\n
Science and Tech Current Affairs 2021-22<\/span><\/h2>\nRobotics, AI, and others<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
To Read Other Current Affairs Compilations<\/strong><\/span> for UPSC Prelims 2022<\/span>– Click here<\/a><\/h4>\n
\nWhite Light-Emitting Diodes<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have successfully developed a white light emitter for use in LEDs.<\/p>\n
About LED (Light-Emitting Diodes)<\/h5>\n
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current is passed through it.<\/p>\n
LEDs and white light<\/h5>\n
Conventional LED materials\u00a0cannot emit white light<\/strong>\u00a0and specialised techniques, such as coating blue LED with yellow phosphor and combining blue, green and red LEDs, have been used to produce white light.<\/p>\nHence, there has been a worldwide search for materials that can directly emit white light rather than through these indirect techniques that can cause loss of efficiency.<\/p>\n
About the white light emitter<\/h5>\n
Researchers at the IIT Madras have successfully developed a white light emitter for use in LEDs.<\/p>\n
They have developed this by exploring crystalline materials called \u2018Halide-Perovskites\u2019. These materials have extraordinary optoelectronic properties and excellent light-to-current conversion efficiencies.<\/p>\n
Significance<\/h5>\n
These indigenously-developed bright white light emitters can potentially replace the conventional high-cost materials and phenomenally save the energy cost per lumens.<\/p>\n
\nSecurity ink based on nano-materials to combat counterfeiting<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
Indian Scientists have indigenously developed a\u00a0highly stable and non-toxic luminescent security ink from nano-materials that will help combat counterfeiting of currency notes, medicine, certificates, documents and branded goods.<\/p>\n
About Counterfeiting<\/h5>\n
Counterfeiting\u00a0means to imitate something authentic with the intent to steal, destroy or replace the original for use in illegal transactions.<\/p>\n
Counterfeiting of branded goods, banknotes, medicines, certificates, currency and other important documents is very common all over the world.<\/p>\n
Tackling of counterfeiting at present<\/h5>\n
Currently, Luminescent ink is used as covert tags to combat counterfeiting.<\/p>\n
Most of the security inks available today are based on luminescent materials that absorb a high-energy photon and emit low-energy photons, technically called downshifting. This covert tag is invisible under daylight, and it becomes visible under UV light.\u00a0\u00a0However, these single emission-based tags are prone to replication.<\/p>\n
To overcome this, luminescent ink with excitation-dependent luminescent properties (downshifting and upconversion) is advised.<\/p>\n
This is because increasing the number of parameters required to decode the tag decreases the possibility of decoding and replication.<\/p>\n
However, most of the materials reported recently for this purpose are based on fluorides, which are less stable and highly toxic.<\/p>\n
About the luminescent security ink<\/h5>\n
To address the above challenge, Indian Scientists have developed\u00a0a\u00a0luminescent security ink from nano-materials.\u00a0This ink is highly stable, less toxic and has\u00a0excitation-dependent luminescent properties.<\/p>\n
Hence, this ink\u00a0has huge potential to combat counterfeiting and the common man can find out easily whether the document or product is original or fake.<\/p>\n
\nMechanized Scavenging System<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute is\u00a0developing a Mechanized Scavenging System.<\/p>\n
About the Mechanized Scavenging System<\/h5>\n
A Mechanized Scavenging System is being developed with the aim\u00a0to eliminate human contact with faecal waste.<\/p>\n
Key Features CSIR-CMERI\u00a0Mechanized Scavenging System<\/h5>\n
The system\u00a0<\/strong>focuses upon Sustainable Usage of water. This means that the system sucks in Slurry Water from the choked Sewerage Systems.<\/p>\nThe slurry<\/strong>\u00a0is the thin mixture of an insoluble substance such as cement, clay, or coal with a liquid such as water or oil.<\/p>\nThis slurry water<\/strong>\u00a0is then purified and filtered to make it suitable for Agricultural, Household and Drinking Water usage.<\/p>\nSignificance of this system<\/h5>\n
Drinking-Water Scarcity problem\u00a0<\/strong>is\u00a0prevalent in Flood-Affected regions can be solved by this system as it will help in providing an outlet for flood stagnated water, as well as provide Water Purification solutions in Flood Disaster Zones.<\/p>\n
\nUbreathe Life<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
IIT Ropar\u2019s startup company has developed a living plant-based air purifier, \u201cUbreathe Life<\/strong>\u201d that amplifies the air purification process in indoor spaces.<\/p>\nAbout Ubreathe Life<\/h5>\n![\"Ubreathe](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Ubreathe-Life.png?resize=453%2C344&ssl=1\")
Source: Times of India<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nUbreathe Life <\/strong>is the\u00a0world\u2019s first, state-of-the-art \u2018<\/span>Smart Bio-Filter<\/strong>\u2019 that can purify the air.<\/span><\/p>\nIt amplifies the air purification process\u00a0<\/strong>in indoor spaces. These indoor spaces can either be hospitals, schools, offices and your homes.<\/p>\nDeveloped by<\/strong>: IIT Ropar, which is a designated iHub \u2013\u00a0AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub)<\/a>\u00a0of the Department of Science and Technology.<\/p>\nWorking of Ubreathe Life<\/h5>\n
The technology works<\/strong>\u00a0through the air-purifying natural leafy plant. The room air interacts with leaves and goes to the soil-root zone where maximum pollutants are purified.<\/p>\nThe technology used in this product<\/strong>\u00a0is the \u2018Urban Munnar Effect<\/strong>\u2019 along with patent-pending \u201cBreathing Roots<\/strong>\u201d to exponentially amplify the\u00a0phytoremediation<\/strong>\u00a0process of the plants.<\/p>\nNote: Phytoremediation<\/strong>\u00a0is a process by which plants effectively remove pollutants from the air.<\/p>\nSignificance of the device<\/h5>\n
\u2018Ubreathe Life\u2019 effectively\u00a0improves indoor air quality<\/strong>\u00a0by removing particulate, gaseous, and biological contaminants while increasing the oxygen levels in the indoor spaces.<\/p>\nThis is done through specific plants, UV disinfection, and a stack of Pre-filter, Charcoal filter, and\u00a0HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter\u00a0<\/a>fitted in a specially designed wooden box.<\/p>\n
