Ingenious Construction Tech

 

Focus Fusion Update

Disclosure:  I own (1) share. 

Aneutronic fusion would be a game-changer.

Quote:

Imagine the world in which power is cheap, pollution is gone and people are enjoying affordable housing, locally produced foods, and cheap healthcare. With fusion energy, everything can change for the better – in a heartbeat.

A 2-cycle ICE hybrid

5/27/25:

 

You could make them out of superwood! 80% lighter than steel, and moldable into shapes fitting for an automobile, superwood could make the cars that much more efficient.

 

5/25/25:

 

The engine described on the main blog may be useful in several ways. It is a powerful engine in a small package. Therefore, it would not need a massive frame to hold it. It could be optimized to make just enough power to keep the batteries charged in a hybrid engine.

 

The engine in the video was about half a liter, with a power output of 200 hp. You could get away with a much smaller engine. Let's say 1/2 the size and output. That would mean a 250 cc engine with 100 hp. That 100 hp engine could power a generator, which in turn, would power an electric engine.

You wouldn't have to run it all the time. Just long enough to charge the batteries. With the new batteries coming out soon, you wouldn't need much weight on them either. They could also be charged an indefinite number of times, since they would actually operate more like a capacitor than a battery.

The engine would be quite versatile, since it could run on a variety of fuels. The ones mentioned in the video include hydrogen. Perhaps it could run on ammonia? In that case, if ammonia could be synthesized economically, it could replace carbon based fuels. Not that I would think that important, but some people believe in the global warming theory.

Anyway, I would speculate that a super efficient ICE hybrid may be feasible in the near future. Question is, will it ever be built?

Potentially revolutionary propulsion system.

 

Seems like I've heard about this design before somewhere. Once you acquire enough speed, the sky is the limit. Imagine a single stage to orbit aircraft that can take off from a runway. It would be air breathing, which could remove the need to carry oxygen. Oxygen could represent the lion's share of the mass needed to get to orbit.

Venus Aerospace Completes Historic U.S. Hypersonic Engine Flight Test https://t.co/ev3zNEcllQ --- Uses a rotating detonation ramjet engine concept. It is claimed to be scalable. Goal is to produce aircraft that can sustain Mach 4. Doesn't require rocket engine boosts.

— BootsandOil (@BootsandO6892) May 20, 2025

JP Aerospace tests their home-made submarine

 

The video below was published just prior to a test of the sub...

... and afterwards a post on the blog about it. Not many details, but those may be forthcoming.

Installation of Fedora Linux distro

5/16/25, 6:34 PM::

 

I'm going to suspend this for awhile. Reason being that there's not good enough reason to add yet another distro to the collection. If Mint craps out again, maybe...

 

Just added a restore version on Mint, so if it does crap out, then at least I can try a restore option. Didn't have that the first go round.

 

2:39 PM:

 

Note to self: Installing Fedora via Live Environment installation disk will not work. Insufficient disk space. Well, duh.

 

So I had to do a real install of Mint, which is always an adventure. As of this writing, Mint is now re-installed. What happened to the first install?

 

Just say it got discombobulated and there was no backup or restore capabilitity. So I did without it for awhile until now, when I decided I might need it again. Trouble is, I forgot how I got the thing installed the first time. Always a fun time to rediscover how all of this was a pain in the arse.

 

Maybe I can install Fedora now. This post is made in the Mint environment, so that's poof proof. The last time I tried this, I was in the mint install environment, and google yanked the post.

 

5/15/25,6:50 PM:

Fedora may be simpler, but getting Linux Mint installed again is a bit of a tussle. Spent the better part of today working on this.

Why did I ever start bothering with computers???? Seemed like a good idea at the time.

This is a video which shows how to install the Fedora Linux distro. I've used this YouTube Channel (AgileDevArt) for videos on how to install other Linux distros, among which is Zorin OS. My impression of the video is that the installation of Fedora seems relatively simple in comparision with Zorin or any other Linux distro that I've installed. Perhaps this is a good sign. As of yet, I'm only considering this new (to me) distro.

P.S., 11:11 AM:

This video isn't the SilverBlue distro mentioned on the other blog. AgileDevArt installed it via Windows. I'm contemplating doing it through Mint. That's a difference.

