Belgian architect
Vincent
Callebaut has designed a conceptual transport system that would
involve airships powered by seaweed.
Called Hydrogenase, the project envisages that by 2030 there could be
farms in the ocean producing biofuel from seaweed and acting as hubs
for the aircraft.
Here’s a lot of text from Callebaut:
“HYDROGENASE”
ALGAE FARM TO RECYCLE CO2 FOR BIO-HYDROGEN AIRSHIP
Between engineering and biology, Hydrogenase is one of the first
projects of bio-mimicry which draws its inspiration from the beauty and
the shapes of the nature, but also and especially from the qualities of
its materials and its self-manufacturing processes. The new green
revolution is really in progress and enables us to design the air
mobility of the foil after shock, 100% self-sufficient in energy and
zero carbon emission! This inhabitated vertical aircraft inaugures a
clean and ethic mobility to meet the needs of the population en distress
touched by the natural and sanitary catastrophes, and all that without
any runway! Its architecture is subversive and fundamentally critic
towards the ways of living of our contemporary society that we have to
reinvent totally! Let’s take off thanks to biofuels and let’s propel to
the eco-responsible transport of the future!
2015: Biofuels of the 3rd generation, the challenge of a sustainable
mobility
The price of the fuel has just reached a new historical record by
passing 75 dollars the barrel in 2010. Within 10 years, we could reach
the famous “Hubbert Peak”, the precise moment from which the worldwide
fuel production will begin to decrease because of shortages. In such a
context, the massive resort to renewable energies and nanotechnologies,
that do not emit gas with greenhouse effect, is becoming an absolute
economical, technological and political priority! From Queensland’s
university to the Karlsruhe’s one, going through Berkeley in California,
the « third generation » biofuels are in gestation and will
revolutionize our future sustainable land or air mobility. Their main
strengths: they do not compete either with the food cultures nor with
the forest spaces and can be developed naturally everywhere in the world
even in arid territories, the whole tending to a targeted
bio-remediation of the industrial CO2.
Able to produce electricity and biofuel without emit CO2 or other
polluting substances, the hydrogen especially is nowadays such as a very
promising clean energy source. Therefore (its production that respects
the environment and in sufficient quantity) is a study theme that
interests the biggest scientific international groups. Actually, at the
end of the 90s it has been discovered that the private sulphur
micro-seaweeds go from the oxygen production (classical photosynthesis)
to the hydrogen production. Such as a growing tree uses the solar
radiance to manufacture organic material, we aim today at producing by
photosynthesis some dihydrogen (i.e. gaseous hydrogen) from living
micro-organisms as seaweeds from the « Chlamydomonas reinhardtii »
family that owns enzyme of hydrogenase type.
According to biologists, the output obtained by a farm with
micro-seaweeds would be superior to those made currently with farming
means to produce biodiesel or bioethanol. This could be estimated at
1000 litres of hydrogen for 330 grams of chlorophyll per day whereas for
example colza produces roughly only 1000 litres of oil per hectare.
According to industrials a hectare of seaweeds could thus produce
organically 120 times more biofuels than a hectare of colza, soya or
sunflower.
Moreover, a farm with seaweeds is a true miniature biochemical power
station able to absorb CO2 as main nutrient by photosynthesis
accelerated by producing hydrogen in vitro or in bioreactors. This
natural process, nourishing itself with our waste enables thus to
recycle under the effect of the sun, in seaweeds or sea water baths, up
to 80% of carbonic gas and NOx (nitrogen oxides also very impacting on
the greenhouse effect). The global organic cycle enables therefore to
revaluate our carboned rejections such as for example those are coming
from filters with particles of our cars, reactors of our airplanes or
also our rockets coming from thermal power stations with coal or gas.
2020: Towards an aerial revolution and agree generation of airships?
