Creating the E-STOVE

What is a thermoelectric module? Thermoelectric modules are solid-state integrated circuits that employ three established thermoelectric effects known as the Peltier, Seebeck and Thomson effects. It is the Seebeck effect that is responsible for electrical power generation and thus the foundation of our business. You can Google Peltier, and Thomson effect to learn more about those fascinating discoveries! How are thermoelectric modules made? Their construction consists of pairs of p-type and n-type semiconductor materials with a high thermoelectric coefficient. Although many different materials can be used a bismuth telluride alloy is the most common material in use today. This material is sliced into small blocks, one forms the p-type conductor and the other the n-type conductor. Each pair forms a thermoelectric couple (TEC). These thermocouples are most often connected electrically forming an array of multiple thermocouples (thermopile). One exception for example would be the temperature sensor inside of an oven or furnace, which usually consist of only one thermoelectric couple.

Most others use many thermoelectric couples that are sandwiched between two pieces of non-electrically conductive materials. It is also necessary for this material to be thermally conductive to ensure a good heat transfer, usually two thin ceramic wafers are used. This now forms what is called a thermoelectric module.

Each module can contain dozens of pairs of thermoelectric couples. These modules are called thermoelectric modules, TEC modules and sometimes Peltier or, Seebeck modules, which simply denotes whether they are being used to generate electricity (Seebeck) or produce heat or cold (Peltier). Functionally there is no difference between the two. They both are capable of producing heat and cold or generating electricity, depending on whether heat is applied or an electrical current.

There are however differences in performance between various modules depending on what they were manufactured for! For example, if a module is being manufactured for use in a 12 volt dc automotive cooler the thermoelectric couples will be of a thicker gage and so will the wire connecting the modules to the 12 volt dc power source. In most cases the module itself is quite large. This is simply because the module will be conducting a heavy load of currant and will need to be able to handle the load. Although these type modules can be used to produce electricity they are not well suited for the task because they have a high internal resistance (lowering output) and lower temperature solder that may melt if used for Seebeck purposes. Meaning the electrical connection may fail when the higher heat needed to produce significant amounts of electricity is applied to the module.

Now, if a thermoelectric module is being manufactured for use in a thermoelectric generator it has its own unique requirements. First they need to have lowest internal resistance possible and high temperature silver solder connecting the wires. In addition, heat resistant insulation made from PTFE is used to coat the wires. Braided fiberglass sleeves can also be slipped over the wires providing further protection from the high heat.

What is a TEG?

TEG is an acronym for ‘thermoelectric generator’. A TEG is a device utilizing one or more thermoelectric models as the primary component/s, followed by a cooling system that can be either passive or active. Such as an open air heat sink, fan cooled heat sink, or fluid cooled. These components are then fabricated into an assembly to function as one unit called a TEG.

When heat is applied to the hot side of a TEG, electricity is produced. Almost any heat source can be used to generate electricity, such as solar heat, geothermal heat, even body heat! In addition the efficiency of any device or machine that generates heat as a by-product can be drastically improved by recovering the energy lost as heat.

Can you really generate that much electricity from waste heat? You may be surprised just how much you can! Here is a small example of how much power you can generate. Below is a pot of hot water with 4-thermoelectric modules attached around the sides. The output from this simple thermoelectric generator (TEG) is about 8 watt and the light is a 12 volt auto lamp.

Thermoelectric generators have been in use for many years by NASA to power spacecraft and the oil and gas industry to power remote monitoring stations around the globe. Only in recent years has this technology become available to the general public and TEG Power is at the forefront of this thermoelectric energy revolution. We are the first manufacture to provide practical and affordable thermoelectric generators to the energy conscious consumer.

Almost any heat source can be used to generate electricity, such as solar heat, ocean heat, geothermal heat, even body heat! 

Technology: The end or the means

This question has intrigued me for quite a while.  Do we, the citizens of this modern world, view and use Technology as the means to an end  or the end itself ?

The Oxford dictionary, in 1931 defined Technology as – “a treatise on the arts”. The same dictionary in 1965 defines it as – a “science of the industrial arts”. Down the line, half a century later it defines it as – “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry: advances in computer technology”

As can be seen, the changing definition of technology reflects the changing use of it over the years. In earlier days the development of the tools of trade also was referred to as technology.

