Build your very own working space ship
This is an old set of instructions I created several years ago on building a space ship and although it has really nothing to do with the Salvius robot I am uploading it anyway. At most it is interesting and covers a few good points. Feel free to critique it.
DESCRIPTION:
The following page contains instructions meant to guide you through the complete construction of your very own working space ship.
DISCLAIMER:
By building your very own working spaceship you agree that I cannot be heald responsible if you explode, spontaneously combust, are vaporized or injured in any way. As you can see, this article is not titled "Build Your Own Working Spaceship and Live". I'm just being a realist. Please note that rocket science in not for everyone. If you choose to build your very own working space ship, you do so at your own risk!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q: Can a person survive in space without a space without a spacesuit?
A: Yes, but for a very short time. Spacesuits need to create a pressurized, oxygenated atmosphere for astronauts, and protect astronauts from ultraviolet rays and extreme temperatures.
Q: What would happen if I was floating in space for more than a few seconds without any protection?
A: You would asphyxiate from the lack of breathable air and suffer from ebullism, in which a reduction in pressure causes the boiling point of bodily fluids to decrease below the body's normal temperature.
Q: In space which way is up?
A: There isn't. In space there is no up or down because there is no gravity. Up and down are just words that describe your orientation in a gravity affected environment.
Q: Why would I want to build my very own working spaceship?
A: There are many reasons that one might want to build their very own working spaceship. One possibility is to explore other planets or to escape into space to start a space-colony.
Q: Why would it be better to live on a space ship?
A: If you look at the number of meteor battered planets surrounding Earth than a few questions arise. Why not Earth? Earth has been hit by many meteors in the past. Earth’s surface should be almost as battered as its moon but it isn't. The constant affects of climate change and weather change have wiped the surface of the Earth clean many times over, concealing a violent past. It has been many hundreds of years since the last catastrophic meteor impact and it is unusual that we have been this fortunate for so long. In fact: Every minute that we are not in danger makes the chances of a meteor collision even higher. Earth is way over due for another impact.
PRE-READING:
You should begin by making your self into an expert in the fields of conventional rocketry and space travel. It would also be relevant to become familiar with the history of space travel as to gain a better understanding of where we stand today in our ability to travel int and through space with our current level of technology. Bellow are a few sites that outline a bear minimum of pre-reading and should be adequate for getting you headed in the right direction.
http://www.suntrek.org/solar-spacecraft/satellites-rockets/how-rockets-work.shtml
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-do-rockets-work.html
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/history.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/astrospies/racetoday.html
http://www.aero.org/publications/crosslink/summer2004/02.html
http://www.xprize.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4JOjcDFtBE
http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/
You should also understand and commit to memory newtons three laws of motion which are as follow;
(1) The Law of Inertia Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it. An example of this law occurs if you were to slide a block of wood across a flat surface, the block will move across the floor in the same direction that you pushed it in until the force of friction between the block and the floor causes it to slow until it eventually stops.
(2) The relationship between an object's mass (m), its acceleration (a), and the applied force are vectors in this law. The direction of the force vector is the same as the direction of the acceleration vector. This means that an object will change direction if it is pushed or pulled upon. If you place a force on an object it will change velocity in the direction of the force. The acceleration is also directly proportional to the force. For example, you push a toy car, causing it to accelerate, then you pushed twice as hard and the objects acceleration would be two times greater than what it was before. If you pushed three times as hard the objects acceleration would be three times greater, and so on. This also means that acceleration is inversely proportional to the mass of the object. The example for this is if a force is pushing equally on two objects and one object has three times the mass of the other one, it will have one third the acceleration of the other because it will take more energy to act upon an object with greater mass.
(3) For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This law is enacted when, for instance, you step off of a small boat onto a dock and as you move in the direction of the dock the boat moves in the opposite direction.
CALCULATIONS:
(formulas needed [still working on this part])
PHASE ONE (LIFE SUPPORT)
The most important part of your ship, the life support system encompasses the following sub-phases of construction.
(PHASE ONE A) FOOD AND WATER
You will need to bring a year or more's worth of food for each person. Even if you are only planing to stay in orbit for a month you need to make sure you are over prepared. Meals ready to eat (mres) are a nutritious food product that will last all that time. Visit the following site and read about the hazards of starvation and to find links to sites where you can purchace mre's
http://www.patriotfood.com
(A years supply consists of 1,800 mres per person.)
You will need water, nasa uses a water filtration system as described in the following except from Scholastics:
"It's just the water that's taken out," ISS commander Mike Fincke said. "It's really clean and purified water. In fact, it's probably more pure than most people's tap water. So I'm not afraid to drink it."
So far, the tap on the ISS has been running dry.
During each test, the station's computers detected a mechanical problem with the filtration system and shut if off. The longest it has run is three hours.
The filter takes urine from the astronauts and distills it in a partial space vacuum that boils the water in the urine. Then, that distilled wastewater is put through a mini-treatment plant that removes dirt and other contaminants. After that, the water gets put through filters and is cleaned. At the end, salts are put into the water to give it some taste.
Getting the system to work is critical for the future of the station and space travel. The filter is vital for the expansion of the ISS from a station that can house three people into one that can shelter six. At the same time, NASA believes that this kind of water filtering system will make deep-space exploration easier.
The water that you will produce from your filtration system may have an odd taste, however this is nothing to be alarmed at and is not harmful unless indicating that your water recycling system is dysfunctional. "Tang Powdered Dry Mix" or another taste enhancing powdered mix should be brought along to help with foul tasting water. Choose a mix that has some nutritional value such as vitamin c.
