A possible 'Earth Survival System' for 'Sustainable adaptation'. Modular, scalable, resilient, adaptable to a range of localities and existing economies. Very water efficient, especially suitable for dry climate zones eg.semi-arid or even arid (check out Geoff Lawton's 'Greening the desert'). I'm worried about ocean evaporation->increased atmospheric moisture/clouds->increased climate heating->increased ocean evaporation etc.. There's the 'Albedo flip effect' at the poles. There's also the melting permafrost problem->methane, too, that has been underestimated in Earth system modelling. And all the other interconnected boundaries or tipping points. Water will become the main issue for systems designers, appropriate technologists and 'Sustainable adaptation'. I hope I've designed a system that can mostly cope with these changes.
I'm pushing the boundaries for 'Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), air filtration, food, medicine, power and conservation. Many more biochar applications exist too, which may not need BMC, eg.biochar bricks for housing and an outdoor 'Humanure' toilet. The TLUD is the centre/'kernel' of the main survival system with the Kon-Tiki 'Essential' (KTE) if establishing a more permanent system that also requires more biochar or BMC. The KTE is a proven biochar making technology with virtually no emissions if operated correctly.
I may have to use aged poultry manure (almost Vegan) for the Biochar Mineral Complex (BMC) and straw lucerne in the swales and Zai pits, both in the Permafert and for mulching. There's also a lot more research to do around the microalgae photo bioreactors. There's more information on a couple of website pages about my RAS concept.
The idea of the '2 in 1' mill and pelletiser is that only one electric engine is needed to save money and resources. Ideally the mill and the pelletiser can be used independently of each other or as a connected 2 step process.
There's also a number of other biochar 'Carbon negative' technologies that are integrated into the system too. For eg., Atmospheric Water Harvesting (AWH) kit (on another page), a 'CharGen' (on another page) for power/electricity, seedlings (BMC for seed raising mix and even potting mix for the herbs/other plants).
The list keeps growing...
Subsystems
- Permastove Kitchen (PK) (2L/PB)->AWH, air filtration, gravity fed water filtration, microgreens, microalgae, piss bucket, CharGen
- (optional) Stockpot Biochar System (SBS) (100L)->microgreens, fabric pots (herbs. dwarf trees), piss bucket, humanure, TEG (Devil Watt on the griddle)
- Kon-Tiki 'Essential' (KTE) (370L)->fabric pots, piss bucket, humanure, RAS (herbs, vegetables (swales), larger trees eg. fruit, nut, biomass (Zai pits)), biochar bricks, biochar paint,
etc. (whatever apps need large volumes)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330595132_Graphene-Induced_Improvements_of_Perovskite_Solar_Cell_Stability_Effects_on_Hot-Carriers
There are 3 main ingredients: Sunlight, water and Carbon (from biomass/trash) + at it's core are also 3 functions:
sunlight harvesting, sunlight storage and sunlight discharge = electricity/power on demand.
KISSS - keep it simple and sustainable, stupid
This concept is known as 'Regenerative fuel cell systems' (RFCS) or 'Unitized regenerative fuel cell' (URFC). Note that nobody can patent the chemical equation of splitting water and reforming it. If it's for the common good of the planet, why patent it? NASA had a crack at an RFCS in 2005. Various improvements have since been made but most of the working tech has been locked into a handful of companies presumably for space or military or both. I can't find any Aussie research on this. The exciting news is that in a RFCS/URFC there is a tech called the 'Proton Exchange Membrane' (PEM) which is reversible so no need for a separate electrolyser and fuel cell. The PEM could potentially be 3D-printed with Carbon nano-ink (made from converting biochar to turbostratic graphene in a 'flash graphene' process pioneered by Rice University, USA) that could print custom Graphene in a nanoprinter, eg. with holes for moving the protons H+. I'm just starting my research in this area but I think there is a real future for sustainable solar storage as the RFCS has the characteristics of high efficiency, lightweight, high energy density and many lifecycles with minimal electrode degradation and importantly, it's a closed loop system so no need for additional water or Oxygen inputs or outputs. It's also possible to substitute Platinum electrodes with graphene oxide and other graphene (Carbon) based materials or even naked and doped biochar. Another design possibility is to make the RFCS completely modular like a car or generic desktop PC. For eg., biochar electrodes probably won't last as long as graphene ones, so it would be handy if the fuel cell could be opened up and the electrodes replaced when they degrade, or even if the PEM is improved, the PEM could be updated. If one could access to a nanoprinter it could be as easy as printing off a DXF/DXG CAD file for the replacement part.
BENEFITS
Float more boats while saving the climate?
TEK
*Energy
Solar-powered power bank for TLUD fan, smartphones, LED lighting or other USB-powered devices
Improved lighting->reduction in blindness and increased educational opportunities
Smartphone->communications, mapping , micro-finance and millions of other benefits from apps
*TLUD stove
Cooking food - nutrition
Boiling water - kills most pathogens in water
Almost zero Carbon emissions from cooking using micro-gasification->reduction of climate change
Fuel pellets made from sustainable biomass waste eg. rice husk, saw dust etc.
