Energy and Transportation by Aaron Tam

Mass Transportation - For mass transportation we will use a monorail system. Because our space station is round, the monorail system will go around the space station in a circle at very high speeds. It can be very efficient and fast because of the high speeds it can reach. It travels on beams that go around the space station and are on the tubes that lead to the center of the space station. These beams have electricity that has been converted from solar energy that is converted at the power plant. This powers the transit system and allows them to travel at very high speeds. The transit system stops every 100 miles at predetermined stops. From here, passengers can ride on another monorail system that goes through the tubes and leads to the center of the space station. Because our space station is shaped like a wheel, the tubes are like the spokes. The monorail system goes about 35 kilometers per hour.   Passengers in the monorail system are strapped in tightly.  The transit cars are very aerodynamic in shape, allowing the high speeds they can reach.  They can pick up speeds because the space station is round and the beams go around it, allowing it to pick up speed.

Normal, Personal Transportation - For personal transportation, we will use advanced, solar-powered/track-powered cars. They run on solar cells as a backup source of power and can go up to speeds of 200 miles per hour. They drive on tracks so they get their power from the power plants, which power these tracks. The tracks have an electrical current that run through them, which rids the use of a large battery in the car for a full-time solar powered car. You won’t have to recharge the battery or put more energy into the car. When you step into the car, you state your destination and the car automatically drives you to the stated destination. The advantage of this is that there will be no accidents and you won’t get lost. It will be efficient and there will be no pollution.

Water Transportation – For water transportation, we will use boats that run on electrical wires that run overhead. The wires are located above the boat and provide both energy and direction for the boat. The boats go on a set path, meaning that people will not get lost and it will be easy to find places.  The boat can switch between different wires to travel on, depending on which path is fastest. This is similar to a cable car system.  It is very hard to get lost and there is no pollution.

Space Vehicles – For space vehicles, we will use advanced space shuttles. These space shuttles can reach very high speeds, up to 600 miles per hour. They can travel to different planets in a very short period of time, such as Earth to get supplies. They are computerized and can fly the mission by themselves. It is very easy to take off from out space station. A high-powered rocket boosts the space shuttle into space from a port on the side of the space station. The space shuttle uses solar-powered batteries as its engine. The solar panels on the space shuttle collect much sunlight in the daytime and has a lot of extra energy stored in the backup batteries. These shuttles are useful for exploring other planets and bringing supplies from them.

Extra Terrestrial Vehicles – For extra terrestrial vehicles, we will use a  solar powered, computer controlled rover. It will be able to handle all types of terrain that it might encounter on different planets after being dropped off by the space shuttle on a visit to that planet. It has six wheels and each has its own independent suspension.  These extra terrestrial vehicles will collect samples from other planets and explore the makeup of other planets. They will be useful for unmanned space exploration.

Energy - As for energy, we will have power plants that use solar energy. They receive their power from the large solar panels on the space station that are connected directly to the power plants. The power plant will transform the solar energy into electricity and energy that other things can use. First, the photovoltaic cells, or the solar cells, collect sunlight from the sun.   Then the energy collected is used in a photovoltaic process.  In this process, the energy is converted directly into electrical energy.  The electrons from the solar energy are absorbed by an electrical conducting substance, therefore transfering the electron from the solar energy into the electrical conductor.  The power plants supply power to all buildings, homes, cars, and any other object that requires the use of energy through underground cables that are connected to buildings and homes, to the electrical tracks that the cars and transit system run on, and other objects such as street lights. Power plants are located every 10 miles around the space station and supply energy to objects located 20 miles around the area of the power plant through electrical wires that run underneath the surface of the space station. All of the unneeded solar energy would be stored for nighttime when there would be no sunlight.  Tidal energy would not be used because we wouldn’t have enough water on the space station. Biomass would not be used because it would not be as efficient as solar energy.  The space station is collecting sunlight from the sun most of the day and it is easy to get the sunlight.   We wouldn’t use co-generation because on the space station, we wouldn’t use or have much fuel to use. Fossil fuels wouldn’t be a good idea because we wouldn’t have very many fossils on the space station. And as for nuclear energy, it would be too dangerous and expensive.

Overview – This is an overview of the transportation and energy we will be using on the space station. For mass transportation, we will be using a monorail system that runs on a beam and travels around the whole space station and through the tubes that lead to the center of the space station. As for personal transportation, we will be using cars that run on tracks that are powered directly by the power plants. For water transportation, we will use boats that run on electrical wires overhead that guide the boat and power it. For space vehicles, we will use an advanced space shuttle that is computer guided and can travel very fast, allowing to explore other planets. For extra terrestrial vehicles, we will use rovers that can handle different types of landscapes and can explore and collect different items from different planets. For the energy for the space station, we will use solar energy that the power plants turn into electricity and energy.