Critical Reflection

After attending the effective communication module (SIE2016), I find myself more cautious about the usage of tenses, grammar and sentence structure in my English writing. This is because I recognize the importance of how our writing affects the reader’s understanding and reaction to the points made. In addition, I also pay more attention to ensuring that the cited sources as well as in-text citations are in the right format of APA style which are crucial in giving the necessary credit to the authors.

In the completion of assignments, we practised how to summarize professionally and perform tasks like introduction letters, reader responses, etc. which gradually allowed us to be more familiar with English through actual applications.

We were also taught how to present with the aid of slides and how to use videos and pictures to reduce the number of words, thus improving clarity in our presentation. Techniques such as good eye contact, posture, voice and pace were also covered. Professor Blackstone delivered the syllabus content clearly and provided us with useful online links for additional reference.

During the class, he put in a lot of effort and took the time to go through with everyone individually on certain assignments, allowing us to identify our mistakes and clarify any doubts on the spot. He also went the extra mile to highlight common errors made by the class or students in general to prevent us from repeating the same errors.

One key highlight of the module was the opportunity to do a team-based research project on developing engineering solutions to an identified technical problem. Through this project, I grasped the importance of teamwork and the need to communicate effectively within a group. Although there were occasional disagreements between groupmates during team discussions, I have learnt how to be considerate and tactful when liaising with one another. In addition, I also learnt to consider the opinions of others and how to write minutes for our team meetings in the correct format, which I believe will be important in the workplace in the future.

We also had the opportunity to gain the necessary skills in order to write a professional proposal report and letter of transmittal as part of the output of the project. While rewording from relevant sources for our proposed solutions in the report, this allowed us to appreciate the value of progressing as a team when teammates who were stronger in English supported those that were less confident in their English.

At the end of the module, I also attended the presentation showcase which allowed me to see groups from different classes presenting their ideas in a unique manner. The presentation showcase had a professional setting to it with 2 emcees, 3 judges, and a large audience. Every team that presented that day was well-prepared with attractive slides. Despite having a few of the members feeling nervous, each individual managed to come out of their comfort zone. A team that stood out for me is Bricknology, the team that had an interesting idea of using mycelium bricks that are formed from organic waste and the mycelium of fungus to construct a building. They were also awarded the best team in the showcase. As they happened to be in the same class as me, I was able to witness huge improvements in every single member of the team from the last round they presented in class. They seemed to be more confident when presenting and had good eye contact, voice projection, body posture and clear slides with little words. Their pace was also good, making the presentation easy to understand and engaging. I could see that they had put in a lot of effort into this showcase and the assignment. I see this as an inspiration and would like to learn from their strengths - not only from the Bricknology team but also from all the other teams who presented at the showcase.

Overall, this module has allowed me to build up my confidence in written and spoken English. I was also able to make many good friends in this class because of the number of interactions we had from the class activities. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Blackstone for all his effort in teaching this module to the class.

Annotated Summary

Wong, N.H., & Chong, A. (2010). Performance evaluation of misting fans in hot and humid climate. Elsevier Ltd – Building and Environment, 45(12), 2666-2678. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222826861_Performance_evaluation_of_misting_fans_in_hot_and_humid_climate

This article is a study conducted by Wong & Chong (2010) to examine the effectiveness of misting fans in a hot and humid climate. The authors sought to evaluate the change in thermal comfort level with the use of misting fans as well as estimate the potential rise in biological pollutants brought about by the higher humidity due to the mists generated. To do so, field measurements at two similarly orientated food centres as well as an experiment within National University of Singapore (NUS) were conducted to determine the thermal conditions and thermal sensations created by the misting fans. Results showed that misting fans were largely more successful in lowering ambient temperature as compared to the non-misting fans, but the relative humidity recorded under the misting fans were consistently higher. Based on thermal comfort and thermal sensation voting outcomes, the lower ambient temperature seemed to have a greater effect on thermal comfort levels compared to the higher relative humidity. The effect of evaporative cooling from the mist generating system was also found to be enhanced at higher air velocity. From the use of collection of biological samples from the 2 food centres, it was found that the higher relative humidity provided a more conducive environment for bacterial and fungal growth. To tackle the increased growth of biological pollutants, the authors thus suggested a possible alternative called the two-stage indirect/direct evaporative cooling system. However, they also stated that there is a need for further studies conducted on the feasibility of such a system in a semi-outdoor area. Moreover, to enhance comfort levels as well as to address the problem of biological pollutants, there is also a need for studies to be conducted on the incorporation of a dehumidifier unit to further reduce air humidity levels.