\nAcoustic Energy<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
An Indian researcher has fabricated paper honeycomb and stronger polymer honeycomb structure as sound-absorbing panels that\u00a0dissipate acoustic energy to low-frequency ranges<\/strong>.<\/p>\nSignificance of this research<\/h5>\n
Many traditional materials have been found to be good at controlling higher frequencies, but not at lower frequency ranges.<\/p>\n
However, natural\u00a0beehives<\/strong>\u00a0have been found to efficiently control high as well as low frequencies because of their geometry<\/strong>. This behaviour was owing to the conversion of acoustical energy into vibration energy. This vibration energy is dissipated in the form of heat due to wall damping properties.<\/p>\nHence, mimicking this property as an engineering solution could offer a\u00a0cost-effective method for controlling noise pollution<\/strong>.<\/p>\nAbout Acoustic Energy<\/h5>\n
Acoustics<\/strong>\u00a0is the branch of physics that is concerned with the study of sound.<\/p>\nAcoustic energy is\u00a0the disturbance of energy, which passes through a material in the form of waves<\/strong>. An example of acoustic energy is sound energy. When sound travels through any medium, it produces vibrations in the form of waves.<\/p>\n
\nLow-C Bricks<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science(IISc) have developed an energy-efficient carbon brick called \u2018Low-C Bricks<\/strong>\u2019.<\/p>\nAbout Low-C Bricks<\/h5>\n
Low-C Bricks are low carbon bricks\u00a0developed using construction and demolition waste (CDW)<\/strong>\u00a0and alkali-activated binders.<\/p>\nThese bricks do not require high-temperature firing. They also avoid the use of high-energy materials such as Portland cement.<\/p>\n
Note:<\/strong>\u00a0Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar etc.<\/p>\nReason for developing Low-C Bricks<\/h5>\n
Conventionally, building envelopes consist of masonry walls built with burnt clay bricks, concrete blocks, hollow clay blocks, fly ash bricks, and lightweight blocks. Most of these technologies spend energy during their production, incurring carbon emissions.<\/p>\n
Similarly, the masonry units are manufactured either through the process of firing or using high-energy carbon binders, mainly Portland cement. Further, the annual consumption of bricks and blocks in India is about 900 million tonnes.<\/p>\n
Benefits of Low-C Bricks<\/h5>\n
Low-C Bricks solves the disposal problems associated with the construction\u00a0and demolition waste (CDW).<\/p>\n
These bricks also use very low energy in producing them when compared to the high energy used in producing burnt clay bricks.<\/p>\n
\nSuper-hydrophobic cotton<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
Recently, researchers of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, have developed a new class of\u00a0super-hydrophobic cotton composite with Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) that promise marine oil-spill clean-up in near future.<\/strong><\/p>\nFeatures\u00a0of the new cotton material<\/h5>\n
First,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0this is a novel, highly porous and water-repellent super-hydrophobic cotton composite material containing MOF, which can absorb oil selectively from an oil-water mixture.<\/p>\nSecond,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>the MOF composite has great capability for selective separation of the oils from oil \/ water mixtures. The separation efficiency\u00a0is very high\u00a0irrespective of the chemical composition and density of the oils.<\/p>\nThird,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0the MOF composite is also able to absorb large volumes of oils and can be reused for a minimum of 10 times so that the sorbents can provide more recovery of the spilled oil.<\/p>\nFourth<\/strong><\/em>, the\u00a0new\u00a0cotton will help in\u00a0cleaning the spilled oil from environmental water (river, sea or ocean water) during oil transportation, thus reducing environmental water pollution.<\/p>\nFifth<\/strong><\/em>,<\/em>\u00a0both heavy and light oils can be effectively absorbed by the material.<\/p>\nSixth,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>the material\u00a0is easy to prepare, cost-effective and recyclable.<\/p>\nSeventh,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0MOFs are a class of compounds containing metal ions coordinated to organic ligands to form 3D structures. They are often highly porous materials that act like a sponge.<\/p>\nEighth,\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>the medical cotton changes from hydrophilic to super-hydrophobic material and can float on the water surface.<\/p>\n
\nSolar DC Cooking System<\/span><\/h3>\n\u00a0News<\/h5>\n
Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (also known as CSIR-CMER) has developed a Solar DC Cooking System.<\/p>\n
About the Solar\u00a0DC Cooking System<\/h5>\n
Solar DC Cooking System is a Solar Energy based Cooking System that consists of a solar PV panel, charge controller, battery bank and cooking oven.<\/p>\n
Benefits of this System<\/h5>\n
Solar DC Cooking System has 20-25% better efficiency and is more Economical in comparison with Conventional Solar based Cooking Systems which loses efficiency owing to AC-DC conversion.<\/p>\n
The system can also substantially\u00a0curb carbon dioxide emissions, as even LPG usage emits CO2. It may help save 290 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.<\/p>\n
Moreover, its simple design ensures ease of manufacturing and thus provides a substantial economic opportunity to micro-industries.<\/p>\n
About AC and DC<\/h5>\n
Alternating Current (AC)<\/strong>\u00a0is a type of electrical current, in which the direction of the flow of electrons switches back and forth at regular intervals or cycles. Current flowing in power lines and normal household electricity that comes from a wall outlet is alternating current.<\/p>\nOn the other hand, Direct current (DC)<\/strong>\u00a0is an electrical current that flows consistently in one direction. The current that flows in a flashlight or another appliance running on batteries is a direct current.<\/p>\n
\nSubstitute for single-use plastic<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
Researchers at the\u00a0Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (IISc) have found a way to make a substitute for single-use plastic that can help mitigate the problem of accumulating plastic waste in the environment.<\/p>\n
About the new material developed by IISc<\/h5>\n
