Question

Apply systems thinking as a methodology to how you intend to investigate and assess your study project (Power Generator Speed Breaker), following, and documenting all the 7 steps to Systems Engineering (SE).

Answer 1

7 step systems thinking methodology to investigate and assess Power Generator Speed Breaker (PGSB):

1. Dynamic Thinking: It is required to frame the problem to develop PGSB in terms of a pattern or behaviour over time. As we are aware that the traffic flow in cities has risen drastically, foot falls on speed breakers have rised exponentially. These foot falls can be used to generate power by setting up PGSB

2.System-as - cause Thinking: seeing internal actors who manage the policies and plumbing of the system as responsible for a behavior. Without PGSB, it is know that vehicles day in day out consumes lot of fossil fuels, which are combusted in the enginer and power is utilised to run the vehicles. People running the vehicles may think that portion of this energy which is being consumed can be saved through other means like PGSB

3. Forest Thinking: seeing beyond the details to the context of relationships in which they are embedded. If a PGSB is developed, how the power generated will get consumed? Is there a need to build a power distribution system? Will there be any chance that people travelling in vehicles may get electrocuted? all these questions needs to be evaluated

4. Operational Thinking : is understanding how a behaviour is actually generated. If the PGSB system is implemented on pilot basis, for x no.'s of vehicles running at various speeds, y kWh power will get generated. Energy fluctuation may arise due to variation in frequency of vehicles running over the speed breakers. One needs to study the variation by implementing the PGSB model on pilot basis at certain locations and analyse the results

5. Closed loop Thinking : viewing casualty as on-going process, not a one-time event, with effects feeding back to influence causes , and causes effecting each other. Once the PGSB model is implemented on pilot basis at certain locations, feed back regarding the power generation, fluctuation pattern, consumption, wear & tear of wheel in PGSB to be taken.

6. Quantitative Thinking : Need to quantify the things, though we can't always measure. After getting the feedback on pilot PGSB systems, certain rating (say 1-10, 1 is poor and 10 is excellent) to be assigned for each parameter and the outcome should be rated quantitiatively and overall rating should be defined quantitatively. If the overall rating is less than 5 then the PGSB is not advised to implement and some changes are required. If the overall rating is more than or equal to 6 then PGSB system can be implemented with improvements as suggested during feedback.

7. Scientific Thinking : is to know how to define testable hypothesis. The robustness of  PGSB system/ model is to be tested by subjecting it to extreme conditions, and observe whether it breaks down or withstand in the same way the real system would breakdown or withstand under similar conditions