Tag: Solar

#7 The Sun

| November 8, 2010 | 4 Comments

Designation: Yellow Star
Stellar Classification: G2V
Distance from Earth: 1.496×10^8 km (8 minutes, 19 seconds at light speed)
Equatorial Circumference: 6.955×10^5 km
Surface Area: 6.087 7×10^12 km^2
Volume: 1.412×10^18 km^3
Mass: 1.989 1×10^30 kg

Core Density: 1.5×10^5 kg/m^3

Core Temperature: ~15.7×10^6 K
Surface Temperature: 5,778 K (5500° F)
Corona Temperature: ~5×106 K
Luminosity: 3.846 x 10^26 Watt

Coronal Mass Ejection Average Mass: 1.6 x 10^12 kg
Coronal Mass Ejection Average Velocity: 20km/s – 3200km/s
Current Coronal Cycle as of today’s date (05/05/1987): Low, trending upward

Hydrogen: 73.45%
Helium: 24.85%
Oxygen: 0.77%
Carbon: 0.29%
Iron: 0.16%
Sulfur: 0.12%
Neon: 0.11%
Nitrogen: 0.08%
Silicon: 0.07%
Magnesium: 0.05%
Unknown Elements: 0.03%

The Sun. Our Sun. The largest, heaviest, hottest and brightest natural object in our solar system. It has been Dr. Henric Hannes PhD’s obsession since he was a young boy in Portsburg. Our Sun propels approximately 389 billion million gigawatts of energy into space. Comparatively, the earth’s total global energy consumption is just a few thousand gigawatts. The majority of that is highly polluting fossil fuels.  Dr. Hannes theorizes that if we could capture even a fraction of that power and convert it to usable energy here on the ground…we would never have to worry about power again (or…at least for the next 4 billion years or so).

#6 – L.U.N.A.R. Computer

| November 7, 2010 | 0 Comments

The original Solar lab computers, much like most other computers in the world in the early 80s, were nothing more than room sized calculators.  Using the standard Vector Processing (that is a central CPU that delegated processing tasks to multiple processors then later organizing the resulting data) the computers built for Dr. Hannes were running at a basic (for it’s time) processing speed of of 1.1 GigaFLOPS (or 1.1 billion calculations per second). When the U.S. Government was brought in to fund and secure Dr. Hannes’ work, a team of scientists and engineers was also brought in to assist in the research.  Within this group was a team led by Irish computer engineer Jonathan O’Colvin, PhD.  O’Colvin began right away rebuilding the entire computer system.  Six months later, the LUNAR Computer was complete.

The LUNAR Computer is a self aware, highly adaptive Multi-Quantum processor SuperComputer capable of speeds theoretically up to 1.5 zettaFLOPS (that is 1.5 octillion calculations per second).  That speed is stated as theoretical because the only way to provide enough power to operate the computer at full will be when the solar energy converter is actually activated. Operated on the Portsburg power grid, LUNAR can only function at approximately 50% of its full capacity.  The computer has a single core which resides at the center of the SOLAR Lab and is networked to most of the compatible computers in the Solar Lab building as well as the entire uPAST campus via a small wireless chip that is attached to each CPU.

O’Colvin has programmed the one of a kind system with an adaptive form of artificial intelligence.  Upon it’s initial boot the system was nothing more than a very large, very fast computer. As time has progressed, LUNAR has become self aware and is learning more and more each day.

When fully functional LUNAR will also operate and maintain the connection between all three SECT (Solar Ejection Collection and Transmission) satellites that are in a geosynchronous orbit above the SOLAR Lab.

#5 Jonathan O’Colvin , PhD

| November 5, 2010 | 0 Comments

A brilliant scientist in the field of computer engineering, Jon O’Colvin comes to the uPAST and the Solar Lab by way his home country of Ireland.  When the United States Government inked the deal with uPAST to help fund and protect Dr. Hennric’s solar energy conversion research, Jon was one of the first new scientists to be brought in.  Dr. Hennric already had one of the most advanced super computers in existence. However, within a six months, O’Colvin and his team had rebuilt the entire system and integrated the new self aware L.U.N.A.R. [Localized University Networked Autonomous Research] computer system into the entire uPAST computer network (which itself was and is technology far advanced beyond any other computer system in the world).  With this new powerful computer system the research has advanced forward at a light speed pace (excuse the pun).  O’Colvin now maintains the  L.U.N.A.R. Computer as well as writes and applies daily upgrades and improvments to ensure that when the energy conversion system comes online the computers will be able to handle all the data that it is sure to encounter.

Jon O’Colvin himself is a quiet man who tends to keep to himself as much as possible.  He works long hours every day, typically never less than 12 hours, and never overlooks even the smallest detail. He is liked by everyone in the lab even though he rarely socializes with anyone, with the exception of the L.U.N.A.R. computer who he has an obvious strong connection with.

