Reader Response, Final Draft

In the article, “Hotel New World Collapse,” Kayat (2012) discussed the history, chronology of events, various theories and reasoning of the Hotel New World collaspe. According to “Chronology of events,” (1987, as cited in Kayat, 2012), various theories like internal explosions resulting from gas leakage or terrorism, defective building materials, poor soil foundation and additional live load were made about the collapse. However, they were not the causes of the failure after further examination by engineers and a forensic team. Kayat also mentioned that the failure was progressive and was due to initial inferior structure design and insufficient maintenance. This was further mentioned by Neale (2001, as cited in Kayat, 2012), who stated that the building self-weight was overlooked in the calculations done by the engineers and draftsman. Neale also stated that a different professional engineer should have checked the calculations before any submissions to the Development and Building Control Division. While Kayat provided significant details on the Hotel New World collapse, there was a lack of complete information on theories, reasoning and the aftermath of the catastrophe, which will be discussed respectively. As a result, the article failed to satisfy the readers.

Firstly, Kayat failed to mention that the construction work of the underground railway was a potential cause of the collapse. Excavation works on the construction of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) were investigated, even though the excavations were more than 100 yards from Hotel New World (Amat, 2012). Examinations were done to test if the foundations and the structure were disturbed by the vibrations caused by tunneling works. However, it was not the cause of the failure. Kayat did not provide information on the excavation works that was a possible reasoning to the catastrophe, hence, there was a lack of complete information on the theories (Hotel New World Collapse, 2012).

Secondly, Kayat failed to mention that Ng Khoon Lim, the managing director of Lian Yak Realty has responsibility on the collapse. Kayat stated that the structural engineer and draftsman ignored the building self-weight. According to “Collapse of Hotel New World,” from Wikipedia (2018), investigations had shown that there was miscalculation, improper maintenance, and absence of professional oversight of the construction site. Ng Khoon Lim should have provided proper maintenance and hire professionals to oversee and do accurate calculations on the project. Furthermore, the article asserted that Ng Khoon Lim instructed draughtsman to build the building. This might cause the collapse of the building due to the lack of structural engineering knowledge. Further in-depth, the quality of the construction process was inadequate, and reinforcements were insufficient. If the managing director had done proper maintenance and the construction process were done properly, the collapse could have been avoided. These important key pointers were not mentioned by Kayat.

Lastly, Kayat failed to mention that this catastrophe was one of the worst in Singapore history and how it had affected this industry internationally. According to “The Hotel New World Collapse Commerce Essay,” (2013), this crisis has become a case study on building failures internationally. As a result, building standards and safety factors have improved worldwide. In terms of crisis management, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) went through consequential improvements in training, equipment and operational readiness. There are countries and even companies using this case study to enhance their crisis management. If Kayat had mentioned these pointers, the range of target audience will be widened.

In conclusion, Kayat provided significant details on the collapse. However, the lack of complete information could have led to a false conclusion by readers.

References

Amat, E.D. (2012, December 18). Seconds from disaster S02E09 Hotel Collapse Singapore. [Video File] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU8lbIV6Kho

Collapse of Hotel New World (n.d.). Retrieved February from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collapse_of_Hotel_New_World

Essays, UK. (2013, November). The Hotel New World Collapse Commerce Essay. Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/commerce/the-hotel-new-world-collapse-commerce-essay.php?cref=1

Kayat, R.A. (2012). Hotel New World Collapse. Retrieved from
https://failures.wikispaces.com/Hotel+New+World+Collapse

Analytical Reflection

Being chosen as one of the presenting teams caught me off guard, I was nervous as it is my first time presenting in front of a huge crowd. Through this experience, I noticed that the structure of a presentation is very crucial so that the audience can follow it and understand the presentation. Finding what information is relevant to a presentation is key. If a presentation was poorly structured, it is hard to follow and attract the audience. As our presentation’s main idea is to pitch our idea, it is a challenge to know our targeted audience, the market and pinpoint the highlights of our idea. It is also a challenge to not make tedious for the addressees with all the important information.

