Glacier builders since 2010
Yesterday we celebrated the official start of The SunGlacier Promotion Tour. Journalist Maarten Westerveen interviewed me in an improvised VPRO studio at the Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam. Next presentation will be Friday, 3rd of June, Toronto, Canada.
Next Sunday, Amsterdam, 17:10 on VPRO Vrij Denken Festival
Next week updates from Toronto & New York
Yesterday we had a meeting with Jan, Rob (left) & Erik (right). The technical simulation, is working with astonishing results. Some parts of the model have to be tested in a couple of weeks and others have to be checked in efficiency. As a technical outsider I only can conclude that making water or ice in a warm and dry desert will get a new dimension! Keyword is creativity. Rob Kursten, specialist in Solar Energy, is the new enthusiastic member of the Cofely science team.
Next updates: Presentations in Toronto, New York, Amsterdam & the design of a revisioned prototype.
A world of extremes. While walking over the sea-ice, looking at one of worlds largest glaciers: The Greenlandic Icecap, I often thought: ‘What if I could see a Fata Morgana and experience a desert with extreme heat?’ I am sure the opposite, our new project SunGlacier: Entering the Arctic World in an extremely warm desert would cause the same excitement. It’s a contra-intuitive thought, but calculations show that this life-time experience can become reality. The technical challenge is huge, but also shows that science and art have more connections as ever believed before. It’s a matter of using knowledge in a creative way and a need to look over the horizon.
The film team: Ap, Hessel and Svebor are on their way to Uummannaq, North-West Greenland. They film the last shots for a documentary film about project cool(E)motion, and the first shots for a documentary film about project SunGlacier. Updates next week on: https://www.sunglacier.com/
http://publicity-sunglacier.blogspot.com/
Our favourite is the Mexican TV-item. They make a real show!
Probably end of next week we know more about how our system will work. As an artist it is great to experience that art and science have more connections. Both need a lot of creativity. Even more as I could expect before we started this project. Next picture shows the latest ideas to produce ice from air. We will keep you up to date on sunglacier.com
To fine tune the technical components of project SunGlacier we need climate data from desert areas around the world. We need 365days/year, 24 hours logs of temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar activity and rainfall.
Who can help us? Great if you could send us data or suggestions how we can get them. Please send to: apverheggen@gmail.com
Thank you very much!
Press Agency Reuters is filming a TV-item that will be distributed to many international TV stations.
General Questions
1. Which climate facts do we have to cope with in a desert environment?
2. Can we find enough water and where can we find it?
3. How can we generate enough frigidity [freezing capacity] in order to create ice and sustain an adequate volume of it?
4. How much energy do we need for this purpose and how can we create this amount in a sustainable fashion?
5. What characteristics does the sculpture need to make it all work?
Ad 1 The climate condition (temperature, humidity, wind, etc.) of deserts can vary considerably. Therefore, is the choice of location a point of importance.
Ad 2 The most favourable source of water is the available water vapour in the air. The amount of exploitable water differs strongly with temperature and humidity.
Ad 3 There are many ways of creating frigidity [removing the heat]. The challenge is, to find the best suitable way for our sculpture. Our frigidity [refrigeration] experts, Frank and Erik, investigated a long list of possibilities. Compression refrigeration, eventually in combination with absorption cooling, seems the best attainable option so far.
Ad 4 In the end, the exact amount of needed energy will strongly depend on the shape and characteristics (e.g. heat transfer) of the sculpture. To increase our understanding on this issue, our plan is, to carry out some simulations on different shapes and materials. We hope to present the first results next month. Energy source we point at are solar energy, eventually in combination with wind energy.
Ad 5 The surface for the generation of solar energy, together with the required heat transfer and the exposure of the ice to (direct) sunlight and wind will mainly determine the shape and characteristics of the sculpture. The challenge will be, still to express a strong and positive cultural message while complying to the required characteristics.
We’ll keep you posted
We start the first blog this year by a short return to project cool(E)motion. Bruce Parry visited Uummannaq while our iceberg with sculptures was grounded just before the island. Picture: Bruce wearing shades designed by Ap to promote Uummannaq Polar Institute. Maybe a glimpse of the sculptures in the documentary? Our Arctic Inuit Expert Ole Jorgen Hammeken adviced Bruce and his team for their trip to Greenland. More info, press HERE
Yesterday we discussed with prof. Wubbo Ockels the technical challenge to build a glacier in the desert. As an example we showed him the sculpture ‘Nomad’.
more info: press LINK
Have a look at http://www.animatedengines.com/vstirling.shtml
