GB2546096A - Mitigation of climate change - Google Patents

Abstract

A linear building comprises a series of insulated buildings having a greenhouse as the top storey and a height that varies along a length of the building to minimise gradients of a roadway forming the storey below the greenhouse, wherein the building further comprises ducts and apertures to convey exhaust air and flue gases from the buildings and the roadway into the greenhouse one or more of the buildings houses mechanical equipment for liquefying air and separating the component gases. The building may comprise horticultural compartments for growing crops using artificial lighting and absorption of carbon dioxide separated from the air. Cold food storage comprising a storage tank for liquid air and equipment for vaporising liquid air to drive a turbine to generate electricity are preferably included in the building. Heat recovered from the liquefaction process may be used to maintain optimum growing conditions in the compartments and to provide space and water heating.

Description

BACKGROUND

Action to mitigate climate change was agreed at the International Panel on Climate Change meeting in December 2015. However there seems to be little knowledge of the practical technical measures needed to mitigate climate change.

In the UK and probably in many other countries energy in buildings receives much attention. But the energy efficiency measures advocated in the UK are largely folklore, ineffectual and counterproductive, and probably so in many other countries

Crucially, the applicant has identified that the key measure of time switched heating, makes houses damp. While heating is off overnight, plaster and other hygroscopic materials absorb moisture from cold ventilating air. When heating switches on, this moisture evaporates and condenses in bedrooms and within external walls. This now explains endemic dampness in UK houses, and almost certainly the 20,000+ cold-related deaths p.a. But time switched heating is set in stone by the assumption in the Standard Assessment Procedure that houses are heated for only 70 hours per week.

Dampness negates other key measures of cavity insulation, and increases the ventilation rate needed, a major waste. Cavity insulation was adopted without the essential vapour barrier, which is impracticable anyway.

Official advice seems ignorant of physics, of the thermal inertia of buildings, and of the parameters of thermal comfort, which is the objective of heating. Almost every other industry has been transformed by science, but house building, heating and ventilation is still recoghisably stone age and guesswork.

Government policies for new housing are short sighted and defy arithmetic. 400,000 new houses to the "Code for Sustainable Homes" with their typical 60 year design life would be needed every year in perpetuity to continually renew a 24 million UK housing stock.

Inevitably individual houses lose heat through their large areas of external wall and roof, and even if workmanship is perfect, deteriorate rapidly with weather and remain vulnerable to condensation from lifestyles.

The notion of tackling climate change by insulating every house by 2050 and expecting every new house to be zero carbon by 2016 is thus naive.

Realisation of the waste and futility of retrofitting existing and building new traditional houses led the applicant to the necessity of replacing this energy intensive human habitat worldwide with what are now referred to as "Linear Eco Towns" (LETs) granted patent GB 2460495 in 2011.

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

To mitigate climate change this energy intensive human habitat needs to be replaced worldwide with Linear Eco Towns (LETs) as described in patent GB 2460495 to drastically reduce energy demand of buildings and road transport, which can then be met largely by renewable energy.

The variability problem of solar and wind electricity is solved by liquefying air with "wrong time" electricity. When electricity is short, the liquid air is regasified with waste heat in a pressure container to drive a turbo-generator. LETs plus liquid air opens the way to other coherent innovations integrated with LETs with worldwide potential. -

Liquid air eventually produced in bulk within LETs can be made available as ah energy vector or portable fuel to reduce petroleum consumption of vehicles, causing less - pollution than electric cars, perhaps challenging the petroleum economy.

The liquefied air is stored within cold food stores integral with LETs, such that evaporative losses are utilised in helping to keep food stores cold, saving electricity.

Carbon dioxide that separates during liquefaction is collected and absorbed by growing food crops in windowless horticultural compartments now proposed as integral with LETs, thus actually reducing the C02 concentration in the atmosphere, and at negligible cost, unlike carbon capture and storage from flue gas (CCS).

Carbon dioxide emissions will also be reduced by reduction of burning of fossil fuel and biomass as LETs replace traditional houses.

Average water vapour concentration in the atmosphere will also be reduced by the same two effects. Water vapour, not carbon dioxide is the major greenhouse gas affecting diurnal absorption of solar heat, which though transient, has a positive feedback effect on global warming, necessitating early cautious trials of injecting aerosols into the stratosphere.

Helium also separates during liquefaction, which can support a fleet of airships with lower fuel consumption than planes, to carry cargo and tourists, and lift sulphates to the stratosphere to inject aerosols to reflect solar radiation.

