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EPQ Presentation

By SO SHAO YUAN

Project Title

Is it possible to build a space elevator using carbon nanotubes? If so, should we consider building one in the near future, after taking the value proposition and practicality of such a structure into account?

Project Content

Objectives:

- is it possible?

- should we?

Areas:

- properties of carbon nanotubes

- value proposition

- practicality

My Findings

All research is targeted to answer the two questions listed in my objectives

Is it possible?

Space elevator's only challenge - cable

High requirement for the strength of material used to construct the cable

Strongest material - carbon nanotubes (CNTs)

Is CNTs strong enough?

Factors affecting strength of CNTs

Should We?

Two factors:

- Value Proposition

- Does it add value commercially

- Does it reduce cost of transportation to space?

- Practicality

- Funding

- Potential challenges

- Can the challenges be solved

Conclusion

Answering

- is it possible?

- should we?

Conclusion

Further research is required to determine if it's possible to build a space elevator, but we should definitely build it

Is it possible?

Is it possible

Theoretically, CNTs is strong enough

Factors that decrease the strength of CNTs - defects and residuals from synthesis process

Defects only have little effect on strength of CNTs, effect of residuals is unconfirmed

No conclusion, further research in this area

is required

Should We?

Should we?

Value proposition:

- Compared with space shuttle

- More cost effective

Practicality:

- Can be funded by existing organization

- Challenges identified and solutions are proposed

Conclusion:

Yes, we should.

Process of Completion

Research Process

Process of Project Completion

How did I research?

Research Process

Based on my two objectives, I divided my research into two parts:

- technical part: to answer 'is it possible?'

- practicality part: to answer 'should we?'

Key Research Areas

Technical Part:

- components of a space elevator

- strength of CNTs

- Factors affecting strength of CNTs

Practicality Part:

- Costs of space elevator v.s. space shuttle

- fundings for space elevator

- potential challenges during construction and solutions

Timeline

Research is conducted first, then essay is written

research research

technical practicality write

part part essay

1/12/2019~ 27/5/2020~ 26/6/2020~

26/5/2020 25/6/2020 18/8/2020

Time Management

Time Management

Time Management

Time allocated for:

Research on technical part: ~6 months

- it is the majority of my essay

- it is difficult to understand

- it is difficult to find experimental evidence

Research on practicality part: ~1 month

- it is the smaller portion of the essay

- it is relatively easier to understand

- information easier to obtain

Essay writing: ~2 months

- no research required

- all information available

- crystallize information into a 5000 word essay

Decision-Making

Decision-making

Technical Part:

Which research paper(s) to use as reference(s)?

Practicality Part:

What is considered 'practical'?

Which research paper(s) to use as reference(s)?

Technical Part

Different research papers have different claims, the research papers I used as references are based on:

- the research bodies who published them

(research from universities or research organization like NASA is preferred)

- if the theories stated is widely accepted

What is considered 'practical'?

In order to deem a construction to be practical, I look at fundamental requirements for a construction project:

- can it be funded?

- is it too challenging to build?

Practicality Part

Problems encountered

There are two major problems I encountered throughout my research process:

Problems

Technical terms used in research papers

Problem 1

Problem:

Getting confused by the technical terms used in research papers

Solution:

Obtain some background knowledge in a particular area before looking at research papers about it. This way, I will have some knowledge beforehand so I will understand when technical terms and concepts are used.

Getting drifted away from topic title

Problem 2

Problem:

Getting distracted and diverted away from my topic title while doing research

Solution:

Always get back to my two objectives before doing any research. This ensures that all my research constributes to my topic title.

Reflection

What I did good and areas to improve on

Reflection

What I did good

What I did good

- Research process

- Seperation of my research into two parts gives me a clear direction

- Correct to spend more time on technical part as it turns out to be harder than the practicality part

- Resources

- I found sufficient resources to back up my claims

What have I learned?

What have I learned

Time management skills:

How to plan ahead and how to allocate time for different parts of my project

Discipline:

Keep track with my timeline, hitting deadlines I set for myself

Self-motivating:

Keep myself motivated throughout the year so I will not lose interest and stop my progress

Areas to improve on

Areas to improve on

- Essay writing

- could spend more time to improve the language of my essay

- Concentration span

- could increase my concentration span while researching so I don't get easily distracted or diverted away from my research objective

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