Ficly

Automated Systems

Inside a cabin at the edge of a pond, a microcontroller powered by a solid-state ultracapacitor charged by a roof-mounted solar panel registered a drop in temperature. A solenoid valve opened, allowing methane from a collection system at the bottom of the pond to flow into a compact modified woodstove. A concentration sensor monitored the fuel mixture, and as soon as it hit 8%, some of the capacitor’s stored energy was channeled into a voltage multiplier to create a small ignition spark. As the fireplace warmed, a Peltier device bolted to the side began to produce a voltage, which was sent back to the capacitor and to three high-efficiency LEDs in the lamp over the table. It was rustic and modern at the same time. From the outside, had anyone been there to see, the cabin would have looked bright and warm and inviting. One could go in and sleep, without having to worry about the frost that was going to develop during the night.

Seems a shame that the whole area had been abandoned for over sixty years, really.

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