By Leslie Langnau, Managing Editor
Recently when I visited Dassault Systèmes to hear about the developments to SolidWorks 2014, SolidWorks CEO Bertrand Sicot introduced the press in attendance to Boyan Slat, a young engineer with a passion.
One of Slat’s hobbies is diving. As he swims in various waters, he sees the effects that the millions of tons of plastic regularly dumped into our oceans have on that environment. The plastic from our packaging, carrying our purchases, and so on, reaches the oceans through rivers and waterways, and then accumulates in five high-concentration areas called gyres. Slat, who is also a student at the Delft University of Technology, has studied this issue and created an Ocean Cleanup team with the mission of removing most of the plastic from the oceans, and he believes it can be done in only five years. His initial idea, shown in these pictures, is to use a series of floating filtration platforms anchored to the ocean floor, and massive floating booms attached to the platforms.
The theory is that by using floating booms instead of nets, much larger areas of the ocean will be covered. Even the smallest particles will be diverted and extracted. When multiple platforms are placed in an array, they can take advantage of ocean currents to funnel floating plastic matter to the platforms and remove it from the water.
Boyan Slat’s idea is to use ocean currents to gather debris plastic into floating filtration platforms.
The success of the project relies on the design of two important components — filtering platforms and the floating booms. The images shown here are just one idea. Dassault Systèmes is offering engineers and designers around the world a chance to by submitting design concepts for the floating booms, in accordance with the design guidelines and contest rules found on. Once the contest ends, a panel of judges (including Boyan Slat and SolidWorks CEO Bertrand Sicot) will evaluate the entries based on adherence to the design guidelines, then pick a winner and two runners up.
While the concept of booms is still being tested, the booms do not require motors or electromechanical components to operate.
The grand prize winner will receive admission to SolidWorks World 2014 ($995 value), a round trip airfare to SolidWorks World 2014 (up to $2000 value), four nights hotel in San Diego, California ($1000 value), one Microsoft Surface Pro ($1000 value), one license of SolidWorks 2014 Premium ($7995 value), a round-trip airfare to Delft, Netherlands (up to $2000 value), and seven nights hotel in Delft ($1000 value).
The two runners-up will receive: one Microsoft Surface Pro ($1000 value), and one license of SolidWorks 2014 Premium ($7995 value).
Dassault Systèmes
www.solidworks.com
The Ocean Cleanup Contest
www.oceancleanupcontest.com
Filed Under: 3D CAD, Design World articles, Software
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