From: Steve Miller (triorbtl_at_sover.net)
Date: 02/09/03
Message-ID: <3E46F2DE.7030700@sover.net> Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 19:31:26 -0500 From: Steve Miller <triorbtl_at_sover.net> Subject: Re: Newbie
If you are making a large non-geodesic sphere, you will need some
brilliant engineering, I think. The spherical shape alone is not
inherently strong. Gore domes work well for little silo tops, but a 50
ft. sphere is serious business.
Ernie wrote:
> With 50 ft dome you could have 3 floors, with Sphere, 5 or 6 ?
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Robert Childs" <bizarrinitii_at_earthlink.net>
> To: <domesteading-request_at_sculptors.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 5:29 PM
> Subject: Newbie
>
> ..... Seams: almost all of my seams are vertical. Water runs
>
>>off. If a leak does happen, it is easy to find where it originates and
>>repair before any damage is done.
>>
>
>
> Yes fix before it rains or might have mold like down at the library...mold
> in the walls, closed and no checking out books for 3 weeks :-(
>
> ... The upper hemisphere rotates on its "North Pole" axis. The
>
>>fiberglass perimeter deck panels are fixed to the 2nd floor joists. The
>>upper hemisphere panels have a concasve groove at the bottom as do these
>>deck panels12-15" above the deck surface to avoid leakage. This groove is
>>filled with bearings (recycled golfballs!) The whole point of this is not
>>only to give you a different view when you want it, but to enable
>>
> expensive
>
>>and labor consuming large windows to be installed only on a couple of the
>>segments.
>>
>
> Good for the Observatory too.
>
> This way, the whole 2nd floor is a solar collector as the entire
>
>>hemisphere can track the sun throughout the day. A small motor or even one
>>person can move it as the skin is non-structural, hence very light. The
>>bottom hemisphere , though non-rotating has hinged segments that can fold
>>down and out to bounce southern sunligt into the kitchen and workspaces
>>during the day, This will increase solar gain, elininate need for
>>worklighting and be ideal for small scale fruit or vegetable growing. The
>>seams, since shielded from rain by the deck, need only be weatherstripped.
>>Opening is by wire and pulley. the hole when the panel is open can be
>>covered with poly or mylar sheeting, or plexiglass since the panel can be
>>closed to protect from wind , cold, fire etc.
>> I guess I'll stop here and let all of you digest. I'll go into the
>>solar, wind, and hydropower applications later. Also, by March 1st, I will
>>have photos available of my model. I beg feedback from everyone, and will
>>discuss any principle or detail. I've worked on this thing for 25 years,
>>with the mantra, "Simplify, simplify, simplify!" Echoing in my head. I
>>would welcome any help in that direction , as my means are as limited as
>>
> a
>
>>Habitat client. Keep it cheap, simple and light. Thanks!
>> Robert Childs
>>
>>
>
> I see a dome - mounted and rotatable on a spherical base, so that the whole
> thing looks like a complete sphere. Now I wonder how Epcot sphere is holding
> up after all these years, - http://www.gardendome.com/ep/epcot.html
>
> I have considered somthing similar- By hollowing out the earth and placing
> the sphere partly below grade, the earth is the supporting mount / anchor.
> My sphere project partly assembled -
> http://www.gardendome.com/aug29_02_wagon.JPG
> some big non geodesic [as we know it] spheres -
> http://www.gardendome.com/kp/kitt_peak.html
> http://www.gardendome.com/KittPk.JPG
>
> Ernie
>
>
>
-- Formactive: http://www.sover.net/~triorbtl/
