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About a hundred years ago, the Austrian forester Viktor Schauberger built logging flumes and other nature inspired applications with water. Drawing his inspiration biomimetically, he believed that nature would do things the best way. Like drawing air into the water through vortices. And now, it would take a team of water technologists, slow-motion cameras, and the efforts of an astronomer to unravel the workings of this new aeration method. Researching a shower head and water tornado in the process. This is the story of about-to defend PhD student Maarten van de Griend.
The people behind the science, and the science behind the people
Forester turned inventor Viktor Schauberger saw the elegance and efficiency of nature when he designed and improved a sort of slip-and-slide for cut down trees. This 1922 feat of engineering was a first in the area and it would be a sign of the success for Schauberger that had yet to come. He saw the value of the way nature handled its environment and water and broke his head over energy generation from water, purifying water and many other questions that eventually led to patents and commercial applications.
That is, some mysterious theories remained. There were many claims surrounding the properties of vortices and what good they could do to water. It would take many decades before we got answers. Schauberger’s son Walter would eventually mathematically underlie the best shape to generate these water tornados in, but no one ever proved the physics behind it.
So there lay a challenge for a scientist. It would be one for Maarten van de Griend.
Though if you knew Maarten at that point in time, you would have never guessed that he would be the right man for the job. Not that he would not be qualified, but the route he took was unexpected. Van de Griend: “I think I must have been about seven years old when I did my class presentation on the solar system, from that age I knew I wanted to become an astronomer.” And so he did his studies Physics and Astronomy. But after finishing that: “I knew I wanted to do something more tangible. My parents are both engineers and I have a broader interest anyway. Doing good for the environment was another drive that made me end up at Wetsus.”
A big plus for choosing Maarten was his physics skills, yet unfamiliarity with the matter. “Schauberger has made a lot of claims. Being an ‘outsider’ allows you to be more critical of the matter. Back at that moment in time, the claim was not well researched yet at all, so it needed a proper start.”
The PhDer was to first characterize the vortex before he could apply and investigate it. That is, describe the vortex in all sorts of ways. For Maarten that meant identifying the way the water acted. “Depending on the velocity that the water comes in with, we could find three regimes – or shapes – that the vortex could have. Each with its own set up characteristics. We could measure the speed of the water at any point by injecting fluorescent particles and tracking them over time by illuminating them with a laser sheet. It allowed us to learn that there are secondary vortices that are vertical on the surface of the big one. It explained the heightened surface area and aeration.”
Further investigation of the phenomena saw its use in every-day environments. Maarten: “We researched a shower head that has a built-in vortex before distributing the water.” This time it was not the aeration that helped out, but the speed. “Though somewhat subjective, shower comfort has to do with the exit velocity of water drops ejected from the showerhead. By using the vortex motion, you can reach equal velocities, with less pressure and without reducing the nozzle sizes that can lead to clogging.”
The range of researches allowed Van de Griend to grasp a wider reach for his science. “Doing this PhD helped me communicate my research and get me to be a professional. I can say I’m no longer a theoretician, but an engineer, a water technologist now. An expert.”
And Maarten is not done learning yet. As researcher at CEW, he gets new projects every time and assists students in making the research take shape. It’s an even more applied setting. Maybe even more an engineer setting, but now he also has the exciting role to inspire the future generations as well.
Abstract
The realisation of a circular economy has thus far unfolded under the assumption that it would fit within existing economic arrangements. In practice, we witness many circular initiatives struggling to give shape to their ambitions, let alone develop to maturity. These past months, various material recycling organisations terminated their activities, seeing virgin alternatives from other parts of the world flooding the market at prices against they cannot compete. If the transition towards a circular economy (i.e. an economy of value preservation) is to be taken seriously, a new perspective on value in our economic system seems unavoidable, as the rewriting of the rules of the economic game. At this moment, current perceptions of value stand in the way of this transition both at micro as well as macro levels. Several contours for a collective exploration of new directions of value and economic configuration that foster circular transition will be addressed.
Abstract
In his key note he will conclude after a life of innovations that it is impossible that humanity will stay within the save planetary boundaries with innovation only. We should be more critical about the behaviour of the rich population in the world and more critical about new innovations that prove to be dangerous, like the PFAS crisis shows at this moment. In his keynote he will investigate how to look at the world that can stay within the save planetary boundaries, how should we change ourselves? It is clear if we only talk about the words of science and systems we miss the essential words of how we should cooperate and change ourselves. And his search for coherent save innovations. Which innovations will be save and will lead to a fair and sustainable world? And will lead to a world we want to live in.
Abstract
There is a growing number of new sustainable, inclusive, cohesive, participatory, just and humane economic models. A possible next step in the discourse about them is the comparative analysis in order to find out key commonalities, potential synergies, and “requirements” for a future-fit economic model. The author and initiator of the Economy for the Common Good provides an overview of these „new sustainable economic models“ and compares them according to underlying values, principles, and practical ways of implementation. The keynote addresses the cooperative spirit of the conference and prepares the ground for its public highlight on the eve of June 3rd, the round table with representatives of diverse future-fit economic models.
Abstract
The scientific debate on whether economies should always continue to grow increasingly becomes a political and societal debate. On the one hand further growth for the most affluent countries seems neither possible nor valuable, but on the other hand there is still lack of understanding and knowledge what a non-growing economy should look like and could best be governed. In this lecture we discuss various policy measures that can be realistically implemented, take into account government finances and aim at a higher quality of life despite a non-growing economy.
Abstract
Democracy is under pressure, and less and less able to stir the economy into a sustainable direction. Therefore, to stabilize democracy and to make possible the socio-ecological transformation of the economy, democratic principles need to be implemented directly in the economy. This is not only a matter of morality, but also has practical advantages. Democratizing the economy can increase legitimacy and take advantage of the “knowledge of the many” to accelerate the transformation. Democratic practices, especially deliberation, allow bringing together different forms of knowledge, which is crucial for the local implementation of principles of social and ecological sustainability. This talk explores what this idea means in more concrete terms, from democratic participation in the workplace to the democratization of time.
Abstract
Over the past decades, markets have conventionally been seen as the best instrument to stimulate economic growth and enhance prosperity and well-being. The automatic link between markets and economic growth is increasingly questioned, however, as well as the automatic link between economic growth and enhancement of well-being. This has led to attempts to capture well-being development more directly than through GDP per capita figures and has produced a more variegated picture of well-being growth. Also, this has led to a shift of focus to other coordination systems than the market, as primarily the state but increasingly also the association. Analyses of the historical record suggest that especially the latter could be a vital component in future well-being.