During the presentation, my nervousness is a major problem. It resulted me to forgot the script and miss out key pointers. Practice make perfect is a saying that everyone tells me, however, I believe that it cannot be solved with experience. I have an issue in presenting it to my friends. It is easier to present to strangers as they are people whom you might not meet in the future. This affected my delivery of the presentation.

Another vital issue is my monotonous tone. It is difficult to change the habit of speaking monotonously, as a result, the presentation sounded that I was not motivated in selling my idea. This affects the mood of the audience as well. The only solution to this problem is to practice more, even though practicing do not make perfect is my believe.

Technical Report, Final Draft

1 Introduction

Singapore is ranked first in Asia, and second globally as the most sustainable city. However, based on International Energy Agency (IEA) 2016 data, Singapore ranks 26th out of 142 countries in terms of emissions per capita due to its small size and dense population (National Climate Change Secretariat, 2018). Nonetheless, Singapore has always been committed to achieve its aims to achieve a 36% reduction goal in carbon emissions intensity by 2030 based on its 2005 emissions (Feng, 2015).

Singapore’s transportation sector contributes 15.32% to the total greenhouse gas emissions in 2016 (Feng, 2015). While the usage of electric vehicle (EV) is one way to reduce greenhouse emissions, the country is facing challenges to fully embrace the usage of EVs as the main means of commute. Challenges such as the high cost of EVs, Singapore’s limited EV infrastructure and the considerable safety aspects of plug-in EVs generally deter local consumers and Singapore’s public transport operators to jump on the EV bandwagon. According to Kuttan (2017), EV drivers are afraid of travelling long distances with the risk of their vehicle batteries running flat. He added that the accessibility of fast chargers is the only factor that will encourage people to be more open to conventional EV.

Today, Singapore’s buses dominantly run on natural gas and diesel. With greater awareness on environmental sustainability, the Land Trasport Authority will be buying 50 new hybrid buses and 60 new pure-electric buses (Lim, 2017). The Chinese-manufactured BYD K9 pure-electric buses which will be tested by Go-Ahead Singapore needs five to 10 hours charging time to travel 250 km. These buses emit no greenhouse gas emission or noise, thus reducing air and noise pollution. Their traveling distance, however, will be reduced due to the warm and humid climate in Singapore with additional battery power used for cooling (Lim, 2016).

E-buses have zero emissions, run quieter than conventional buses, contribute less to the carbon footprint, require less maintenance, and are much cheaper in the long run, as compared to diesel buses. However, high turnover rate of buses in Singapore, limited charging periods, and heavy battery requirements make electric buses unsustainable in Singapore. To eliminate these problems, the usage of wireless charging technology in e-buses can be implemented.

2 Problem statement

An ideal pure-electric bus system in Singapore should be both energy efficient and self-sustaining, and has good accessibility to charging points. However, the BYD K9 e-buses tested are not equipped with the optimum battery and charging technology to meet this ideal whilst facing Singapore’s challenging climate. By implementing wireless charging technology, Singapore’s e-bus system will be able to attain both optimal efficiency and self-sustainability, and an improvement in charging accessibility.

3 Purpose Statement

The purpose of this report is to outline to LTA the advantages of wireless charging technology for electric buses, which tackles the challenges in the current system and propose to it to conduct a pilot study to test the feasibility of the wireless charging system.

4 Proposed Solution

The solution to the problems of battery and charging technology is to use wireless charging. ‘Wireless charging technology’ or power transfer through magnetic induction has been tested since the early 2000s on electric buses in several countries like Italy, China, USA, Japan and Korea. Inductive charging requires a charging station which has an induction coil in it. These coils are embedded in roads, thus replacing conventional charging kiosks. When electric current is applied through the coil, an electromagnetic field is produced, which transfers energy across the gap to a corresponding induction coil in a pickup device. The device then converts the energy from a magnetic field back into usable electric current, which is used to charge batteries (Thomson, 2014). These e-buses receive power without physical contact unlike the conventional usage of electric cables for plug-in EVs. The charging process is thus simplified as buses need not be charged only in the bus depot or interchange but instead charged on the roads.

