User:Conor

I keep coming across references to "a set of 40 tools" that make up the Open Ecology project. But nowhere on this wiki can I find a list of them. Below is a list of tools I personally think would do the job.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that once you get clarity on what tools are needed, open-source designs can be found online for the majority of them. The task of the Open Ecology Network, as I see it, is as much about collecting and organizing existing solutions as it is about inventing new machines. We need to take existing instructions and turn them into out-of-the-box solutions. This is true especially for food/agriculture. In the digital manufacturing area, some open-source designs still have to be done from scratch, but several of them are already under development by other people, like Lasersaur.

It is important to realize that if there are to be replicable ecovillages, they will each have different requirements. So some may use wind turbines, while others use solar. Some may farm hydroponically while others use permaculture. Some will be urban and some rural. So the toolkit is to be used on a pick-and-mix basis.

Each of these tools must fulfil the following requirements.

• Open documentation
• Instructional videos or similar
• Bill of materials with sourcing info
• Low cost
• Lifetime design
• Modular design for easy disassembly and repair

Housing

Modular building system

GridBeam is an open-source modular building system

Hexayurt

http://www.n55.dk/MANUALS/MICRO_DWELLINGS/micro_dwellings.html - These are modular geodesic octahedral structures that can be stuck together to form a variety of forms. Open-source

Geodesic domes

Plenty of instructions online on how to build these

Air-formed domes

Place a balloon-like membrane on the ground. Cover it with wet concrete. Inflate the balloon. Let the concrete harden. Voila - an indestructible concrete dome built in a day using 20% of the material and 20% of the energy of a normal home. [1][2]

Open architectural designs

http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/

Energy

Heat pump

SHPEGS have designed this open source heat pump. This can be used as a module in many of the Open Ecology tools: geothermal energy, refrigerating food, cooling water for the atmospheric water condenser, controlling temperature for aquaponics

Einstein's refrigerator. This patent is long expired, therefore is in the public domain.

Wind turbine

Plenty of open-source ones:

• http://www.appropedia.org/WaterPod_WindPod_Turbine
• http://practicalaction.org/energy/small_scale_wind_power
• http://www.velacreations.com/chispito.html

http://www.appropedia.org/Optimized_Blade_Design_for_Homemade_Windmills

• http://makeawindturbine.com/

Again, just a matter of organizing the existing information. Would be nice to get some CAD files made so that people can CNC good blades

Solar photovoltaic/thermal cogeneration

http://www.shpegs.org/

Microbial fuel cell

Plenty of open-source designs for these. Need to combine the best features of each, make instructional video.

• http://www.microbialfuelcell.org/www/index.php/Tutorials/
• Instructables Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
• Six part YouTube tutorial
• Lecture by Bruce Logan with lots of ways to optimize power output

Geothermal heat pump

SHPEGS heat pump can be adapted for geothermal use

Stirling engine

http://openstirlingengine.blogspot.com/ In alpha phase

Food

Vertical hydroponic units

Complete open-source designs exist: http://www.n55.dk/MANUALS/HOME_HYDRO/HOME_HYDRO.html

Scalable aquaponic system

Barrelponics and Farm Fountain are complete open-source aquaponic systems.

Beehives

All that needs to be done is for someone to turn Langstroth or National hives into CAD files so that they can be 3D printed.

Wormery

Many complete open-source designs exist:

• http://www.n55.dk/MANUALS/SOIL_FACTORY/SOIL.html
• http://paulstownallotments.com/Wormery/Wormery.html#Large_scale

Small modular fish farm

Complete open source design exists: http://www.n55.dk/manuals/fishfarm/fishfarm.html

Spirulina

This is basically open-source spirulina farming: http://www.antenna.ch/en/malnutrition/training-module.html

Mushrooms

Again, a lot of information online about how to do it, but no complete out-of-the-box design.

Water

Atmospheric water generator

We need a prototype, bill of materials, instructional videos and design documentation. Can be done either with hygroscopic materials or recirculating cold water.

http://sculptors.com/~salsbury/Articles/atmospheric-condensing.html Gives a verbal description of a prototype

Digital fabrication

CAD software

There's loads of open CAD software out there. It's still evolving, of course.

3D scanner

• http://www.david-laserscanner.com/
• MakerScanner, uses a PS3 webcam (which cost about $40) and a few parts that can be 3D printed.
• http://www.splinescan.co.uk/

Laser cutter

In development by the Lasersaur community

3D printer

RepRap

CNC torch table

RepTab

CNC drill-mill-lathe

MultiMachine

Spectroscope

Elphel cameras are open-source hardware and can be used for spectroscopy. This is actually what MIT FabLabs use.

Induction furnace

In development

Waterjet cutter

To attach to the RepTab

Multimeter / Computer oscilloscope

http://www.opencircuits.com/Oscilloscope#PC_Oscilloscopes