Networks: Alternatives to Electrical Energy

Since we're aiming to create an alternative mailing system to the internet that is independent of the power grid, we'll have to look for alternatives to electrical energy. The setting of our project is about having our communications protected from solar flares.

Popular alternatives are solar, hydro, and wind power. But all these need electrical components to convert energy into electric energy. Therefore all these would actually also be affected by solar flares. Generators to create backup energy wouldn't either because unless they're well protected specifically against solar flares they won't work either.

Thus, our options must not have electrical bits in them like cells, resistors, wires, and so on.

Our earliest option was using rocket power fueled by a mixture of corn syrup and potassium nitrate. To be completely honest I'm not quite keen on that. First of all, there are safety concerns to consider. If we go this way we won't be seen much in the studio at all, also, even if we do make it, it would be difficult to stop the rocket at exactly the right place and to guide it around a curve. Also, if the destination for each package differs, how do you make sure the rocket has enough momentum to go all the way to the destination? In addition, it's also a bit excessive to be using potassium nitrate when we're only going to build a small working model of the system.

So in the first week, we'll be researching on more alternatives to increase our possible options.

Edrian found a simpler rocket we could do cheaply and simply if we still would want to build a rocket power mail system.

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(Foresttrenaman, 2009)

Another alternative I've thought about is using steam to move the network we're building, so I had a look at steam engines to see how they work.

This is an example of a Stephenson Engine on Youtube (PhillForSale, 2010):

Basically, heat is applied to the water and you get steam. The steam increases the pressure, which moves the piston. High pressure, high temperature steam leaves the exhaust pipe. Process repeats (Brain, 2011). It's all in the pressure that comes from the water expanding to form steam.

We could put gears and cogs on a steam engine that creates a round and round motion to move something like a conveyor belt to move our system. I'll look into this further throughout the week and keep an eye out for more alternatives.

And below is our schedule for this term. We absolutely have to follow this or do things with more focus and efficiency or else I have doubts that we'll reach the deadline. I have confidence that we can do this and make it work. I made the first week all about research and planning, since director Ben is away. That gives time to get a really solid idea to exactly how we're going to approach in making the network for when he gets back and we fill him in. Then we can jump right into experimenting and testing.

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Reference list


Brain, M. (2011). HowStuffWorks "How Steam Engines Work". Retrieved April 23, 2012, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/engines-equipment/steam.htm

Foresttrenaman. (2009, May 7). How To make A Match Rocket [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0yfrZkqPxQ&feature=relmfu

PhillForSale. (2010, November 24). Working Model of Stephenson's STEAM ENGINE made of GLASS ! Rare! [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73txXT21aZU