Off-grid post: New Year's Eve 2018-19 ( yearly review )

It is a good time to review the year.  Of course, this blog was dormant until about August, but the blogging on the topics here existed on the Boots and Oil blog.  So, a discussion about the entire year would not be a stretch.

1) Probably have a reasonably good plan for digging post holes for footers.  This will be the foundation for the structures that I wish to build out there.  Other applications could use the same technique.  Such as building a 30 foot ( or higher ) tower for the cell phone, and for a wind turbine.

2) There have been numerous propositions on how to conserve water.  One of the experiments involved the use of soap.  Seems like I found a way that might work the best, but at the moment, the water problem seems to be quite manageable.  It might not be necessary to be this exacting in my methods.

3) Seems like I have found ways of cooking that use little water.  I have honed these methods done down like a pretty sharp knife.  It takes little water for me to run this trailer now.  That includes everything.  Cooking, cleaning, personal hygiene, the works.

4) I have made numerous floor plan drawings, but not posted here.  It seems like I am getting settled in on a plan that would involve a small structure and the use of my trailer.  This is a decision that must be made, or I am still on the drawing board, so to speak.

5) The swamp cooler success is the biggie.  With this device, I can more easily manage heat in the summer.  However, it uses a lot of water.  Maybe it might make sense to be really strict with water after all.

6) With the arrival of the swamp cooler, I have determined that shade is going to be vital in controlling the use of electricity and water.  This has become an important part of my plans.

7) Control of humidity is more of a problem than what I thought.  I recall last year that there was so much water condensation in this trailer that I had to find a way to drain it off the windows.  It was that much.  This may be a concern, since a dehumidifier uses a lot of electricity.

With respect to the above, one fact has stood tall in all this.  It should be obvious, but sometimes you have to see for yourself.  The fact is that lower temperatures causes humidity to go up. This is even true in the desert region.  I checked into it.  There does not have to be a lot of water in the air. The fact that the temperatures are low is what causes relative humidity to go up.  Therefore, cooler interior temperatures are going to need to be treated with a dehumidifier, or it will get too damp inside.

8) Finally, I am getting to the point where to survive out there doesn't seem to be that big of a challenge.  I hope that I am not underestimating this.  But it seems like I have a plan that could work. I am starting to get a bit anxious in trying this out.

That is where I am now. Moving out there is a very big step. There may not be any going back.

SpaceX news

Will use stainless steel instead of composites.

I read that these can survive reentry.  So could carbon.  At any rate, he is going to start testing in April or thereabouts, if things go according to plan.

Musk teases new details about redesigned next-generation launch system - https://t.co/AbFcymXsk7 https://t.co/H198yZyTmP

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) December 26, 2018

Massive water ice deposits on Mars found

This should be big news for Mars colonization folks.

Gigantic ice filled crater 50 miles wide on the surface of Mars https://t.co/oy0BZDbOBx via @MailOnline

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) December 21, 2018

LPPFusion (Focus Fusion ) 2018 highlights

Seems to making slow and steady progress towards the goal of net energy from aneutronic fusion.  Aneutronic fusion should produce little radiation, and therefore would be even better than molten-salt reactors in this regard.

Axial Field Coil and New Switches Assembled, Proton-Boron Fuel Arrives, Plans for New Experiments, LPPFusion Passes Financial Audit and More!: https://t.co/WUr3cdjKx3

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) December 25, 2018

Bill to revitalize zero emissions nuclear power SAILS through Congress

Comment:

Seems like a good thing.  But I haven't read the bill.

Bill to revitalize zero emissions nuclear power SAILS through Congress https://t.co/TEEHjzKlhV via @TheNatSent

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) December 24, 2018

Off grid post 12.22.18 ( construction ideas )

There are a few things to write about since the last time, so here goes:

1)  I have been thinking up a plan for making a move out there.  If I were to execute this
plan, it would involve taking the trailer to El Paso, and working for Uber in order to pay
for the rental spot.  Once I figured I made enough money for the week, I would use the rest
of the week to work on the property.