(PHASE ONE B) BREATHABLE AIR
As long as you have water you will be able to produce your own air to breathe. The plants you bring with you will help to refresh the atmosphere of your ship as well. You'r cells oxygen to survive and water is composed of two elements, hydrogen and oxygen. Read the following page to learn how to split the water molecule into its pure elements:
https://sites.google.com/site/gunthersnotebook/separating-hydrogen-and-oxygen-from-water
You will need an Oxygen concentrator. An Oxygen concentrator is a device that produces highly concentrated oxygen. They are often used in industrial or medical environments. There are a few different types of oxygen concentrators. One type of generator that uses a canister container and recycles oxygen from the air in the environment. The smaller canister containers use sodium chlorate pellets to produce oxygen. When the sodium chlorate is burned, it releases oxygen. An igniter switch is used to begin the combustive process.
Potassium chlorate also gives off oxygen when it is burned. Concentrators use of chemical conversion processes instead of just releasing stored oxygen from tanks because it is a more efficient mode of delivery and can generating at minimum five times more oxygen than a tank of stored oxygen.
try searching for a commercially available Oxygen Concentrator:http://www.google.com/search?aq=0&oq=commercial+oxygen+g&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=commercial+oxygen+generator
(PHASE ONE C) WAIST REMOVAL
Use a five inch diameter section of stainless steel pipe, cut it to the length of 18 inches (the thickness of the outer shell of your ship). This pipe will become a miniature air lock which will allow you to dispose of solid waist and hazardous material that you cannot allow to remain in your ship.
Because water is vital to your survival and you have a limited supply of it you will need to recycle all liquids containing h2o particularly urine. A commercially available device is available which does this. For information about this device see:
http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/05/05/making-pee-drinkable/
(PHASE ONE D) FIRST AID AND MEDICINE
Make sure you bring a first aid kit including the following:
-first aid manuel
-sterile gauze
-adhesive tape
-adhesive bandages
-antiseptic wipes
-soap
Sterile needle and thread
-antibiotic cream (tripple-antibiotic ointment)
-antiseptic solution (like hydrogen peroxide)
-hydrocortisone cream
-acetaminophen and ibuprofen
-extra prescription medications
-tweezers
-sharp scisors
-safety pins
-disposable instant cold packs
-calamine lotion
-alcohol wipes or ethyl alcohol
-thermometer
-plastic gloves (multiple pairs)
-flashlight with extra batteries
-mouthpiece for administering cpr
-your list of emergency phone numbers
-cell phone
-blanket
-hershey chocolate bar
-sponge
-10 gallon bucket
Make sure that you store your first aid kit in a place that you can easily access!
If at any time you require to bathe on your ship a sponge bath is your best bet. Put no more than a centimeter of water in the bottom of a 10 gallon bucket and lather your self with soap. Then use the sponge and water to wipe the suds away.
(PHASE ONE E) CLIMATE CONTROL
Purchase a portable electric heater and electric air conditioner. The smaller the better as wait will become an issue quickly and the lighter your ship the easier it will be to escape the earth's gravitational pull.
(PHASE ONE F) SLEEPING QUARTERS
A bed adds weight which will make it difficult to get into space. Plus it would'nt work in a no gravity climate since you would just float off. All you need is a lightly padded surface and a pair of straps to secure you while you sleep.
(PHASE ONE G) BACKUP LIFE SUPPORT
Make sure to build a copy of your life support system that you can hook up parallel to it in your ship this system can be smaller and should have minimal requirements to sustain life.
PHASE TWO (POWER SUPPLY)
It is a good idea to purchase a set of light weight solar panels that you can extend while in orbit, this will let you charge batteries to power your lights and anything else that uses electricity. You will need batteries to charge to store the electricity. You must be careful because each battery can weigh 50 lbs. There are many different types and sizes to choose from. Use twelve car-battery sized led-acid batteries as your electrical reserve.
(above: led acid battery)
You will need to build folding mounts for the solar panels so that they can be deployed in orbit. You will want to have a manual wheel that you can turn from the inside of the ship in order to adjust the angle of the panels to gain optimal light coverage. Wire the solar panels in parallel. Attach alligator clips to the end of the solar panel wires (make sure to give your self about four feet of extra wire) use a multimeter to determine which wire coming from the solar panels is positive and make sure that alligator clip colored red to match the red indicator on the positive terminal of the battery. You will need a diode with the indicator line facing the positive terminal of the battery. This is important because otherwise the battery will be sending electricity to your solar panels instead of the other war around. This could potentially damage the solar panels if left unchecked.
The schematic bellow shows how to correctly connect your solar so that they will charge the batteries.
Try to conserve power on your ship. Do not use your lights, or climate control system unless absolutely necessary!
PHASE THREE (PROPULSION)
+ read http://jcrystal.com/steffenweber/qc.html
+ read http://cleanroom.byu.edu/EW_formation.phtml
To create the thrust needed to propel your spaceship you will be using a form of ion-matter field repulsion to produce thrust. The basic theory of operation behind the creation and operation of this device is commonly accredited to a man named Marco Rodin who conducted his own experiments with a torrid coil. When finished, your torrid coil will produce a spiral vortex of electron flow which will provide primary thrust for your space ship.
PHASE THREE A:
Begin by finding the most conductive element available to wrap your coil with, ideally you would have some sort of super-conductor but unfortunately that sort of thing is'nt readily available so the best conductor that you can get is the element silver. You will need approximatively 1000 lbs of pure silver wire (24 gauge).
PHASE THREE B:
The structure around which the wire is wrapped is composed of a particular type of quasicrystal. Quasicrystal is 12 times harder than diamond and acts as a semi-conductive diode. Energy will only flow in one direction through the crystal which itself is almost 90% efficient. A diode functions as a one way valve for electricity.
To manufacture this quasicrystal you will need pure silicon.
Silicon is an extremely common element but it often occurs already bonded to one or more other elements. One place to find silicon is in sand. Sand is often different colors such as yellow, orange or red due to impurities, but the type needed to manufacture purer silicon is a particular type called silica sand. Silica (SiO2) can also be called Silicate or silicon dioxide). Silica can be differentiated from other non-silicon containing minerals because silica sand glitters in the sunlight.
