2010 Buckminster Fuller Challenge
I am happy to announce I finished my earlier project on time and submitted it for consideration in the 2010 Buckminster Fuller Challenge. I have spent nearly every spare moment on this project for the last two months, so I am very happy to complete it. I think it turned out well, too:
I had to work quite hard to find examples of this type of structure built previously, I was able to track down an expired patent for a similar idea (USPTO 4,608,964). I am not trying to claim originality for all the concepts involved, but I do think this would be the first time these concepts have been brought together.
My brother is considering sustainable agriculture projects in both central America and Western Africa. Obviously anything near the Sahara makes you think about using solar resources, and I think it would be fun to develop this project for nomadic or semi-nomadic people. A rapidly redeployable instant infrastructure. That is what originally inspired the ideas of tents (fabric structures) and solar power combined with rainwater harvesting.
We chose to focus on Guatemala because it worked out better on the timing. They needed the water collection more than the power, and that is probably the easiest function to accommodate. Overall, both locations offer a good opportunity to focus our ideas.
We chose to develop this idea as a community center in rural communities, but I think it would also have merit for other uses in developed countries. A quick check of the latest USGBC LEED program shows that it could help a project qualify for up to 23 pts when used as a parking structure, so it would be a good option for several different types of projects.
The best part of this project was the opportunity to work with my family (see Group info) to develop the ideas and see the different talents and viewpoints that each person contributed. I am hoping to continue developing our ideas past the initial design and into implementation. All three of us enjoy our work, but I think this was somehow more enjoyable because we allowed ourselves absolute freedom to create.
If anyone has comments on the design, please post them here. The rules of commenting are in this earlier entry, but otherwise post whatever you want. This design is still in the early stages of development, so criticism or suggestions could be very helpful.
TENSILIGHT: Concentrating the Power of Community for a Sustainable Future
Project Summary:
TENSILIGHT is a tensile fabric structure with a dished rooftop that collects rainwater and concentrates solar energy. It is designed to help small communities transition from a petroleum based economy to one that accommodates growth in an era of limited resources. The goal is to create enduring communities by partnering with an NGO that will provide education in organic agricultural practices.
I had to work quite hard to find examples of this type of structure built previously, I was able to track down an expired patent for a similar idea (USPTO 4,608,964). I am not trying to claim originality for all the concepts involved, but I do think this would be the first time these concepts have been brought together.
My brother is considering sustainable agriculture projects in both central America and Western Africa. Obviously anything near the Sahara makes you think about using solar resources, and I think it would be fun to develop this project for nomadic or semi-nomadic people. A rapidly redeployable instant infrastructure. That is what originally inspired the ideas of tents (fabric structures) and solar power combined with rainwater harvesting.
We chose to focus on Guatemala because it worked out better on the timing. They needed the water collection more than the power, and that is probably the easiest function to accommodate. Overall, both locations offer a good opportunity to focus our ideas.
We chose to develop this idea as a community center in rural communities, but I think it would also have merit for other uses in developed countries. A quick check of the latest USGBC LEED program shows that it could help a project qualify for up to 23 pts when used as a parking structure, so it would be a good option for several different types of projects.
The best part of this project was the opportunity to work with my family (see Group info) to develop the ideas and see the different talents and viewpoints that each person contributed. I am hoping to continue developing our ideas past the initial design and into implementation. All three of us enjoy our work, but I think this was somehow more enjoyable because we allowed ourselves absolute freedom to create.
If anyone has comments on the design, please post them here. The rules of commenting are in this earlier entry, but otherwise post whatever you want. This design is still in the early stages of development, so criticism or suggestions could be very helpful.
Labels: BFI Challenge, green design
posted by Graeme at
7:30 AM
4 Comments:
I'm liking it.
Also, looking forward to hearing more. I'm curious of the details for the solar and harvesting and water collection.
Has the idea of snow collection also been broached? Would it just be a mater of waiting for melt?
I can see it's design starts more for desert and tropic areas, but am curious of potential in other areas.
Regards,
I did not think about it being used in colder climates, mostly just around the equator. I think as you rise in latitude the angle of solar energy gets pretty low in the horizon (at least during certain times of the year). In these cases, a spherical shaped collector facing upwards would not be optimum.
But it shouldn't be too hard to redesign as a parabolic trough collector using a stationary structure with focal point tracking, similar to the original proposal. That way the structure could be aimed at a lower point in the horizon and capture more energy during the winter months.
Snow collection would be tricky, as you would need to carefully study how snow would pile up and shift around as it melted. Most structures are designed to shed snow by allowing it to slide off, so keeping it on your roof would definitely be something new.
Finally getting a chance to read this a bit late--glad I did. I'm not well-versed in this topic, but it would be interesting to see how a structure such as TENSILIGHT could adopt to different settings. Interesting that you mention Guatemala's need for water collection over power. Have you thought about how adaptable such a material might be to extreme weather conditions--if it might be useful in mitigating damage absorbed by, say, a hurricane?
AD - I think tent structures are always useful for rapid deployment after a crisis. This one can supply clean water and power without the support of a regional infrastructure system, so it would be even more beneficial.
However, surviving a high wind event would be a more difficult task. The wind force would not be too bad, but above 90mph wind you start getting a lot of debris missiles. See for example.
I don't imagine a fabric structure would do well in that situation, but most wind events are known in advance so the structure could be demounted before the wind picked up. Or maybe a Kevlar fabric...?
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