[Terrapreta] mechbolic build photos

[jim mason]

Mechabolic: Cyborg Speculations in Machine Metabolism

www.mechabolic.org

here's some update photos on the gasifier and terra preta based art
project i have posted here earlier.  this is a project going out to
the burning man event in nevada over labor day weekend.  see here:
www.burningman.com.  if people here would like to join us, it can be
arranged.

the project is a trash to fuel kinetic sculpture, recasting combustion
machines and their related hydrocarbon fuel preparations, as their
parallel biological organs and metabolic processes.  the goal is an
evocative mashup of biological metabolism and combustion engineering,
exploring the relations between these "natural" and "synthetic"
carbon/hydrogen based energy systems.

the sculpture/vehicle will look somewhat like a combination of a land
speed streamliner and a banana slug scavenger.  long and sleek, 120'
in length.  elaborated in the style of anatomical illustration meets
hot rod fetishism.

the sculpture is divided into three body/machine cavities:
head/chewing (chipper, shredder, disintegrator), abdomen/digestion
(gasifier, terra preta charcoal maker) and chest/respiration (V-8,
lister genset and terra preta orchid terrarium).

we will be intaking any dry carbaceous food/fuel in the front,
shredding it, pneumatically transporting it to the gasifier in the
back, and generating gas for a town gas lighting system, two
generators, as well as the motive engine.  a separate set of pyrolysis
units will make charcoal for the orchid terrarium and briquetted "trinkets"
for people to walk away with.

the motive engine is a blown big block chevy in rather agressive race
preparation.  it is a used high compression alcohol dragster engine.
this will later be the engine for a gasifier powered bonneville land
speed record vehicle we hope to build in the next year.  but for now
the engine is just to shake the earth and be the overwrought machine
respiration of hydrocarbons in parallel with the carbohydrate
respiration in the lungs.

the gasifier is a new design i've developed, generally in the realm of
a fluidized bed.

jim




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
jim mason
website: www.whatiamupto.com
current project: mechabolic (http://www.mechabolic.org)
announce list: http://lists.spaceship.com/listinfo.cgi/icp-spaceship.com


-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
jim mason
website: www.whatiamupto.com
current project: mechabolic (http://www.mechabolic.org)
announce list: http://lists.spaceship.com/listinfo.cgi/icp-spaceship.com