Carrots

[T.L.G.vanderLinden@student.utwente.nl (Timothy van der Linden)]

To Kevin:

>> If we use self reproducing robots, a chip-backery should be on board anyway.
>
>No, each of the robots would be able to make chips on their own, the process 
>isn't all that different than making solar cells.  Of Course, if they can 
>make the chips they need, then the ones we need should be no problem.

That's what I meant, we have a robot on board with its chip backery. 

>> That water you need always, even if you use frozen food.
>
>In fact, you would have less water in a hydroponics system than you would 
>have in frozen food.

I assumed freeze dried food, so a lot if not all (using special prepared
food) water would be extracted. Of course it won't be tasty at all.

>If the trays are three inches wide, and 9 inches deep, and they are 
>stacked about two feet apart, then we can put 16 trays side-by-side, and 
>stack four levels high (1st level at 0 feet, 2nd level at 2 feet, etc.)
>then one "stack" feeds 64 crewmembers and we will need 16 stacks to feed 
>the whole crew.  The volume of the "carrot Room" allowing 4 feet at the 
>end of each row, and 2.5 feet between stacks, and placing the water pumps 
>in the 2 feet below the floor level, will be:

In 72+18 days a member eats (72+18)*3=270 carrots
24 carrots per foot, so a member needs 270/12=11.25 foot
One stack has a length of 9*16*4=576 foot
So one stack has enough carrots for 576/11.25=51 people.
That means 20 stacks instead of 16

>From here I've a real hard time following your calculus...

>Please also note the following side benefit to growing our food.  it 
>makes oxygen.  not enough to do without the mechanical scrubbers, but 
>every little bit helps.  Also note that it takes less energy to grow the 
>food than to accelerate the extra stored stuff to cruising speed (and if 
>we don't hit .99 C, then Kelly needs even more storage space)

I wonder, do plants that grow large food (relative to the amount of leaves)
use more oxigen than they create?

>This should end the farm vs warehouse debate unless a flaw can be found 
>in my calculations (always a distinct possibility)

I found at least one error, and have some doubts about the volume and how
much water is there in a single tray?
(It took me a while before I figured out that 1 feet is exactly 12 inches)

Timothy