2)  There is a plan for construction out on the property, but this is constantly in a state
of flux.  The latest plan is to make a solarium facing the south, with the trailer sitting
under a cover directly north of it on the east-west line.  The latest plan would involve a
lot of work, which is why I hesitate.  It could be as large as 32 feet by 20 feet wide.

3) The solarium would be designed to stay warm in the winter, but would have to have covering
for the windows.  There would be a lot of glass on the south side.  In the summer, the sun
may make things very hot in there.  Thus the need for the coverings.  Also, an overhang may
be enough to shade the windows entirely, but having a covering will be a backstop in case I
am wrong about that.

4) Don't know how big the solarium will be.  If I make it the full 32 feet long, that would
mean a helluva lot of glass. In the winter, the south gets sun all day long.  Maybe it would
not need to be the full 32 feet.

5)  Don't know exactly if I want a floor for the solarium.  The purpose of the solarium is
to warm up the interior of the trailer, or to sit in the solarium itself during the daytime
during the winter months.  If I sit inside the solarium all day, then I should have a floor.
An idea just struck me.  I could make the solarium not have a floor, but make it only 16
feet in size.  A door could be placed between the solarium and a spot where I could spend the
day.  A fan can be placed at the door, and would circulate the warmer air into the area with
the floor.

6) Been trying out the sleeping bag the last few days.  On a night above 40 degrees Farenheit,
it wouldn't even be necessary to run the heat.  In fact, it works so well that if it is much
above that, I break out in a sweat.

7) There is also the option of using an electric blanket.  I have one, but I don't use it.

8) With those ideas, and the ideas for that I have already practiced, I think that I have
most of the water and power issues figured out.

9) Security can be an issue if I move the trailer out there.  Not sure if I want to do that
though, because I would have to leave the trailer unattended for days at a time.  That makes
it subject to theft.

10)  Construction details follow, assuming 32x20 foot plan with 16x8 foot solarium:

a)  Fifteen post holes will have to be dug.  The northernmost set of five are to be only
16 inches deep.  The reason is that I want the rainfall to run off from the north to the
south end.  Therefore, the north end will be somewhat higher than the south.

b) The posts will be 12 feet, meaning that they should be 10 feet and 8 inches above ground.
I will attach four inches of spacers on the north row, and two inches on the middle row.
The middle row will be dug 18 inches deep, so it will rise to 10 feet 6 inches above ground.
Therefore, with a 2"x6"x8' connecting board between the posts, it will rise to 11 feet and
2 inches, with 10 feet and 10 inches of clearance on the north side.  That is because some
2"x6"x8' boards will go on top of the board connecting the posts.  A 2" notch will be cut
out of the board, and it will rest vertically on top of the connecting board.  The 4 inches
remaining will knock the 11 foot two inch height down to 10 feet and 10 inches of clearance.
The middle row of posts will be 12 feet away, and will be 4 inches lower than the north end.
That's because of the extra spacer, and the deeper post hole.  Four inches lower height
should be enough to allow rain water to drain off.  Over ten feet and six inches of clearance
and the middle side should be plenty to allow the trailer to fit under the roof.

c) So, the trailer roof will have 10 post holes dedicated to it.  It will share the middle
row of posts with the solarium and floored area.  The posts rows will be arranged along the
east west line, with the mentioned five posts to a row.

d) The last row will only a ten foot post, with a foot and a half deep hole for it.  It will
be a couple feet lower than the middle, so rainwater will run off on top of the roof, and
continue along the roof until it reaches the end on the south side, where it can be
collected.

e) The roof to the solarium, floored area will only be about eight feet in height.  There
may be an overhang from the higher area to the lower area, as well as an overhang toward
the south end.  That means more metal roofing material.

f) With this configuration, there will be twenty feet of floor space.  With overhang, there
could be a total of 32 feet by 22 feet of rainfall catchment area available.  There should
be no shortage of water, once I start collecting rainfall.  For example, 32x22 feet is
704 square feet.  Each inch of rain yields a possible 58.7 cubic feet.  That translates into
close to 439 gallons of water.  Just for each inch, mind you.  For an entire year, there is
going to be more water than I can collect or use.

g) The floor will be like the roof, as far as the construction details.  Only that it does
not have to slope any for rain.

h) There should be adequate ventilation, so doors will be on each side of the 8 foot solarium
/ floored section.  Doors/ gates will be added on the west ends and east ends.  Finally, a wall
can be constructed on the middle row of posts to block out the wind.  The structure should be
protected from sun, wind, and rain.  There would be a door connecting the solarium to the trailer.