Draft #3 Technical Report

1. Background Introduction

This report is developed in response to a call for proposals to recommend engineering solutions in a particular area of focus. The team decided to work on mitigating the effects of a warm and humid climate, that members of the university committee are currently experiencing in the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) Dover campus, for the up and coming Punggol campus.

In recent studies, the rate in which Singapore has been heating up is double that of the world at about 0.25°C per decade (Ng & Tang, 2019). The temperature in Singapore is expected to increase gradually to 40°C between the years 2045 and 2065 due to the amount of greenhouse gases the world continues to emit (Low, 2019). In addition to the rising temperatures from climate change, Singapore is forced to contend with high humidity levels throughout the year (Ng & Tang, 2019).

Being geographically located near the equator, the island experiences a tropical climate. Furthermore, Singapore is surrounded by ocean where the heat and wind will transport water into the country through the breeze and rainfall (Billy Aircon, n.d.). The high humidity and increasing temperature in Singapore may cause people to be more susceptible to heat-related health dangers (Ng & Tang, 2019).

In a case study based in Florida, Saint Johns County Public District were sourcing for ways to regulate the high humidity and temperature levels for washrooms in an elementary school. Situated in an already moist environment, the existing heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems that were controlled by thermostats failed to target the high humidity. This resulted in vast temperature swings which in turn made the washrooms too cold or warm. The implementation of dehumidifiers helped to remove moisture and return drier room temperature air into the washrooms and by integrating them with the air conditioning system, the high temperature and humidity levels were mitigated (Dehumidifier Corporation of America, n.d.).

Team WATERHACK recently conducted a survey on students on the climate in a school environment. According to the survey, nearly two-thirds of the twenty-five respondents feel humid in school, and more than half are facing high humidity related issues such as sweating while queueing for food. (See Appendix)

The team notes that the overall demand of water resources in Singapore will be twice as much by 2060 due to the country’s uprising economy and population growth (Public Utilities Board, n.d.). According to the Public Utilities Board (PUB), managing the water supplies to meet the growing demands of the country require the involvement and contribution of the community due to climate change. This explains how each individual plays an essential role in managing the water demands and ensuring sufficient water supply in the future.

Therefore, team WATERHACK feels that there is a need to address the warm and humid climate in Singapore by implementing measures to help reduce the effects of such climate on people. Simultaneously, the team aims to integrate water recycling solutions in hopes of reducing water wastage and contribute in conserving Singapore’s valuable water by recycling natural resources. All these can be accomplished by installing dehumidifiers in SIT campus at Punggol. Not only would dehumidifiers address the uncomfort and health issues faced by the university body, water conservation techniques will be put in place.

In this report, team WATERHACK will discuss about the ideal school environment for members of the university body in terms of climate, the problems that could arise due to higher relative humidity levels in SIT campus, the proposed engineering solutions developed to mitigate these problems along with a thorough evaluation of each solution and the water recycling benefits of implementing the chosen solution.



1.1 Current Observations in SIT Dover

In SIT@Dover, there are no current measures taken into place to regulate the humidity level in the school, especially in classrooms, where the majority of students spend most of their time. Although air conditioners are used to cool room temperature into a more conducive environment for effective studying, the humidity levels are still high.



1.2 Problem Statement
An ideal forward-looking university should be a conducive and comfortable place for students to be in. In the current SIT@Dover campus, the cold air released by the air conditioning in classrooms can be cooling but it might be unhealthy with the humid air surrounding us. Therefore, the team believes that SIT@Punggol campus should incorporate outdoor dehumidifiers in the campus so as to maximise student’s productivity in their learning process and at the same time, reduce the risk of any heat-related health dangers.