Today we refer to it and use it to enable a class of leisure in the modern global economy. Which is great.  But the changing definition, meaning and practical use of Technology also can pose a critical question : what are we using it for ? are we so concerned about technology itself that we forget what we needed it for in the first place?

In the current context, one such game changing & breakthrough Technologies is Mobile Telephony and the SMS . It has changed we way we communicate. It has changed the way we behave. It has also changed the way we socially interact or entertain ourselves. In gathering after gathering, I notice young people, besotted with their phones, either texting their friends, playing a game or in general just staring at the handset and  wondering what to do with it  J. Their social interaction with the rest of the group is near zero.

Similarly, when we are taking a drive through the country side , are we looking out the window and appreciating nature ? No. Mostly we are hearing our favorite music on our handset.

So, as the years go by, a simple talking device becomes wireless, a personal telegraph machine, a music box, a camera, a computer, a GPS receiver, a electronic games machine and so on and so forth ! Wow ! Amazing ! And all we wanted it for in the first place was to talk J

As time progresses, computers gain smaller footprints. (It does not matter how they affect the users eyes ), gain high and higher memory and storage space which will never be fully utilized anyway. I do remember not so very long ago when a famous software product company’s founder stated that64 KB of RAM was more than enough!

All in all, computers become smaller, mobiles become more and more invasive, cars start simulating homes, and we humans forget simple things like thinking, reading a book, writing a letter hampering our creativity and mental abilities.

My point is this – are we letting our penchant for technology drive it’s use in our lives or are we allowing the use to drive the choice of technology. Sadly I feel it’s the former. When we procure a product, we tend to compare the technical features (most of which we will never use) and then choose the T1 ( technically most superior) at a price ofL1 ( lowest bargained price). With the result we get an overdose of unused or unusable “technology” in our lives. Call this technical trash.

With the technical trash accumulating in this great wide world, is it a wonder then that we have pollution, unhealthy exposure to radiation and other forms of reactions caused the imbalance we have created in nature? Apart from the physical dangers we create for ourselves?

These choices we make are not only for our personal procurement decisions. They also include the professional procurement decisions we make.  We are buying products which are technically superior (no doubts on that) but which our requirements do not really need. With the end result that we are not only creating technical trash but also wasting finance and resources which are critically in short  these days.

One standing example is closer home, in India. We have spent Billions of Dollars in our effort to automate Citizen Services, make Governance more efficient, reduce corruption and finally make it possible for the citizen to receive a timely service. Do we define citizen as the 30% of our population who have access to a digital device to gain from such services or do we define citizens as including those who do not have such devices or such facilities and which are close to 70% of our population? If you total the money spent on such Infrastructure, I.T. hardware and application costs as well as the running cost and divide that by the actual number of “citizens “ who can use this infra, you will be astounded at the cost per citizen of any such services or initiatives.

How long then, can such wastage be afforded? Today we have once again changed the dictionary meaning of “Technology”.  When Oxford defines it as “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry”… our technology choices have dropped the ever important words– “practical purposes”. 

With the India  population rising, GDP falling, its time we ALL went down to the grass root and enable a contribution to the economy from that level.  After all, 70% of India does live there. Can we , here in the big cities , really afford to ignore them  as we all do ?

Consider the facts. In another 3-5 years India is poised to become the youngest country in the World.   Some people say the  largest youngest workforce. I would like to understand how ? Majority of  our educated youth are NOT job ready. The sunshine Industries do not find them  worthy of employment. We very proudly state that we will be the world’s largest market of consumers…  where majority Consumers who cannot afford to live let alone buy?

Many years ago when an old and retiring Chief Secretary of one of the states told and explained to me the concept of our country actually being two – India where all the city folk  , metro folk and urbanized folk reside and,…  Bharat- where 70% of the country’ s citizens reside. This was more than 10 years ago. But I have now only begun to realize what he meant and the impact of his observations ( which are mine now as well).

