Shane Benson - Winter Occlusion

[neil]

Interesting idea about Winter Occlusion and impressive start too.

[O'Neill]

Ive been wondering how I might incorporate the water wheel in my concept, thinking of what it might be used for. Normally, a water wheel would drive some cog gearing that would turn crushing stones for a mill. So seeing as how at one time I was into astronomy, im going to use the water wheel to drive an alternator system that will output electricity to a battery system that will operate the equatorial mount for the solar panel array allowing it to track the sun through the sky providing a constant line of site to the sun for maximum solar collection.

First stage of the water wheel...

[O'Neill]

EQ mount for solar panels.

[AubreyM]

Nice detail.

[O'Neill]

Thanks guys!

A little update on the EQ mounted solar panels, and the water wheel battery drive system.

[Russell L. Thomas]

Very nice detail to your alternate power systems.

[Rod]

good stuff Shane, it looks as though it'd fit into a research station or the like. I wonder how much use your water wheel will be in those long cold nights, how will you keep it turning? Looks might chilly perhaps a penguin will be walking up.

[Russell L. Thomas]

He just needs to make it a fast moving creak/stream/river and it won't freeze over.

[Rod]

yeah, guess it's just perspective, I spent some time today working on my ice climbing gear and my mind is stuck on climbing frozen waterfalls

[O'Neill]

Yeah, it will be a moving stream. I gotta set up the textures to give the appearance of small rapids, plus some more rocks, so it definitely wont be freezing over.

Here is the generator that will be hooked up to the water wheel to power the solar array mount, and anything else that needs power. Probably run a few lines to the house.

The research station thing might not be a bad idea. I was originally going to make this a home, but the more I add to it, the more it looks like a arctic research station.