Researchers have developed\u00a0polymers using non-edible oil and cellulose<\/strong>\u00a0extracted from agricultural stubble.<\/p>\nThese polymers can be moulded into sheets having properties suitable for making bags, cutlery or containers.<\/p>\n
The material so made is also\u00a0biodegradable, leak-proof and non-toxic<\/strong>.<\/p>\nSignificance of this development<\/h5>\n
Alternative to Single-Use Plastic:\u00a0<\/strong>Due to the harmful impact of single-use plastic on the environment, this material can become a substitute for single-use plastic.<\/p>\nUsage of Agriculture Stubble:\u00a0<\/strong>Using agriculture stubble for the replacement of single-use plastics will not address the problem of air pollution. But it will generate additional income opportunities for farmers.<\/p>\nCan be used in Healthcare Facilities:\u00a0<\/strong>As the material is biodegradable and non-toxic, researchers are planning to use the material for healthcare applications also.<\/p>\nNeed to find an alternative to plastic<\/h5>\n
According to a report by the\u00a0Central Pollution Control Board of India<\/strong>, for the year 2018-2019,\u00a03.3 million metric tonnes of plastic waste<\/strong>\u00a0are generated by Indians.<\/p>\nAnother alarming statistic is that of all the plastic waste produced in the world, 79% enters the environment.\u00a0Only 9% of all plastic waste is recycled<\/strong>.<\/p>\nAccumulation of plastic waste is detrimental to the environment and when this waste finds its way into the sea, there can be major harm to aquatic ecosystems too. Hence, there is a need to find an alternative to substitute the use of plastic.<\/p>\n
\nFlex Fuel Vehicles(FFV)<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said the government would soon make it mandatory for all vehicle manufacturers to make flex engines (that can run on more than one fuel).<\/p>\n
About the Flex Fuel Vehicles(FFV)<\/h5>\n
Flex Fuel Vehicles(FFV) is a\u00a0modified version of vehicles that could run\u00a0on a blend of petrol and ethanol.<\/p>\n
In these vehicles, both\u00a0fuels are stored in a common tank. The resulting blend is burnt in the combustion chamber, generating power for the vehicle.<\/p>\n
Advantages of Flex Fuel Vehicles<\/h5>\n
Reduced dependence\u00a0<\/strong>on petrol\/diesel and thus reduced dependence on oil imports.<\/p>\nEthanol burns more cleanly\u00a0<\/strong>than conventional petrol, which reduces the car\u2019s carbon footprint.<\/p>\nHelps in addressing the problems\u00a0<\/strong>of surplus food grains (These can be used in making Ethanol).<\/p>\nLess costly:\u00a0<\/strong>Alternative fuel ethanol is Rs 60-62 per litre while petrol costs more than Rs 100 per litre in many parts of the country, so by using ethanol, Indians will save Rs 30-35 per litre.<\/p>\nDisadvantages\u00a0of Flex Fuel Vehicles<\/h5>\n
Customer acceptance\u00a0<\/strong>will be a major challenge since the cost of ownership and running costs are going to be very high compared with 100% petrol vehicles.<\/p>\nEngine damage:\u00a0<\/strong>Ethanol can also, unfortunately, cause corrosion and damage to the engine, mainly because it absorbs dirt easily.<\/p>\nFlex Fuel Vehicles will cost more<\/strong>\u00a0as they will require several engineering tweaks to new engines, with corrosion-resistant rubber hoses and pipes.<\/p>\nLess Fuel Efficiency:<\/strong>\u00a0Ethanol evaporates faster, so it is much harder to store. It burns better, but it also burns quicker, which means compromised fuel efficiency.\u00a0However, it has higher octane than petrol and therefore provides increased power and performance.<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear Friends, This post is a part of our current affairs series for the UPSC IAS Prelims 2022. In this post, we have covered the Science and tech current affairs of the Robotics, AI, and others\u00a0section. This post covers the current affairs of September, October 2021 and April 2022 months. Science and Tech Current Affairs… Continue reading UPSC IAS Prelims 2022 Material| Science and Tech Current Affairs | Robotics, AI, and others \u2013 Part 2<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10311,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[10695],"class_list":["post-184279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-public","tag-current-affairs-compilations-for-prelims-2022","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":{"total":2,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1702761076},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10311"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184279"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184279\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/p>\n
To Read Other Current Affairs Compilations<\/strong><\/span> for UPSC Prelims 2022<\/span>– Click here<\/a><\/h4>\n
\nWhite Light-Emitting Diodes<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have successfully developed a white light emitter for use in LEDs.<\/p>\n
About LED (Light-Emitting Diodes)<\/h5>\n
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current is passed through it.<\/p>\n
LEDs and white light<\/h5>\n
Conventional LED materials\u00a0cannot emit white light<\/strong>\u00a0and specialised techniques, such as coating blue LED with yellow phosphor and combining blue, green and red LEDs, have been used to produce white light.<\/p>\nHence, there has been a worldwide search for materials that can directly emit white light rather than through these indirect techniques that can cause loss of efficiency.<\/p>\n
About the white light emitter<\/h5>\n
Researchers at the IIT Madras have successfully developed a white light emitter for use in LEDs.<\/p>\n
They have developed this by exploring crystalline materials called \u2018Halide-Perovskites\u2019. These materials have extraordinary optoelectronic properties and excellent light-to-current conversion efficiencies.<\/p>\n
Significance<\/h5>\n
These indigenously-developed bright white light emitters can potentially replace the conventional high-cost materials and phenomenally save the energy cost per lumens.<\/p>\n
\nSecurity ink based on nano-materials to combat counterfeiting<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
Indian Scientists have indigenously developed a\u00a0highly stable and non-toxic luminescent security ink from nano-materials that will help combat counterfeiting of currency notes, medicine, certificates, documents and branded goods.<\/p>\n
About Counterfeiting<\/h5>\n
Counterfeiting\u00a0means to imitate something authentic with the intent to steal, destroy or replace the original for use in illegal transactions.<\/p>\n
Counterfeiting of branded goods, banknotes, medicines, certificates, currency and other important documents is very common all over the world.<\/p>\n