1.3 Purpose Statement

This report aims to propose the implementation of outdoor dehumidifiers in SIT@Punggol campus to the estate planning committee in hopes of mitigating the effects of high humidity on students.

2. Proposed Solutions

The team came out with two solutions in hope of providing a better learning environment for the future SIT@Punggol campus.



2.1 Implementation of outdoor dehumidifiers

In SIT@Dover, the team made an observation that outdoor dehumidifiers are not being used in the campus. In this case, outdoor dehumidifiers will be used to regulate the humidity inside the school campus specifically the classrooms.



2.1.1 Outdoor dehumidifiers

Outdoor dehumidifiers serves the same purpose as an average dehumidifier. An outdoor dehumidifier is to be placed outdoors compared to a dehumidifier which is placed indoors.

Dehumidifiers primary function is to remove excessive moisture from the air by drawing surrounding air into the device. The device will then remove moisture from the collected air through condensation, by converting the moisture in the air into water droplets before releasing the air back to the surroundings. These water droplets will be collected in a tank inside the dehumidifer and can be recycled for multiple purposes (Holmberg, n.d.).



2.1.2 Outdoor Dehumidifiers with air-conditioning system

The team proposes that SIT should consider on investing outdoor dehumidifier for the upcoming campus in Punggol as one of the solutions to combat the humidity level.

The outdoor dehumidifiers is to be used together with the air-conditioning system so as to provide students a better learning environment to study in the future campus. The team notes that the current air-conditioning system in SIT@Dover does remove some moisture from the air while at the same time lowers the room temperature, which as a result can worsen the room humidity level which further complicating the problem.

By incorporating outdoor dehumidifiers into the existing HVAC system in SIT@Punggol, the equipment can contribute to better air quality in the classrooms. The outdoor dehumidifiers contributes to the HVAC system by removing excess moisture, and treated cooled air to flow into the school’s main Air Handling Unit before being supplied to respective classrooms. This will result in cleaner air compared to just using air-conditioners itself in the classroom for the students.




2.1.3 Stakeholders Involvement

A dedicated outdoor dehumidifier in SIT@Punggol can overcome the issue of humidity level in the future, by directly delivering better air quality in conjunction with the air-conditioning system.

With this, the team is targeting the financial head of SIT@Dover to invest in an outdoor dehumidifier for well-being of the students. This is to help the student have a better study environment and prevent any health-related issues such as headaches. The team hopes to make a change in that for the future campus.



2.2 Implementation of outdoor misting system

The team also made an observation that no outdoor misting systems are used in SIT@Dover campus. As a result, outdoor misting system can be used in the future SIT@Punggol campus to reduce the surrounding temperature.

2.2.1 Outdoor misting system information

Outdoor misting system is an evaporative cooling method that lowers outdoor temperature on hot and sunny days. This system forces water out of the nozzles which will encourage the formation of fine mist. The evaporation of these fine mist will absorb heat energy from the surrounding and thus, lowering the temperature around the misted area (Wintering, 2017).
2.2.2 Location of outdoor misting system

2.2.2 Location of outdoor misting system
An ideal place for the outdoor misting system would be the sheltered walkways around the future SIT@Punggol campus.

3. Benefits of Proposed Solutions
3.1 Benefits of Outdoor dehumidifiers
Outdoor dehumidifiers being implemented can bring many benefits to the school.

In general, an ideal room or space should maintain a humidity level of 40 to 50% (Sylvane, n.d.).



3.1.1 Proper use of recycled water
As the team aims to maximise water resources, the 3R’s implemented by National Environment Agency is a major element that he team referenced to.

“Gray water”, which is collected by a dehumidifier from the moisture of the outdoor air, is not drinkable but can be recycled for multiple purposes. This includes watering of plants in the school garden or even flushing of toilets. SIT@Punggol does not need to worry about wasting the unused water.