We, the citizens of India, are concerned with the Stock Market, the Gold Market, the corresponding inflation, increase of salaries, companies performance  etc. We think, we act. But our actions effect only 30% of our total economy.  Because, 70% of our country live in an  area called Bharat. There, they are more concerned on when and how they will get their next meal, or how they will pay the village money lender, or when they will get their next job.

So, the 70% of the so called largest workforce does NOT contribute to the economy, is NOT bothered  about buying choices in the market and is not worried  about the internet or 2G, 3G or 4G.

I feel, as educated (?)  Members of India, is it not time we went down to the Grass root and worked them into a “great workforce” ? It can be done IF we so decide.  Consider this :

A.    Every Villager has access to mobile Telephony  - whether their own or through a “village Mobile Service Providers”. ( yes that’s the way it actually is)

B.     Every villager has a bank account , either his / her own or through a central village bank provider ( J sounds funny but the truth)

C.     Most village women work  - more than the men ( woman power? ABSOLUTELY)

D.    60% of village folk have some excellence in trade. Be it a particular stream of Agriculture, Tailoring, Car Mechanics, weaving, knitting etc.)

My question to all and me is this. Is  not enough hard work for them? Do we really want to convert them all? Can they NOT contribute to our Country’s economy from where they are and what they do best?

My personal opinion and thought is that they CAN. And THEY WILL. Provided WE let them.  

So what is it we can do ?

A.    Create, help and recognize their skills .  How ? for example… how many of us or our children wear hand knitted , pure wool sweaters in the winter months ? Please take stock,  my guess is only a handful. Have we all forgotten the days when our mothers or grandmothers knitted ? Pure wool ? Are we so dependent on style today  that we have forgotten? No wonder Delhi folk suffer with cold and cough etc.  Believe me , we are NOT warm enough.

B.     Encourage them to create money – how?  Create a market for their products, whether agriculture, knitting, sewing , etc.  My question to all is this : when was the last time you or I ate a  home grown, small by nature, non chemical fertilizer vegetable ? 

C.     As real estate grows, do we recognize the fact that our agriculture land diminishes ? I am not really a Marxist or even a socialist ( though I thought  I was in my youth) BUT, as we , the consumers of the new  urban elite go on consuming Flats , residences ( for other purposes than living in one) ,  there will come a time when the fields will go and be replaced by high rise condominiums.  Which also means the end of Food INDEPENDENCE  !

Well that’s all I wanted to spell out. We the people of India, for  our, or our  children’s and our Country’s survival,  need to  do “something”.

What I that something is left you conscience…

Will her death be in vain ?

Will her death be in vain ?

Well she has died. Died in pain, murdered in body and spirit.  The big question today is : Will we, the citizens of India , let her death be in Vain ? Or will we treat this not as an incident , but as a turning point in each of our own lives and together in the lives of the citizens ? Or will we continue our apathy towards numerous  incidents like this, big or small, thinking “ thank God it was not me “ ?

For many the Case of Sanjay and Geeta Chopra may be unheard of . In 1978 a young brother and sister were kidnapped, the sister raped , brutally, and then both murdered .

Some details of the case (ref Wikipedia) are as under :

The Ranga Billa Kidnapping Case was a notorious crime in New Delhi in 1978. Two children, Geeta and Sanjay Chopra, were kidnapped by two young men, Ranga Khus (Kuljeet Singh) and Billa (Jasbir Singh), who planned to demand ransom from their parents. Their plans went awry when their car was involved in a traffic accident with a public bus. They subsequently raped Geeta, murdered the children and fled the city.^[1] They were arrested on a train a few months later, tried and hanged for the crime in 1982.^[2]

The kidnapping

The children were reported missing on 26 August 1978 and their bodies discovered on 29 August 1978.^[3] Medical examination confirmed that Geeta was raped. It later transpired that they had been kidnapped while hitching a ride from outside Gol Dak Khana near Connaught Place.

The trial

Both culprits were found guilty and sentenced to death. Both were then hanged.

Aftermath

In 1978, the Indian Council for Child Welfare instituted two bravery awards for children under the age of 16, the Sanjay Chopra Award and the Geeta Chopra Award, given each year along with the National Bravery Award.^[4][5]

 The incident shook the country. The perpetrators – Billa and Ranga were hung until death in 1982. Today, 35 years later, we have SIX Billa’s and Ranga’s . How many more are we going to allow to breed and flourish in our society ?