POGO oscillation theory as to cause of Starship's recent RUDs

An unofficial explanation for what's going wrong with the Starship's recent flights.

 

Floating to orbit on Mars?

JP discusses a tandem airship. However, there's a better idea with his airship to orbit concept employed on Mars. However, there's nothing wrong with idea of using the tandem airship to launch a rocket with Mars samples to a waiting spacecraft for a return to Earth.

 

But there won't be any takers, unfortunately. There's nobody who would fund this, in my opinion.

Construction ideas

 

Drill technology for geothermal heat pump

The device enables the use of pretty stable temperatures below ground level. Such a "heat pump" will only take the relatively constant temperature below ground, and move it into ground level structures in order to facilitate climate control. A heat exchanger and air pump is about all that would be needed, but that really isn't discussed in this video. The video is about the drill tech.

 

I like the concept.(the drill tech)

The Mosquito Coast reference deserves some discussion...

 

The Mosquito Coast reference is mentioned on the main blog here.

The idea for this post began with the basic idea from this link: "There's no such things as clean energy".

There's no comment upon the clean energy assertion, because there may well be an almost totally clean energy solution being developed right under our noses. It's called Focus Fusion. Focus Fusion is aneutronic, which mean that no neutrons are emitted. This is clean because there's no destabilizing neutrons that will cause succeptible atoms to go radioactive. This means virtually no waste. There may be SOME, but hardly enough for anybody to worry about, but purists undoubtedly will complain about ANYTHING.

It may be true that there's no totally clean energy source, but this one is about as close as it gets in the real world. All radioactive emissions are put to use, and there's no waste. Only helium molecules will be produced. The results will be limitless "clean" energy for millenia or even into perpetuity.

Of course, the technology is still under development and may not pan out. But the latest results are quite promising. We'll see.

With respect to the The Mosquito Coast scenario, we've already had refrigeration since before widespread usage of electricity. An energy source applied to a Stirling Engine will produce cryogenically cooling power. A Stirling Engine only requires energy. It could use sunlight, fire, or basic animal power to drive the device. Stirling Engines have been around longer than steam engines. They can be used without any "greenhouse" emissions whatever.

Or they could be power with an aneutronic fusion device like Focus Fusion. It would be very, very clean; and very, very efficient. Better than solar, but that would be faint praise.

Focus Fusion has a fundraiser going... If you want to invest, remember this: this could be a trillion dollar invention if it works. Disclosure: I own 1 share.

How to get stuff off the moon

Scott Manley discusses some lunar base ideas. He posed the question that I thought up myself awhile back.

This is what you call a "good question". It seems that I had a conversation with the gas gun guy who responded to my query about how to get stuff off the moon, and he said that you wouldn't even have to heat hydrogen that hot in order to reach escape velocity.

So a hydrogen gas gun would be better than a rail gun. By the way, you could recover electricity by having some brakes to slow down the accelerator device. The way it would work is that you would need to heat up a chamber full of sealed hydrogen. It wouldn't have to be all that hot. The expansion of the gas would create the push needed to get the sled up to escape velocity. The hydrogen gas can be re-compressed and liquified for storage for the next shot.

Focus Fusion is doing more fundraising

 

This is a shoe-string type operation. Small timers can invest here. It is like a lottery ticket. The thing to remember about lottery tickets is that they payoff. They have to.

But it is a hit or miss proposition. If it doesn't hit, you lose it all. Therefore, a small investment of funds that could be lost without wanting to jump off a high building--- may be all that is needed. Therefore, I have been invested in exactly one share of this "investment" that I call a lottery ticket. If you can spare it, and you can afford it, one share might be available for as low as $100. Incidentally, most of my posts on Focus Fusion is on the other blog. It goes here now because it is a speculation. That's where I try to divide between what could be, and what actually is.

And invest in LPPFusion! https://t.co/c8sCdNunBk

— LPPFusion (@LPPFusion) March 18, 2025

Forbidden Technologies and The Silencing of Their Inventors

 

Universe Inside You YouTube Channel

A name from the past resurfaces

 

Aptera? Well, they're baaaaaack. These two guys seem to be a bit skeptical of Aptera's claims. These claims may be inflated, as there's no penalty yet, for lying. Just as long as you don't do it when it is against the law, such as marketing a product through the use of false claims.