Tackling of counterfeiting at present<\/h5>\n
Currently, Luminescent ink is used as covert tags to combat counterfeiting.<\/p>\n
Most of the security inks available today are based on luminescent materials that absorb a high-energy photon and emit low-energy photons, technically called downshifting. This covert tag is invisible under daylight, and it becomes visible under UV light.\u00a0\u00a0However, these single emission-based tags are prone to replication.<\/p>\n
To overcome this, luminescent ink with excitation-dependent luminescent properties (downshifting and upconversion) is advised.<\/p>\n
This is because increasing the number of parameters required to decode the tag decreases the possibility of decoding and replication.<\/p>\n
However, most of the materials reported recently for this purpose are based on fluorides, which are less stable and highly toxic.<\/p>\n
About the luminescent security ink<\/h5>\n
To address the above challenge, Indian Scientists have developed\u00a0a\u00a0luminescent security ink from nano-materials.\u00a0This ink is highly stable, less toxic and has\u00a0excitation-dependent luminescent properties.<\/p>\n
Hence, this ink\u00a0has huge potential to combat counterfeiting and the common man can find out easily whether the document or product is original or fake.<\/p>\n
\nMechanized Scavenging System<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute is\u00a0developing a Mechanized Scavenging System.<\/p>\n
About the Mechanized Scavenging System<\/h5>\n
A Mechanized Scavenging System is being developed with the aim\u00a0to eliminate human contact with faecal waste.<\/p>\n
Key Features CSIR-CMERI\u00a0Mechanized Scavenging System<\/h5>\n
The system\u00a0<\/strong>focuses upon Sustainable Usage of water. This means that the system sucks in Slurry Water from the choked Sewerage Systems.<\/p>\nThe slurry<\/strong>\u00a0is the thin mixture of an insoluble substance such as cement, clay, or coal with a liquid such as water or oil.<\/p>\nThis slurry water<\/strong>\u00a0is then purified and filtered to make it suitable for Agricultural, Household and Drinking Water usage.<\/p>\nSignificance of this system<\/h5>\n
Drinking-Water Scarcity problem\u00a0<\/strong>is\u00a0prevalent in Flood-Affected regions can be solved by this system as it will help in providing an outlet for flood stagnated water, as well as provide Water Purification solutions in Flood Disaster Zones.<\/p>\n
\nUbreathe Life<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
IIT Ropar\u2019s startup company has developed a living plant-based air purifier, \u201cUbreathe Life<\/strong>\u201d that amplifies the air purification process in indoor spaces.<\/p>\nAbout Ubreathe Life<\/h5>\nSource: Times of India<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nUbreathe Life <\/strong>is the\u00a0world\u2019s first, state-of-the-art \u2018<\/span>Smart Bio-Filter<\/strong>\u2019 that can purify the air.<\/span><\/p>\nIt amplifies the air purification process\u00a0<\/strong>in indoor spaces. These indoor spaces can either be hospitals, schools, offices and your homes.<\/p>\nDeveloped by<\/strong>: IIT Ropar, which is a designated iHub \u2013\u00a0AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub)<\/a>\u00a0of the Department of Science and Technology.<\/p>\nWorking of Ubreathe Life<\/h5>\n
The technology works<\/strong>\u00a0through the air-purifying natural leafy plant. The room air interacts with leaves and goes to the soil-root zone where maximum pollutants are purified.<\/p>\nThe technology used in this product<\/strong>\u00a0is the \u2018Urban Munnar Effect<\/strong>\u2019 along with patent-pending \u201cBreathing Roots<\/strong>\u201d to exponentially amplify the\u00a0phytoremediation<\/strong>\u00a0process of the plants.<\/p>\nNote: Phytoremediation<\/strong>\u00a0is a process by which plants effectively remove pollutants from the air.<\/p>\nSignificance of the device<\/h5>\n
\u2018Ubreathe Life\u2019 effectively\u00a0improves indoor air quality<\/strong>\u00a0by removing particulate, gaseous, and biological contaminants while increasing the oxygen levels in the indoor spaces.<\/p>\nThis is done through specific plants, UV disinfection, and a stack of Pre-filter, Charcoal filter, and\u00a0HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter\u00a0<\/a>fitted in a specially designed wooden box.<\/p>\n
\nAcoustic Energy<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
An Indian researcher has fabricated paper honeycomb and stronger polymer honeycomb structure as sound-absorbing panels that\u00a0dissipate acoustic energy to low-frequency ranges<\/strong>.<\/p>\nSignificance of this research<\/h5>\n
Many traditional materials have been found to be good at controlling higher frequencies, but not at lower frequency ranges.<\/p>\n
However, natural\u00a0beehives<\/strong>\u00a0have been found to efficiently control high as well as low frequencies because of their geometry<\/strong>. This behaviour was owing to the conversion of acoustical energy into vibration energy. This vibration energy is dissipated in the form of heat due to wall damping properties.<\/p>\nHence, mimicking this property as an engineering solution could offer a\u00a0cost-effective method for controlling noise pollution<\/strong>.<\/p>\nAbout Acoustic Energy<\/h5>\n
Acoustics<\/strong>\u00a0is the branch of physics that is concerned with the study of sound.<\/p>\nAcoustic energy is\u00a0the disturbance of energy, which passes through a material in the form of waves<\/strong>. An example of acoustic energy is sound energy. When sound travels through any medium, it produces vibrations in the form of waves.<\/p>\n
\nLow-C Bricks<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science(IISc) have developed an energy-efficient carbon brick called \u2018Low-C Bricks<\/strong>\u2019.<\/p>\nAbout Low-C Bricks<\/h5>\n
Low-C Bricks are low carbon bricks\u00a0developed using construction and demolition waste (CDW)<\/strong>\u00a0and alkali-activated binders.<\/p>\nThese bricks do not require high-temperature firing. They also avoid the use of high-energy materials such as Portland cement.<\/p>\n
Note:<\/strong>\u00a0Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar etc.<\/p>\nReason for developing Low-C Bricks<\/h5>\n
Conventionally, building envelopes consist of masonry walls built with burnt clay bricks, concrete blocks, hollow clay blocks, fly ash bricks, and lightweight blocks. Most of these technologies spend energy during their production, incurring carbon emissions.<\/p>\n
Similarly, the masonry units are manufactured either through the process of firing or using high-energy carbon binders, mainly Portland cement. Further, the annual consumption of bricks and blocks in India is about 900 million tonnes.<\/p>\n
