Total Farm System

Votes: 3
Views: 2245

The total farm system is an integrated, regenerative system of production designed to turn towns and city districts into socially and ecologically sustainable autonomous units of production. It is a farm, factory, power station, reservoir, waste recycling plant and education/research facility with all its functions interoperating as a closed loop system.

The system is designed to capture all sources of renewable energy from its surroundings, including wind, solar, rainwater and the sewage from surrounding homes and convert them into food and other life supporting resources.

Cattle and other livestock are raised in a covered garden that optimizes the productivity of their grazing environment whilst capturing all the methane from their digestion for use as a fuel.

Fast growing unicellular algae culture ensures all spare energy, nutrients and carbon dioxide are rapidly converted into a biomass for multiple uses, including fuel, feedstock and raw material for producing plastics for use in the farms 3d print fabrication laboratory.

The algae-culture system is also an effective means of carbon sequestration, as it can be used to capture and store excess carbon from the atmosphere in inert form if desired.
The system is composed of an inner dome and an outer garden in a similar configuration to a medieval Motte and bailey castle.

The dome sits atop a large array of water tanks which enable interseasonal heat transfer. Waste heat from the summer is stored in water in insulated tanks and released for winter warming. Snow melt and sleep from the winter is stored for use as a summer coolant.

As humanity anticipates a population growth to 10 billion by the end of the century whilst also preparing for the challenges of climate change, habitat loss and resource depletion, this system is an essential step for bringing our population centres within the planetary energy budget to ensure our success.

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    David Lucas
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Profession:
    Engineer/Designer
  • Number of times previously entering contest:
    1
  • David's favorite design and analysis tools:
    Freehand illustration and Photoshop
  • David's hobbies and activities:
    drawing, reading, science and futurism
  • David belongs to these online communities:
    London Futurists, SFIA
  • David is inspired by:
    The work of visionaries such as Dickson Despommier, Jeremy Rifkin, Jacque Fresco and others who recognise humanity needs to navigate a transition to a new economic paradigm.
  • Software used for this entry:
    Photoshop
  • Patent status:
    none