4.1 Case Study – OLEV

An example for this technology was tested by Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). KAIST is the first in the world to introduce Shaped Magnetic Field in Resonance (SMFIR) technology that safely delivers energy to an electric vehicle wirelessly while the vehicle is in motion. It was developed as part of KAIST’s Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV) project. The SMFIR technology granted OLEV buses the ability to be charged stationary or while in motion. It eliminated the need for remote static charging stations while introducing charging infrastructure in roads. Through the development of SMFIR, the company’s e-buses utilised smaller, less expensive batteries, which in turn reduced the vehicle weight. With a lighter load, the buses expanded less energy, thus pitting it at a higher operational efficiency against other wireless charging technologies. Moreover, wireless charging coils installed beneath the road surface caused minimal impact on the cityscape and freed land, which would have been used for building charging kiosks, for other usage.

A pickup device installed under the vehicle works to gather the magnetic field efficiently from power grids embedded in the road and convert it into electric energy for vehicle operation. The pickup coils are tuned to a 20kHz resonant frequency and are modelled to have maximised exposure to the generated magnetic field. As a result, the efficiency of the magnetic power transmission can be maximized while decreasing magnetic field leakage (Suh, 2011).

According to the article “KAIST OLEV Transport System,” on the website KAIST OLEV (n.d.), the usage of the SMFIR technology has a power transmission efficiency of 85% at a ground height of 20 cm and 75kW of power capacity. This is by far the most efficient wireless power transfer system available for commercial deployment to e-buses. The SMFIR technology also enables OLEV buses to have battery size and weight of 20% of the batteries used in conventional e-bus. Additionally, the provision of power supply infrastructure embedded on five to 15 percent of the whole bus route is sufficient to wirelessly power an OLEV bus for its operation. OLEV complies with the international electromagnetic fields (EMF) standard of 62.5mG, which is within the safety standard for EMF exposure. The usage of smart power segments allows activation of power supply in roads only when the OLEV buses are in range. As a result, it readies power transmission to other road consumers.

4.2 Application of OLEV in Singapore

While the idea of revamping the public bus system in Singapore into wireless may seem far-fetched, a pilot study can be first conducted to assess the feasibility of the OLEV system on Singapore’s public buses and roads. As part of the engineering design and development process, a bus route can be selected within the Punggol Digital District to apply the power supply infrastructure. The route will operate a couple of OLEV buses over a 6km one-way trip, which will take approximately 20 minutes for each trip. The objective of this test is to design the most efficient and optimized power supply infrastructure. This includes identifying how long the powered track should be, where it should be installed, and what combination of the segments should be laid. As a rule of thumb, the powered track should be installed where the driving power exceeds the battery discharge capacity, so that the buses can have enough power to be driven. The segments can be installed at bus idling locations such as bus stations, bus stops and traffic junctions, which would maximize charging time of the buses.

4.3 Benefits of Proposed Solution

Amongst all EV bus technology developed around the globe, KAIST’s OLEV system is most potent in resolving the issues with conventional e-buses. In today’s competitive market, it is crucial that strategic decisions on investments are made. In this section, our team outlines some of the key benefits of OLEV that LTA may consider.