Benefits of Low-C Bricks<\/h5>\n
Low-C Bricks solves the disposal problems associated with the construction\u00a0and demolition waste (CDW).<\/p>\n
These bricks also use very low energy in producing them when compared to the high energy used in producing burnt clay bricks.<\/p>\n
\nSuper-hydrophobic cotton<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
Recently, researchers of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, have developed a new class of\u00a0super-hydrophobic cotton composite with Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) that promise marine oil-spill clean-up in near future.<\/strong><\/p>\nFeatures\u00a0of the new cotton material<\/h5>\n
First,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0this is a novel, highly porous and water-repellent super-hydrophobic cotton composite material containing MOF, which can absorb oil selectively from an oil-water mixture.<\/p>\nSecond,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>the MOF composite has great capability for selective separation of the oils from oil \/ water mixtures. The separation efficiency\u00a0is very high\u00a0irrespective of the chemical composition and density of the oils.<\/p>\nThird,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0the MOF composite is also able to absorb large volumes of oils and can be reused for a minimum of 10 times so that the sorbents can provide more recovery of the spilled oil.<\/p>\nFourth<\/strong><\/em>, the\u00a0new\u00a0cotton will help in\u00a0cleaning the spilled oil from environmental water (river, sea or ocean water) during oil transportation, thus reducing environmental water pollution.<\/p>\nFifth<\/strong><\/em>,<\/em>\u00a0both heavy and light oils can be effectively absorbed by the material.<\/p>\nSixth,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>the material\u00a0is easy to prepare, cost-effective and recyclable.<\/p>\nSeventh,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0MOFs are a class of compounds containing metal ions coordinated to organic ligands to form 3D structures. They are often highly porous materials that act like a sponge.<\/p>\nEighth,\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>the medical cotton changes from hydrophilic to super-hydrophobic material and can float on the water surface.<\/p>\n
\nSolar DC Cooking System<\/span><\/h3>\n\u00a0News<\/h5>\n
Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (also known as CSIR-CMER) has developed a Solar DC Cooking System.<\/p>\n
About the Solar\u00a0DC Cooking System<\/h5>\n
Solar DC Cooking System is a Solar Energy based Cooking System that consists of a solar PV panel, charge controller, battery bank and cooking oven.<\/p>\n
Benefits of this System<\/h5>\n
Solar DC Cooking System has 20-25% better efficiency and is more Economical in comparison with Conventional Solar based Cooking Systems which loses efficiency owing to AC-DC conversion.<\/p>\n
The system can also substantially\u00a0curb carbon dioxide emissions, as even LPG usage emits CO2. It may help save 290 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.<\/p>\n
Moreover, its simple design ensures ease of manufacturing and thus provides a substantial economic opportunity to micro-industries.<\/p>\n
About AC and DC<\/h5>\n
Alternating Current (AC)<\/strong>\u00a0is a type of electrical current, in which the direction of the flow of electrons switches back and forth at regular intervals or cycles. Current flowing in power lines and normal household electricity that comes from a wall outlet is alternating current.<\/p>\nOn the other hand, Direct current (DC)<\/strong>\u00a0is an electrical current that flows consistently in one direction. The current that flows in a flashlight or another appliance running on batteries is a direct current.<\/p>\n
\nSubstitute for single-use plastic<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
Researchers at the\u00a0Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (IISc) have found a way to make a substitute for single-use plastic that can help mitigate the problem of accumulating plastic waste in the environment.<\/p>\n
About the new material developed by IISc<\/h5>\n
Researchers have developed\u00a0polymers using non-edible oil and cellulose<\/strong>\u00a0extracted from agricultural stubble.<\/p>\nThese polymers can be moulded into sheets having properties suitable for making bags, cutlery or containers.<\/p>\n
The material so made is also\u00a0biodegradable, leak-proof and non-toxic<\/strong>.<\/p>\nSignificance of this development<\/h5>\n
Alternative to Single-Use Plastic:\u00a0<\/strong>Due to the harmful impact of single-use plastic on the environment, this material can become a substitute for single-use plastic.<\/p>\nUsage of Agriculture Stubble:\u00a0<\/strong>Using agriculture stubble for the replacement of single-use plastics will not address the problem of air pollution. But it will generate additional income opportunities for farmers.<\/p>\nCan be used in Healthcare Facilities:\u00a0<\/strong>As the material is biodegradable and non-toxic, researchers are planning to use the material for healthcare applications also.<\/p>\nNeed to find an alternative to plastic<\/h5>\n
According to a report by the\u00a0Central Pollution Control Board of India<\/strong>, for the year 2018-2019,\u00a03.3 million metric tonnes of plastic waste<\/strong>\u00a0are generated by Indians.<\/p>\nAnother alarming statistic is that of all the plastic waste produced in the world, 79% enters the environment.\u00a0Only 9% of all plastic waste is recycled<\/strong>.<\/p>\nAccumulation of plastic waste is detrimental to the environment and when this waste finds its way into the sea, there can be major harm to aquatic ecosystems too. Hence, there is a need to find an alternative to substitute the use of plastic.<\/p>\n
\nFlex Fuel Vehicles(FFV)<\/span><\/h3>\nNews<\/h5>\n
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said the government would soon make it mandatory for all vehicle manufacturers to make flex engines (that can run on more than one fuel).<\/p>\n
About the Flex Fuel Vehicles(FFV)<\/h5>\n
Flex Fuel Vehicles(FFV) is a\u00a0modified version of vehicles that could run\u00a0on a blend of petrol and ethanol.<\/p>\n
In these vehicles, both\u00a0fuels are stored in a common tank. The resulting blend is burnt in the combustion chamber, generating power for the vehicle.<\/p>\n
Advantages of Flex Fuel Vehicles<\/h5>\n
