1. Bisera

    Bisera New Member

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    Oxygen supply

    Discussion in 'Research' started by Bisera, Apr 18, 2020.

    Hi everyone,
    I just joined the forum today and the main reason is because I honestly need some help.

    If this was already discussed, please forgive me, I tried looking it up but had no results found.

    I'm already done writing my book (first ever, a lot of mistakes made, the following being one of them) and I would classify it as mostly fantasy but it does have sci-fi included as well. In other words, I try to get as educated as possible before I write something.

    That being said, I made a boo boo.
    My characters have this super duper biomechanical suit that has its own power supply, thrusters, it's really cool and all BUT... I never explained where they are getting their air from (insert faceplam emoji here). I did some research and I'm very close to wrapping everything up, but I'd like some honest feedback on the solutions I've come up with :

    A- recycling oxygen from carbon dioxide and water ( from sweat), pushing the nus product of this reaction-methane- into the thrusters.
    B- crystallized cobalt salt tightly packed with oxygen (like a tiny backpack)
    C-honeycomb network of pressurized air placed between 2 layers of suit
    D- combining A and D just to make sure they don't die

    Note: EVA never last more then a couple of hours and their vessels (think X or Y wing fighters from Star Wars) do have air supply on their own.
    Also, a lot of action in one chapter happens on a space platform ( in vacuum), so sucking air from their surroundings and filtering it isn't an option.

    Please help
    Soory for the long post
     
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  2. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    Hi - You're not getting much response here ...it might be because you've posted this in Progress Journals. (Which is a place for people to post about their writing goals, successes on a day to day basis, etc.)

    I'm one of the forum moderators. You might get a better response if I move the thread into Research. Would that be okay? At first I thought of moving it to Plot Development, but the main thrust of your question is about the oxygen issue, isn't it? I think Research might produce some results for you.
     
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  3. Bisera

    Bisera New Member

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    Yes, please
    I had absolutely no idea what I'm doing
    Thank you
     
  4. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    Okay, hang on to your hat ...here goes.... :)

    Done. Good luck!

    While you're waiting for responses, please take the time to read these two links, which should help you get oriented. And if you have any problems getting settled, don't hesitate to contact me via a 'conversation' ...just click my owl avatar and follow the signs. I'll do my best to help.

    New Member Quick Start

    Forum Rules

    Cheers, Jan
     
  5. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    Well the solution is totally obvious. A special bean paste, that makes them fart pure oxygen prodigiously. :D

    Sorry, all I got is jokes right now. I'll et some of the more scientifically-minded peeps tackle this one.
     
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  6. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    Water Ice is kinda plentiful, if they can
    harvest it and separate the hydrogen and
    the oxygen from each other. Electrolysis maybe?

    A really long hose from a planet or ship? :p

    Kinda limited, but maybe some kind of fancy
    air scrubbers that can turn CO2 into oxygen?
     
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  7. Bisera

    Bisera New Member

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  8. Madman

    Madman Life is Sacred Contributor

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    I'm not very scientifically-minded.

    You say your story has some fantasy elements in it? If so, why is it important to explain why and how they get oxygen for their suits?
    You could just say "they have an oxygen generation system" and leave it at that maybe?

    I don't know how advanced in sci-fi tech your story is, but there might be numerous ways to have a system providing oxygen.
    1. Perhaps instead of the old big clunky oxygen tank, have a solid small bar of "something" that can generate oxygen for several days?
    2. A system that can convert anything around it into oxygen?
    3. Dimensional suction, that basically sucks oxygen from another dimension directly into the suit? Might add some interesting things that can happen such as certain lifeforms being pulled from that dimension?

    Free your work to the imagination and let it flow!
     
  9. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    Just had a silly idea, but I was thinking about how plants and animals interact. Animals breathe out carbon dioxide which plants take in ...and then produce oxygen, which animals breathe. I know this is oversimplified, but you could maybe work with that idea a bit. If scientists could work out a way for this to make this happen without a plant...? In other words, the carbon dioxide that the person breathes out can be converted into oxygen and fed back?
     
  10. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    A backpack filled with moss, that gives back as much oxygen as you give it carbon dioxide? Maybe the backpack needs to be clear so it can get sunlight, or maybe it's not moss but fungus. Do they exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen? Magic mushrooms maybe?

    Just checked. Nope, mushrooms do the same thing we do, oxygen in, carbon dioxide out. Unless they're magic mushrooms. And I don't mean the kind that make you feel all special, but actual magic. Hey, it's a fantasy world, right?
     
