Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #01538
To: "van Zoelen, Bram SSI-TSEA-352" Bram.A.A.vanZoelen@is.shell.com
From: Steven Bolt sbolt@xs4all.nl
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 13:37:12 +0100 (CET)
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: `Green Thumb'
On Tue, 16 Mar 1999, van Zoelen, Bram SSI-TSEA-352 wrote:
> But some thoughts for further developement.
> Put the surplus of energy you got from the solarcel into a capacitor like a
> solar engine.
> With this stored energy you can control a 'normal-closed' valve thats in a
> dripping system.
> This way you only have to fill a large resorvoir with water and the plant
> will get water on demand.
Of course I have been thinking about that :)
There are a few problems:
1) A reservoir above the plant is not so easy to realize,
difficult to refill and not quite fail-safe.
2) Standard valves aren't suitable for micropower systems.
The best way to go is likely to be a flat reservoir, serving as a
fat coaster for the pot to stand on. The sensor might then command
a pump. However, really efficient pumps are difficult to find/design...
Best,
Steve
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# sbolt@xs4all.nl # Steven Bolt # popular science monthly KIJK #
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