Reduced dependence\u00a0<\/strong>on petrol\/diesel and thus reduced dependence on oil imports.<\/p>\nEthanol burns more cleanly\u00a0<\/strong>than conventional petrol, which reduces the car\u2019s carbon footprint.<\/p>\nHelps in addressing the problems\u00a0<\/strong>of surplus food grains (These can be used in making Ethanol).<\/p>\nLess costly:\u00a0<\/strong>Alternative fuel ethanol is Rs 60-62 per litre while petrol costs more than Rs 100 per litre in many parts of the country, so by using ethanol, Indians will save Rs 30-35 per litre.<\/p>\nDisadvantages\u00a0of Flex Fuel Vehicles<\/h5>\n
Customer acceptance\u00a0<\/strong>will be a major challenge since the cost of ownership and running costs are going to be very high compared with 100% petrol vehicles.<\/p>\nEngine damage:\u00a0<\/strong>Ethanol can also, unfortunately, cause corrosion and damage to the engine, mainly because it absorbs dirt easily.<\/p>\nFlex Fuel Vehicles will cost more<\/strong>\u00a0as they will require several engineering tweaks to new engines, with corrosion-resistant rubber hoses and pipes.<\/p>\nLess Fuel Efficiency:<\/strong>\u00a0Ethanol evaporates faster, so it is much harder to store. It burns better, but it also burns quicker, which means compromised fuel efficiency.\u00a0However, it has higher octane than petrol and therefore provides increased power and performance.<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear Friends, This post is a part of our current affairs series for the UPSC IAS Prelims 2022. In this post, we have covered the Science and tech current affairs of the Robotics, AI, and others\u00a0section. This post covers the current affairs of September, October 2021 and April 2022 months. Science and Tech Current Affairs… Continue reading UPSC IAS Prelims 2022 Material| Science and Tech Current Affairs | Robotics, AI, and others \u2013 Part 2<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10311,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[10695],"class_list":["post-184279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-public","tag-current-affairs-compilations-for-prelims-2022","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":{"total":2,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1702761076},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10311"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184279"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184279\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
News<\/h5>\n
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have successfully developed a white light emitter for use in LEDs.<\/p>\n
About LED (Light-Emitting Diodes)<\/h5>\n
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current is passed through it.<\/p>\n
LEDs and white light<\/h5>\n
Conventional LED materials\u00a0cannot emit white light<\/strong>\u00a0and specialised techniques, such as coating blue LED with yellow phosphor and combining blue, green and red LEDs, have been used to produce white light.<\/p>\n Hence, there has been a worldwide search for materials that can directly emit white light rather than through these indirect techniques that can cause loss of efficiency.<\/p>\n Researchers at the IIT Madras have successfully developed a white light emitter for use in LEDs.<\/p>\n They have developed this by exploring crystalline materials called \u2018Halide-Perovskites\u2019. These materials have extraordinary optoelectronic properties and excellent light-to-current conversion efficiencies.<\/p>\n These indigenously-developed bright white light emitters can potentially replace the conventional high-cost materials and phenomenally save the energy cost per lumens.<\/p>\n Indian Scientists have indigenously developed a\u00a0highly stable and non-toxic luminescent security ink from nano-materials that will help combat counterfeiting of currency notes, medicine, certificates, documents and branded goods.<\/p>\n Counterfeiting\u00a0means to imitate something authentic with the intent to steal, destroy or replace the original for use in illegal transactions.<\/p>\n Counterfeiting of branded goods, banknotes, medicines, certificates, currency and other important documents is very common all over the world.<\/p>\n Currently, Luminescent ink is used as covert tags to combat counterfeiting.<\/p>\n Most of the security inks available today are based on luminescent materials that absorb a high-energy photon and emit low-energy photons, technically called downshifting. This covert tag is invisible under daylight, and it becomes visible under UV light.\u00a0\u00a0However, these single emission-based tags are prone to replication.<\/p>\n To overcome this, luminescent ink with excitation-dependent luminescent properties (downshifting and upconversion) is advised.<\/p>\n This is because increasing the number of parameters required to decode the tag decreases the possibility of decoding and replication.<\/p>\n However, most of the materials reported recently for this purpose are based on fluorides, which are less stable and highly toxic.<\/p>\n To address the above challenge, Indian Scientists have developed\u00a0a\u00a0luminescent security ink from nano-materials.\u00a0This ink is highly stable, less toxic and has\u00a0excitation-dependent luminescent properties.<\/p>\n Hence, this ink\u00a0has huge potential to combat counterfeiting and the common man can find out easily whether the document or product is original or fake.<\/p>\n CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute is\u00a0developing a Mechanized Scavenging System.<\/p>\n A Mechanized Scavenging System is being developed with the aim\u00a0to eliminate human contact with faecal waste.<\/p>\n The system\u00a0<\/strong>focuses upon Sustainable Usage of water. This means that the system sucks in Slurry Water from the choked Sewerage Systems.<\/p>\n The slurry<\/strong>\u00a0is the thin mixture of an insoluble substance such as cement, clay, or coal with a liquid such as water or oil.<\/p>\n This slurry water<\/strong>\u00a0is then purified and filtered to make it suitable for Agricultural, Household and Drinking Water usage.<\/p>\n Drinking-Water Scarcity problem\u00a0<\/strong>is\u00a0prevalent in Flood-Affected regions can be solved by this system as it will help in providing an outlet for flood stagnated water, as well as provide Water Purification solutions in Flood Disaster Zones.<\/p>\n IIT Ropar\u2019s startup company has developed a living plant-based air purifier, \u201cUbreathe Life<\/strong>\u201d that amplifies the air purification process in indoor spaces.<\/p>\n Ubreathe Life <\/strong>is the\u00a0world\u2019s first, state-of-the-art \u2018<\/span>Smart Bio-Filter<\/strong>\u2019 that can purify the air.