The OLEV system provides Singapore with a more efficient e-bus alternative to the conventional plug-in BYD K9 e-bus as an OLEV bus is lighter due to its reduced battery weight and size, and more convenient as it charges wirelessly. This will improve battery efficiency, allow e-buses to use less power to travel and reduce charging time and frequency.
The OLEV system eliminates the need to build expensive charging facilities. Not only will this reduce costs, it will also increase land space efficiency as freed land can be reserved for other usage. Additionally, the system will improve the accessibility of charging locations for e-buses and other EVs as power segments can be installed into the road network all-over Singapore.
The OLEV system is self-sustaining, which will transform Singapore’s urban transportation. OLEV e-buses can be charged automatically with the removal of manual charging and heavy charging cables. The system can also be incorporated into other EVs, such as e-cars, trains and autonomous vehicles, thus revamping Singapore’s EV population.
The success of developing OLEV will entail a promising return for Singapore’s global standing as a pioneer in the advancement of EV systems in the tropical region.

4.4 Evaluation of Proposed Solution

In order to address doubts on the feasibility of implementing OLEV in Singapore, the challenges of implementing OLEV will be evaluated and discussed. The two main challenges are high infrastructure cost and performance uncertainty.

The installation of induction coils into existing road infrastructure may incur significant costs and traffic disruption to existing system. The proposed locations of charging segments on Singapore’s roads such as bus depots, bus stops and traffic junctions, must also be studied. These locations are ideal for charging e-buses, but traffic junctions necessitate the usage of the GLIDE system which detects the presence of vehicles and pedestrians at the junctions of major roads. Little is known on the effect of magnetic coupling on the GLIDE system’s wire sensors. Through the pilot study, more in-depth understanding of the cost breakdown and effects of OLEV on existing infrastructure can be studied.
Given that Singapore would be the first tropical country to test wirelessly charged buses using the OLEV system, its performance here may not yield the same result as that in Korea where this system was developed and tested. As there is a lack of data, there is an uncertainty in OLEV battery efficiency and SMFIR charging efficiency in Singapore’s climate. Through the pilot study, the performance of OLEV can be further assessed and developed for further improvements.

5 Methodology

5.1 Primary Research

Primary research in the form of interviews were conducted with SIT-UoG’s Deputy Programme Director for Civil Engineering, Dr. Kum Yung Juan, and SIT’s Programme Director for Telematics (Intelligent Transportation Systems Engineering), Dr. Zheng Jianxin. The interviews enabled the team to gain insights and opinions from experts on electric vehicles and the feasibility of the wireless charging system for electric buses. The interview transcript with Dr. Kum and the summarised interview with Dr. Zheng can be found in Appendix A.1 and A.2 respectively.

5.2 Secondary Research

Online sources are used for the information of the different wireless charging technologies tested in other countries. After evaluating the different technologies, the OLEV system by KAIST has been widely quoted in this report due to its extensive design information and its feasibility as a solution to the problems mentioned.

6 Conclusion

To conclude, the implementation of wirelessly charged e-buses for Singapore’s public bus system could be one way to solve the problems associated with e-buses, and potentially be a game changer in EV uptake. It provides a more efficient and self-sustaining system compared to conventional e-buses, eliminates the need for building expensive charging facilities which in turn, frees up land for other uses, and improves Singapore’s image when proven successful. Hence, our team proposes to LTA to conduct a pilot study to assess the costs & benefits of the OLEV system before implementing fully into Singapore’s roads.

References

Fischer, M. (2016, December 7). Scandinavia’s first electric bus with wireless fast charging. News from Vattenhall. Retrieved March 13, 2018 from https://news.vattenfall.com/en/article/scandinavia-s-first-electric-bus-wireless-fast-charging

KAIST. (n.d.). KAIST OLEV Transport System [Brochure]. Retrieved March 4, 2018 from http://www.smfir.co.kr/20120323/sub02/KAIST_OLEV_en.pdf

Kim, D. J. (2015, May 15). Wireless Charging Electric Bus. Retrieved March 4, 2018 from https://kmatrix.kaist.ac.kr/wireless-charging-electric-bus/

Lim, A. (2017, March 9). LTA to expand trials of hybrid, electric buses. The Straits Times. Retrieved March 27, 2018 from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/lta-to-expand-trials-of-hybrid-electric-buses