The first thing that needs to be done is to extract the silicon from the silica by removing the oxygen from it. To do this, you will need an electric arc furnace to heat a mixture of silica and carbon in an to a temperature above of 2,000°C. Around this temperature, the carbon reacts with the oxygen in the molten silica to produce carbon dioxide and silicon. The carbon dioxide is released as a gas and the silicon will settle in the bottom of the furnace.
The remaining silicon needs to be treated with oxygen to reduce any calcium and aluminium impurities.
At the end of this process the silicon is 99% pure. This is a substance referred to as metallurgical-grade silicon.
Next, you need to further refine the metallurgical-grade silicon.
Grind the silicon into a fine powder and mix it with gaseous hydrogen chloride in a fluidised bed reactor at 300°C to produce a liquid compound of silicon called trichlorosilane.
Impurities such as iron, aluminium, boron and phosphorous also react to give their chlorides, which can then be removed by fractional distillation. The purified trichlorosilane needs to be vaporised and reacted with hydrogen gas at 1,100°C so that the elemental silicon can be retrieved. You will need one ultra-pure silicon rod to produce every silicon ingot. During the reaction electrically heat the ultra-pure silicon rod so that newly purified silicon can be deposited on the surface.
You have now produced what is called electronic-grade silicon this has a purity of 99.999999%.
Although pure to a very high degree, raw electronic-grade silicon has a polycrystalline structure. This means that it’s structure is composed of many small silicon crystals, with defects called grain boundaries between them.
These anomalies affect local electronic behavior and need to be removed. The silicon must be turned into single crystals that have a regular atomic structure in order to be useable. This transformation is achieved through what is called the Czochralski Process.
Melt the electronic-grade silicon just above its melting point at 1,414°C in a rotating quartz crucible. Dip a tiny crystal of silicon on the end of a metal rod into the molten silicon and slowly withdrawn while continuously rotating it in the opposite direction to the rotation of the crucible. The crystal acts as a seed, causing silicon from the crucible to crystallize around it. This builds up a rod – called a boule – that comprises a single silicon crystal. The diameter of the boule depends on the temperature in the crucible, the rate at which the crystal is ‘pulled’ (which is measured in millimetres per hour) and the speed of rotation. A typical boule measures 300mm in diameter.
The process has now yielded usable pure silicon. When you are absolutely finished you can dip the solid piece of pure silicon in a mixture of nitric, hydrofluoric and acetic acids. The nitric acid oxides the surfaces to give a thin layer of silicon dioxide which is immediately dissolved by the hydrofluoric acid and leaves a clean surface, the acetic acid controls the reaction rate. The result of all this refining and treating produces a clean even surface.
The super pure silicon needs to then be cast into a hollow torrid shape (like a doughnut) and heated under thousands of pounds of pressure to reproduce similar circumstances that would normally create diamonds out of carbon. This process works because carbon and silicon share a similar atomic structure accept that carbon has a larger atomic weight. This will produce the quasicrystal that is needed to conduct power and electromagnetic fields.
PHASE THREE C:
The quasicrystal structure has a super-magnetic farrel fluid core. The closest known substance that will act ideally for your ship is mercury thalium barium copper oxide. Once powered up the fluid will begin to flow within the doughnut shaped ring at great velocities which will provide gyroscopic stabilization for your ship.
PHASE FOUR (ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY)
The affect of gravity can be achieved by taking advantage of centrifugal force. If your ship or a section of your ship spins quickly, the inertia will keep objects weighed toward the walls of the ship, making the outer walls your perspective of down.
Another possibility is by taking advantage of electrogravitics, which would allow you to generate gravity with electricity. (more on electrogravitics coming soon!)
PHASE FIVE (STRUCTURAL DESIGN)
Aerodynamics is very important in the creation of your ship. If your ship is not aerodynamic enough it will not attain the speeds necessary to break free of the earth's gravitational field.
The outside of your ship needs to resist heat and friction. For this reason you should also note that having the ship any other color than white is a bad idea because any other color will absorb a lot more light which will become heat energy (which is not a good thing especially when escaping the atmosphere.)
(PHASE FIVE A) BLOCKING COSMIC RAYS
The health threat from cosmic rays is the danger posed by galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles to astronauts on interplanetary missions. Galactic cosmic rays consist of high energy protons and other nuclei with extrasolar origin. Solar energetic particles consist primarily of protons accelerated by the sun to high energies via proximity to solar flares and coronal mass ejections. They are one of the most important barriers standing in the way of plans for interplanetary travel by crewed spacecraft.
The international space station uses thin aluminum plates to protect its inhabitants from dangerous cosmic radiation. This form of protection isn't perfect and development is currently being undergone in using materials such as hydrogen-rich polymers, liquid hydrogen, and electromagnetic fields. It is important not to use thicker shielding because increased shielding will only cause an increase in secondary radiation. Secondary radiation is radiation originating as the result of absorption of other radiation in matter. It may be either electromagnetic or particulate in nature.
PHASE SIX (DIAGNOSTICS)
Before you launch you must make sure that everything on the ship is working exactly how it is suppose to. Ensure that the ship meets the following requirements:
-water filtration system is functioning correctly
-oxygen reserve and h2o electrolysis air generator works correctly
-climate control is operating successfully
-all backup life support systems are operational
-solar panel rig unfolds and rotates correctly
-solar cells are producing correct voltage
-ac power inverters are functioning and working correctly
-propulsion core is producing adequate thrust
-primary air lock is locking correctly
-trash air lock is working correctly
-the cabin of the ship is 100% air tight
-the last thing you should do is a simulated successful launch. By this i mean, assuming that you made it into space, you have to be sure that the ship is air tight, can resist pressure, and is able to sustain life. The best way to carry out this test is to purchase a boat trailer and take your ship somewhere where it can be fully sealed with you inside and submerged under water. If it leaks or you end up lacking oxygen after several hours than you have a problem that needs to be fixed. If you are able to live in the ship without any problem for three days than is is probably safe to assume that the ship is ready for launch.