The answer to these questions lies in the hearts of each citizen of this country. We can keep blaming the Government for crimes, but think about this…. We are a population of nearly 1.2 Billion. Being governed by a Government of app. 5000 politicians, including corrupt ones. My point is that the main responsibility of Governance lies with US – the people of this country ! Are we , as we usually do, forget the ultimate sacrifice this girl has made and continue to turn a blind eye to molesters ( who could be future rapists) , eve teasers, grapplers and sexual predators ?

So I come back to my original question : Is her death going to be in vain ? How many more Daminis do we need before we realize we are fast becoming a culture of Vultures and Hawks ? 

Looking beyond E-Governence

Looking Beyond E- Governance…….

When we talk of E-Governance, what is it we are looking to achieve? A sound e-governance initiative should trigger tangible improvements in the social and economic conditions of citizens. This absolute focus on achieving desired outcomes can help administrators see beyond the razzle-dazzle of 21st century technology to its true potential to create value.

Second, the long term effort and focus will be to establish strong relationships with the citizens and deliver him services to ease his life.

While as an industry we are all strongly focused on providing e-Governance applications and infrastructure, we rarely think about the adoption of the services planned to be produced by this same expensive deployment. The question is very simple and basic. When the applications and services are finally rolled out, what will be the usage ?

A successful e- program has three phases –

My observation of the evolution of e-Government worldwide suggests that it has followed three e- waves of development so far and is on the threshold of a fourth:

Wave 1 - Promote access and connectivity: New technology (ICT) introduces newcapabilities, and the opportunity of e-Government. The focus was on developing infrastructureand adapting the legislative framework in order to encourage adoption. Within government, thefocus was on building the infrastructure that would enable future cooperation.

Wave 2 - Provide services online: e-Government was viewed as an ‘add on’, that is, anadditional communication channel, and the primary emphasis was on developing customerinterfaces to make existing services available online (for example, paying road tax). Withingovernment, common portals were established as signposts to largely autonomous PublicServices.

Wave 3 - Transform the enterprise: the current phase has in part been driven by efficiency agendas, and the focus has changed from basic provision of services to impact, in terms ofbenefit to end users and government. There has been an increasing emphasis on theautomation of back office processes (for example, claim processing) and integration (both withinand between services). The measurement emphasis has been on efficiency and effectiveness.This is where most governments currently are, and in our view, will be for a few more years.

Within this third wave we discern two sub-stages:

– Wave 3a: The focus is on the automation of existing processes: claim processing,appointment booking and other basic transactions.

– Wave 3b: Governments fundamentally re-engineer their business, implementing smarter,quicker processes which are enabled by ICT. Capitalising on these leaner processes, theyalso restructure the organisation itself - creating leaner organisations or moving staff tomore value added roles to improve service effectiveness.

The fourth wave

Wave 4 will move beyond the re-engineering of existing services to radically newways of realizing policy objectives enabled by ICT and which we have seen are improvements in the social and economic conditions of citizens.

Wave 4 - Next generation government: ICT becomes so ingrained that defining e-Government as a separate entity ceases to be helpful. Traditional channels are ICT-enabled inthe back office and offered alongside electronic channels in a seamlessly integrated fashion.Merging of channels, for example, Internet telephony, allows governments to offer blendedchannel solutions as part of their channel management strategies such that electronic channelsbecome mainstream.

Wave 4 will ultimately be  theadoption of the service and usage. If the citizens are not enabled or see value to using the services provided, then all the efforts and the expense of the initiatives are wasted.

So in essence, what do we see beyond e-Governance ?

I  call it “p-Governance”, where p stands for personal. Why? Because unless the services are not  personalized to the citizen, they will never be valued and never be used.

What does personalization really mean and involve? With the availability of great supporting technologies, personalization can not only be done in an effective manner but also can become a great accelerator of the adoption of such services.

We are very sure that the next wave (wave 4)  of investments will be in the area of adoption of services by a variety of agencies because the mass of usage in India is at the bottom of the pyramid. A potential base of 1.2 B users cannot be ignored by any agency.