Final thoughts.  As discussed, this means a lot of material and a lot of work.

Fifteen post holes.  704 square feet of roofing space.  640 square feet of floor space, but
only 128 square feet of actual floor.  The walls on the north side will have to be high, so
I may not make one.  Instead, a "skirt", which prevents the wind from going underneath the
trailer can block the wind.  Also, perhaps a slight wind block on the topside to keep the
wind from whistling above the top of the roof.

This means a lot of material, a lot of work, and a lot of money.  Also, it will take a long
time, since I don't think I will set records on my speed.

It is a big challenge, and I am concerned that I may not actually get this done.
Anyway, it is a plan.  It is also subject to change according to conditions.

Focus Fusion for space travel ?

A short exposition on fusion as a means of transportation in space.

It is actually a bit too short.  He doesn't go into why this is going to happen.  At the moment, this seems to be in doubt.

The question that needs answering is: can we do this?

A similar approach to Focus #Fusion for space travel:https://t.co/Qrqq7VmcfK https://t.co/Qrqq7VmcfK

— Focus Fusion Society (@focusfusion) November 18, 2018

X-33 Venture Star: Was cancellation a big mistake?

It looks like pretty impressive tech, but I am not convinced of the aerospike engines, and the cost benefit wasn't as big as SpaceX is claiming to be able to do.

Anyway, I was for the project, despite the possible flaws.  It could be that the aerospike engines are really better, but the ISP numbers don't look any better, but actually worse than the Shuttle's main engines.

off-grid post, 12.11.18 ( cabin or trailer ? )

There has been  a long debate with myself about what I would build out there.  It would come down to cabin, or cover for the trailer.

There are a lot of pros and cons.  For example, if I were to use the trailer, I would save a lot of money and effort in building out an entire building.  But the downside to that is that the trailer is not as secure as a cabin.  What concerns me is that someone could steal it when I left it there.  Since my idea is to work a bit in El Paso, that means it could be days in which I would not be there.  In that event, any thief would have an opportunity to steal it without my knowledge ( until it is too late ).

The idea to deal with potential theft would be to take the trailer with me when I go to El Paso.  There are a lot of complications in that option.  It would not save much, if any, money, and it would take a lot of effort.

On the other hand, if a cabin were built, it would be secure from theft ( as to the building itself).

What are the downsides of the cabin?  It would probably cost more.  It would need fixtures, whereas the trailer already has those that I need.

What about a compromise of sorts?  I could build a cover for the trailer, and if things worked out, I could make the trailer more permanent so as to secure it.

An idea occurred to me to build a cabin, and then take the trailer out there.  But what about a cover for it?  In the long run, I would have to build both, or dispose of the trailer.

If I were to make the trailer more permanent, why not wall it in?  Before walling it in, and making it more permanent, I would have the flexibility to change my mind if things didn't work out.

So, I am leaning in the direction of making the cover for the trailer, and making it permanent eventually.  It could give me an opportunity to do a "shake-down" cruise of the new structure, and see if things will work out before making any final commitments.

I may be able to secure a rental spot in an RV park in El Paso for a competitive rate.  Whatever I spend on that, however, will be more than what I spend now, because I get my current spot for no charge.

You can't beat that price, but it has its downsides as well.  "You pays your money and you takes your chances".  Kinda like life itself.

Flibe Energy news

What happened to Kirk Sorensen at Flibe Energy?  Here is a video which answers that question.

Nerva video

The highly successful development, but non-implementation, of a nuclear thermal rocket engine in the sixties.

Hard to believe that this was done over fifty years ago. ( Or maybe not so hard to believe, given the subsequent national decline.)