PHASE SEVEN (PRE-DEPARTURE CHECKLIST)
-first aid kit
-external service suits
Digital multimeter
Extra batteries for battery powered tools
-drill-driver
-drill index
-standard and metric allen wrench set
-phillips and standard screw drivers
-three sizes of adjustable wrenches
-mettle saw and extra blades
-soldering iron
-extra solder
-multimeter
PHASE EIGHT (LIFT-OFF)
(required content - submissions welcome!)
The following page contains instructions meant to guide you through the complete construction of your very own working space ship.
DISCLAIMER:
By building your very own working spaceship you agree that I cannot be heald responsible if you explode, spontaneously combust, are vaporized or injured in any way. As you can see, this article is not titled "Build Your Own Working Spaceship and Live". I'm just being a realist. Please note that rocket science in not for everyone. If you choose to build your very own working space ship, you do so at your own risk!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q: Can a person survive in space without a space without a spacesuit?
A: Yes, but for a very short time. Spacesuits need to create a pressurized, oxygenated atmosphere for astronauts, and protect astronauts from ultraviolet rays and extreme temperatures.
Q: What would happen if I was floating in space for more than a few seconds without any protection?
A: You would asphyxiate from the lack of breathable air and suffer from ebullism, in which a reduction in pressure causes the boiling point of bodily fluids to decrease below the body's normal temperature.
Q: In space which way is up?
A: There isn't. In space there is no up or down because there is no gravity. Up and down are just words that describe your orientation in a gravity affected environment.
Q: Why would I want to build my very own working spaceship?
A: There are many reasons that one might want to build their very own working spaceship. One possibility is to explore other planets or to escape into space to start a space-colony.
Q: Why would it be better to live on a space ship?
A: If you look at the number of meteor battered planets surrounding Earth than a few questions arise. Why not Earth? Earth has been hit by many meteors in the past. Earth’s surface should be almost as battered as its moon but it isn't. The constant affects of climate change and weather change have wiped the surface of the Earth clean many times over, concealing a violent past. It has been many hundreds of years since the last catastrophic meteor impact and it is unusual that we have been this fortunate for so long. In fact: Every minute that we are not in danger makes the chances of a meteor collision even higher. Earth is way over due for another impact.
PRE-READING:
You should begin by making your self into an expert in the fields of conventional rocketry and space travel. It would also be relevant to become familiar with the history of space travel as to gain a better understanding of where we stand today in our ability to travel int and through space with our current level of technology. Bellow are a few sites that outline a bear minimum of pre-reading and should be adequate for getting you headed in the right direction.
http://www.suntrek.org/solar-spacecraft/satellites-rockets/how-rockets-work.shtml
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-do-rockets-work.html
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/history.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/astrospies/racetoday.html
http://www.aero.org/publications/crosslink/summer2004/02.html
http://www.xprize.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4JOjcDFtBE
http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/
You should also understand and commit to memory newtons three laws of motion which are as follow;
(1) The Law of Inertia Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it. An example of this law occurs if you were to slide a block of wood across a flat surface, the block will move across the floor in the same direction that you pushed it in until the force of friction between the block and the floor causes it to slow until it eventually stops.
(2) The relationship between an object's mass (m), its acceleration (a), and the applied force are vectors in this law. The direction of the force vector is the same as the direction of the acceleration vector. This means that an object will change direction if it is pushed or pulled upon. If you place a force on an object it will change velocity in the direction of the force. The acceleration is also directly proportional to the force. For example, you push a toy car, causing it to accelerate, then you pushed twice as hard and the objects acceleration would be two times greater than what it was before. If you pushed three times as hard the objects acceleration would be three times greater, and so on. This also means that acceleration is inversely proportional to the mass of the object. The example for this is if a force is pushing equally on two objects and one object has three times the mass of the other one, it will have one third the acceleration of the other because it will take more energy to act upon an object with greater mass.
(3) For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This law is enacted when, for instance, you step off of a small boat onto a dock and as you move in the direction of the dock the boat moves in the opposite direction.
CALCULATIONS:
(formulas needed [still working on this part])
PHASE ONE (LIFE SUPPORT)
The most important part of your ship, the life support system encompasses the following sub-phases of construction.
(PHASE ONE A) FOOD AND WATER
You will need to bring a year or more's worth of food for each person. Even if you are only planing to stay in orbit for a month you need to make sure you are over prepared. Meals ready to eat (mres) are a nutritious food product that will last all that time. Visit the following site and read about the hazards of starvation and to find links to sites where you can purchace mre's
http://www.patriotfood.com
(A years supply consists of 1,800 mres per person.)
You will need water, nasa uses a water filtration system as described in the following except from Scholastics:
"It's just the water that's taken out," ISS commander Mike Fincke said. "It's really clean and purified water. In fact, it's probably more pure than most people's tap water. So I'm not afraid to drink it."
So far, the tap on the ISS has been running dry.
During each test, the station's computers detected a mechanical problem with the filtration system and shut if off. The longest it has run is three hours.
The filter takes urine from the astronauts and distills it in a partial space vacuum that boils the water in the urine. Then, that distilled wastewater is put through a mini-treatment plant that removes dirt and other contaminants. After that, the water gets put through filters and is cleaned. At the end, salts are put into the water to give it some taste.
Getting the system to work is critical for the future of the station and space travel. The filter is vital for the expansion of the ISS from a station that can house three people into one that can shelter six. At the same time, NASA believes that this kind of water filtering system will make deep-space exploration easier.