Anyway, all of that aside, the design is highly efficient in terms of aerodynamics. It may also be highly efficient in terms of its friction against the surface. In other words, in order to roll down the highway, it may not take all that much power to keep it going. This has many advantages, and it is the reason why I think electric cars are too darned heavy.

It DOES appear that better ultra-capacitors are in the works, so if these could be employed in this kind of car, they could get something special out of it. The video also mentions that people in the Aptera community are quite devoted to it. That explains why they are back, I suppose.

Graphene capacitors here and now

This tech is better than the tech described in the AI dialogues. I don't know if these are available for installation in autos, but they are indeed being used in other applications. However, not as I envisioned it. To put together a package that could work the way I envision could take awhile to figure out and write it up. This short ditty will have to do for now.

 

One ammonia source that may turn up some noses

 

At the risk of provoking a "yuck" response, here's another LEO AI dialogue about your pee.

Does the decomposition of urea from human urine result in the production of ammonia, and if so, how much?

According to the provided text from Wikipedia, urea is synthesized in the body as part of the urea cycle, where amino groups donated by ammonia and L-aspartate are converted to urea. The decomposition of urea from human urine can indeed result in the production of ammonia. *The process is as follows:* Urea (CO(NH2)2) is broken down by enzymes in the kidneys and liver to form carbon dioxide and ammonia (NH3).

Sidebar from a source given from LEO AI:

Decomposition of urea from human urine:

Urea Decomposition in Human Urine

Urea from human urine decomposes primarily through microbial activity in soil, where it is converted into ammonia and ammonium ions. This process can take between 5 and 20 days, depending on the initial microbial content of the soil and the dilution of the urine

Another method of urea decomposition involves the use of microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which utilize microbial digestion to degrade organic waste, including urea, and generate power. In an extensive study, raw human urine was treated over a 45-day period using MFCs

Urea can also decompose through enzymatic processes, specifically by the enzyme urease, which catalyzes the hydrolytic decomposition of urea into ammonia and carbamic acid, which further decomposes into ammonia and carbonic acid

To inhibit the decomposition of urea during storage, acids such as sulfuric or acetic acid can be added. A one-time dosage of 60 meq of sulfuric or acetic acid per liter of undiluted urine can inhibit urea decomposition for more than 100 days

The decomposition of urea is also influenced by pH levels. There is a strong relationship between pH and the fraction of urea decomposed in urine, with higher pH levels facilitating decomposition

End sidebar, return to dialogue:

Please discuss microbial fuel cells.

**Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs)**

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a type of bio-electrochemical system that utilizes microorganisms to break down organic matter, such as urea, and generate electricity. MFCs consist of an anode and a cathode separated by an electrolyte, where microorganisms thrive and produce electrons as a byproduct of their metabolic processes.

**Key Components and Processes:**

1. **Anode:** Microorganisms, such as bacteria or archaea, break down organic matter, releasing electrons and protons.

2. **Electrolyte:** The electrons and protons are transferred through the electrolyte, creating an electric potential.

3. **Cathode:** Oxygen or other electron acceptors react with the electrons, completing the circuit and generating electricity.

**Advantages and Applications:**

1. **Renewable Energy:** MFCs can harness energy from organic waste, reducing the need for fossil fuels.

2. **Wastewater Treatment:** MFCs can treat wastewater while generating electricity, making them an attractive solution for wastewater management.

3. **Remote Power:** MFCs can provide power for remote communities or in areas where traditional energy sources are not available.

**Limitations and Challenges:**

1. **Efficiency:** MFCs have relatively low energy conversion efficiency compared to traditional power generation methods.

2. **Scalability:** MFCs are still in the early stages of development, and scaling up their production and implementation is a significant challenge.

3. **Cost:** MFCs are currently more expensive than traditional power generation methods, making them less competitive.

**Future Directions:**

1. **Improving Efficiency:** Researchers are working to optimize MFC design, materials, and microbial communities to increase efficiency.

2. **Scaling Up:** Larger-scale MFC deployments are being explored, including integrated systems for wastewater treatment and power generation.

3. **Cost Reduction:** Economies of scale and advancements in materials and manufacturing could reduce the cost of MFCs, making them more competitive.





Conclusion:

Seems to be a dead end. However, it may be useful to know if one is thinking about how to handle human waste on Mars.

