ARTIFICIAL CLOSED ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM

1. ARTIFICIAL CLOSED ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM BY VIVIANA DE LA TORRE JULIAN GALLEGO EDUARDO PEREZ INEN 689

2. PROBLEM SITUATION • The passing of time has given to humankind the capacity to understand and modify its environment in order to improve the standard of living among the different organized societies. However, the same passing of time is carrying itself other important challenges and inquiries whose motivations converge to a single common basis: the survival of human race. This survival is being jeopardized by the following hazardous situations (that might happen now and in the coming future):

3. PROBLEM SITUATION OZONE DEPLETION METEOR IMPACT GLOBAL WARMING • Increase in global temperature brings an intensification in the frequency of extreme weather conditions that can deteriorate the livable conditions in the planet. • The last mass extinction led to the demise of the dinosaurs and has been found to have coincided with a large asteroid impact; this is the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) extinction event. NUCLEAR WARS LACK OF NATURAL RESOURCES • The main concern about the ozone depletion is the is the bad effects that the UV light have on human health, such as skin cancer, and planet’s life, such as the extinction of some species that are very sensitive to this type of light. • The possibility of a nuclear war has been brought to the table after the creation of the atomic bomb during World War II. • Natural resources in the Earth, such as water, oxygen, fossil fuels etc., are not unlimited and its current consumption rate is greater than the rate at which they are being replenished. http://www.motherplanet.net/g_Earth_Globe.html

4. PROBLEM SITUATION • Because of the latter reasons the idea of creating a suitable environment for humans that resembles the life in the Earth is becoming a strong necessity in order to guarantee the survival of human race an avoid its extinction.

5. CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS • The system shall maintain artificial ecological models of the Earth’s biosphere. • The system shall be designed and built to serve as a sealed long term ecological environment • The system shall create a ground-base life support environment, that provides a high quality of life for humans under extreme conditions (High temperatures, High levels of CO2 etc.) • The system must be capable of measuring and maintaining a range of internal environmental conditions • The system shall provide the most inert and non-toxic background possible for the residents. • The system shall be able to generate its own water and energy supplies • Habitants of the system shall be able to grow all their food and recycle their wastes.

6. INPUTS / OUTPUTS (HIERARCHY “POACHED EGG” MODEL) Flora and Fauna Water Energy Center Waste Treatment Human • Light Soil (minerals, • nutrients, fossil) • Waste Non biodegradable 1. Electricity 3 2. Food 5 4 3. Clean Water 4 6 4. Contaminated Water 9 5. Hard Water 3 10 4 1 2 6. Biodegradable Waste 10 1 1 10 9 7. System Environmental Conditions(Pressure, Air handling, Humidity, Temperature, CO2, PH, Water quality) 1 7 8 10 8. System Environmental Control Regulator System 9. Waste 10. Labor & Maintenance

7. TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS Energy Center • Inputs / Outputs • Functional Design • StructureMaterials Soil (minerals, nutrients, fossil etc.) • High Performance Glass: • Impact-Resistant Windows (laminated safety glass) • Specialty Windows Coating (Low-E and solar control) • Acrylic: • Cell cast sheet (good optical properties) • Acrylic Sheet (very uniform in thickness) Waste • Stainless Steel: • Higher resistance to oxidation • Ferrous alloy with a minimum of 10.5% chromium content Solar light • Shape • Geodesic domes: • Distribute tension economically throughout the structure • They require excellent ventilation systems Natural Gas Electricity Light http://www.geodesics-unlimited.com/geodesic_dome_theory.htm http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/solar_electricity/index.htm

8. TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS Energy Center • Inputs / Outputs • Functional Design Soil (minerals, nutrients, fossil etc.) Waste Solar light Natural Gas Electricity Light http://www.geodesics-unlimited.com/geodesic_dome_theory.htm http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/solar_electricity/index.htm • Solar Energy • Electricity Generation: • Photovoltaic Cells or PV Electricity storage and distribution:

9. TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS : REVERSE OSMOSIS Contaminated Water Hard Water Contaminated Water Clean Water Clean Water Hard Water ULTRAVIOLET STERILIZATION Electricity Hard Water : Biodegradable Waste Non-Biodegradable Waste • Composting / Anaerobic Digestion Hard Water Non-Biodegradable Waste Contaminated Water Waste • Recycling • Electro-Fenton method • Incineration of Garbage Biodegradable Waste Electricity Electricity Food Waste • Localized Irrigation System with Sprinkler System • Soil Beds • Electric Milking Machines • Integrated Fish Farming System (optimize fish growth) Flora and Fauna Clean Water Water Biodegradable Waste Food Labor & Maintenance Waste Treatment • Inputs / Outputs • Functional Design

10. TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS System Environmental Conditions (Pressure, Wind, Humidity, Temperature, CO2, PH, Water quality) Regulator System System Environmental Control • Inputs / Outputs • Functional Design • Nerve Sub-System : sensors, actuators, computers for data acquisition and control • Pressure Sub-System : a chamber with a flexible membrane that expands and contracts in response to pressure changes • Wind, Humidity and Temperature control Sub-System : Air handlers could be used to regulate temperatures, extract condensate from the air, and to create air movement • CO2 Monitoring Sub-System : sample introduction unit sub-system and a gas analyzer • Habitat Sub-System : • Medical facility • Machine and wood shop • Communications and environmental monitoring terminals • Living quarters • Recreational Areas Electricity Waste Contaminated Water Food Human Labor & Maintenance Clean Water

11. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS Air = [ 6048 Lt of Air x day x person] CO2 = 450 Lt x day Water = 2 Lt x day Atmosphere = [ 20 % Oxygen ] WATER : Ground water Underground Water Rain Photosynthesis Light = 3000 lumens / day CO2 = 29 Lt x day Water = [3.6 Lt x plant x day]