The water that you will produce from your filtration system may have an odd taste, however this is nothing to be alarmed at and is not harmful unless indicating that your water recycling system is dysfunctional. "Tang Powdered Dry Mix" or another taste enhancing powdered mix should be brought along to help with foul tasting water. Choose a mix that has some nutritional value such as vitamin c.
You will also want to bring
some plants with you as they will help to provide an excellent source of food as well as
refreshing the atmosphere of your ship.
Plants serve as a source of food and oxygen to organisms that require those factors
to survive.
You will need lots of light of the correct wavelengths in order for your plants to thrive. I would recommend the LED Grow-Panel sold by HTTP://WWW.GROW-PANEL.COM As LEDs are more energy efficient, produce less heat, and last longer than conventional grow-lights.
Tomatos are probably the most efficient plants to grow under hydroponic conditions because they bear plenty of fruit, have shallow roots, and grow quickly.
Another thing that you may want to do in order to conserve space is to mount your rows of plants vertically on top of one another. Make sure that containers are well secured so that nothing spills. Thin mesh screen over each container prevents soil from being splashed out during the watering process. A thermal blanket to surround the designated hydroponics area will ensure that humidity and temperature is regulated and under control. Plants need moving air to stay healthy and prevent bacterial infection so it is also necessary to have at least two fans to circulate air within the room (more fans will be needed for a larger system). I have personally found that "Greenlife Garden Supply" (http://www.greenlifegardensupply.com) has a great selection of hydroponics supples.
When you are looking for a sustainable source of food, chickens are probably the most productive, efficient, and easiest animals to raise. They grow quickly, have a versatile diet, and produce many eggs per year. The fecal matter produced by your chickens is rich with nitrogen and other elements that can easily be recycled into your garden or spread out as fertilizer on your lawn. Chickens consume many pests such as mosquitoes, flys and ticks and they will even kill mice and other small rodents.
Some common questions about chickens are answered bellow:
1. Don't chickens smell bad?
Answer: It depends, if you have a flock of twenty or so chickens you wont smell anything, but if you plan on having a 200 square foot building to raise thousands of chickens commercially for slaughter, then the smell from the buildup of excrement becomes a bit strong.
2. Are you going to need to have a rooster in order for the hens to lay eggs?
Answer: No, your hens will lay eggs regardless of if you have a rooster present. A rooster is only required if you want your eggs to hatch.
3. Are chickens mean?
Answer: Chickens can very with their individual personalities, but if you spend enough time with them when they are chicks, they will know to trust you and they will not chase or peck you ever.
4. How many chickens can I have?
Answer: Chickens are social creatures, you should have at least four chickens.
5. How much room do chickens need?
Answer: There should be at least four feet of room per chicken.
Getting your chickens
Do some research and find a place that sells chickens, decide what kinds of chickens you want and keep in mind factors such as how many eggs each chicken will lay per year, since different varieties will lay more eggs than others. Another thing to think about is temperature tolerance because some chickens will tolerate colder temperatures.
Because where you can get chickens varies based on where you live it will be up to you to find a where you can purchase them and to determine if it is a reliable source, some companies will vaccinate chicks to prevent some diseases when they are born, it is not recommended to get your chicks from a source that does not use vaccination.
Preparing for chickens
When you get them you should get them as chicks (do not just go to a farm and try to buy a fully grown hen). The chicks will need to stay at a temperature of about 90 degrees for the first six weeks of their lifes'. The chicks will have to be kept in a container with sides high enough that they cannot hop out with wood shavings in the bottom and a heat-lamp over them. It is also helpful to have a small thermometer that you can keep inside of the box with the chicks so that you can easily check the temperature. Adjust the distance of the heat lamp from the chicks if the temperature is to hot or to cold.
You will need to change the wood shavings every few days so that the chicks do not get sick from walking around in their own excrement. Keep a food and water dispenser in the box with the chickens and make sure that they have fresh food and water. The chicks need to eat a small amount of sand in order to help them digest their food. You can use your own source of sand or it is sold commercially as "chick-grit". You should dip the beaks of the chicks into the water dish when you first bring them home so that they learn to drink.
Check the chicks daily to make sure that they are clean. Sometimes excrement can become adhered to the small feathers around the chicks anus. If this occurs the chick will die if the obstruction is not removed. If you observe this simply use a damp paper towel to pull the material off of the chicks feathers.
The Coop
You will need to build a coop for your chickens to live in. The coop will need perches for the chickens to roost on, nest boxes, and ventilation.
You will need lots of light of the correct wavelengths in order for your plants to thrive. I would recommend the LED Grow-Panel sold by HTTP://WWW.GROW-PANEL.COM As LEDs are more energy efficient, produce less heat, and last longer than conventional grow-lights.
Tomatos are probably the most efficient plants to grow under hydroponic conditions because they bear plenty of fruit, have shallow roots, and grow quickly.
Another thing that you may want to do in order to conserve space is to mount your rows of plants vertically on top of one another. Make sure that containers are well secured so that nothing spills. Thin mesh screen over each container prevents soil from being splashed out during the watering process. A thermal blanket to surround the designated hydroponics area will ensure that humidity and temperature is regulated and under control. Plants need moving air to stay healthy and prevent bacterial infection so it is also necessary to have at least two fans to circulate air within the room (more fans will be needed for a larger system). I have personally found that "Greenlife Garden Supply" (http://www.greenlifegardensupply.com) has a great selection of hydroponics supples.
When you are looking for a sustainable source of food, chickens are probably the most productive, efficient, and easiest animals to raise. They grow quickly, have a versatile diet, and produce many eggs per year. The fecal matter produced by your chickens is rich with nitrogen and other elements that can easily be recycled into your garden or spread out as fertilizer on your lawn. Chickens consume many pests such as mosquitoes, flys and ticks and they will even kill mice and other small rodents.