3.1.2 Saving costs from bills

SIT@Punggol can also benefit from saving costs from the electrical bills. Combining of outdoor dehumidifiers with air conditioning system allows the school to save money.

As humid air takes more energy for the air conditioning to cool down the room temperature, the use of outdoor dehumidifier will precool the air. Thus air conditioning system will use less energy on its cooling capacity to remove sensible heat and more on removing latent heat. Therefore, SIT could consider this as one of the benefits in the long run to maintain the school’s financial.



3.2 Benefits of outdoor misting system

Outdoor misting system is more environmentally friendly than conventional air conditioner because its system only uses water to reduce the surrounding temperature and because of that, it will not produce any harmful greenhouse gases.


4. Limitations of Proposed Solutions
4.1 Limitations of Outdoor Dehumidifiers

The drawbacks of an outdoor dehumidifier includes the maintenance and cost.

A good outdoor dehumidifier is essential to maintain the indoor air quality for an optimal comfort of the students in the campus. SIT@Punggol have to regularly clean the filters of the dehumidifier to ensure healthier dehumidified air is being released back into the classrooms. Adding on, water collected have to be emptied to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. Research has shown that a school physical environment can make an impact on the students’ productivity in the campus.

Choosing the accurate size and specification for SIT@Punggol can be one of the challenges the management could face when implementing and outdoor dehumidifier in the school campus. As the team is unaware of the new layout for SIT@Punggol, coming up with a suitable size for outdoor dehumidifiers would be a challenge. The different sizes of outdoor dehumidifiers have different prices attached to it. The larger an outdoor dehumidifier is, the equipment gets more expensive.

To mitigate these issues, the team suggested that dehumidifier will only operate when it reaches a certain percentage of relative humidity level. Otherwise, the dehumidifiers will not operate to save energy costs from the bills. This could also regulate the humidity level when it is necessary.




4.2 Limitations of Outdoor misting system

The system has to be maintained constantly. The contaminated water from the collected water will pose a serious hazard to the users. Mist being produced by contaminated water can illnesses such as Legionnaire’s disease and Pontiac fever. Furthermore, it could be a breeding spot for mosquitoes.


4.3 Evaluation of chosen solution

By comparing the two solutions stated above, the team decided to go with the outdoor dehumidifiers. Despite being very costly in implementing the outdoor dehumidifiers, the benefits can be considered in the long run for the campus in Punggol. SIT@Dover could be an ideal place to testbed the outdoor dehumidifiers. Outdoor dehumidifiers have the potential of mitigating the humidity level at the same time provide good air quality to the students.




5. Methods and Procedure
In this section, the team will highlight the techniques used to gather all the relevant information.

5.1 Primary research

The team decided to use survey and personal observation for the report.

A survey was conducted to find out how the students feel about the humidity level in SIT@Dover. A total of 25 students responded to the survey. (see Appendix)

Through this survey, the team observed that the humidity level has to be mitigated for the comfort of the students in the upcoming campus in Punggol.




References

AirCon, B. (n.d.). Hot and Humid Weather in Singapore and How to Live Comfortable With It. Retrieved from https://www.billyaircon.com.sg/weather-singapore/.


Begley, S. (2014, June 24). With heat and humidity, areas will be 'unsuited for outdoor activity'. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-economy-regions/with-heat-and-humidity-areas-will-be-unsuited-for-outdoor-activity-idUSKBN0EZ0AI20140624.


Dehumidifier Corporation of America. Outdoor Air Dehumidification Systems. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dehumidifiercorp.com/outdoor-air-dehumidification-systems.


Desert Aire. (2019). 100% Outdoor Air Dehumidification Methods [PDF File]. Retrieved from https://www.desert-aire.com/sites/default/files/Tech-Note-DOAS-Dehumidification-Methods-Technical-Bulletin-DA116.pdf.


Environmental Protection Agency, How Does Indoor Air Quality Impact Student Health and Academic Performance? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools/how-does-indoor-air-quality-impact-student-health-and-academic-performance.


Firszt, L. (2015, July 4). Mist cooling systems offer outdoor A/C. Retrieved from https://www.reviewjournal.com/life/home-and-garden/mist-cooling-systems-offer-outdoor-ac/.


