Environmentalism in Engineering

When people think of engineers, the words “environmentally conscious” very seldom come to mind. Instead there is the stigma that engineers are constantly toiling away to make bigger and badder machines to pollute the world. After all, it is the engineers who were responsible for the advent of the coal burning steam engine and the fossil fuel burning internal combustion engines. It is these inventions that have led to the images of clouds of smog hovering over cities, semi-trucks spewing black smoke into the air and rivers polluted with toxic waste and sludge all from the products made by engineers. As an engineer, I have to say my line of work gets a pretty bad rap sometimes when it comes to environmentalism. We are often seen as the problem instead of the solution. What people need to understand is that engineers are actually trained from the beginning to be problem solvers. The problem can be anything from the gear ratio in a car transmission to the creating a new material for six pack rings so they stop strangling sea gulls in landfills. I guess what I’m saying is that there is a wealth of knowledge and know how out there that can be used to end problems such as pollutants and harms to the environment. So why aren’t we using it?

Common sustainability principle used in engineering courses.

Many universities and engineering programs have begun to insert environmental consciousness into their curriculum since the recent surge in the “green” movement. My college is no exception. Over my tenure here at Ohio Northern, the concept of environmentalism has been brought up in at least one class per semester. The engineering program at Northern also requires that you take science electives, and encourages students to choose ones in the field of biology or environmental sciences in order to provide exposure to tools they may utilize once they enter industry. The program also has worked and entire section on environmental consciousness and conservation into one of its senior level design courses. This section of the curriculum mainly composed of a “conservation project” that consisted of a team of senior engineers choosing some sort of item to either create a better process of manufacture or optimize the packaging for in order to ease environmental impact. This involved contacting members in industry about the current processes, and researching possible alternatives to then propose to the class. While environmental conservation has definitely become a hot topic in the classroom, there is also a great deal that is being done in industry to work on engineers’ carbon footprint.

Environmental concerns and regulations have also had a significant impact on industry in recent years. One of the most apparent areas that has been affected by the environmentalism movement is the automotive industry. In the so called “glory days” of the automotive industry, the miles per gallon ratings on cars was more of an afterthought once the vehicle had already been built. Cars built during this time period were often heavy, and required large engines that engulfed fuel at a rapid rate to propel these cars down the highways. The average fuel mileage of a family sedan was lucky to be

Idea of the effect vehicle weight has on fuel economy.

anywhere in the teens during this era in comparison to cars today that can achieve fuel economy in the 40 to 50 mile per gallon range on the highway. This is all thanks to the work of engineers to better the efficiency and performance of today’s vehicles without the use of the enormous engines used in the past. Advancements in the automotive field have included the introduction of polymers and other materials to the construction of vehicles in order to make them lighter. A lighter vehicle requires less power to mover it, and thus a smaller engine. Advancements have been made in areas as small as minimizing materials used in the framing of the seats to making engine blocks out of less dense aluminum instead of the traditional cast iron.

Stats Comparing the Ecoboost V6 to comparable V8 engines.

A great deal of advancements have been made to internal combustion engines themselves. Techniques such as direct fuel injection, variable ignition timing, and computerized emissions programs and sensors have all aided in the fight against pollution. The power output by engines has also increased significantly with the addition of these technologies in recent years. For example, the technology in Ford’s Eco Boost V6 engine has made it powerful enough that it has taken the place of the traditional V8 engines used in the pickup truck line. In fact, the new line of modifed V6 engines have been shown to have a higher torgue and horsepower than their V8 predecessors. Other companies such as GMC and Dodge have followed suit, putting high-output V6 engines into their trucks in place of the traditional inefficient V8. The modifications made to engines today is so staggering, that a six cylinder engine is now able to be equipped to perform like an eight cylinder, and an inline four cylinder motor can now output the same as the traditional V6. This is mainly due to the introduction of turbos and higher gearing in transmissions to ensure that the smaller engine does not hinder the performance of the vehicle. With all of these advancements made to the automobiles that we use daily, it begs the question “What will those crazy engineers think of next?”.