Some common questions about chickens are answered bellow:
1. Don't chickens smell bad?
Answer: It depends, if you have a flock of twenty or so chickens you wont smell anything, but if you plan on having a 200 square foot building to raise thousands of chickens commercially for slaughter, then the smell from the buildup of excrement becomes a bit strong.
2. Are you going to need to have a rooster in order for the hens to lay eggs?
Answer: No, your hens will lay eggs regardless of if you have a rooster present. A rooster is only required if you want your eggs to hatch.
3. Are chickens mean?
Answer: Chickens can very with their individual personalities, but if you spend enough time with them when they are chicks, they will know to trust you and they will not chase or peck you ever.
4. How many chickens can I have?
Answer: Chickens are social creatures, you should have at least four chickens.
5. How much room do chickens need?
Answer: There should be at least four feet of room per chicken.
Getting your chickens
Do some research and find a place that sells chickens, decide what kinds of chickens you want and keep in mind factors such as how many eggs each chicken will lay per year, since different varieties will lay more eggs than others. Another thing to think about is temperature tolerance because some chickens will tolerate colder temperatures.
Because where you can get chickens varies based on where you live it will be up to you to find a where you can purchase them and to determine if it is a reliable source, some companies will vaccinate chicks to prevent some diseases when they are born, it is not recommended to get your chicks from a source that does not use vaccination.
Preparing for chickens
When you get them you should get them as chicks (do not just go to a farm and try to buy a fully grown hen). The chicks will need to stay at a temperature of about 90 degrees for the first six weeks of their lifes'. The chicks will have to be kept in a container with sides high enough that they cannot hop out with wood shavings in the bottom and a heat-lamp over them. It is also helpful to have a small thermometer that you can keep inside of the box with the chicks so that you can easily check the temperature. Adjust the distance of the heat lamp from the chicks if the temperature is to hot or to cold.
You will need to change the wood shavings every few days so that the chicks do not get sick from walking around in their own excrement. Keep a food and water dispenser in the box with the chickens and make sure that they have fresh food and water. The chicks need to eat a small amount of sand in order to help them digest their food. You can use your own source of sand or it is sold commercially as "chick-grit". You should dip the beaks of the chicks into the water dish when you first bring them home so that they learn to drink.
Check the chicks daily to make sure that they are clean. Sometimes excrement can become adhered to the small feathers around the chicks anus. If this occurs the chick will die if the obstruction is not removed. If you observe this simply use a damp paper towel to pull the material off of the chicks feathers.
The Coop
You will need to build a coop for your chickens to live in. The coop will need perches for the chickens to roost on, nest boxes, and ventilation.
It
is a fact that increased greenhouse gases are a major contributer to the threat commonly
known as global warming. The Earth warms up because insulating gases trap thermal energy
inside the earth’s atmosphere causing a greenhouse affect and resulting in an
increase in the overall temperature of the planet. One major greenhouse gas is water
vapor. As earth’s temperature rises more water vapor enters the atmosphere and
contributes to global warming. Normally when water vapor enters the air it is visible in
the lower atmosphere as clouds. Once enough water vapor builds up the clouds condense to
form precipitation. With the greenhouse gases however, the vapor enters the higher
altitudes of the upper atmosphere and adds to the insulating blanket that surrounds the
earth. This outer blanket is going to eventually reach a point where the concentration of
vapor molecules reaches a limit and they will condense.
This will be the beginning if an immense storm unlike any in our life time. Where even the most powerful of storms that we commonly experience occur in the lower region of the atmosphere this storm will come from the upper atmosphere and will contain a volume much greater than that of the lower atmosphere due to the curve of the earth (the further you get from the core of the earth the more mass there is). The storm may continue for many days and will cleanse the atmosphere of pollution and at the same time it will also remove a large percent of the greenhouse gases. With a minimal thermal blanket around the earth the temperature will decrease drastically. The world will fall into another ice age until the atmosphere can eventually regenerate sufficient greenhouse gases to insulate the earth. The process described above is an event that the earth has been witness to many times before. Many cultures around the world all have stories of a “great flood”, preceded by a storm that washed the world of sin (or something along those lines).
This will be the beginning if an immense storm unlike any in our life time. Where even the most powerful of storms that we commonly experience occur in the lower region of the atmosphere this storm will come from the upper atmosphere and will contain a volume much greater than that of the lower atmosphere due to the curve of the earth (the further you get from the core of the earth the more mass there is). The storm may continue for many days and will cleanse the atmosphere of pollution and at the same time it will also remove a large percent of the greenhouse gases. With a minimal thermal blanket around the earth the temperature will decrease drastically. The world will fall into another ice age until the atmosphere can eventually regenerate sufficient greenhouse gases to insulate the earth. The process described above is an event that the earth has been witness to many times before. Many cultures around the world all have stories of a “great flood”, preceded by a storm that washed the world of sin (or something along those lines).
(PHASE ONE B) BREATHABLE AIR
As long as you have water you will be able to produce your own air to breathe. The plants you bring with you will help to refresh the atmosphere of your ship as well. You'r cells oxygen to survive and water is composed of two elements, hydrogen and oxygen. Read the following page to learn how to split the water molecule into its pure elements:
https://sites.google.com/site/gunthersnotebook/separating-hydrogen-and-oxygen-from-water
You will need an Oxygen concentrator. An Oxygen concentrator is a device that produces highly concentrated oxygen. They are often used in industrial or medical environments. There are a few different types of oxygen concentrators. One type of generator that uses a canister container and recycles oxygen from the air in the environment. The smaller canister containers use sodium chlorate pellets to produce oxygen. When the sodium chlorate is burned, it releases oxygen. An igniter switch is used to begin the combustive process.