LINEAR ECO TOWNS

The attractions of LETs have become more apparent and important: - Building LETs along routes between existing towns in open country will avoid the "heat island" effect that will make existing towns intolerable in hotter summers. - Built of reinforced concrete LETs will resist expected more severe weather, floods, ..: earthquakes etc that may decimate brick buildings, to last 1000 years and more - Energy consumption of road transport can be drastically cut by shorter journeys serving a compact catchment and lower consumption per kilometre on the sheltered segregated, near-level elevated road, compared with stop-go up-down journeys on curly roads. - Joined up buildings allow most resources to be efficiently recycled. Heat especially can be conserved and recycled from data centres, cold stores, to heat other buildings. - Carbon dioxide generated in the buildings and by road transport, can be at least partially absorbed by growing crops in the greenhouse roof. - A rate of500,000 apartments p.a. plus other buildings could be maintained to replace most UK houses by 2050 and proportionately in other countries, - Such apartments will find at ready market for their low capital and living costs, to make good the 3 million UK housing shortage in 6 years, and meet an increasing demand for warm dry low-carbon housing - Nuclear power and CCS would be unnecessary. At this rate of building, total national energy consumption would reduce sooner and faster as LETs are occupied than nuclear could generate juist electricity, and CCS could capture and stole carbon dioxide. - Output of renewable electricity will increase rapidly as wind turbines are installed above LETs. Variability is resolved by storage of renewable electricity as liquid air. - Integrated construction of apartments and other, buildings, supporting an elevated road structure, built near-level by varying the height of buildings above ground level, on bridge-type vibration-isolating rubber bearings, itself supporting wind turbines and a greenhouse roof, and accommodating the services infrastructure will cost a fraction of separate conventional construction.

Linear EcO Towns are expected to be built in many parts of the UK, being commercially and politically attractive in providing jobs building warm dry homes, at no cost to public - funds.

LI QUID AIR

The liquid air industry has proposed using "wrong time" renewable electricity to liquefy air to solve the Variability problem. When electricity is in short supply liquid air is regasified in a pressure container with ambient or waste heat to drive a turbo generator. Air turbo generators would be close to wind turbines above LETs, minimising connecting grid lengths and transmission losses. This is claimed to be more efficient than pumped water storage but even if not, its potential in several fields is seen to be enormous. - There is potential for improving the efficiency of heavy diesel vehicles by using the cogenerated heat of to boost the air pressure and motive power with an air turbine. Liquid air is especially advantageous for refrigerated trucks, whose refrigeration engines are highly polluting. At present air is liquefied in certain industrial localities, mainly producing oxygen for steel making etc., but it is probably not commercially attractive to invest speculatively in producing in other areas. The value of storing electricity generatedf by LETs should justify its commercial production within LETs, eventually making it widely available for vehicles. - Liquid air produced widely in Linear Eco Towns could quickly serve a large market through many petrol stations. Liquid air cars would be non-polluting and might cost half as much as electric cars. Quickly refilling perhaps every 50 miles, they would offer unlimited range, without cost of replacing expensive batteries after a short life, the pollution of recycling, and increasing demand for scarce metals. Moreover anytime charging would reduce the margin of generating capacity. Anyway, electric cars probably do not reduce C02; mains electricity delivered at about 30% efficiency, will suffer perhaps further 10% loss on charging and discharging, leaving perhaps 20% net conversion of fuel burned at the power station. This compares with over 30% average efficiency of petrol cars. - Liquid air can be stored within cold food stoifes, also integral with LETs. Eevaporative losses during storage would then help to keep food stores cold, reducing electricity consumption of the refrigeration equipment. The cold food stores would be associated with local farms and food processing plant integral within LETs. - At times of electricity shortage, the electrical refrigeration can be switched off, and more liquid air used to keep the food stores cold, iri effect providing further back up HEAT ;

Low grade heat is rejected during liquefaction of air, arid from cold stores, adequate for space heating of space and water heating of LETs buildings, arid to maintain optimum growirig conditions in the horticultural compartments and greenhouse roof, while elirriinating die fossil fuel now consumed by heating energy inefficient buildings.

CARBON DIOXIDE REDUCTION - Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases will separate and can be condensed during the liquefaction ofair, at negligible cost compared with carbon capture and storage from flue gas (CCS). With potentially huge quantities of liquid air used in backing up renewable electricity and in partially replacing petroleum for heavy diesel vehicles and cars, the C02 content of the atmosphere might reduce significantly in forty years. - Much of this C02 will be absorbed by growirig food in windowless horticultural coriipartments forming a centre spine of the linear buildings, perhaps frrim enhanced concentration in air kept warin by surplus heat, as above, illuminated 24/7 with artificial lighting, fertilised by plant nutrients in purified sewage effluent, with fungal diseases controlled by afready-dehumidified exhaust liquefied air. *

HELIUM

Helium and other inert gases will also separate during liquefaction, and can be profitable byproducts.

Helium filled airships or balloons would be a low cost means of lifting and injecting sulphate aerosols into die stratosphere, to reflect solar radiation.

Low cost helium is likely to be significant in airships carrying cargo and tourists, to replace planes, being more energy efficient.