Furthermore, personalization will involve multiple technologies being integrated and working together, across disparate databases, sharing information and continuously processing information for my personal needs. It will involve solutions and technologies in

A.   Mobility

B.   Languages

C.   Diction and Dictionaries

D.   Localization of content

E.    Personalization of user interfaces

F.    Personalization of data

G.   Convergence between Mobile, Televisions and computers

H.   Cloud computing

I.       Call centers

J.      BPOs

K.   E-Learning technologies

The list is NOT exhaustive. The point is that technology will no longer be the end ( as it is today) but a means to the end. And the end being the adoption of the plethora of services which can be availed.

Collaboration Management, Collabzo, Simple Web-Based Project Management, Collaboration Tool

Collaboration Management, Collabzo, Simple Web-Based Project Management, Collaboration Tool

Creating a learning environment

How Collaboration  works

Introduction

In this fast moving, ever changing and dynamic world of the global economy, “knowledge” building within an organization and its subsequent application is gaining critical importance. Today, knowledge is driving business and creating the key differentiators. The application of knowledge is allowing organizations to create “knowledge added products” there by gaining premiums. It is therefore critical and crucial that organizations create engines within their systems to identify, assimilate and manage knowledge and use “learning” as a management tool rather than just as part of skill development. And it is equally essential that individuals participate in such engines. These “knowledge engines” must be capable of -

Assimilating and distributing tacit knowledge (knowledge based on the experiences and ideas of their own employees. In every organization there exists a huge base of this kind of knowledge, which is actually its Intellectual Capital,  and which is  wasted due to non sharing, non collaboration and finally erodes due to attrition and “retirals”.

Continuous dissemination of Explicit knowledge (Knowledge imparted through Training  and skill development programs. The key operative word is “continuous”. Training programs, once completed, have a habit of fading out from memory. The efficacy of such periodic programs with respect  to productivity and outcomes is low. Training and skill development is a continuous process, with the base training being followed with updates, tutorials, experience sharing and most importantly, the application of that training into real life scenarios.

Core Engines

1.    Training and Learning Management Engine (for Explicit Knowledge)

The training and Learning Management engine is a web based delivery of training content, tutorials, white papers, presentations etc which can be accessed by the employee anytime and anywhere. It is designed to generate interest and retention. With a powerful collaboration tool integrated into the engine, it encourages mentee cooperation instead of competition.

The course delivery system provides for independent or tutor driven courses, as well as multiple formats for supporting documentation and tutorials. It also provides a forum for every employee, mentee or student  to share experiences, observations, and feedback (this information is rarely captured anywhere , thereby losing out on collaboration opportunities and intellectual property).

2.    Mentoring and Knowledge Base and Knowledge Management (Tacit Knowledge)

Collaboration is integrated with a mentoring engine which allows mentors and mentees  to share their experiences, knowledge as well as  problems. Mentors guide mentees without the effort of setting up meetings or reviews. Retired industry specialists share their knowledge built up over the past several years. All this happens online, anytime and anywhere, thereby allowing effective utilization of time. In addition, all specific information can be captured and classified in the Knowledge Base for reference and use by others, or can also be used to create specific, situation based training modules. This information is searchable based on relevancy which then allows the user to save time and effort of searching huge data bases.

Over time, this knowledge base will hold the highest levels of Intellectual Property and Intelligence which can then be mined by organizations and or individuals  to help them make better and informed decisions.

Mentoring

Mentoring techniques

Accompaniment

This means making a commitment in a caring way. Accompanying involves taking part in the learning process by taking the path with the learner.

Seeding

Mentors are often confronted with the difficulty of preparing the learner before he or she is ready to change. Sowing is necessary when you know that what you say may not be understood or even acceptable to learners at first but will make sense and have value to the mentee when the situation requires it.

Accelerating

When change reaches a critical level of pressure, learning can jump. Here the mentor can choose to plunge the learner right into change, provoking a different way of thinking, a change in identity or a re-ordering of values.

Demonstration

This is making something understandable, or using self example to demonstrate a skill or activity. You show what you are talking about, you show by your own behavior.