Off-grid post, 12.4.18 ( Passive solar and rainfall catchment )

It has been awhile since the last of these posts.  But, I am still thinking and planning for the project out west.

Lately, I have been keeping track of the sun's movements as we get closer to the winter solstice.  The sun now sets quite a bit south of the east-west line.  The point of all this is to plan to use the sun to the best advantage for passive heating.  Also, to avoid having the sun become a problem during the summer months.

It would seem a bit nutty to have a large glass window facing the south, since the sun can enter during the summer months.  As this would heat things up considerably, which is not the idea during the hot summer.  However, without a window facing the south, passive solar is out of the question.  This requires something of a compromise.

The compromise would entail making a small room, which is blocked off from the rest of the cabin, and which will take all of the sun's heat during the summer and winter.  In addition to blocking it off from the rest of the cabin, it will make sense to cover the window with a reflective device that can be easily removed and replaced as needed.

The latest idea for a cabin is to make 24 feet of glass windows all along the south side, and also 8 feet that wraps around the southwest corner and goes west.  This would make the southwest side the warmest spot all year round.  I can use that to advantage, or I would like to think I can take advantage of this fact.

In addition, there will be no overhang in the south.  This seems crazy again, but after noting how the overhang blocks the sun during the winter months too, then to maximize the sunlight available would require such a plan.  You need a lot of sun in a tight place in order to make it hot during the winter.  In the summer, it will get overbearingly hot, but once again, this can be offset with reflective coverings.

How to collect rain?  Wouldn't the rainwater collection create a shadow?  Yes, it would.  Therefore, the highest point will be south, and it will slope downward towards the north.  The north end will have the rainwater collection barrels.

So, progress is being made, but it is rather slow.  The schedule for arriving out there could be as early as this time next year.  Before I go out there, I would like to make a trip in order to determine if certain ideas will work.  I'd like to test my drill for making post holes, and I would like to know if I can make any money in El Paso for Uber.  In order to do this, I may stay for a week or so.  This might happen in late March or early April.

By that time, I will be closing in on five years of owning the property.  Hard to believe it has been that long.

Molten-salt reactors coming to America?

Maybe soon.  Perhaps in the next decade.

@TerrestrialMSR USA Selected by U.S. DOE for an Award to Advance U.S. IMSR Pre-Licensing#Advancednuclear #nuclearpower @ENERGYhttps://t.co/kaf33X2j2g pic.twitter.com/z8JnLGdAIx

— Terrestrial Energy (@TerrestrialMSR) November 27, 2018

For a long time, cost comparisons with coal have been favorable.  Is this still true?  Here's an article about it.

Highest OCC in this report works out to ~$8k per kW. https://t.co/uLQNmcmtBy pic.twitter.com/AL9sWZcEAz

— Oscar Archer (@OskaArcher) November 26, 2018

Offshore wind cost 25 times more than Thorcon molten-salt reactor

Faster, please....

New US offshore wind generation costs $25/watt, compared to expensive US nuclear at $9/watt, or Korean nuclear at $3/watt, or forthcoming ThorCon liquid fission at $1/watt.... https://t.co/uPzYVQ9wz1

— Thorcon Power (@ThorconPower) November 23, 2018

SpaceX launches successfully today

Note:  Even though the tweet below is about the Russian launch, what I am really writing about is the SpaceX launch.  There was a mention in the article. 

It is the third time that the booster has flown, which is a new record.

Interesting that SpaceX flew this first stage from Collyfornia.  That means the thing had to be transported all the way from Florida to Collyfornia for this launch.  Even after all that, it launches the payload, and lands successfully on a barge in the Pacific.

Russian Soyuz successfully launches three astronauts https://t.co/ubflWTR4RT

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) December 3, 2018

Skeleton Ultracapacitors

Looks like great tech, but the price is a bit high.  More than a bit.

Something like this could be used in regenerative braking for hybrid auto applications.  There are other applications mentioned, but this one is the one that interests me.

Still say that a Stirling electric hybrid auto is a doable project, and if combined with these, can minimize the size of the the battery and the engine that charges it.