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2020
  11. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    So you are saying a hyper-metabolic plant(s) could be the
    alternative to heavy canisters oxygen. Interesting. :)
     
  12. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    Could ...or simply figure out how to replicate that process.
     
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  13. Naomasa298

    Naomasa298 HP: 10/190 Status: Confused Contributor

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  14. Naomasa298

    Naomasa298 HP: 10/190 Status: Confused Contributor

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    You mean something like this?
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebreather

    :)
     
  15. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    Yes, exactly. I was thinking of possibilities as an author of sci-fi/fantasy, not as a scientist ...because I'm certainly not a scientist. But yeah. This principle exactly. Well done. :)
     
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  16. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    Wouldn't that be counter intuitive?
    I mean fire needs oxygen to burn, so
    wouldn't it be a self feeding candle
    in a space setting? o_O
    Or maybe not, unless you get some
    oil on it, then it's a bend over and
    kiss your hiney goodbye moment. :p
     
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  17. Naomasa298

    Naomasa298 HP: 10/190 Status: Confused Contributor

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    The oxygen is released by the chemical reaction. That's why it works underwater. :)
     
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  18. Cdn Writer

    Cdn Writer Contributor Contributor

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    TRYING (!!!) to read Eric Flint's "Ring of Fire" series.......it's soooo many books!!!!!
    Can your human be enhanced in some way, like how Kevin Costner's character in Waterworld had a mutation that allowed him to breathe underwater? Some bioengineering technology that makes it possible for your character to survive on very little oxygen for a while, not forever, but say 30 minutes at a time? I'm pretty sure Harry Honodi (the magician) was able to hold his breath for a while with practice.

    Or playing with the plant idea, if the genes from a plant could be cross-implanted into your character in order to help him harvest the atmosphere of chemicals that he can process into oxygen?

    Really great question! I'm really thinking about this, might pay off for me down the line in a story as well.

    Scott
     
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  19. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    Wait a minute. Is the oxygen for the breathing of the astronauts, or is it also to power the thrusters? By thrusters do you mean something like jets, for moving them around in space?

    I also notice you said the suits are bio-mechanical. I think how and to what extent could have a strong bearing on oxygen supply. Now I'm picturing suits designed by H R Geiger, though that's probably not what you have in mind, unless this is a weird horror sci-fi fantasy.

    Also, I have no idea what a nus product is? Typo, or something technical I've never heard of?

    EDIT—by any chance are you Croatian? I typed nus product into a search engine and it showed me a Croatian-English translation page. Apparently nus product means by-product, which makes perfect sense.


    Also, @Cdn Writer—I really like those ideas! Good stuff.
     
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2020
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  20. frigocc

    frigocc Contributor Contributor

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    You could possibly find a way to extract the very spread out and small amount of oxygen in space and use it to supply oxygen for your people. But you'd also need to ensure you don't succumb to oxygen toxicity.
     
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  21. Aaron Smith

    Aaron Smith Banned Contributor

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    A is the most plausible with advanced energy tech and chemistry.
     
  22. Naomasa298

    Naomasa298 HP: 10/190 Status: Confused Contributor

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    I dunno, the amount of oxygen in space amounts to no more than a few atoms per cubic metre. You'd struggle to get enough for even one breath.
     
  23. psychotick

    psychotick Contributor Contributor

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    Hi,

    I know this may be an odd question but what's wrong with tanks? Maybe enhanced with a rebreather system? There's no reason that with super high tech they can't be made much smaller - potentially squeezing the oxygen down until it's liquid then using some sort of thingummy to warm the liquid 02 back up to temp for breathing.

    Cheers, Greg.
     
  24. frigocc

    frigocc Contributor Contributor

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    Of course. That's why you'd need some pretty damn amazing technology.
     
  25. Cdn Writer

    Cdn Writer Contributor Contributor

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    TRYING (!!!) to read Eric Flint's "Ring of Fire" series.......it's soooo many books!!!!!
    Sorry for the long delay - addition to my thought about some type of gene engineering, I remembered this situation from the news.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dede_Koswara_(Tree_Man)

    I really wondered for a long time if there was some practical use for this condition, like did they protect him in some way? Could they be used as weapons, like if he was to be attacked by a tiger, he would be able to fend it off by striking it with his limbs?

    There are other growths that people experience which a google search will show. There was just a blurb today about a girl born with four arms and three legs, I think - apparently the mother was pregnant with triplets and one triplet absorbed one of the others while they were fetuses. I wondered how that would work for the individual with the condition in outer space or underwater or ......

    Scott
     

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