Harvesting

Here the mentor focuses on “picking the ripe fruit”: it is usually learned to create awareness of what was learned by experience and to draw conclusions. The key questions here are: "What have you learned?" "How useful is it?"

Different techniques are allowed and may be used by mentors according to the situation and the psychological mindset of the mentee. These Techniques can be found in ancient education systems, from the Socratic technique of harvesting to the accompaniment method of learning used in the apprenticeship of itinerant cathedral builders during the middle Ages. Leadership authors Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner advise mentors to look for "teachable moments" in order to "expand or realize the potentialities of the people in the organizations they lead" and underline that personal credibility is as essential to quality mentoring as skill.

Collaboration should  allow for these techniques and that critical identification of a “Learning  Moment” making it a most effective tool for mentored learning.

Knowledge Management 

Knowledge Management (CKM) comprises a range of practices to identify, create, represent, distribute and enable adoption of insights and experiences. Such insights and experiences comprise knowledge, either embodied in individuals or embedded in organizational processes or practice.

CKM efforts typically focus on organizational/ individual learning objectives such as improved performance, competitive advantage, innovation, the sharing of lessons learned, and continuous improvement. CKM efforts overlap with the Learning Process , and may be distinguished from that by a greater focus on the management of knowledge as a strategic asset and a focus on encouraging the sharing of knowledge. CKM efforts can help individuals and groups to share valuable organizational insights, to reduce redundant work, to avoid reinventing the wheel per se, to reduce training time for new employees, to retain intellectual capital as employees turnover in an organization, and to adapt to changing environments and markets.

Strategies for  Knowledge Management

Knowledge may be accessed at three stages: before, during, or after CKM-related activities. One strategy to KM involves actively managing knowledge (push strategy). In such an instance, individuals strive to explicitly encode their knowledge into a shared knowledge repository, such as a database, as well as retrieving knowledge they need that other individuals have provided to the repository.

Another strategy to KM involves individuals making knowledge requests of experts associated with a particular subject on an ad hoc basis (pull strategy). In such an instance, expert individual(s) can provide their insights to the particular person or people needing this.

knowledge management strategies include:

• rewards (as a means of motivating for knowledge sharing)
• storytelling (as a means of transferring tacit knowledge)
• cross-project learning
• after action reviews
• knowledge mapping (a map of knowledge repositories within a company accessible by all)
• communities of practice
• best practice transfer
• competence management (systematic evaluation and planning of competences of individual organization members)
• proximity & architecture (the physical situation of employees can be either conducive or obstructive to knowledge sharing)
• master-apprentice relationship
• collaborative technologies
• knowledge repositories)
• measuring and reporting intellectual capital (a way of making explicit knowledge for companies)
• knowledge brokers (some organizational members take on responsibility for a specific "field" and act as first reference on whom to talk about a specific subject)
• social software (wikis, social bookmarking, blogs, etc)

Motivations

Motivation is a critical factor in Knowledge Management. Collaboration enables

• Making available increased knowledge content in the development and provision of products and services
• Achieving shorter new product development cycles
• Facilitating and managing innovation and individual / organizational learning
• Leveraging the expertise of people across the Portal
• Increasing network connectivity between internal and external individuals
• Managing environments and allowing individuals to obtain relevant insights and ideas appropriate to their work
• Solving intractable or wicked problems
• Managing intellectual capital and intellectual assets in the workforce (such as the expertise and know-how possessed by key individuals)

Task Management and Human Resource development

One of the most popular methodologies for measuring training effectiveness was developed by Donald Kirkpatrick. This model articulates a four-step process. Simply put it measures and assures efficacy through measurement of reactions , participant learning through demonstrable changes in knowledge application, skill and attitude , transfer of learning (application of the knowledge gained in the job performance) and finally Results – measuring the changes in the achievement of business objectives.

Collaboration  uses the Kirkpatrick Model integrated into a Task Manager, where the mentor can assign tasks (at the Objective level) and the mentee can break down that task into transactions (Transaction level) enabling :

·       A completely transparent model of task assignation and management demonstrating Business Managerial skill as well as mentee knowledge.

·       The quantity and quality of the task assignation and completion clearly showing the strengths and weaknesses of the mentees and areas of further development.

• A direct measure of training and development programs and the mentees response.