[Gasification] Energy Research Habitat

[Kermit Schlansker]

               Energy Research Habitat
           
             The gradual unavailability of all basic raw materials will enforce a simpler society that must concentrate on manufacturing and farming. It is essential to the future of our children that we find means to conserve energy. There are several reasons that habitat change will be more important than technical improvements in large power producing facilities. Larger buildings such as apartments use much less energy to heat than houses. It can be shown that an 8 unit apartment building of 2 stories will use 1/2 the heating energy that a similar house would. Another reason is that tightly clustered towns of such apartments would greatly reduce the transportation energy needed for all of the essential functions of life. This includes going to work, going to fields, shopping, transportation of biomass energy, and transportation of food from field to plate. It will not be necessary to own a car.  Another reason is that the larger buildings enable cheaper power devices than 
 those suitable for houses. Heating means such as cogeneration, comanufacturing, heat pumping, solar energy, alcohol fermentation, and biomass gasification would reduce heating energy to zero. Electricity in the summer would come from solar and in the winter from biomass locally grown. Biomass energy becomes much more practical because of short hauling distances. Summer cooling could come from cisterns and solar air conditioning.  Local manufacturing could provide an income and produce essential products. Another unchangeable factor is that all manufacturing processes create waste heat. This waste heat can be used to heat buildings in winter or to heat hot water. This gives small manufacturers an inherent advantage over larger ones that frequently would outweigh the economies of scale. The transportation cost of getting to work also counts against large scale manufacturing.                                      
            A research effort centered on a single large building on as much land as possible would serve as a model for future settlements.  An 8 unit building on one acre would be large enough to demonstrate many heating, cooling, and alternate energy projects. What is really needed is a large state sponsored farm project on several hundred acres that would experiment with habitat, energy and food farming, and comanufacturing. I have called such facilities Ecomindiums, however they could be called "Energy Research Farms",  "Total Energy Projects", or "Energy Research Habitat". The housing units would best be designed for paying condominium owners but could also be constructed as housing for the elderly or for the poor. One thing that would help would be to find dwellers that would work hard on the project. Some of the technical problems that could be solved are small scale cogeneration, heat pumping, solar power using mirrors, biomass gasification, windmills that pump, sewa
 ge to power to fertilizer using clover as a nitrogen source, and biomass gasification. The machinery required for such a facility would keep mechanical engineers busy for some time. Presently we do not even have a suitable off the shelf device for small scale cogeneration. The project could create many commercial products that could be manufactured and make jobs.
           This facility would generate publicity for Sustainability efforts and if done properly could attract cheap manpower for work on labor intensive projects. Projects could be undertaken not only from Umich but also from other nearby and remote universities. Because of its shop facilities WCC could play a major role. The project should if possible be supported by county, city, state, and federal government as well as by private foundations. Global Warming would be greatly reduced by this research because other countries would imitate the products and methodology generated and create ideas. 
              What I am looking for is organizational, financial, and technical help in forming a large umbrella project that will concentrate efforts on the energy problems of habitat. The support of both individuals and groups is sought. One of my thoughts is that a University class could work with others and form a non-profit organization to organize, solicit, and publicize the effort. Proposals could be written to get Grants and donations. Engineering classes could do important projects as part of their studies. The city or county might help in making land available. Volunteer help could be available from many sources if people really understood the enormous value that this project would have for our children. We can't produce enough energy for our present culture to continue but at least we can demonstrate a culture that can survive. 
            I am a professional engineer and inventor. I have spent a lot of time in gathering many ideas and in writing a book called "Blueprint for Sustainability". I also have a 10 page document called "Proposal for an Ecomindium" that I would furnish to anyone who is interested. I have many ideas for mechanical devices that process energy. These ideas could provide projects for many students.  
                                             Kermit Schlansker   PE   734 971 5283           kssustain at provide.net