artificial closed ecological system

BY

VIVIANA DE LA TORREJULIAN GALLEGOEDUARDO PEREZ

INEN 689

PROBLEM SITUATION

The passing of time has given to humankind the capacity to understand and modify its environment in order to improve the standard of living among the different organized societies. However, the same passing of time is carrying itself other important challenges and inquiries whose motivations converge to a single common basis: the survival of human race. This survival is being jeopardized by the following hazardous situations (that might happen now and in the coming future):

PROBLEM SITUATION

http://www.motherplanet.net/g_Earth_Globe.html

GLOBAL WARMING

•Increase in global temperature brings an intensification in the frequency of extreme

weather conditions that can deteriorate the

livable conditions in the planet.

NUCLEAR WARS

•The possibility of a nuclear war has been

brought to the table after the creation of the atomic bomb during World War

II.

OZONE DEPLETION

•The main concern about the ozone depletion is the is the bad effects that the UV light have on human health, such as skin cancer, and planet’s life, such as the extinction of some species that are very sensitive to this type of light.

LACK OF NATURAL RESOURCES

• Natural resources in the Earth, such as water, oxygen, fossil

fuels etc., are not unlimited and its current consumption rate is greater than the rate at which they are being replenished.

METEOR IMPACT

• The last mass extinction led to the demise of the dinosaurs and has been found to have coincided with a large asteroid impact; this is the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) extinction event.

http://www.sciencemall-usa.com/impactposter1.html

PROBLEM SITUATION

Because of the latter reasons the idea of creating a suitable environment for humans that resembles the life in the Earth is becoming a strong necessity in order to guarantee the survival of human race an avoid its extinction.

CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS

• The system shall maintain artificial ecological models of the Earth’s biosphere.

• The system shall be designed and built to serve as a sealed long term ecological environment

• The system shall create a ground-base life support environment, that provides a high quality of life for humans under extreme conditions (High temperatures, High levels of CO2 etc.)

• The system shall provide the most inert and non-toxic background possible for the residents.

• The system shall be able to generate its own water and energy supplies

• Habitants of the system shall be able to grow all their food and recycle their wastes.

• The system must be capable of measuring and maintaining a range of internal environmental conditions

Energy Center

Water

Waste Treatment

Human

Flora and Fauna

Regulator System

7

8

INPUTS / OUTPUTS (HIERARCHY “POACHED EGG” MODEL)

2

10

6

5

44

3

3

10

9

1. ElectricityElectricity

2. Food2. Food

3. Clean 3. Clean WaterWater4. Contaminated 4. Contaminated WaterWater

5. Hard Water5. Hard Water

6. Biodegradable 6. Biodegradable WasteWaste

8. System Environmental 8. System Environmental ControlControl

7. System 7. System Environmental Environmental Conditions(Conditions(Pressure,Pressure, Air handling, Humidity, Air handling, Humidity, Temperature, COTemperature, CO22, PH,, PH,

Water qualityWater quality))

9. Waste9. Waste

10. Labor & Maintenance10. Labor & Maintenance

4

9

10

1

1

1

1

Light Soil (minerals,

nutrients, fossil)

Waste Non biodegradable

10

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS

Inputs / Outputs Functional Design

Acrylic:•Cell cast sheet (good optical properties)•Acrylic Sheet (very uniform in thickness)

• Structure Materials

High Performance Glass:•Impact-Resistant Windows (laminated safety glass)•Specialty Windows Coating (Low-E and solar control)

Stainless Steel:•Higher resistance to oxidation•Ferrous alloy with a minimum of 10.5% chromium content

• Shape

Geodesic domes:•Distribute tension economically throughout the structure•They require excellent ventilation systems

http://www.geodesics-unlimited.com/geodesic_dome_theory.htmhttp://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/solar_electricity/index.htm

Soil (Soil (minerals, minerals, nutrients, fossil nutrients, fossil

etc.etc.))

Solar Solar lightlight

WasteWaste

Energy Center

Natural Natural GasGas

LightLight

ElectricityElectricity



• Solar Energy

Electricity Generation:

•Photovoltaic Cells or PV

Electricity storage and distribution:

http://www.geodesics-unlimited.com/geodesic_dome_theory.htmhttp://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/solar_electricity/index.htm

Soil (Soil (minerals, minerals, nutrients, fossil nutrients, fossil

etc.etc.))

Solar Solar lightlight

WasteWaste

Energy Center

Natural Natural GasGas

LightLight



Water

Contaminated Contaminated WaterWater

ElectricityElectricity Hard WaterHard Water

Clean WaterClean Water

Flora and Fauna



Biodegradable Biodegradable WasteWaste

Labor & Labor & MaintenanceMaintenance

FoodFood

WasteWaste

Contaminated Water

Hard WaterREVERSE OSMOSIS

:•

: Hard Water Clean Water

ULTRAVIOLET STERILIZATION

•

Waste Treatment


Hard WaterHard Water

WasteWasteContaminated WaterContaminated Water

Biodegradable Biodegradable WasteWaste

Non-Non-Biodegradable Biodegradable

WasteWaste

Biodegradable Waste• • Composting / Anaerobic Digestion

Non-Biodegradable Waste• • Recycling

• Electro-Fenton method

• Incineration of Garbage

Food• • Localized Irrigation System with Sprinkler System

• Soil Beds

• Electric Milking Machines

• Integrated Fish Farming System (optimize fish growth)



Human

WasteWaste

Labor &Labor &MaintenanceMaintenance

Contaminated Contaminated WaterWater


FoodFood


Regulator System

System Environmental System Environmental Conditions (Conditions (Pressure,Pressure,Wind, Humidity, Temperature, COWind, Humidity, Temperature, CO22, ,

PH, Water qualityPH, Water quality))

System System Environmental Environmental

ControlControl

• Nerve Sub-System : sensors, actuators, computers for data acquisition and control

• Pressure Sub-System : a chamber with a flexible membrane that expands and contracts in response to pressure changes

• Wind, Humidity and Temperature control Sub-System : Air handlers could be used to regulate temperatures, extract condensate from the air, and to create air movement

• CO2 Monitoring Sub-System : sample introduction unit sub-system and a gas analyzer

• Habitat Sub-System :

• Medical facility• Machine and wood shop• Communications and environmental

monitoring terminals • Living quarters• Recreational Areas


Air = [ 6048 Lt of Air = [ 6048 Lt of Air x day x person]Air x day x person]

Atmosphere = Atmosphere = [ 20 % Oxygen ][ 20 % Oxygen ]

PhotosynthesisPhotosynthesis

Light = 3000 Light = 3000 lumens / daylumens / day

CO2 = 29 Lt x CO2 = 29 Lt x dayday

Water = [3.6 Lt x Water = [3.6 Lt x plant x day]plant x day]

CO2 = 450 Lt x CO2 = 450 Lt x dayday

Water = 2 Lt x dayWater = 2 Lt x day

WATER : Ground waterUnderground WaterRain

fat 83 gprotein 60 gfiber 25 g

vitamins & minerals 380 g

percentages

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

artificial closed ecological system

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