Future Developments

1. Future Developments Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

2. Outline • Solar power from the moon (Lunar Ring) • Vacuum trains (Swissmetro, ET3, StarTram) • Future living • Green float • Venus Project & SeaSteading • Tiny projects: • Sunny Water Lilies • Paper solar cells • Piezoelectric streets • Energy T-Shirt Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

3. Solar Power from the Moon • Ring of solar cells around moon equator • Transport of energy by microwaves and laser light • Dream of Shimizu Corporation • NASA has a similar concept with satellites Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

4. How it works Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

5. Pro & Contra • 24/7 energy production • No weather influences • Ecological • Sufficient space available • Lunar resources can be used to make: • Ceramics, glass, oxygen, concrete, solar cells & water • Lunar eclipses • Just on one side of the earth at one time • Global grid or energy storage necessary • Dangers of high energy beams Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

6. Atmospheric Advantages Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

7. Atmospheric Advantages scattering loss Relative losses Wavelength Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

8. Numbers • Equator length 11.000 km • Belt width 400 km • Energy production 114 TW (on earth) • Energy used on earth in 2008: 15 TW • Transmission-/receiving-dish size 20 km • Efficiency 6% • Solar cells approx 30% • Transmission 20% Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

9. Vacuum Trains Basic Idea Maglev train -> no friction from rails Vacuum tubes -> no air friction Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

10. Vacuum Trains: History • Idea since 1910s by Goddard and Weinberg • Already realized in a non vacuum „low-speed“-version as Transrapid • First idea for Swissmetro in 1974 by Nieth, liquidation of Swissmetro AG in 2009 • Patent for ETT by Oster in 1999 • Patent for StarTram by Powell and Maise in 2001 Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

11. Swissmetro • Partial vacuum at about 15 kPa • Speeds up to 500 km/h • Cost estimation from 1997: 25 Billion CHF (approx. 20 Billion €) for tracks Geneva – St. Gallen and Basel – Zurich Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

12. Swissmetro • Tunnels 50-100m beneath surface • Tunnel diameter 6.5m • Vacuum pumps every 15km Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

13. SwissmetroEnergy consumption Wh per person Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

14. ET3 Evacuated Tube Transport Technologies • Full vacuum • Speed of 600 km/h currently planned • Speed of 6500 km/h possible • Capsule for 6 people or ca. 350 kg cargo • Capsule weight 183 kg Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

15. ET3 Evacuated Tube Transport Technologies • 1.5 m tunnel diameter • Possible tube materials: Sealed concrete, glazed ceramic, steel, aluminum, fiberglass, plastics Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

16. StarTram • Transport of space vehicles with ground based propulsion • Superconducting • Acceleration 20 to 30 g • Tunnel length approx 100 km • Exit speed 8 km/s • Exit altitude 4000 to 8000 m • Sealed of by plasma window / magneto hydrodynamic pumps • High energy consumption (average use of 50 GW, up to 100 GW) • Very loud due to sonic booms Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

17. StarTram Possible Locations Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

18. Greenfloat • Idea of the Shimizu Corporation • A botanical floating city concept Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

19. Greenfloat Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

20. Construction… 1 ton magnesium per 770 tons Seawater Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

21. Future LivingThe Venus Project, Seasteading • The Venus Project • A concept by Jacque Fresco (designer and free thinker) • Use technology to change society and be environmental friendly • Use resource based and non monetary system • Motivation of work? Self realization? • Seasteading • Seasteading institute founded by Patri Friedman • Supported mainly by libertarians • Changing existing societies is difficult • Create new space outside of existing states (i.e. on the sea) to experiment with political systems • Success can inspire others Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

22. Sunny Water Lillies • Giant floating solar collectors • Transport energy by cable to onshore cities • Sightseeing tourist attraction • Can be secured and moved in case of bad weather Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

23. Paper Solar Cells • Smart product wrapping • Made of renewable resources • Easy to be printed with existing printing presses • 1,3 % Efficiency • Easily recycled Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

24. Street = piezoelectric generator? • Deformation of streets used to produce electricity with piezoelectric crystals • As hard as ordinary streets • 200 kW/km for single lane • Tests in Israel running • Italy plans tests, maybe California, too Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

25. E-T-Shirt • Produces electricity by heat and solar energy • Self cleaning, crease resistant • All due to powders (like boron and magnesium) on nanofibers Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

26. Picture Credits • Title Page: http://blog.bufferapp.com/tweet-cafe-what-is-the-future-of-twitter-discussed-with-tweetsmarter • Lunar Ring and Greenfloat: Company page of Shimizu www.shimizu.co.jp • History of Vacuum Trains: • Dokumentational movie: Zeitgeist Addendum • Patent for ETT • Swissmetro: www.swissmetro.ch • ET3: www.et3.com • StarTram: www.welt.de • Sunny Water Lilies: www.trendsderzukunft.de • Paper Solar cells: www.g-o.de • Piezo streets: www.gizmag.com, cleantechnica.com • E-T-shirt: www.squidoo.com • FIN: Back to the Future III Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker

27. FIN Thank you for your attention! Questions??? Kirsten Langer & Dustin Hebecker