I can upgrade the shelter-Chapter 75: Algae Cycle Oxygen Production and Power Generation

To solve the problem of electricity consumption, either the biomass produced by the oxygen generation system created by Chen Xin is sufficient for biogas power generation to meet its own consumption, or Chen Xin continues to upgrade the current power system of the shelter, hoping to upgrade it to a more self-sustaining power system, like a nuclear reactor that can operate for decades.

The first option is naturally impossible due to the conservation of energy.

If the biomass produced by the oxygen generator is enough for biogas power generation to meet the system’s own consumption, wouldn’t that mean it’s a perpetual motion machine?

So the solution is to continue upgrading the system, and the upgrades need to focus on energy saving and innovation.

However, Chen Xin checked his generator and power system, and in the system’s upgrade options, there are only two upgrade schemes: improving the efficiency of the generator and the energy-saving rate of the entire power system. It is not yet possible to upgrade it to other types of generators temporarily.

But this is not absolute. Chen Xin recalled that when he upgraded the Protective Suit before, he provided a tactical poncho which added a raincoat function and tactical camouflage to the suit. He thought that if he could provide other power generation methods, they could be integrated into the power system.

"If I integrate biogas power generation into the power system, using the gasoline generator as the main power source and biogas power as an auxiliary, with both methods supplying power simultaneously..." Thinking about integrating other power generation methods into the power system, Chen Xin quickly took out paper and pen to calculate.

"Currently, the consumption of the planting greenhouse requires the generator to consume 20 liters of gasoline per day to maintain, this consumption remains unchanged..."

"The planting greenhouse can meet my personal oxygen consumption during light hours and even has surplus output... But considering the spillage of the ventilation system and the oxygen consumption after lights off..."

"In the scenario where the lighting period remains unchanged at 12 hours, completely disregarding the existence of external oxygen, the oxygen produced by the planting greenhouse can sustain my consumption for 16 hours..."

"Extending the lighting time to increase oxygen output can provide me with the 24-hour oxygen supply I need, but it requires at least five additional hours of lighting per day, and gasoline consumption will increase from 20 liters/day to 30 liters/day..."

"Building an algae circulation oxygen generator would consume less electricity than maintaining long lighting hours in the planting greenhouse. Coupled with the electricity supplement from biogas power generation, it would only require an additional 5 liters of gasoline consumption per day..."

Listing the data calculations, Chen Xin easily calculated the results.

Looking at his calculated results, Chen Xin touched his chin. Obviously, constructing the type of algae circulation oxygen generator he mentioned to Mo Qingyan is currently the least consuming option.

Moreover, after Chen Xin constructs such an oxygen generator, he can upgrade it through the system to improve its oxygen efficiency, biomass output, biogas reaction efficiency... or even transform biogas power generation into a biomass fuel cell or convert the produced biomass into edible algae.

Thinking of these possibilities, Chen Xin was sincerely grateful that he picked up this system when entering the shelter instead of ignoring it as an ordinary meteorite.

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Since he decided to build an oxygen generator, Chen Xin clearly first needs to inventory the resources he has.

After all, this isn’t like upgrading an existing item, where he can use the system’s survival points for a direct upgrade.

This is also the biggest shortcoming of this system, it cannot create something out of nothing, it can only upgrade based on what already exists.

No matter how simple and primitive the base item is for an upgrade, as long as there is a material foundation, the system can continuously improve it.

But without this foundation, everything is out of the question.

So even if Chen Xin uses planks to make a trough and lets algae grow in the water, calling it an oxygen generator, he still has to set up the trough first.

Luckily, Chen Xin’s resources weren’t terribly lacking, he didn’t really need to primitively use planks to construct a trough.

Building an algae circulation oxygen generator, actually doesn’t require a trough first, but a foundation for algae to attach and grow on, which is a biological surface.

This isn’t complicated. If not too meticulous, a home window screen would suffice.

Allowing algae to attach to it, then providing water, carbon dioxide, and light, the algae will soon grow and reproduce, performing photosynthesis and releasing oxygen.

As for the trough, it’s not necessary because a water pipe can be hung on the algae’s attachment surface to keep the algae moist, rather than completely submerged in water.

If the conditions were a bit better, it would be possible to provide a better base for algae attachment.

The German technology involves making hollow glass panels, connecting supply and discharge pipelines to these hollow panels, injecting a culture medium inside to cultivate algae.

At the lower end of an individual hollow glass panel, carbon dioxide as a nutrient is injected into the culture medium through the supply pipelines, creating bubbles as it rises, the eddies created stimulate the algae in the medium to absorb carbon dioxide and light, performing photosynthesis, continuously growing and reproducing.

When the algae grow and reproduce to a certain point, this algae in the hollow glass panels is harvested to obtain biomass.

According to the experiment data provided by the Germans, such one square meter of a hollow glass plate can produce 900 kilograms of biomass a year, producing about 10 liters of methane per day, and two hundred square meters can yield over 600 cubic meters of methane annually.

This methane used for power generation can produce 4500kW/h of power and 6000kW/h of thermal energy; it’s quite clean and efficient.

Of course, Germans use fuel cells, instead of simply burning methane to release heat for power generation, which is much more efficient.

Considering Chen Xin’s current resources, he can only use window screens or other objects easy for attachment to make a base, then water them and provide light for algae growth.

In simple terms, it’s about first constructing a simple device to make it run initially, then considering upgrading it to improve operating efficiency and expand production capacity.

And what is needed to make a simple device is merely a trough, a micro vacuum pump, several PVC pipes, and an attachment surface.

After rummaging through his storage room, Chen Xin quickly found the necessary items, although they might not be perfectly suitable and needed some modifications.

The size discrepancies meant that the pipes and vacuum pump couldn’t connect, the trough was simply a plastic box, and the attachment surface was a window screen dismantled from a container house...

Seeing these items, Chen Xin thought he might need to make himself a workbench first.

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