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Habitat |
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Development Hull design Internal Layout Docking Systems Life Support Power Systems Communications Anchoring |
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Power
The source of power for Atlantis II has been an ongoing issue that has been addressed, discussed, and researched intensely. A couple avenues that have been considered are having a power source down inside the habitat. The options for that range from nuclear, hydrogen fuel cells, fossil fuels, and inventing our own system which will take advantage of the thermally heated water. Unfortunately, these types of systems possessed high requirements and dangers. We would need to provide more space for it, and its resources, protect the habitat from any of its potential dangers and malfunctions, as well as deal with any of its byproducts that it can produce 3000 meters below sea level. However, by having our own power source down there would prevent us from needing to transfer power from some other location. Among the benefits and consequences, we decided to investigate other options.We looked into building a surface buoy, which will house a power source and then have a power cable run down to the habitat. However, the issue of controlling the buoy, maintaining its location, and the drag produced from the cables running down to the habitat seemed problematic. Therefore, we rested on the idea of running a cable from the habitat to a small island which will house a power source approximately 270miles away. This is a large distance to run a cable across the ocean floor yet that is one of its only down falls. This process requires the least amount of concern for the habitat crew, and it is the most reliable. Since this cable is going to be so long, it will have transformers placed throughout it to deal with the voltage lost due to the resistance built up by the cable. In the event that there is a problem with the power source, we do not want the habitat to have to go into an immediate shock and have to surface. Therefore, the habitat is also going to have installed on it a stored power in the form of batteries. The battery supply will be hooked up to the habitats power system and in the case of a power emergency will automatically activate. The battery system will allow the habitat to maintain normal operations for 7 days.