Get Dehumidifiers. (2018, August 7). How Much Do Dehumidifiers Cost? Retrieved from https://getdehumidifiers.com/guides/how-much-do-dehumidifiers-cost/.


Holmberg, N. (2009, May 14). How Dehumidifiers Work. Retrieved from https://home.howstuffworks.com/dehumidifier1.htm.


How can you benefit from the collected water by your dehumidifier? (2016, July 8). Retrieved from https://www.inventorairconditioner.com/blog/faq/how-can-you-benefit-from-the-collected-water-by-your-dehumidifier.


Low, Y. (2019, July 4). Temperatures in Singapore could hit 40°C as early as 2045: Scientists. Today Online. Retrieved from https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-could-swelter-through-40degc-days-2045-if-business-usual-emissions.


Ng, D., & Tang, H. H. (2019, January 13). Why Singapore is heating up twice as fast as the rest of the world. CNA Insider. Retrieved from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainsider/singapore-hot-weather-urban-heat-effect-temperature-humidity-11115384.


Public Utilities Board, Singapore Water Story (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.pub.gov.sg/watersupply/singaporewaterstory.


National Environment Agency, Waste Minimisation and Recycling (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/waste-management/3r-programmes-and-resources/waste-minimisation-and-recycling.


Will My Air Conditioning Work Better with Dehumidification. (2011, August 17). Retrieved from https://www.carneyphc.com/blog/air-conditioning/will-my-air-conditioning-work-better-with-dehumidification/.

Wintering, G. (2017, January 9). The Best Option: Outdoor Misting System. Retrieved from https://fogco.com/the-best-option-outdoor-misting-system/.

Draft #2 Technical Report

1. Background Introduction


This report is developed in response to a call for proposals to recommend engineering solutions in a particular area of focus. The team decided to work on mitigating the effects of a warm and humid climate, currently experienced in the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) Dover campus, for the up and coming Punggol campus.


In recent studies, the rate in which Singapore is heating up is double than that of the world at about 0.25°C per decade (Ng & Tang, 2019). The temperature in Singapore is expected to increase gradually to 40°C between the years 2045 and 2065 due to the amount of greenhouse gases the world continues to emit (Low, 2019). In addition to the rising temperatures from climate change, Singapore is forced to contend with high humidity levels throughout the year (Ng & Tang, 2019).


Being geographically located near the equator, the island undergoes a tropical climate. Furthermore, Singapore is surrounded by ocean where the heat and wind will transport water into the country through the breeze and rainfall (Billy Aircon, n.d.). Hence, the high humidity and increasing temperature in Singapore may cause people to be more susceptible to heat-related health dangers (Ng & Tang, 2019).


In a case study based in Florida, Saint Johns County Public District were sourcing for ways to regulate the high humidity and temperature levels for washrooms in an elementary school. Situated in an already moist environment, the existing heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems that were controlled by thermostats failed to target the high humidity. This resulted in vast temperature swings which in turn made the washrooms too cold or warm. The implementation of dehumidifiers helped to remove moisture and return drier room temperature air into the washrooms and by integrating them with the air conditioning system, the high temperature and humidity levels were mitigated (Dehumidifier Corporation of America, n.d.).


According to a survey on the climate in a school environment conducted by team WATERHACK, nearly two-thirds of the twenty-five respondents feel humid in school, and more than half are facing high humidity related issues such as sweating while queueing for food. (See Appendix)


The team notes that the overall demand of water resources in Singapore will be twice as much by 2060 due to the country’s uprising economy and population growth (Public Utilities Board ,n.d.). According to the Public Utilities Board (PUB) (2019), managing the water supplies to meet the growing demands of the country require the involvement and contribution of the community. This explains how each individual plays an essential role in managing the water demands and ensuring sufficient water supply in the future.


