bike silos coming along smoothly

here's a jpeg of a PDF of the receptacle that bike silo patrons will encounter (in elevation).. the tags and leaders are intended for our benefit only (obviously someone more apt at graphic programs will have to "sex up" my dwgs), I wouldn't want our submission to be as dry as CAD.

Anyway, I'm hoping to have a section and some details (maybe) of the silo itself by tonight... I just had to figure out this thing so I can extrapolate the appropriate size and mechanics of the silo.
More to come...

suncatcher: an umbrella that collects/makes light to store/collect/make energy

"stirling energy systems (SES) and tessera solar collaborated to design an advanced solar power collection

dish called the suncatcher. the units use precision mirrors arranged in a parabolic dish to focus the sun’s

rays onto a receiver, which then transmits the heat into an engine enclosed in hydrogen gas. as the gas

heats and cools, it applies pressure to the engine’s pistons to produce mechanical power. the power is

used to drive a generator and can be routed elsewhere. the new units have a higher efficiency than

first-generation models with additional cost reduction. the second generation suncatcher is 5,00 pounds

lighter than the original, has better optics and less parts. the mirrors are each made from steel using

a process similar to making the hood of a car. the new design will be deployed in 2010 for commercial

scale energy collection sites which use a large number of units in a concentrated are."

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/16/view/7382/suncatcher.html

maybe we could even put a couple of these on top of our ivy-mesh covered structures.

more byrne

David Byrne: Living on Two Wheels [NYTimes video]

STORAGE: green wall [images]

wire mesh

ivy, greenery

porous

a quick collage with the Copenhagen skyline [to be worked on further]:

Images for collage/contextual diagram/etc

a bit haphazard, but if you like what you see, just Save Picture As and start collaging/diagramming. [Click to enlarge before saving.] Source material can be found via Properties and Google search "Copenhagen Skyline" or "Copenhagen bicycle"

SMIT's GROW

All this talk about ivy covered bike silos and solar and wind power harvesting has me thinking about the group SMIT and their research product GROW. The team was founded by a Pratt ID student and his sister the main product of the venture being his thesis project. I do believe most of us know their newest partner Ben Howes who graduated from Pratt architecture in '06. The system uses bio-mimicking leaf shaped pieces to harness solar and wind power.

"...GROW employs thin film photovoltaics with piezoelectric generators and screen printed conductive ink encapsulated in ETFE fluoropolymer lamination... Based around a modular brick system, GROW is composed of a small number of different parts. Each brick has 5 solar leaves which have a very flexible piezo generator at their stem. The manufacturing of these bricks could happen in a roll to roll printing process where PV, conductive ink, and piezo generators can be layered quickly and efficiently. The rolls can then be stamped and formed to create leaves and connection points. Each brick is designed so that at the end of their life cycle the valuable components, i.e. photovoltaic and piezo, can be stamped out and up cycled while the reusable material, i.e plastic, can be up recycled back into the production stream."


This is the blog from their early days in the venture and their current official site. Their solar ivy is due out this fall as a full working prototype/product line.

... and they have already had a piece of the Copenhagen action, they exhibited in the CPH Design Week 09.

Carbon Belt System Technology + Bike-friendly bikes

ala Philip:

http://www.carbondrivesystems.com/overview.php?lang=us



Specialized Globe Carmel
the bicycles that sid's bikes rents out - $390


Specialized Live
built in bike rack