Lim, A. (2016, August 6). E-bus to ply public route in trail lasting six months. The Straits Times. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/e-bus-to-ply-public-route-in-trial-lasting-six-months

Matt, B. (2013). Electric avenue: Korean buses now wirelessly charge as they drive. Retrieved March 12, 2018 from https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/7/4596898/korea-wireless-charging-buses-kaist-olev

National Climate Change Secretariat. (2018). Singapore’s Emission Profile. Retrieved March 30, 2018 from https://www.nccs.gov.sg/climate-change-and-singapore/national-circumstances/singapore’s-emissions-profile

National Environment Agency. (2016, December 16). Singapore second biennial update report 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2018 from http://www.nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/energy-waste/climate-change/second-biennial-update-report-(16-dec-2016).pdf

One Motoring. (n.d.). Green Link Determining (GLIDE) System. Retrieved March 7, 2018 from: https://www.onemotoring.com.sg/content/onemotoring/en/on_the_roads/traffic_management/intelligent_transport_systems/glide.print.html

Suh, I. S. (2011). Application of Shaped Magnetic Field in Resonance (SMFIR) technology to future urban transportation (Research Report). Retrieved March 27, 2018 from: http://www.buspress.eu/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/CIRP-Design-2011-Paper34-Suh.pdf

Suh, N. P., Cho, D. H., & Rim, C.T. (2011). Design of On-Line Electric Vehicle (OLEV). Retrieved March 1, 2018 from http://www.springer.com/cda/content/document/cda_downloaddocument/9783642159725-c1.pdf?SGWID=0-0-45-1121840-p174067862

Thomson, K. (2014). Problems with Wireless Charging. Retrieved March 3, 2018 from: https://cambrionix.com/blog/problems-with-wireless-charging/

Executive Summary, Final Draft

This proposal describes a research project carried out by our team in response to a call for engineering problem-solution proposals. In this proposal, the team addresses the problems of the BYD K9 electric buses, such as its battery technology and plug-in charging system, which the Land Transport Authority (LTA) are using in a pilot study. The buses’ batteries are unsuitable for Singapore’s warm and humid climate, which reduces electric bus battery efficiency and shorten bus travel range. The plug-in charging cables and limited charging locations in the current system also prove inconvenient for bus drivers. Having these problems would render the overall electric bus system inefficient.

The proposal details our team’s suggested modification to the current system and discusses its benefits and limitations. The team proposes a solution that uses the Shaped Magnetic Field In-Resonance (SMFIR) technology to enable electric buses to be charged wirelessly when stationary or while in motion. This technology allows smaller batteries to be utilised in electric bus, thus reducing the bus self-weight, and improves overall system efficiency and travel range.

The proposal also discusses the team’s objective, which is to recommend to LTA to conduct a pilot study in the Punggol Digital District on the usage of SMFIR in electric buses in order to assess its feasibility in Singapore.

Personal Statement, Final Draft

Neng Wei graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a diploma in civil engineering with business in 2014. He has interests in architecture and structural design, which led him to pursue civil engineering. He was involved in the tender construction of National University Singapore’s science canteen during his polytechnic internship. At present, he is an undergraduate student in civil engineering at Singapore Institute of Technology.

Letter of transmittal, Final Draft

S.U.N Team

Singapore Institute of Technology

10 Dover Drive

Singapore 138683

13th March 2018

Chew Men Leong

Land Transport Authority

1 Hampshire Road

Singapore 219428

Dear Mr. Chew,

Re: Proposal for Improvement of Electric Bus System in Singapore

Enclosed for your kind consideration is the following proposal for the improvement of the electric bus system in Singapore.

This proposal has been prepared in response to your letter of authorization calling for proposals. The proposal has been developed in light of the problem that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is facing with electric vehicle while spearheading Singapore’s electric vehicle uptake in public transportation. Our team’s intention is to offer a systematic method that could more aptly address the problems associated with the present electric bus system and infrastructure.

