underground bunker

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   Captain Redbeardposted 12 years ago

   What would be the best way to have energy in an underground bunker that is cut off from the surface? My friend and I have been goofing around about an apocalyptic situation. The only thing we can't figure out is how we would have energy in the bunker. Water storage we can do, food storage but if we were running lights and such with car batteries sooner or later they would die and we would be stuck in the dark. So anyone have anythoughts on a self sustaning generator?

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      paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Being cut off from the surface eliminates most options. You will have to go nuclear. You'll find what you need on the Russian Craigslist.

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         Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         

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      lobobrandonposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      agua is right. If you'll are stuck in an underground bunker you'll will need exercise. So the cycle thing will be perfect. Also try hamsters Take plenty of hamster food as well.

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      couturepopcafeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Isn't there a way to charge a battery or generator with a crank?

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         Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Sure, I have three wind up flash lights and two wind up radios. They are pretty neat actually.

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   knolyourselfposted 12 years ago

   Something connected by wire to above ground. Some kind of water or wind turbine or solar.

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      Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The idea was based on say something happening to where we were stuck underground for a long period of time. So if we had solar panels up above ground, they would have to be some heavy duty stuff to withstand the elements. Even more, what happens if it's cloudy or it's nuclear winter up there? No sun, no energy.
      
      Wind turbine is cool too but it something breaks and we can't get up there, no energy.

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   aguasilverposted 12 years ago

   Maybe a bicycle generator to charge the batteries, that way you would get exercise as well as power?

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      Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I was thinking that very thing. Have those cycles hooked up to a battery source, exercise and electric all in one!

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      Reality Bytesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Great idea!

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         aguasilverposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Also remember, when building your bunker, that it should have an emergency entry from your abode, and an escape hatch that surfaces some distance from it.
         
         The entry tunnel should have at least two mantraps built into it, a water trap is always needed, this both causes delay in pursuit and makes it more airtight.
         
         The water trap, when carefully designed, will daunt the casual invader and electrocute the persistent ones.
         
         All bunkers need to be built with the thought in mind that someone will try to invade it, after all you are looking at apocalyptic environment, and someone will have seen you dig a 20 foot deep hole in your property (none the least the spy sats and Google) and build a bunker.
         
         This will naturally lead to folk wondering why you built a large swimming pool and then roofed it in and covered it with earth?
         
         If you want plans or ideas, read Bob Heinlien books, he had some wonderful ideas!

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            Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            My door to the bunker is a trap door in the closet under the stairs like to a crawl space, only when the door opens it is a ladder 20 feet down to a square room with a steele bolted door. Once in that room there is another ladder dropping down 100 feet into the bunker.
            
            It was a design for like astroid or nuclear fallout situations. More like, civil war has broken out, money means nothing. Government and sociaty has broken down. Or the ever so fun scenario of a Zombie flu outbreak
            
            I am a regular on sites like survivalcache.com and survival-spot.com and many others. I love the idea for some reason of modern day sociaty falling apart and starting over.

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               aguasilverposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Ironically, ever since my earliest thoughts I have seen a time when society would break down, and we would be back to square one, with the opportunity to decide what we did with technology this time round.
               
               Would we re invent banks, or chose a barter system where nobody owned the exchange rate or barter 'currency'?
               
               OK, so no bankers!
               
               Would we reinvent lawyers, or rely upon tribal leaders and their council to decide disputes we could not settle between us?
               
               OK, no lawyers either.
               
               Would we set up a government led social security system to take care of those UNABLE to contribute to the work rotas, or would we take care of folk that we appreciated in our 'tribe' and let those who refused to work go their own way?
               
               OK, no organised social security, either be of some value or get out and fend for yourself.
               
               You get the drift.....

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                  Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Did you ever read The Stand by Stephen King? It's about that, break down of sociaty due to a flu concocted in a government lab that escapes and kills 99.7% of the population. In the end there are only a handful of people left who were immune to the flu and have to start over and they all vote on whether or not they would carry on the "spirit" of America by whether or not they agree with the constitution. It's a good read, I did a review on it in one of my hubs. Well, maybe not so much of a review as what my opinion was on the story. Anyway, i think you might like it!

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   Dame Scribeposted 12 years ago

   I think making some sort of underground pool with a 'current' for a generator is a great idea +1

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   Captain Redbeardposted 12 years ago

   ok, i have become too invested into this idea. Been pricing concrete to see how much it would cost. The formula I found on Ehow.com is (LxWxD)/27 if buying in slabs. Is it weird that I am seriously considering this?

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   Dame Scribeposted 12 years ago

   Well, according to this one video regarding a asteroid hittin us it would shave 10 miles off the surface of the planet, we'd hv nuclear winter, oxygen be near gone from the fire, dirt in the air - think we'd need masks of some sort too

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      Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I don't think anyone would survive stuff like that unless you are a government and have billions at your disposal to built fortified bunkers a mile deep under a mall or a airport, if you know what I'm talking about good for you.
      
      This is more like, mad max situation. SHTF, have a fortified place of survival. Your own castle so to speak but a secret castle.....underground......with a green house

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   Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years ago

   Solar Panels up top!
   
   Or, you could ask Trog.
   
   
   

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      Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      That's my cousin

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   wildernessposted 12 years ago

   Build your bunker over a natural gas dome, do a little drilling and put in a generator.  Or find natural hot water, using it to provide electricity.
   
   Just as important, if you are going to use very much energy, will you need a cooling system?  Nearly all energy ends up as heat, and earth is a good insulator - how hot will it get?

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      Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Good points!! Never thought about temperature control before.......How hot will it get indeed.....Hmmm

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         aguasilverposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Guess we need to learn about heat exchangers as well, then you could run the fridge and aircon units!

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            Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Problem solved
            
            
            

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   LeanManposted 12 years ago

   Most important is your air supply!! You can't just lock out the outside world making your bunker air tight so no radioactive particles slip in or you will just suffocate and die of monoxide poisoning..
   You need power 100% for you air pumps and damn good air filters to keep the crap out..
   
   
   
   and as for the zombies.........

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      Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The idea behind the bunker isn't for nuclear fallout protection. More of a SHTF situation.
      
      Zombies? Did you ever see Zombieland? Great flick! The scene where Woody Harrislon is in the booth at the amusment park and the Zombies are trying to get to him thru the fence cage......yeah, trying to work out a reasonable way to have a "screen door" at either enterence/exit so if anyone were to breach the bunker we would be able to just mow them down without them being able to get to us...........hmmmm interesting thought. Motion active turrets?

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         Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         

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    Captain Redbeardposted 12 years ago

    HOLY CRAP!!!!
    
    We could power the bunker using methane gas from the waste disposal of the toliets if their were enough people in the bunker!

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       aguasilverposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Or you could pipe it from your cesspit, that would produce gas for a long enough time!

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          Captain Redbeardposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          No that ball is rolling aye? Just remember me when SHTF, I'll have a bunker able to fit up to 25 people.

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