The builders of airplanes get involved at maxima until 2020 according
to an international agreement to be less polluting (reduction by 80% of
their rejection in nitrogen oxides), to be thriftier in fuel (reduction
of 20% of the fuel quantity by carried passenger) and finally to be
more silent (reduction of 10 decibels, i.e. twice less noise). But what
will happen when there will be no more fuel? The end of air freight in
2030 ? According to forecasts, every year from 2010, 200 billion of
Chinese people will fly to spend holidays abroad. After the last born
A380 of Airbus and the 777-200LR of Boeing, the airplanes of the future
will not have such as their previous energy-consumers to be designed
without taking into account the notions of sustainable development and
the respect of the environment. A theme totally ignored fifteen years
ago in this sector! This transport must be eco-designed from renewable
energies and present a statement of carbon emission equal to zero!
No airplane, no helicopter, no aircraft, the project « Hydrogenase »
marks a new generation of state-of-the-art hybrid airships. It is
dedicated to humanitarian missions, rescue operations, installation of
platforms for scientific studies, and of course to air freight. Then,
complementary activities could be entertainment, eco-tourism, hotel,
human transports, air media coverage and territorial waters
surveillance.
This mode of transport is certainly less interesting than the
piggyback or sea freight and slower than airplane; however it needs less
infrastructure and multimodal platforms (runway, freeways, ship/truck
alternation…). It consumes thus less territory and will progressively
enable to heal our landscapes slashed by the transport network leading
to a massive deforestation. Therefore, it costs 10 times less for the
carriage of heavy loads as well as traveller transport, and everything
without damaging the planet! For the specialists of logistical transport
facing the long lasting absence of appropriated road or airport
infrastructures in many parts of the world (desert and oceans), this new
generation is also very expected to link production sites and using
sites. Moreover, flying free health care centres or even country
hospitals could also interfere during natural catastrophes, where lives
could be in danger. It could also explore and help underprivileged
territories of the third world by carrying the raw materials of our
globalised alimentation to those who are hungry in remote places!
Hydrogenase is thus a jumbo jet vessel (DGP) that flies at an average
of 2 000 meters high. This cargo measures almost 400 meters high for
250 000m3. It can carry up to 200 tons of freight at 175 km/h (i.e.
twice the speed of a ship and more than one and a half time than the one
of a truck). Seven times slower than an airplane, it has an action
potential between 5 and 10 000km and re-teach our contemporary
travellers the long time of sea cruises and the praise of the slowness.
The history of the transports which was until now summarized in a study
that reveals to always go faster, is soon finished for the benefit of
“better travel” in airship!
2030: Hydrogenase, the 100% self-sufficient organic airship of the
future
The project Hydrogenase brings to question the « always faster » of
our frenetic society and thinks differently to the mobility and
services. With bionic look, this inhabited vertical airship sets in the
heart of a floating farm of seaweeds that reload it directly with
bio-hydrogen. These two interdependent entities are both nomad and
organic, the first one flies in the sky and the second one on the seas
and oceans.
The proactive ship flourishing in the air :
The semi-rigid not pressurised airship stretches vertically around an
arborescent spine that air-dynamically twists on more than 400 meters
high and 180 meters of diameter. Forming a big flower ready to open, the
spaces divide in cross under the shape of petals that welcome
respectively the main sectors of activities: housing, offices,
scientific laboratories and entertainment. The stem around the one these
functional petals structure themselves, welcome the vertical
circulations, the technical premises and the goods warehouses for the
freight.
These 4 inhabited spaces are included between 4 great bubbles
inflated with bio-hydrogen, a renewable energy. These bubbles are made
with a rigid hull in light alloy shaped with twisted longitudinal beams
linked together by wide sinusoidal rings. Every end is finished by a
cone, and the one at the bottom, the most sharpened one carries the
stabilizers and the rudders of deepness and of direction. This framework
is covered by a double layer of waterproof, fireproof, glazed canvas to
reduce the resistance to advancement. The in-between is divided into
slices in which there are small balloons full of helium. The helium
mattress in periphery enables to protect the balloons of bio-hydrogen
and helium, the remaining 30% are provided by the aerodynamic of the
airship twisted fuselage with the speed, as for an airplane.
This type of airship is of course heavier than a flexible aerostat of
same cubing because of the weight of the structure, but it can reach
higher speeds, thanks to the solidity of its hull in titan, and carry
more tons thanks to the ability to build always bigger layers (10000 m3
in 1900, 70 000 m3 in 1924 and 200 000m3 in 1938, 250 000 m3 in 2010).