The report consists of a review of the identified problems, the rationale behind our proposed solution, and a detailed summary of all related primary and secondary research. As potential electric bus users ourselves, we have provided information on the flaws of the current electric bus system, piloted by Go-Ahead Singapore, a case study of the potential solution and a detailed discussion on how the relevant agencies may improve on them.

We would like to express our gratitude to you for taking the time to read through the proposal. Your consideration of our suggestions to transform the public electric bus system into a more efficient and emission-free system is greatly appreciated.

Yours sincerely,

Teo Shu Min

S.U.N Team Representative

Critical Reflection

It’s pretty scary to know how quickly time flies. I believed that this module has enhanced my presentation and communications skills. However, there are always room for improvement. During the process, I had learnt that my language was really bad. I am glad that there were peers whom are patient enough to guide me and correct me on my wrong usage of language, and this is when the blog setup comes in handy. I also learnt the importance of correct citation and crediting the author. This module also increase awareness of the common mistakes that I made in my writing. Now, I am more crucial and precise on my work.

It is only a short period of time but it had been a great pleasure to work with my group mates. There is no major issues on our clash of thoughts. However, there are always minor conflicts when different opinion enters the game. It is an unavoidable cause of nature, nonetheless, a conclusion was always found. I am the critic of the project group, I am constantly going against the suggestion or solutions, although, these were never meant to be a critic but a challenge that the team might face or a question that might be raised during the presentation. When there is a need for meeting, the team never fail to pull out their time including weekends. I know that my presentation skills are not refined and the script tend to be forgotten due to my nervous. I will strive to be better in my presentation skills.

Revised on 06/04/2018

Read : Jasmine’s , Angela’s , Hong Kiat’s , Umar’s and Irdina’s

Commented on : Jasmine’s , Hong Kiat’s and Umar’s

Executive Summary, Draft # 1

This report outlines problems with current electric bus system in Singapore and the advantages of wireless charging technology for electric buses, whilst proposing to LTA to conduct a pilot study for this technology in resolving the problems. Electric buses have zero emissions, run quieter than conventional buses, contribute less to the carbon footprint, require less maintenance, and are much cheaper in the long run, as compared to diesel buses. However, the battery efficiency and range of the K9 electric buses tested by Go-Ahead Singapore are lowered due to the warm and humid climate in Singapore with additional battery capacity used for cooling. With the implementation of a wirelessly charged bus system, electric buses can be charged while in motion, hence improving the accessibility of charging and reducing charging time.

Personal Statement, Draft # 1

Neng Wei graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a diploma in civil engineering with business in 2014. He has interests in architecture and structural design which led him to pursue civil engineering. He was involved in the tender process on Addition and Alteration of NUS science canteen during his polytechnic internship.

Letter of transmittal, Draft # 1

S.U.N Team – Civil Engineering Programme

Singapore Institute of Technology

10 Dover Drive

Singapore 138683

13th March 2018

Chew Men Leong

Land Transport Authority

1 Hampshire Road

Singapore 219428

Dear Mr. Chew,

Re: Proposal for Improvement of Electric Bus System in Singapore

Enclosed for your kind consideration is the following proposal for the improvement of the electric bus system in Singapore.

This proposal has been prepared in response to your letter of authorization calling for proposals. The proposal has been developed in light of the problem that the LTA is facing with electric vehicle while spearheading Singapore’s electric vehicle uptake in public transportation. Our team’s intention is to offer a systematic method that could more aptly address the problems associated with the present electric bus system and infrastructure.

We would like to express our gratitude to you for taking the time to read through the proposal. Your consideration of our suggestions for transforming the public electric bus system more efficient and emission-free is greatly appreciated.

Yours sincerely,

Teo Shu Min

(S.U.N Team Representative)