<\/span><\/p>\n It amplifies the air purification process\u00a0<\/strong>in indoor spaces. These indoor spaces can either be hospitals, schools, offices and your homes.<\/p>\n Developed by<\/strong>: IIT Ropar, which is a designated iHub \u2013\u00a0AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub)<\/a>\u00a0of the Department of Science and Technology.<\/p>\n The technology works<\/strong>\u00a0through the air-purifying natural leafy plant. The room air interacts with leaves and goes to the soil-root zone where maximum pollutants are purified.<\/p>\n The technology used in this product<\/strong>\u00a0is the \u2018Urban Munnar Effect<\/strong>\u2019 along with patent-pending \u201cBreathing Roots<\/strong>\u201d to exponentially amplify the\u00a0phytoremediation<\/strong>\u00a0process of the plants.<\/p>\n Note: Phytoremediation<\/strong>\u00a0is a process by which plants effectively remove pollutants from the air.<\/p>\n \u2018Ubreathe Life\u2019 effectively\u00a0improves indoor air quality<\/strong>\u00a0by removing particulate, gaseous, and biological contaminants while increasing the oxygen levels in the indoor spaces.<\/p>\n This is done through specific plants, UV disinfection, and a stack of Pre-filter, Charcoal filter, and\u00a0HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter\u00a0<\/a>fitted in a specially designed wooden box.<\/p>\n An Indian researcher has fabricated paper honeycomb and stronger polymer honeycomb structure as sound-absorbing panels that\u00a0dissipate acoustic energy to low-frequency ranges<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Many traditional materials have been found to be good at controlling higher frequencies, but not at lower frequency ranges.<\/p>\n However, natural\u00a0beehives<\/strong>\u00a0have been found to efficiently control high as well as low frequencies because of their geometry<\/strong>. This behaviour was owing to the conversion of acoustical energy into vibration energy. This vibration energy is dissipated in the form of heat due to wall damping properties.<\/p>\n Hence, mimicking this property as an engineering solution could offer a\u00a0cost-effective method for controlling noise pollution<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Acoustics<\/strong>\u00a0is the branch of physics that is concerned with the study of sound.<\/p>\n Acoustic energy is\u00a0the disturbance of energy, which passes through a material in the form of waves<\/strong>. An example of acoustic energy is sound energy. When sound travels through any medium, it produces vibrations in the form of waves.<\/p>\n Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science(IISc) have developed an energy-efficient carbon brick called \u2018Low-C Bricks<\/strong>\u2019.<\/p>\n Low-C Bricks are low carbon bricks\u00a0developed using construction and demolition waste (CDW)<\/strong>\u00a0and alkali-activated binders.<\/p>\n These bricks do not require high-temperature firing. They also avoid the use of high-energy materials such as Portland cement.<\/p>\n Note:<\/strong>\u00a0Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar etc.<\/p>\n Conventionally, building envelopes consist of masonry walls built with burnt clay bricks, concrete blocks, hollow clay blocks, fly ash bricks, and lightweight blocks. Most of these technologies spend energy during their production, incurring carbon emissions.<\/p>\n Similarly, the masonry units are manufactured either through the process of firing or using high-energy carbon binders, mainly Portland cement. Further, the annual consumption of bricks and blocks in India is about 900 million tonnes.<\/p>\n Low-C Bricks solves the disposal problems associated with the construction\u00a0and demolition waste (CDW).<\/p>\n These bricks also use very low energy in producing them when compared to the high energy used in producing burnt clay bricks.<\/p>\n Recently, researchers of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, have developed a new class of\u00a0super-hydrophobic cotton composite with Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) that promise marine oil-spill clean-up in near future.<\/strong><\/p>\n First,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0this is a novel, highly porous and water-repellent super-hydrophobic cotton composite material containing MOF, which can absorb oil selectively from an oil-water mixture.<\/p>\n Second,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>the MOF composite has great capability for selective separation of the oils from oil \/ water mixtures. The separation efficiency\u00a0is very high\u00a0irrespective of the chemical composition and density of the oils.<\/p>\n Third,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0the MOF composite is also able to absorb large volumes of oils and can be reused for a minimum of 10 times so that the sorbents can provide more recovery of the spilled oil.<\/p>\n Fourth<\/strong><\/em>, the\u00a0new\u00a0cotton will help in\u00a0cleaning the spilled oil from environmental water (river, sea or ocean water) during oil transportation, thus reducing environmental water pollution.<\/p>\n Fifth<\/strong><\/em>,<\/em>\u00a0both heavy and light oils can be effectively absorbed by the material.<\/p>\n Sixth,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>the material\u00a0is easy to prepare, cost-effective and recyclable.<\/p>\n Seventh,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0MOFs are a class of compounds containing metal ions coordinated to organic ligands to form 3D structures. They are often highly porous materials that act like a sponge.<\/p>\n Eighth,\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>the medical cotton changes from hydrophilic to super-hydrophobic material and can float on the water surface.<\/p>\n Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (also known as CSIR-CMER) has developed a Solar DC Cooking System.<\/p>\n Solar DC Cooking System is a Solar Energy based Cooking System that consists of a solar PV panel, charge controller, battery bank and cooking oven.<\/p>\n Solar DC Cooking System has 20-25% better efficiency and is more Economical in comparison with Conventional Solar based Cooking Systems which loses efficiency owing to AC-DC conversion.<\/p>\n The system can also substantially\u00a0curb carbon dioxide emissions, as even LPG usage emits CO2. It may help save 290 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.<\/p>\n Moreover, its simple design ensures ease of manufacturing and thus provides a substantial economic opportunity to micro-industries.<\/p>\n Alternating Current (AC)<\/strong>\u00a0is a type of electrical current, in which the direction of the flow of electrons switches back and forth at regular intervals or cycles. Current flowing in power lines and normal household electricity that comes from a wall outlet is alternating current.