What distinguishes also such a machine from classical aircrafts from the
past is that this one is heavier than the air and flies thanks to the
Archimedes’ thrust (that does every balloon or aircraft), to helixes or
at its subtle twisted aerodynamic that enables to reduce the
oscillations of the limited layer. The fact that it is heavier than the
air enables actually descents faster without having especially to eject
gas. Moreover, the sustentation is based on the compression and the
decompression of the biogas. Hydrogenase can thus be lighter or heavier
according to the wished needs and the height.
In order to build a proactive airship with positive energy, we also
have integrated all the renewable energies. Actually, whereas the
inflatable bubbles are glue-backed with flexible photovoltaic cells the
four wings of the vessel are each of them inlayed with turbo-propellers
with recuperation of energy. These 20 wind propellers are articulated
around orbital rings which enable them to go from the horizontal
position at the take-off to the vertical position assuring the vessel a
navigation speed of 175km/h. The inhabited spaces integrate by steps
vegetable gardens photopurifyng the used waters, the biomasses damaging
the organic waters and loaded fuel cells. Nothing is lost, everything is
recycled and transformed!
On top of absorbing the solar energy, this flying castle draws its
inspiration from the biomimicry technologies and is built in lighter and
more resistant composite materials (fibreglass and carbon fibre) in
order to reduce the weight of its structure at the maximum. The fitting
is thus self cleaning, in nanostructured glass inspired from the lotus
leave that does not get wet. The vessel is thus made of « intelligent
layers » avoiding for example the accumulation of ice or snow and «
self-separable ceramics » offering a bigger resistance to the split and
that fill the cracks. This bionic coating draws also its inspiration
from shark skin that enables without being toxic to avoid the adhesion
of bacteria whereas the four wings present irregularities of surface, as
the finely beaded whale fins do, in order to reduce the turbulences.
The green industry meets thus through this bionic prototype the
expectations of the consumption, the always more demanding antipollution
regulation and the rarefaction of resources.
The floating organic farm on seas and oceans:
The floating farm is a true organic purifying station composed of 4
carbon wells in which the green seaweeds recycle our carbonated waste
brought by ships. This is directly dedicated to feed organically in
biohydrogen the proactive airship. It replaces thus the petrol station
as the runway for traditional airplanes and looks like a weaving of fine
amphibian laces!
Actually, it sets up as much underneath as on top of the sea surface
and respects the quadripartite sharing out in petals of the whole
Hydrogenase project. Continuing the 4 wings of the pneumatic tower, 4
great arches structure this circular platform and distribute vertically
all the levels of the central ring inhabited by the scientists. At the
surface, these arches are covered by thermal and photovoltaic solar
shields whereas under the water they are set with 32 hydro-turbines
transforming the tidal energy of the sea streams into electricity.
Energically self-sufficient, this farm organises on a radiant plan,
the seaweed bioreactors exposed to the zenith sun under the lenticular
accelerators for a better photochemical output. The whole set forms four
gardens dedicated to the accelerated photosynthesis where we access
through marinas setting the exchanges between this true new floating
city and the surrounding coasts. On top of producing clean energy, this
floating purifying station is also an incredible observatory of the sea
fauna and flora that fight for the protection of ecosystems and for the
revitalization of the beds of corals and of endangered species. It is a
true cleaner of seas and oceans by skimming and damaging as main
nutrient the floating waste banks of our energy-consuming civilisation.
Hydrogenase is thus a project of environmental resiliency that will
enable to invent a clean mobility according to a « cradle to cradle »
cycle respecting our planet by assuring also the technological evolution
of the human adventure ! As biotechnological prototype, it aims at
being the symbiosis of men actions and their positive impacts on the
nature. By imitating the processes of natural ecosystems, it deals with
reinventing the industrial, town-planning and architectural processes to
produce clean solutions and create an industry where everything is
reused, either back to the ground under the shape of not toxic « organic
nutrients », or back to the industry under the shape of “technical
nutrients” able to be indefinitely recycled.
from dezeen
