/sci/ - Science & Math

Also, regarding the Like A Fish centrifugal sea water oxygen separator, here's the website:

http://www.likeafish.biz/

Pic related, it's the polished prototype. The original device was a mess of canisters and tubes, this one's much closer to something marketable. I'm envious, it's a really brilliant concept.

>>2265600

A nuclear power plant isn't really necessary. See this thing in the pic? It's a centrifugal sea water oxygen separator made by the likeafish corporation. It's sufficient to provide constant fresh air for one person using only 150 watts, less than most PCs.

>>2248295

>>hey op, im curious about the amount of corrosion sea water has on metals that would be used on a wide scale.
replacing components constantly just doesnt make it seem feesible

This is why many habitat projects were permitted to 'grow over', such that they formed their own thin skin of coral and other growth that protected it from corrosion.

We also have new materials not available in the 60s that do a much better job of protecting against corrosion.

>>2248294

>>Out of curiosity, how much cycling did he need to do to power the Bio-coil and lights?

He was cycling basically any time he wasn't asleep, eating or shitting. Cycle powered is not the way to go.

For a more satisfactory answer, and probably what you were really getting at, using centrifugal sea water separation it takes about 150 watts per person to supply fresh air to an undersea enclosure. Pic related, the separator mechanism. Here's how it works:

http://www.likeafish.biz/

>>2232607

>>Aren't they going to be exhausted?

No, they're neutrally buoyant so it takes less energy to move around.

>>And what about oxygen?

http://www.likeafish.biz/

There now exist centrifugal separators that can break oxygen out of sea water using only 150 watts. Most PCs these days use 200-400 watts, for comparison. Pic related, the separator.

>>2209113

>>Wouldn't it be easier to use a mini-reactor for underwater cities like they use in submarines?

Sure, but it's looking like that won't be necessary. Submarines use their nuclear reactors to split oxygen out of sea water using dialysis, a pretty wasteful method (although that doesn't matter when you have an onboard nuclear reactor) but in the past decade a few companies have sprung up promoting centrifugal separation, which achieves the same results with far less power (only 150 watts per person, pic related). For more details: http://www.likeafish.biz/

That removes the need for expensive surface buoys with electric air compressors and gasoline backup generators; Now the buoys need consist only of a wind turbine above water, a wave turbine below water and solar panels around the base. A design like this can be designed so that in the event of a storm you can remotely trigger ballast tanks on the buoy to blow, submerging it until the storm passes.

With LED lighting and a power system based around the 12 volt vehicular standard (get used to net tops/laptops instead of PCs, and picoprojectors instead of widescreen plasmas) even a single hydrothermal vent could supply a modest community, and several could support a vast colony.

This is the latest incarnation of the LikeAFish artificial gill system. It requires only 150 watts per person, and actually produces a small excess of air that can be used to slowly fill backup banks of air canisters so that in the event of a power failure there'd be ample air to breathe for days or even weeks.

That adds up pretty quickly though. You'll need 750 watts for a family pod (four people plus a pet) and while this is drastically lower power than for other, older methods used aboard navy subs (dialysis, hydrolysis) it might be wise at some point to consider nuclear power.

If the colony is able to bring in enough revenue from aquaculture (of otherwise endangered fish, in international waters, releasing some portion so as to make the operation sustainable) eventually a modest RTG could be purchased from US military supplier "Halcyon" for a few million. It would supply air and power for hundreds of modules for around 12 years, which is how long the fissible slug at its core lasts.

This would essentially eliminate reliance on surface bouys, which could be held in reserve for emergency use.