Potassium chlorate also gives off oxygen when it is burned. Concentrators use of chemical conversion processes instead of just releasing stored oxygen from tanks because it is a more efficient mode of delivery and can generating at minimum five times more oxygen than a tank of stored oxygen.
try searching for a commercially available Oxygen Concentrator:http://www.google.com/search?aq=0&oq=commercial+oxygen+g&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=commercial+oxygen+generator
(PHASE ONE C) WAIST REMOVAL
Use a five inch diameter section of stainless steel pipe, cut it to the length of 18 inches (the thickness of the outer shell of your ship). This pipe will become a miniature air lock which will allow you to dispose of solid waist and hazardous material that you cannot allow to remain in your ship.
Because water is vital to your survival and you have a limited supply of it you will need to recycle all liquids containing h2o particularly urine. A commercially available device is available which does this. For information about this device see:
http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/05/05/making-pee-drinkable/
(PHASE ONE D) FIRST AID AND MEDICINE
Make sure you bring a first aid kit including the following:
-first aid manuel
-sterile gauze
-adhesive tape
-adhesive bandages
-antiseptic wipes
-soap
Sterile needle and thread
-antibiotic cream (tripple-antibiotic ointment)
-antiseptic solution (like hydrogen peroxide)
-hydrocortisone cream
-acetaminophen and ibuprofen
-extra prescription medications
-tweezers
-sharp scisors
-safety pins
-disposable instant cold packs
-calamine lotion
-alcohol wipes or ethyl alcohol
-thermometer
-plastic gloves (multiple pairs)
-flashlight with extra batteries
-mouthpiece for administering cpr
-your list of emergency phone numbers
-cell phone
-blanket
-hershey chocolate bar
-sponge
-10 gallon bucket
Make sure that you store your first aid kit in a place that you can easily access!
If at any time you require to bathe on your ship a sponge bath is your best bet. Put no more than a centimeter of water in the bottom of a 10 gallon bucket and lather your self with soap. Then use the sponge and water to wipe the suds away.
(PHASE ONE E) CLIMATE CONTROL
Purchase a portable electric heater and electric air conditioner. The smaller the better as wait will become an issue quickly and the lighter your ship the easier it will be to escape the earth's gravitational pull.
(PHASE ONE F) SLEEPING QUARTERS
A bed adds weight which will make it difficult to get into space. Plus it would'nt work in a no gravity climate since you would just float off. All you need is a lightly padded surface and a pair of straps to secure you while you sleep.
(PHASE ONE G) BACKUP LIFE SUPPORT
Make sure to build a copy of your life support system that you can hook up parallel to it in your ship this system can be smaller and should have minimal requirements to sustain life.
PHASE TWO (POWER SUPPLY)
It is a good idea to purchase a set of light weight solar panels that you can extend while in orbit, this will let you charge batteries to power your lights and anything else that uses electricity. You will need batteries to charge to store the electricity. You must be careful because each battery can weigh 50 lbs. There are many different types and sizes to choose from. Use twelve car-battery sized led-acid batteries as your electrical reserve.
(above: led acid battery)
You will need to build folding mounts for the solar panels so that they can be deployed in orbit. You will want to have a manual wheel that you can turn from the inside of the ship in order to adjust the angle of the panels to gain optimal light coverage. Wire the solar panels in parallel. Attach alligator clips to the end of the solar panel wires (make sure to give your self about four feet of extra wire) use a multimeter to determine which wire coming from the solar panels is positive and make sure that alligator clip colored red to match the red indicator on the positive terminal of the battery. You will need a diode with the indicator line facing the positive terminal of the battery. This is important because otherwise the battery will be sending electricity to your solar panels instead of the other war around. This could potentially damage the solar panels if left unchecked.
The schematic bellow shows how to correctly connect your solar so that they will charge the batteries.
Try to conserve power on your ship. Do not use your lights, or climate control system unless absolutely necessary!
PHASE THREE (PROPULSION)
+ read http://jcrystal.com/steffenweber/qc.html
+ read http://cleanroom.byu.edu/EW_formation.phtml
To create the thrust needed to propel your spaceship you will be using a form of ion-matter field repulsion to produce thrust. The basic theory of operation behind the creation and operation of this device is commonly accredited to a man named Marco Rodin who conducted his own experiments with a torrid coil. When finished, your torrid coil will produce a spiral vortex of electron flow which will provide primary thrust for your space ship.
PHASE THREE A:
Begin by finding the most conductive element available to wrap your coil with, ideally you would have some sort of super-conductor but unfortunately that sort of thing is'nt readily available so the best conductor that you can get is the element silver. You will need approximatively 1000 lbs of pure silver wire (24 gauge).
PHASE THREE B:
The structure around which the wire is wrapped is composed of a particular type of quasicrystal. Quasicrystal is 12 times harder than diamond and acts as a semi-conductive diode. Energy will only flow in one direction through the crystal which itself is almost 90% efficient. A diode functions as a one way valve for electricity.
To manufacture this quasicrystal you will need pure silicon.
Silicon is an extremely common element but it often occurs already bonded to one or more other elements. One place to find silicon is in sand. Sand is often different colors such as yellow, orange or red due to impurities, but the type needed to manufacture purer silicon is a particular type called silica sand. Silica (SiO2) can also be called Silicate or silicon dioxide). Silica can be differentiated from other non-silicon containing minerals because silica sand glitters in the sunlight.
The first thing that needs to be done is to extract the silicon from the silica by removing the oxygen from it. To do this, you will need an electric arc furnace to heat a mixture of silica and carbon in an to a temperature above of 2,000°C. Around this temperature, the carbon reacts with the oxygen in the molten silica to produce carbon dioxide and silicon. The carbon dioxide is released as a gas and the silicon will settle in the bottom of the furnace.
The remaining silicon needs to be treated with oxygen to reduce any calcium and aluminium impurities.
At the end of this process the silicon is 99% pure. This is a substance referred to as metallurgical-grade silicon.
Next, you need to further refine the metallurgical-grade silicon.
