The Floating Terraformer (Technology and Innovation)
The [PH] Facility
Climate change is real and I cannot stress this enough.
Starting this year’s thesis on the brief climate urgencies, I started researching about all the climate change threats around the world, Few that caught my eyes more than others were Acid pollution and water scarcity, mainly because without water, there is no us, 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. Acid rain causes significant environmental damage all over the world, although it is most widespread in the North Eastern United States, Eastern Europe, and, to a lesser extent, portions of China, India. Middle Eastern countries etc.
To combat the acidity crisis, the project ‘the [PH] floating terraformer’ has been set out in the midst of New York City in Sheep meadow, at Central Park. the reasons for choosing this site was two folds, first the Adirondack mountains of New York, suffer from extreme acid and soil deposition, more than any place, and has a PH level of 3.4-4.0. Second, Central park is known as the lungs of New York, which is a direct metaphor for the current climate situation of the city and for my project. This, however, is the initial idea of setting the scene for the project, as a starting point of the world cleaning mission, the final aim is to build a network of terraformers around the world and clear the world from acid deposition and water scarcity problems. Hence making the planet a better place to live and grow old.
The project’s goal is to create a system that gently removes acid and toxins from the atmosphere while emitting zero carbon in the process. The [PH] floating terraformer, as the name implies, is designed to float in the air using maglev technology. The repulsion induced by the structure’s magnetism and the earth’s magnetic field would regulate the buoyancy of the structure, causing it to migrate up to altitudes of 700m, where acidic contaminants typically congregate. The floating terraformer levitates with the help of maglev technology. The coiled molecules of graphene present on the underside of the structure in conjunction with magnetic containers, which can be further modified to absorb the magnetic energy from the earth’s field. The magnets induce an electric current in the coils, transforming them into electromagnets. This produces pushing and pulling forces that raise and levitates the facility. The floating terraformer hence floats as effortlessly as the wind in the air.
The purification center has purifier tubes that neutralize the acid with an alkaline solution formed by photosynthetic nitrogen-fixing microorganisms through biological action and finally deposit it into the purifier center. The tubes consist of a breathing fan which acts as a ventilation system for the entire process. The interflow base at the bottom of the tube purifies the water further before transporting it to the water distribution center or storage center. The tentacles attached to the bottom have rambler plants attached to it, which absorb any extra ammonia left in the neutralized water, and then distributed the water and nutrients to the plants, trees, scarce lands, people, around the world.
Welcome to the Grand opening of The Floating Terraformer, World Fair, Central Park, NY ( The Manifesto )
Pollution is one of the most significant challenges that humanity is facing right now. Pollution percentages have been rising exponentially since the 18th century’s industrial revolution. This industrial outbreak has caused a variety of environmental problems, including ozone layer destruction, decreased oxygen-to-carbon ratios, and acid deposition. Acid rain washed out trees in Europe, wiped out wetlands in areas of Canada and the United States, and affected human health and crops in China, where the problem remains. The cause was sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides released by the combustion of fossil fuels in automobiles and manufacturing facilities such as smelters and coal-burning utilities. When these atmospheric toxins react with water and oxygen in the soil, they chemically convert into sulphuric and nitric acid. The ecosystem disruption caused by acidification is clearly seen in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains of New York in the eastern United States. Many wetlands and streams in these regions are no longer capable of supporting aquatic populations, and water quality is severely impaired. To combat the acidity crisis, the project ‘the [PH] floating terraformer’ has been set out at the midst of New York City in Central Park. The project’s goal is to create a system that gently removes acid and toxins from the atmosphere while emitting zero carbon in the process.
How the journey started
Starting this year’s thesis on the brief climate urgencies, I started researching about all the climate change threats around the world, Few that caught my eyes more than others were Acid pollution and water scarcity, mainly because without water, there is no us, 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. Inadequate sanitation is also a problem for 2.4 billion people. Acid pollution, on the other hand, inflicts devastating losses to vegetation, fisheries, water quality, and soil health, and combine with carbon emissions, it becomes a deadly menace to human civilization. Both of these problems go hand in hand and need to be taken care of.
Long section of The Floating Facility and Plans
The [PH] floating terraformer, as the name implies, is designed to float in the air using maglev technology. The repulsion induced by the structure’s magnetism and the earth’s magnetic field would regulate the buoyancy of the structure, causing it to migrate up to altitudes of 700m, where acidic contaminants typically congregate. Acidic materials, such as acid fog, will be absorbed by the porous membrane attached to the airbags and accumulated in the central purifier, where they will be neutralized by an alkaline solution formed by nitrogen-fixing microorganisms by biological activity and deposited in the purifier center. The water and salt generated during the neutralization process are fed to plants, trees, humans, and deserted areas, among other things. Initial Location: Central Park, NY, USA Program: 1500-2000 inhabitants anticipated Total Height: 257.5 m Status: Reviving atmosphere, Technological Research and Development The terraformer will be seen as the first step towards a greener future without acid pollution, water scarcity and climate problems. Hence, reviving our ecosystem around the world part by part.