Leo Dialogue: About this blog

I find this amusing. Why not blog it?

Please describe this blog at the following url: https://kardashevianaspirations.blogspot.com/

 

The blog at the URL https://kardashevianaspirations.blogspot.com/ is a personal blog titled "Kardashevian Aspirations" that has been renamed to "Space City Speculations." The blog appears to be a series of posts discussing various topics, including off-grid projects, hypothetical electric vehicles (EVs), and fuel cell technology.

 

The blog is written in a conversational style, with the author, Greg, engaging in a dialogue with an AI assistant named Leo. The posts are dated, with the most recent post being from March 28, 2025.

 

The blog covers a range of topics, including chemistry, materials science, and engineering. The author provides detailed information on various chemical compounds, such as ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium carbonate, and their production methods.

 

The blog also discusses fuel cell technology, specifically PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) hydrogen fuel cells. The author mentions several companies involved in the production of PEM fuel cells, including Bosch, PowerCell Sweden, and Horizon.

 

The blog's tone is informal and conversational, suggesting that it is intended for a general audience interested in science and technology. However, the level of detail and technical information provided suggests that the blog may also be of interest to professionals and enthusiasts in the field.

 

Leo Dialogues --- smelling salts?

This is a series of posts about a hypothetical EV car that I'm imagining with the aid of AI called Leo. This is the third post, Post two is here, and Post One is there.





Please tell me that there is such a thing as ammonium bicarbonate, and if there is, how to make it.

**Ammonium Bicarbonate**

Yes, ammonium bicarbonate is a real chemical compound with the formula NH4HCO3. It is a colorless crystalline solid and is also known as ammonium acid bicarbonate.

To make ammonium bicarbonate, you can react ammonia (NH3) with carbon dioxide (CO2) in water. The reaction is as follows:

NH3 + CO2 + H2O → NH4HCO3

However, this reaction is not straightforward and requires careful control of the conditions. A more common method to produce ammonium bicarbonate is by reacting ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) with carbon dioxide in water:

NH4OH + CO2 + H2O → NH4HCO3 + H2O

This reaction is often used in industrial settings to produce ammonium bicarbonate for various applications, including food and pharmaceutical industries.



With respect to the previous question about ammonium bicarbonate, how would ammonium hydroxide be obtained?



**Obtaining Ammonium Hydroxide (NH4OH)**

Ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) can be obtained by reacting ammonia (NH3) with water. The reaction is as follows:

NH3 + H2O → NH4OH

This reaction is highly exothermic and should be carried out slowly under controlled conditions to prevent the solution from becoming too hot.

A more common method to obtain ammonium hydroxide is by dissolving ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) in water:

NH4Cl + H2O → NH4OH + HCl

This method is often used in laboratory settings to prepare solutions of ammonium hydroxide. However, please note that handling strong bases like ammonium hydroxide requires proper safety precautions and equipment.

If you need more information or clarification on handling these chemicals, I'd be happy to help.



How is so-called smelling salts produced?

**Smelling Salts**

Smelling salts, also known as ammonia salts or ammoniated salts, are typically composed of ammonium carbonate (NH4)2CO3 or ammonium bicarbonate (NH4HCO3). However, the most common and effective smelling salt is ammonium carbonate.

Smelling salts are produced by reacting ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) with sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) in water:

NH4Cl + Na2CO3 → (NH4)2CO3 + NaCl

This reaction produces ammonium carbonate, which is the active ingredient in smelling salts. The resulting solution is then concentrated and dried to produce a crystalline powder or a solid cake. When the powder is applied to the nostrils, the ammonia gas released from the ammonium carbonate causes a sudden and intense sensation, often referred to as a "whiff" or "snort".



With respect to ammonium carbonate, how is it produced?

**Producing Ammonium Carbonate**

Ammonium carbonate ((NH4)2CO3) can be produced by several methods:

1. **Reaction of Ammonia with Carbon Dioxide**: Ammonia (NH3) can be reacted with carbon dioxide (CO2) in the presence of water to produce ammonium carbonate:

2NH3 + CO2 + H2O → (NH4)2CO3

2. **Reaction of Ammonium Chloride with Sodium Carbonate**: Ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) can be reacted with sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) to produce ammonium carbonate:

NH4Cl + Na2CO3 → (NH4)2CO3 + NaCl

3. **Reaction of Ammonium Hydroxide with Carbon Dioxide**: Ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) can be reacted with carbon dioxide (CO2) to produce ammonium carbonate:

NH4OH + CO2 → (NH4)2CO3

These reactions are commonly used in industrial settings to produce ammonium carbonate for various applications.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell discussion

More LEO AI discussion with regard to PEM hydrogen cells.