Therefore, team WATERHACK feels that there is a need to address the warm and humid climate in Singapore by implementing measures to help reduce the effects of such climate on people. Simultaneously, the team aims to integrate water recycling solutions in hopes of reducing water wastage and contribute in conserving Singapore’s valuable water by recycling natural resources. All these can be accomplished by installing dehumidifiers and outdoor misting systems around the SIT campus at Punggol.


In this report, team WATERHACK will discuss about the ideal school environment in terms of climate, the problems that arise due to higher relative humidity levels in Singapore, the proposed engineering solutions developed to mitigate these problems and their comparisons and the water recycling benefits of implementing the chosen solution.

1.1 Problem Statement

An ideal forward-looking university should be a conducive and comfortable place for students to be in. In the current SIT@Dover campus, outdoor study areas can be very warm during hot days which will cause students to feel muggy even with the presence of fans. Therefore, the team believes that SIT@Punggol campus should incorporate dehumidifiers around outdoor study areas so as to maximise student’s productivity in their learning process and at the same time, reduce the risk of any heat-related health dangers. These portable dehumidifiers can play a part in lowering the humidity level around the vicinity which will enhance students’ well-being when studying outdoors around the new campus.

1.2 Purpose Statement


This report aims to propose the implementation of portable dehumidifiers in outdoor study areas around SIT@Punggol campus to the estate planning committee in hopes of mitigating the effects of high temperature and humidity on students.

2. Proposed Solution


The team came out with two solutions in hope of providing a better learning environment for the future SIT@Punggol campus.


2.1 Implementation of dehumidifiers


In SIT@Dover, the team made an observation that dehumidifiers are not being used in the campus. In this case, outdoor dehumidifiers will be used to regulate the humidity inside the school campus.


2.1.1 Outdoor dehumidifiers


Outdoor dehumidifiers acts the same as an average dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers primary function is to remove excessive moisture from the air by drawing surrounding air into the device. The device will then remove moisture from the collected air through condensation, by converting the moisture in the air into water droplets before releasing the air back to the surroundings. These water droplets will be collected in a tank inside the dehumidifer and can be recycled for multiple purposes (Holmberg, n.d.).


2.1.2 Adjusting the setting of dehumidifiers


As dehumidifiers generally operate via electrical power, excessive usage could increase the bills. In order to reduce the electrical power consumption, the team suggest that dehumidifier will only operate when it reaches a certain percentage of relative humidity level. Otherwise, the dehumidifiers will not operate to save on energy costs.


2.1.3 Location of dehumidifiers


The team proposed to implement the outdoor dehumidifiers near outdoor study areas where these areas tend to be torrid during warm weather, decreasing the likelihood of health-related effects posed unto students.


2.2 Implementation of outdoor misting system


2.2.1 Outdoor misting system information


Outdoor misting system is an evaporative cooling method that lowers outdoor temperature on hot and sunny days. High-pressure pump is usually connected to a water source where water will then evaporate in warm air. The small nozzles enable the formation of mist which hence cool the area from being too hot.


2.2.2 Location of outdoor misting system


An ideal place for the outdoor cooling system would be the sheltered walkways if it is available in the new SIT campus in Punggol.



3. Benefits and Drawbacks


3.1 Benefits of Dehumidifiers


According to an article, a portable dehumidifier is likely to consume 160 kilowatt hours per month (kWh) and burns less energy compared to a typical air conditioner (Holmberg, n.d.). This shows that dehumidifier does not utilise much power and this can save cost for the electricity bills in the future SIT@Punggol campus.


In addition to saving energy, dehumidifier able to collect water through the compression warm air water collected also known as ‘grey water’ can be recycled to water the plants or even flushing of toilets.


3.2 Limitations of dehumidifiers


Choosing the accurate size and specification for the outdoor dehumidifiers is one of the main challenges. As the team is unaware of the new layout for SIT@Punggol, coming up with a suitable size for outdoor dehumidifiers would be a challenge.


3.3 Limitations of outdoor cooling mist system


The system has to be maintained constantly. The contaminated water from the collected water will pose a serious hazard to the users. Mist being produced by contaminated water can illnesses such as Legionnaire’s disease and Pontiac fever. Furthermore, it could be a breeding spot for mosquitoes.