Elevating Building - Entry Zone
Everyone visiting the floating terraformer will be entering the worthy zone first, the place where one is elevated mentally before reaching to the beyond. The worthy zone or the elevating building welcomes people and inform them about the present global climate change that we are facing right now and how dire it is to change the inevitable before its too late therefore introducing everyone to the first of its kind future technology which changes our future and give us our planet back by cleaning it from inside and out. The facility welcomes everyone who wants to help in this cause and offers jobs and employment to millions of people around the world. The user groups will include Researchers, Scientists, Engineers, Architects, Doctors, students, funders, businessmen, tourists, etc.
The view of the Elevating Building
The Exploded Diagram of the Floating Terraformer
The exploded parts of the terraformer depict the mechanism and the working of the facility. The acid collecting membrane will be made up of graphene, a material of the future, which will absorb the acid from the atmosphere. The façade of the terraformer and the elevated building is made up of graphene as well, which will absorb sunlight and converts it into electricity to run the terraformer.
The Interior View of the Facility
A single terraformer will have a radius of purification index of 300m and a radius of influence of 450m. On an average one floating terraformer will be able to generate 4117.6 tons of water per year and 420.88 kg of fertilizer per year and 2826.6 tons of reclaimable water per year. The calculations give us an approximate timeline of years needed to clean one city, then one country and then the entire world.
Circulation System for Acid Fog/Rain - Capture and Release Process
The capture and release system of the floating terraformer of distributing water and cleaning air can be seen around the world, especially around the water-scarce lands and drought areas of North Africa, Egypt, etc, and deserted and devasted lands of Thar, Sahara, and Mohava, rainforests of Amazon and Africa and so on.
The brain of the Facility: Membrane
the brain of the facility: the membrane. It’s divided into three parts. The outer membrane or the collecting membrane, the inner membrane, and the transport system. The collecting membrane is further divided into two parts, the surface run-off texture which is a microchannel situated in the inner layer of the collecting membrane that condenses the tiny acid liquid droplets and directs them to the filter channel. And the porous membrane, which has a transparent outer graphene skin with tiny holes on it that effectively absorb the big acid droplets coming from the filter channel. Last but not the least the transport system consists of pendant tubes that acts as gas pipelines to collect the acid liquid from the membrane and transfer it to the purification center.
The Facade
It’s quite evident that most of the countries suffer from great temperature anomalies, especially many parts of Middle Eastern countries and Asia. The facility aims to flow at significantly greater heights where acid deposition levels are the most. This will be anywhere near to 400-1000m. Hence the terraformer will be exposed to harsh climates and direct sunlight. Prototyping of new smart materials for the terraformer will be performed using graphene printed technology, which will consist of clusters of gills interfaced with sensors to enable the device to open and close in response to both human activity and carbon dioxide levels. The graphene mesh will absorb the extra heat and harsh sunlight from the atmosphere as well, hence turning them into electricity to run the facility. The panels will be able to simulate how they will operate in reaction to sun intensity and shifting incidence angles over the year. The panels would act as a curtain wall, extending 1-2m beyond the glass frame. The façade of the terraformer will have star shaped panels inspired from biomorphism, projecting out 2m, and will have implementation of advanced detection system designed to integrate the needs of the regions climate. The panels will be able to simulate how they will operate in reaction to sun intensity and shifting incidence angles over the year. The panels will reduce glare, improve daylight penetration when needed, less reliance on artificial lighting and over 50 percent reduction in solar gain, which results in a reduction of co2 emissions by 1750 tonnes per year.
Maglev Technology / The Purifier Center / Water Distribution System
The Floating Terraformer tackling Water scarcity and Acid Deposition Around the world
The project is setting is at the World fair because it gives a great opportunity for bringing everyone together in one place and inform them about the new technology that the worlds been encountering at the moment and encourage them all to be a part of it. A world’s fair in 2021 would bring millions of visitors and with them hundreds of millions of investments for the floating terraformer, a state of the art of technology. Other likely benefits of a New York world’s fair would include physical improvements to the city, the sprucing up of cultural and civic buildings throughout the metropolitan area; and renewed enthusiasm for the project in the eyes of the world. With its theme of connections, the fair would bestow greater recognition for the facility. It would be a world’s fair doubling as a civic celebration. By the year 2070, Most of our cityscapes like New York will be cleaned from inside and out, and the water scarcity problems will be at bay. Hence our future will be secured and much greener and happier.