AQUATER PAPER 1.7 GETTING STARTED ON THE AQUATER ALLIANCE

The Problem

The world’s fresh water use is nearing the total available. Indeed, in some areas of the world, there is a critical need for a new, safe, fresh water supply. Similarly, the world’s food use is nearing the total available. Finally, the world’s fuel use is nearing the total available and is also causing global warming by producing carbon dioxide-a greenhouse gas. But the world’s population is still growing. Clearly, this is a disastrous situation in the long term. In a companion paper (see AP1.5 DIMINISHING WATER AND FOOD SUPPLIES), a need is described for a system that can augment the existing world food and water supplies to cover this need. In another companion paper (see AP1.2 ENERGY SCARCITY AND NEW OPTIONS), a need is described for a gradual replacement of the use of the world’s fossil fuels with “green” liquid fuels i.e. fuels that are obtained by recycling atmospheric carbon dioxide into liquid biofuel. . In AP2.4 ENERGY, WATER, FOOD AND THE AQUATER OCEAN TRADE NETWORK, the SEMAN, a vessel that harvests energy from the oceans, is proposed for these tasks and is shown to have the capability to do them. The advantages to mankind in providing food, water, fuel, and fertilizer and in sequestering most of the excess carbon dioxide happen only if large numbers of SEMAN are deployed on the world’s oceans. However, the first SEMAN launched cannot operate in a normal, profitable way until the Aquater Ocean Trade Network (AOTN) is running. On the other hand, the AOTN cannot operate until there are large numbers of SEMAN on the ocean. Thus building up a critical number of SEMAN so that the AOTN can operate may be difficult. A way must be found for the first few SEMAN to operate and make a living before the AOTN is operating, or an initial group of Aquater SEMAN will never get started, and the advantages of the SEMAN for mankind will never be achieved.  In other words, a way must be devised to move smoothly from the first few SEMAN into full-scale operation. This paper addresses that task.

 

The Solution 

The first few SEMAN owners can make a living by doing the following work.

  • They can host dinner cruises on board with the added attraction of using SEMAN grown food and demonstrating the speed and stabilization characteristics of the SEMAN as well. Estimated earnings for this activity~$500/mo for 5 dinners/mo
  • They can host vacation cruises with the added attraction of using SEMAN grown food and using SEMAN speed and stability to move rapidly and comfortably to points of interest. Estimated average earnings ~$2000/mo for 2-week trips.
  • Carbon dioxide sequestering can be accomplished from the start because the AOTN is not required for this operation. This is because no transportation system is required for the carbon dioxide. The frozen and packaged carbon dioxide is dropped overboard. Sequestering can even be accomplished during cruises. Estimated earnings are as follows. The dry ice production equipment can freeze and sequester carbon dioxide for 160KWH/ton. Assuming the SEMAN charges $0.08/KWH, a 100KW system could sequester 450 tons of carbon dioxide per month. The world production is 3,110 million tons per month, so 6.9 million SEMAN will be required to meet the demand. Thus the market for sequestration exists, and it is large. Also, assuming the SEMAN charges $0.08/KWH, a 100KW system would earn $5,760/mo

These jobs require that the first SEMAN launched should have the following basic equipment.

  • A minimal reverse osmosis desalinization plant, hydroponics equipment, and a chicken-farming layout necessary to provide some basic foods.
  • Full SEMAN speed and stabilization equipment must be provided at first launch.
  • Carbon dioxide sequestering equipment and electric generation equipment must be provided from the start of operations. This equipment is available and can be purchased now.

These profits would provide the required initial incentive to build and operate a SEMAN.

 

The second step for SEMAN owners to augment SEMAN capability is to add aquaponics to the hydroponics capability of the SEMAN to add seafood to the diet of hosts and guests and to sell seafood on the land as well. The equipment needed is available for purchase, but must be adapted to the SEMAN.

 

The third step for SEMAN owners is to add a capability for producing liquid fuels from the hydroponics waste. Such fuels can be prepared in a nearly final form on board, and so are almost market ready. Such fuels are believed to be the easiest to market without an extensive AOTN network, although a connection to an oil company may be required. Eventually, however, the AOTN network will be required for full-scale operation. This equipment is available, but must be adapted to the SEMAN.

 

The fourth step for SEMAN owners is to add a capability to produce fertilizer concentrate. In order to market this concentrate, a connection to a land-based fertilizer manufacturer will be required because the concentrate must be prepared, packaged and marketed. This is the first step in constructing the AOTN network. This equipment is available, but must be adapted to the SEMAN.

 

Conclusions

In this paper, it was noted that the advantages to mankind in providing food, water, fuel, and fertilizer and in sequestering most of the excess carbon dioxide happen only if large numbers of SEMAN are deployed on the world’s oceans. However, the first SEMAN launched cannot operate in a normal, profitable way until the AOTN is running. On the other hand, the AOTN cannot operate until there are large numbers of SEMAN on the ocean. Thus building up a critical number of SEMAN on the oceans may be difficult. However the nature of the SEMAN is such that some of the tasks it is capable of can be accomplished profitably without the AOTN, and these tasks can provide a living for the early SEMAN users. The tasks useful for early SEMAN owners are as follows.

  • They can host dinner cruises on board with the added attraction of using SEMAN grown food and demonstrating the speed and stabilization characteristics of the SEMAN as well.
  • They can host vacation cruises with the added attraction of using SEMAN grown food and using SEMAN speed and stability to move rapidly and comfortably to points of interest.
  • They can sequester carbon dioxide from the start because the AOTN is not required for this operation. Sequestering can even be accomplished during cruises.

Thus it appears feasible to start putting SEMAN on the oceans in a profitable way before the AOTN network is available. Then SEMAN can be added to the world’s resources until new SEMAN are no longer profitable, and thus no longer needed.

 

Note

  1. The prototype SEMAN is about 90% complete. To see progress on the prototype, click on “SEMAN Prototype Update” on the home page of this site.
  2. To donate to help complete this prototype, click “Add To Cart” on the home page.