Grind the silicon into a fine powder and mix it with gaseous hydrogen chloride in a fluidised bed reactor at 300°C to produce a liquid compound of silicon called trichlorosilane.
Impurities such as iron, aluminium, boron and phosphorous also react to give their chlorides, which can then be removed by fractional distillation. The purified trichlorosilane needs to be vaporised and reacted with hydrogen gas at 1,100°C so that the elemental silicon can be retrieved. You will need one ultra-pure silicon rod to produce every silicon ingot. During the reaction electrically heat the ultra-pure silicon rod so that newly purified silicon can be deposited on the surface.
You have now produced what is called electronic-grade silicon this has a purity of 99.999999%.
Although pure to a very high degree, raw electronic-grade silicon has a polycrystalline structure. This means that it’s structure is composed of many small silicon crystals, with defects called grain boundaries between them.
These anomalies affect local electronic behavior and need to be removed. The silicon must be turned into single crystals that have a regular atomic structure in order to be useable. This transformation is achieved through what is called the Czochralski Process.
Melt the electronic-grade silicon just above its melting point at 1,414°C in a rotating quartz crucible. Dip a tiny crystal of silicon on the end of a metal rod into the molten silicon and slowly withdrawn while continuously rotating it in the opposite direction to the rotation of the crucible. The crystal acts as a seed, causing silicon from the crucible to crystallize around it. This builds up a rod – called a boule – that comprises a single silicon crystal. The diameter of the boule depends on the temperature in the crucible, the rate at which the crystal is ‘pulled’ (which is measured in millimetres per hour) and the speed of rotation. A typical boule measures 300mm in diameter.
The process has now yielded usable pure silicon. When you are absolutely finished you can dip the solid piece of pure silicon in a mixture of nitric, hydrofluoric and acetic acids. The nitric acid oxides the surfaces to give a thin layer of silicon dioxide which is immediately dissolved by the hydrofluoric acid and leaves a clean surface, the acetic acid controls the reaction rate. The result of all this refining and treating produces a clean even surface.
The super pure silicon needs to then be cast into a hollow torrid shape (like a doughnut) and heated under thousands of pounds of pressure to reproduce similar circumstances that would normally create diamonds out of carbon. This process works because carbon and silicon share a similar atomic structure accept that carbon has a larger atomic weight. This will produce the quasicrystal that is needed to conduct power and electromagnetic fields.
PHASE THREE C:
The quasicrystal structure has a super-magnetic farrel fluid core. The closest known substance that will act ideally for your ship is mercury thalium barium copper oxide. Once powered up the fluid will begin to flow within the doughnut shaped ring at great velocities which will provide gyroscopic stabilization for your ship.
PHASE FOUR (ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY)
The affect of gravity can be achieved by taking advantage of centrifugal force. If your ship or a section of your ship spins quickly, the inertia will keep objects weighed toward the walls of the ship, making the outer walls your perspective of down.
Another possibility is by taking advantage of electrogravitics, which would allow you to generate gravity with electricity. (more on electrogravitics coming soon!)
PHASE FIVE (STRUCTURAL DESIGN)
Aerodynamics is very important in the creation of your ship. If your ship is not aerodynamic enough it will not attain the speeds necessary to break free of the earth's gravitational field.
The outside of your ship needs to resist heat and friction. For this reason you should also note that having the ship any other color than white is a bad idea because any other color will absorb a lot more light which will become heat energy (which is not a good thing especially when escaping the atmosphere.)
(PHASE FIVE A) BLOCKING COSMIC RAYS
The health threat from cosmic rays is the danger posed by galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles to astronauts on interplanetary missions. Galactic cosmic rays consist of high energy protons and other nuclei with extrasolar origin. Solar energetic particles consist primarily of protons accelerated by the sun to high energies via proximity to solar flares and coronal mass ejections. They are one of the most important barriers standing in the way of plans for interplanetary travel by crewed spacecraft.
The international space station uses thin aluminum plates to protect its inhabitants from dangerous cosmic radiation. This form of protection isn't perfect and development is currently being undergone in using materials such as hydrogen-rich polymers, liquid hydrogen, and electromagnetic fields. It is important not to use thicker shielding because increased shielding will only cause an increase in secondary radiation. Secondary radiation is radiation originating as the result of absorption of other radiation in matter. It may be either electromagnetic or particulate in nature.
PHASE SIX (DIAGNOSTICS)
Before you launch you must make sure that everything on the ship is working exactly how it is suppose to. Ensure that the ship meets the following requirements:
-water filtration system is functioning correctly
-oxygen reserve and h2o electrolysis air generator works correctly
-climate control is operating successfully
-all backup life support systems are operational
-solar panel rig unfolds and rotates correctly
-solar cells are producing correct voltage
-ac power inverters are functioning and working correctly
-propulsion core is producing adequate thrust
-primary air lock is locking correctly
-trash air lock is working correctly
-the cabin of the ship is 100% air tight
-the last thing you should do is a simulated successful launch. By this i mean, assuming that you made it into space, you have to be sure that the ship is air tight, can resist pressure, and is able to sustain life. The best way to carry out this test is to purchase a boat trailer and take your ship somewhere where it can be fully sealed with you inside and submerged under water. If it leaks or you end up lacking oxygen after several hours than you have a problem that needs to be fixed. If you are able to live in the ship without any problem for three days than is is probably safe to assume that the ship is ready for launch.
PHASE SEVEN (PRE-DEPARTURE CHECKLIST)
-first aid kit
-external service suits
Digital multimeter
Extra batteries for battery powered tools
-drill-driver
-drill index
-standard and metric allen wrench set
-phillips and standard screw drivers
-three sizes of adjustable wrenches
-mettle saw and extra blades
-soldering iron
-extra solder
-multimeter
PHASE EIGHT (LIFT-OFF)
(required content - submissions welcome!)