REDUCTION OF WATER VAPOUR IN THE ATMOSPHERE

Daytime temperature gains seem to depend much more on the water vapour content of around 1% of the atmosphere than on the .04% carbon dioxide content. The difference is that the carbon dioxide remains for hundreds of years. But the moisture content also has a semipermanent effect through a positive feedback that warming the oceans increases evaporation, which increases the atmospheric moisture content and its greenhouse effect.

Human activities inject enormous quantities of water vapour and heat into the air from the burning of petroleum and biomass. This may be expected to increase cloud cover, which can both reflect solar radiation, and trap re-radiated heat.

The proposed innovations are expected to reduce atmospheric moisture by several effects. - The amount of water vapour emitted as combustion product will reduce with less burning of petroleum iahd biomass in Linear Eco Towns. Both combust to more than their own weight of water vapour. - Replacement of petroleum in road vehicles by liquid air, as ah energy vector will further reduce Water vapour emissions. - Liquid air production will condense out about 1% by weight of liquid water from the atmosphere. - Reflection of solar radiation by sulphate aerosols should reduce the average temperature of the atmosphere, resulting in a lower average equilibrium moisture content.

The first three effects Mil affect mainly the air above the major land masses. Such air may take a few days to reach the oceans when a new unstable equilibrium moisture content will take effect.

Reduction of moisture content may have more effect than at first sight, comparing the noticeable persistence of pollution of brown clouds from wood burning, Coal Smoke, vehicle exhausts, etc. around the world. (NB The above speculation needs to be evaluated by a climate scientist, but every effect seems to be in the right direction).

GEOENGINEERING

Reducing the G02 and water vapour concentration in the atmosphere will not be enough to reverse climate change. The major greenhouse gas is water vapour, not C02.

It seems imperative therefore that cautious experiments should be started asap to shade the earth from solar radiation by injecting sulphate aerosols into the stratosphere, as happens naturally from volcanic eruptions; If nothing is done, Gaia may do it instead With more severe earthquakes, tsunamis and eruptions, as the Earth's crust adjusts to the redistribution of weight as 3km thickness of Greenland ice melts and sea levels rise.

ECONOMICS

Linear Eco Towns with integral liquid air production assembles several coherent technologies each of which is economically viable and individually advantageous. Together theymake further savings, while mitigation of global warming comes almost free. It also ticks several economic and social boxes providing powerful incentives to act.

In the rich world, building Linear Eco Towns will provide the best long term investment ever for pension funds, etc in low carbon real estate that will last 1000 years and find an increasing market as house heating costs rise. In the UK especially older singles and couples would be attracted, to vacate their 3 or 4 bedroom town houses, increasing availability of family housing.

Making good the 3 million UK housing shortage will provide pilot projects as an example of comfortable sustainable living, and perhaps reverse the prejudice engendered by the inept heating and ventilating of the cold damp 1960s flats and houses, still prevalent.

In the poor world new means of funding Linear Eco Towns are needed to avoid creating unrepayable debt.

The financial system is long overdue for reform, anyway. It stops people working with the cost of business credit, and sanctions against people working while drawing benefits. A system is needed to mobilise large numbers of unemployed semi-skilled young people to build LETs, providing homes for themselves. A basic income is needed, but in return for say 15hours/wk community work, and allowing people to supplement it.

The Bank of England is already studying digital currencies.

Interest-free mutual-credit private-trading clubs similar to the commercial Bartercard but open to all could be used in poor countries to finance the construction of Linear Eco Towns, operated on behalf of members club by banks for a transaction fee.

The proposals are also consistent with the UN's development goals, and may possibly persuade the rich nations to initiate pilot projects in the warring regions, to provide jobs and hope for people to work together to redirect human endeavour towards ensuring a future for bur children. Little time is left to take drastic action.

These proposals seem better in every respect than present practices, and can provide profitable businesses and the right sort of economic growth,7 while mitigating climate change conies free, avoiding the imagined costs that has inhibited action since Rio.

Early adopting countries will gain competitive advantage of a more efficient infrastructure, reduction of fossil fuel imports, better health, etc.

Claims (5)

% CLAIMS

1. A Linear Eco Town as described in patent GB 2460495 composed of joined up buildings in one or more of which is mechanical equipment that liquefies air and separates the component gases.

2. A Linear Eco Town as in claim 1 modified to create horticultural compartments wherein crops can be grown in the absence of daylight with artificial lighting such as to absorb carbon dioxide separated as in claim 1.

3. A Linear Eco Town as in claim 1 in which is a cold food store within which is a storage tank for liquid air wherefrom losses during storage help keep the food store cold.

4. A Linear Eco Town as in claim 1 in which is equipment designed to vaporise liquid air under pressure to drive a turbine or other engine to drive an electricity generator.

5. A Linear Eco Town as in claim 1 or 3 wherein is equipment that can recover the heat extracted by the liquefaction of air as in 1 and by the electrical refrigeration as in 3 and that uses such heat to maintain optimum growing conditions in the compartments as in claim 2 and to provide space and water heating to other buildings within the Linear Eco Town.