#4 Fin Halloway

| November 4, 2010 | 0 Comments

In 1968, at the age of 18 years and 1 day old, Finlay Halloway, known to everyone as Fin, enlisted in the United States Marines.  The son and grandson of Marines and veterans of war there was nothing that could stop Fin from following in those footsteps.  In no time he was through basic and tromping through the jungles of Vietnam fighting for his country.  Just five years later, then a decorated NCO, he was out of Vietnam and into a top secret special forces team known only by the code name Taipan. By 1980 he had been promoted to a Warrant Officer and was in charge of his entire company.

While on a top secret assignment with a detachment to Beirut in October of 1983, Fin was caught in the heart of a massive explosion. The official story was that it was a dual car bombing, which killed nearly 500. The truth is that the explosion was directly related to a Taipan mission and more than 2000 people, including civilians and service members, were killed including many of the men under Fin’s command.  Fully physically recovered, though still dealing with the emotional fall out of that tragic even, after over a year of recuperation and rehabilitation, Fin was reassigned within Taipan.

The US Government took interest early in the research of Dr. Henric Hannes, PhD.  It was apparent early that his solar energy conversion technology, far beyond simple solar panels installed on a roof, had the potential to change the world.  In order to ensure that Dr. Hannes’ research did not end up in the hands of an enemy nation of regime a security detail from special forces Taipan team was assigned.  That force is headed by Fin Halloway.  It is his duty to protect the uPAST campus as well as all the technology and the science team.

Before the incident in Beirut, Fin was a fun loving, energetic man who was dedicated to his friends, his job and his country.  Since his recovery he is no less dedicated to his job and country, however, he has become a much more serious and intense individual.

(side note: I’m still in the planning phase of Solar: Maximum and have, as of yet, not decided if the comic will appear in black and white or full color.  IF I decide to go full color…I think this is the style that I’ll be going with. Or…at least something similar)  (thoughts??)

#3 Marna Valasquez, PhD

| November 3, 2010 | 0 Comments

Marna Valasquez is one of the staff scientists in the Solar Lab at the University of Portsburg Academy of Science and Technology.  A native of Cuba, she immigrated to this country with her family in her early teens.  Her father found work first as a day laborer, then in construction and later he opened a diner called “El Cubano” in the trendy waterfront precinct of Portsburg.  Marna’s parents instilled an almost robot-like work ethic in her but it has all, so far, payed off. Through years of incredibly hard work she earned herself a scholarship to college, then graduate school.  She attained her PhD from uPAST in 1985 and went straight to work for Dr. Hannes in the Solar Lab.  Marna wrote her thesis on the effect of quantum particles on light rays and now continues to study that in the lab.

Marna projects a very rigid external image. Most people in the lab would rather spend time with one of the hideous biological experiments in the uPAST “Earths” labs then try to have a conversation with Marna.  She’s known, to some, as the hottest Cuban ice queen ever born.  But she’s makes no apologies and pulls no punches…with anyone or any thing.

#2 Billy Frakes

| November 2, 2010 | 2 Comments

Billy’s parents were killed during Portsburg’s great blizzard of 1984 when Billy was just 6 years old. With no other family, he was placed in an orphanage. A couple years later during a school field trip to the Solar Lab at the University of Portsburg Academy of Science and Technology, young Billy became separated from his class and wandered into a closed robotics lab.  For nearly an hour the uPAST security searched the campus for the boy. Eventually, Fin Halloway, head of security at the Solar Lab, found Billy.  The young boy had completely disassembled three housekeeping robots because he said he wanted to know how they worked.  Impressed by Billy’s intelligence and curiosity Rebecca and Henric quickly fell in love with the boy and adopted him. Now, one year later, Billy is happier then ever living with the Hannes family.  When not studying or taking apart and reassembling various machines around the lab he acts as Dr. Hannes’ lab assistant.

#1 Dr. Henric Hannes, PhD

| November 1, 2010 | 3 Comments

Dr. Henric Hannes, PhD

Dr. Henric Hannes, PhD, a tenured professor of astral physics at the University of Portsburg Academy of Science and Technology (affectionately known on campus as uPAST), is the world’s leading astral and solar physicist.  Known for his research into the conversion of energy from the sun into usable energy on Earth, he is also an accomplished inventor and leader in the Portsburg community. Dr. Hannes and his wife, Rebecca Hannes, PhD, run the Solar Lab and plan to have the first working prototype of their energy converter ready to debut within the year.  Hopes are high that a fully functional machine can be in place before the decade is out which could potentially provide an endless amount of free energy to the entire United States.