Abstract
Batteries pose risks to both humans and the environment through all phases of their lifecycle, yet they can be used by engineers to develop adaptable devices and systems at both small and large scales. The combination of the thesis and technical report investigates how batteries can successfully be leveraged for their substantial benefits without compromising on the associated risks to human life and environmental wellbeing.
The technical paper investigates an area where batteries can be highly impactful: the medical industry. Specifically, it targets patients recovering from stroke who are subject to exorbitant medical costs during recovery. These costs largely supplement fees for clinicians who help stroke patients perform various motions in hopes of rebuilding neural connections and dexterity. To reduce stroke recovery costs, as well as allow patients to rehabilitate from their homes, the technical report targeted the question of how an upper limb exoskeleton could safely assist patients in performing a variety of repeated motions, thereby reducing reliance on expensive clinicians. To achieve this, batteries were used to make the design portable alongside various sensors and actuators that could sense user input and assist them in performing the desired motion. The final iteration of the device as described in the report is a sleeve that is able to assist the wearer in performing wrist abduction-adduction, forearm supination-pronation, and flexion-extension of both elbow and wrist, all while self-contained inside a backpack.
The sociotechnical thesis focuses on another area for battery implementation in the form of the energy industry. Implementing batteries into an electrical grid can increase the flexibility and robustness of the grid, especially when combined with inconsistent renewables like sun and solar. Batteries can therefore both replace fossil fuels in a grid and promote the addition of renewables which become far more viable when integrated with energy storage. The paper also dives into the ethical conundrum which is associated with battery use. For humans, exposure to the battery components has been linked to a wide variety of long term health risks, and the well documented explosive nature of certain batteries can pose an even more immediate threat to human wellbeing. Additionally, the supply chain for battery raw materials sources primarily from a select few countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, where child labor and unsafe working conditions have been widely documented in mines. The environment, while standing to gain from the renewable energy adoption promoted by batteries, faces risks from emissions and trace metal leakages from battery production to disposal. These risks pose an ethical question which is analyzed using three ethical frameworks: utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. The paper identifies virtue ethics as the most effective theory to analyze this complicated issue, and leverages it to define the ideal battery: one that poses no human or environmental risks across all stages of its lifecycle and supply chain.
While the stroke recovery device developed for the technical paper was certainly not ready for widespread use, on the whole all of my research demonstrated the strong potential for batteries in portable medical devices and grid applications. In terms of the general problem of battery risks, the sociotechnical paper was certainly limited in its proposed solutions, and merely offered a potentially unlikely ideal. This did, however, serve to bring awareness to the existing problems the industry faces which can hopefully lead to the development of a better battery. The pursuit of this ideal battery should undoubtedly be a strong candidate for future research, as existing alternatives like gravity energy storage are not yet viable for widespread use. A better alternative would make grid scale and medical applications far more viable, and should promote even further research into these areas.
For their work on our technical project, I would like to thank my team: Andrew Whittman, Hannah Tse, Juan Gomez, Katherine Page, Madelyn Tubbs, Ryan Murray, Sam Moran, Sean Pawlowski, and Zoe Benton. I would also like to thank Dr. Sarah Sun for her advice and direction, and Dr. Gavin Garner for his prior instruction that filled so many gaps in my knowledge. On the sociotechnical paper, Caitlin Wylie deserves thanks for keeping me on track and helping to synthesize my thoughts into a truly good idea.
Notes
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Technical Advisor: Sarah Sun
STS Advisor: Caitlin Wylie
Technical Team Members: Aidan Mermagen, Andrew Wittman, Hannah Tse, Juan Gomez, Katherine Page, Madelyn Tubbs, Ryan Murray, Sam Moran, Sean Pawlowski, Zoe Benton