Biochar from TLUD pellets->Long-term Carbon sequestration in the kitchen garden->reduction of climate change
Reduction in smoke with TLUD compared to a dirty stove or open fire ->reduction in smoke-related eye disease eg.blindness and respiratory illness
WASH
*Water filtration with biochar
Potable water (after initial boiling)
Decreased saline water and persistant organic pesticides (POP) and unhealthy bacteria or viruses that aren't killed from boiling water->decreased salt intake, toxins, water-borne disease eg. diarrhea
*Water conservation
Wastewater on kitchen garden increases water conservation for household->decreased cost of water bill and addresses potential water shortages due to population increase, climate change caused droughts, broken or inaccessible water infrastructure
*Sanitation
Potable water->drinking, personal hygiene
Treatment of sewage/sewerage with biochar (biochar 'humanure')->organic fertiliser for the kitchen garden
*Food
Food hygiene
Biochar treated sewage/sewerage fertiliser->increased kitchen garden productivity/yield and nutrition (with many other benefits to the soil and climate)
The Permachar Kit (TPK) for offgrid semi-permanent/permanent settlements
Feedstock
Stihl/Ozito 18V electric Chainsaw (helmet/ear muffs)
protective glasses
bar oil
funnel
kickback-proof pants (Stihl)
Ozito 18V electric circular saw
unpowered tree saw
wide heavy duty wheelbarrow
leather gloves
steel capped boots
biomass→Flat-Tiki ‘Carbon’/Kon-Tiki 1.2/1.65m biochar kiln→biochar
Shredder/hammer mill (BBT (petrol) or AC/DC electric hammer mill + solar generator eg. iTechworld, 1 or 2 120W MaxRay PV panel(s) with solar regulator(s) removed
Biochar Kiln
A Kon-Tiki 'Rolls':
1*IBC
Optima M A 240V submersible pump (for kiln quenching and kiln draining for the Kon-Tiki)
iTechWorld 60 Ah battery
1 or 2 120W Max Ray PV panel(s) (with solar regulator(s) removed)
Approximately 15m 1” rural line
4* 1” end connectors (BSP)
2*1/2”F to 1”F socket (BSP)
4 large heavy duty tarps for feedstock and biochar drying
laser thermometer dodocool GM900 (ebay)
Digitech pH meter QM-1670 (Jaycar)
Biochar milling
The Permafert Swale (TPS)
Mattock/shovel
Irrigation for the TPS - 19mm poly, Netafim miniscape, fittings (threaded tap plug, takeoffs, plugs, elbows), Ozito 18V jigsaw, UMIC, MI water bladder/dam
Permafert middens with central drilled PVC 40mm water pipes (1m long)
1*IBC – cut in 2/3 – 1/3 for Permafert midden/loam + Permafert slurry/ ‘activated biochar’ mixing, 2/3 for Permafert slurry/’activated biochar’ mixing
Terra preta vermicompost (TPV) (used as a Compost Tea inoculum)
4*50 litre opaque plastic containers (Bunnings/Cheap as Chips) OR
Tiger, red or blue 'composting' earthworms
coir (worm bedding)
milled biochar ('activated' for the Kon-Tiki) - added with food scraps
fungus eg. Mycorrhizal
Compost tea (added to Permafert slurry for Flat-tiki ‘Carbon’/added to milled (dried) ‘activated biochar’ for the Kon-Tiki 1.2m/1.65m)
2*20l plastic buckets
aquarium pump (AC/DC eg. mains/run off solar generator)
PVC tea bag stand
4*tea bag/laundry bag
Microscope (Soil Food Web Institute + online microscope course) eg. mains/run off solar generator
Additional ingredients for Permafert slurry (for Flat-Tiki ‘Carbon’/'The Permastove V3')
sea minerals eg. liquid kelp, SEA-90
carbohydrates eg.molasses
nutrients eg.blood and bone, NPKS
The Permachar Nursery (TPN)
100mm pots, potting mix (with 5% milled biochar)
Seeds eg. Eden Seeds – nut trees, fruit trees, acacias, vegetables, herbs
Mist bottle (for seeds before sprouting)
10 litre Portable weed sprayer (for watering seedlings after sprouting)
Brix refractometer/spectrometer (beta) (bionutrient.org)
Greenhouse
5*37 litre clear/transparent plastic containers (Bunnings) OR
CarboPIU A shaped tunnel with triangles cut at the end, A shaped PVC frame OR
CarboPIU boxes
Water filtration
*Aqueous Solutions handbook, for irrigation
HDPE #2 plastic barrels
biochar
gravel
sand
PVC fittings
pipes
*point of use (PoU) for potable water...the 'Permafilter'
-see 'Permafilter' page
Household
tent(s) (thelevelmarket.com), stretches/sheets,blankets, pillows
solar showers
biochar toilets (Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation)/self-composting toilets (Humanure handbook)
5*10 litre heavy duty plastic buckets with steel handles/crockery/eating implements/plates, bowls/steel saucepans/wok,steel wool,biodegradeable detergent
The Energy Kit (TEK)
The 'Permastove' V3 (beta) TLUD/centrifugal USB fan OR 'Permastove' V4 TLUD (beta, no fan)
/26,800mAh USB A/USB C Li ion/?graphene power bank, 2*LED lights, 2*USB extension leads, PV solar panel eg Nomad 14/20W (or possibly hybrid with power bank), 6.5” smartphone (min specs 4/64 with microSD up to 1Tb)
+
pelletiser/pellet mill eg.FY-120 OR pellets – rice husk/sawdust/coffee pulp/bamboo fibre and many other feedstocks