adds them</note>said
Councilor Murphy in a statement regarding the declining health of certain areas of
Boston. <!-- can include <q> element(s) for quoted material -->
</summary>
<relevance type="application"> A large step to solving this public health issue could
lie within eliminating all emissions from the city’s vehicles.<note type="instructor">right, so you could imagine using this source as a way to justify getting the capital needed to convert the city's fleet of garbage trucks (a considerable political problem)?</note></relevance>
</annotation>
<citation n="1" style="APA"><author n="1">Rachel Dovey</author> (Jul 17, 2015). <title
level="a">Ex-Tesla Employee Wants Electric City Bus to Beat Out
Diesel</title>. <title level="j">Next City</title>, 51 (4), 541-554. </citation>
<annotation>
<background type="author">Many people look to electric cars as the best way to decrease
emissions, but often overlook other modes of transportation that could be improved
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</background>
<summary type="general">Buses are among the least environmentally friendly forms of
transportation, averaging around 4mpg. When confronted with the improved versions of
diesel vehicles, Proterra founder Ryan Popple adds, <q>“Natural gas is harder to
see, but it doesn’t really solve the problem and still creates a lot of ozone.
Bottom line: It’s a really bad idea to burn fossil fuels in an urban
environment.”</q>
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</summary>
<relevance type="application"> Switching the city’s fleet of natural gas and hybrid
buses over to electric would greatly improve transportation efficiency while
lowering emissions in highly populated areas and travel routes. </relevance>
</annotation>
<citation n="1" style="APA"><author n="1">Tina Casey</author> (Jun 10, 2015). <title
level="a">Electric Buses Could Beat CNG Buses By A Mile — Or Nearly
6</title>. <title level="j">CleanTechnica</title>, 51 (4), 541-554. </citation>
<annotation>
<background type="source">The newest versions of electric buses not only beat current
CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) and diesel buses in terms of emissions, but also in how
efficiently they use the energy they do have.
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</background>
<summary type="general">Proterra is among the largest of recent electric bus
manufacturers to enter the market. Their product is set apart from other current
buses not only in the lack of emissions, but also in the efficiency of their buses
as a whole; they have swapped out heavier building materials in favor of carbon
fiber and other materials to make their buses lighter and perform better.
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</summary>
<relevance type="application"> Boston could benefit from implementing electric buses
because they not only use cleaner energy, they also use less energy. </relevance>
</annotation>
<citation n="1" style="APA"><author n="1"> Kristin Toussaint</author> (Aug 28, 2015). <title
level="a">Breathing Boston air is like smoking 5 cigarettes a year</title>. <title
level="j">Boston.com</title>, 51 (4), 541-554. </citation>
<annotation>
<background type="source">Although most people can’t tell, there is still a fair amount
of pollution in the air of Boston.
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</background>
<summary type="general">Air pollution comes in different forms, including gaseous and
particulate. In regards to particulate matter, John Walke, Clean Air Director for
the Natural Resources Defense Council, notes <q>“These are very fine particles, and
those particles are particularly dangerous because they’re so small, they can
penetrate past the body’s natural defense system.’’</q> Particulate matter is
one of the leading health hazards the EPA is trying to address in its ordinances
regarding emissions standards because lower CO2 does not necessarily mean lower
particle byproducts. <!-- can include <q> element(s) for quoted material -->
</summary>
<relevance type="application">Eliminating particulate matter as a whole from emissions
would be a large step forward in the respiratory health of the city. </relevance>
</annotation>
</annotated_bib>
<docReview>
<reviewer type="instructor" xml:id="kgs"/>
<report type="instructor" resp="#kgs">
<p>I think you do a great job with your problem statement orienting the reader to the issue and why mech E. is a discipline that can help approach this problem from a useful angle. And your sources are all relevant. However, it seems to me that all of your sources are really only topically relevant, and you might benefit from finding some sources that are more technically rigorous and methodologically relevant. For example, what goes into converting a fleet of trucks and buses to electric? What kind of infrastructural investment is required? Are there other cities that have done this (totally or partially)? Is there research into the quality of air improvement given the other pollutants present in an urban context? I think these kinds of sources would go a ways to helping you clearly define an approach that one might take toward actually implementing a specific solution to the problem you lay out in the problem statment.</p>
</report>
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