<\/p>\n On the other hand, Direct current (DC)<\/strong>\u00a0is an electrical current that flows consistently in one direction. The current that flows in a flashlight or another appliance running on batteries is a direct current.<\/p>\n Researchers at the\u00a0Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (IISc) have found a way to make a substitute for single-use plastic that can help mitigate the problem of accumulating plastic waste in the environment.<\/p>\n Researchers have developed\u00a0polymers using non-edible oil and cellulose<\/strong>\u00a0extracted from agricultural stubble.<\/p>\n These polymers can be moulded into sheets having properties suitable for making bags, cutlery or containers.<\/p>\n The material so made is also\u00a0biodegradable, leak-proof and non-toxic<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Alternative to Single-Use Plastic:\u00a0<\/strong>Due to the harmful impact of single-use plastic on the environment, this material can become a substitute for single-use plastic.<\/p>\n Usage of Agriculture Stubble:\u00a0<\/strong>Using agriculture stubble for the replacement of single-use plastics will not address the problem of air pollution. But it will generate additional income opportunities for farmers.<\/p>\n Can be used in Healthcare Facilities:\u00a0<\/strong>As the material is biodegradable and non-toxic, researchers are planning to use the material for healthcare applications also.<\/p>\n According to a report by the\u00a0Central Pollution Control Board of India<\/strong>, for the year 2018-2019,\u00a03.3 million metric tonnes of plastic waste<\/strong>\u00a0are generated by Indians.<\/p>\n Another alarming statistic is that of all the plastic waste produced in the world, 79% enters the environment.\u00a0Only 9% of all plastic waste is recycled<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Accumulation of plastic waste is detrimental to the environment and when this waste finds its way into the sea, there can be major harm to aquatic ecosystems too. Hence, there is a need to find an alternative to substitute the use of plastic.<\/p>\n Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said the government would soon make it mandatory for all vehicle manufacturers to make flex engines (that can run on more than one fuel).<\/p>\n Flex Fuel Vehicles(FFV) is a\u00a0modified version of vehicles that could run\u00a0on a blend of petrol and ethanol.<\/p>\n In these vehicles, both\u00a0fuels are stored in a common tank. The resulting blend is burnt in the combustion chamber, generating power for the vehicle.<\/p>\n Reduced dependence\u00a0<\/strong>on petrol\/diesel and thus reduced dependence on oil imports.<\/p>\n Ethanol burns more cleanly\u00a0<\/strong>than conventional petrol, which reduces the car\u2019s carbon footprint.<\/p>\n Helps in addressing the problems\u00a0<\/strong>of surplus food grains (These can be used in making Ethanol).<\/p>\n Less costly:\u00a0<\/strong>Alternative fuel ethanol is Rs 60-62 per litre while petrol costs more than Rs 100 per litre in many parts of the country, so by using ethanol, Indians will save Rs 30-35 per litre.<\/p>\n Customer acceptance\u00a0<\/strong>will be a major challenge since the cost of ownership and running costs are going to be very high compared with 100% petrol vehicles.<\/p>\n Engine damage:\u00a0<\/strong>Ethanol can also, unfortunately, cause corrosion and damage to the engine, mainly because it absorbs dirt easily.<\/p>\n Flex Fuel Vehicles will cost more<\/strong>\u00a0as they will require several engineering tweaks to new engines, with corrosion-resistant rubber hoses and pipes.<\/p>\n Less Fuel Efficiency:<\/strong>\u00a0Ethanol evaporates faster, so it is much harder to store. It burns better, but it also burns quicker, which means compromised fuel efficiency.\u00a0However, it has higher octane than petrol and therefore provides increased power and performance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dear Friends, This post is a part of our current affairs series for the UPSC IAS Prelims 2022. In this post, we have covered the Science and tech current affairs of the Robotics, AI, and others\u00a0section. This post covers the current affairs of September, October 2021 and April 2022 months. Science and Tech Current Affairs… Continue reading UPSC IAS Prelims 2022 Material| Science and Tech Current Affairs | Robotics, AI, and others \u2013 Part 2<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10311,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[10695],"class_list":["post-184279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-public","tag-current-affairs-compilations-for-prelims-2022","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":{"total":2,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1702761076},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10311"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184279"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184279\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}About the white light emitter<\/h5>\n
Significance<\/h5>\n
\nSecurity ink based on nano-materials to combat counterfeiting<\/span><\/h3>\n
News<\/h5>\n
About Counterfeiting<\/h5>\n
Tackling of counterfeiting at present<\/h5>\n
About the luminescent security ink<\/h5>\n
\nMechanized Scavenging System<\/span><\/h3>\n
News<\/h5>\n
About the Mechanized Scavenging System<\/h5>\n
Key Features CSIR-CMERI\u00a0Mechanized Scavenging System<\/h5>\n
Significance of this system<\/h5>\n
\nUbreathe Life<\/span><\/h3>\n
News<\/h5>\n
About Ubreathe Life<\/h5>\n
Working of Ubreathe Life<\/h5>\n
Significance of the device<\/h5>\n
\nAcoustic Energy<\/span><\/h3>\n
News<\/h5>\n
Significance of this research<\/h5>\n
About Acoustic Energy<\/h5>\n
\nLow-C Bricks<\/span><\/h3>\n
News<\/h5>\n
About Low-C Bricks<\/h5>\n
Reason for developing Low-C Bricks<\/h5>\n
Benefits of Low-C Bricks<\/h5>\n
\nSuper-hydrophobic cotton<\/span><\/h3>\n
News<\/h5>\n
Features\u00a0of the new cotton material<\/h5>\n
\nSolar DC Cooking System<\/span><\/h3>\n
\u00a0News<\/h5>\n
About the Solar\u00a0DC Cooking System<\/h5>\n
Benefits of this System<\/h5>\n
About AC and DC<\/h5>\n
\nSubstitute for single-use plastic<\/span><\/h3>\n
News<\/h5>\n
About the new material developed by IISc<\/h5>\n
Significance of this development<\/h5>\n
Need to find an alternative to plastic<\/h5>\n
\nFlex Fuel Vehicles(FFV)<\/span><\/h3>\n
News<\/h5>\n
About the Flex Fuel Vehicles(FFV)<\/h5>\n
Advantages of Flex Fuel Vehicles<\/h5>\n
Disadvantages\u00a0of Flex Fuel Vehicles<\/h5>\n
\n