Who makes PEM hydrogen fuel cells?

Several companies are involved in the production of PEM hydrogen fuel cells. Some of the notable companies mentioned in the search results include:

* Bosch: They are collaborating with PowerCell Sweden to mass-produce fuel-cell stacks, which are a key component of PEM hydrogen fuel cells.

* PowerCell Sweden: They are a startup that is working with Bosch to bring PEM fuel cell technology to mass production.

* Plug Power: They are a company that specializes in PEM fuel cell technology and provides fuel cell systems for various applications.

* Daimler Chrysler: They have developed a PEM fuel cell system, known as the Necar 5, which uses reformed methanol as fuel.

* Horizon: They are a company that offers PEM fuel cell products, including the H-5000 PEM Fuel Cell, which is a 5kW fuel cell system.

These are just a few examples of companies that are involved in the production of PEM hydrogen fuel cells. There are many other companies and research institutions working on this technology as well.

Describe for me please, the Horizon PEM fuel cell in terms of its dimensions and weight.

**Horizon PEM Fuel Cell Dimensions and Weight**

The Horizon H-1000 PEM Fuel Cell has the following dimensions and weight:

* **Stack Size:** 268 x 219 x 123 mm (10.5" x 8.6" x 4.8")

* **Stack Weight (with Fan & Casing):** 4kg ± 100g (8.8 lbs ± 0.22 lbs)

* **Controller Weight:** 400g ± 30g (0.88 lbs ± 0.066 lbs)

Note that the dimensions and weight may vary slightly depending on the specific model and configuration of the fuel cell.

The Horizon PEM Fuel Cell just mentioned has what kind of performance with regard to power and durabillity?

**Horizon H-1000 PEM Fuel Cell Performance**

The Horizon H-1000 PEM Fuel Cell has the following performance characteristics:

* **Maximum Power:** 1 kW

* **Nominal Power:** 750 W

* **Efficiency:** Up to 40%

* **Lifetime:** 40,000 hours (approximately 5 years of operation)

* **Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF):** 20,000 hours

Note that the actual performance of the fuel cell may vary depending on the operating conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and fuel quality.

Does Horizon have other models that are more powerful than the one just mentioned?

**Horizon Fuel Cell Models**

Horizon offers a range of fuel cell models with varying power outputs. Some of their more powerful models include:

* **H-5000:** 5 kW PEM fuel cell stack, designed for stationary power generation and backup power applications.

* **H-10kW:** 10 kW PEM fuel cell stack, designed for medium-power applications such as data centers and telecommunications.

* **H-20kW:** 20 kW PEM fuel cell stack, designed for high-power applications such as industrial power generation and grid-scale energy storage.

These models are designed to be more powerful and efficient than the H-1000, and are intended for use in a variety of applications where high power density is required.

As for the Horizon H-20kw PEM fuel cell just mentioned, what is its dimensions in terms of volume and weight?

**Horizon H-20kW PEM Fuel Cell Dimensions and Weight**

The Horizon H-20kW PEM Fuel Cell has the following dimensions and weight:

* **Stack Size:** 560 x 295 x 350 mm (22" x 11.6" x 13.8")

* **Volume:** Approximately 0.06 cubic meters (2.1 cubic feet)

* **Weight (with Fan & Casing):** 15kg ± 1kg (33 lbs ± 2.2 lbs)

* **Controller Weight:** 1.5kg ± 0.1kg (3.3 lbs ± 0.22 lbs)

Please note that these dimensions and weight may vary slightly depending on the specific configuration and packaging of the fuel cell.

Summary:

The discussion concludes with a fuel cell dimensions and its performance characteristics. It could be a starting point for building out a conceptual model for an electric powered vehicle. The goal for this EV would be for it to be comparable to the size and weight of a Toyota Corolla, and have roughly the performance you'd expect from such a conventional ICE vehicle.