SDSU CITI ICATS
International Consortium of Advanced Technologies and Security
About The Consortium
The Consortium ("ICATS") is tasked by its Director of Operations, Adjunct Professor Ronald A. Newcomb with exercising a value-added collaboration with stakeholders on projects where there is a well defined benefit to mankind and the environment by such collaboration and to consider increased values in sustainability options, alterations and improvements.
No active member of a Consortium group draws salary from the State or the University for this work nor is the Consortium paid for its work by the project owners nor does it receive equity in the projects since the groups are comprised mostly of persons with direct involvement or who perceive some other benefit to participation in the collaboration.
The goal of the Consortium is to coordinate various stakeholders and interests in the projects or technologies, consider various implementation options and strategies that reduce the environmental impact of the project or technology and/or enhance and benefit the environment through the implementation of sustainable design systemically throughout the project development and implementation stages. While we can examine many types of technology, our focus has been renewable and alternative energy technologies.
It reaches this goal by inclusive relationships with stakeholders and individuals who may or may not be involved with the companies, consultants, projects, or development but who offer their expertise through ICATS to help ensure successful projects with environmental impacts that are reduced, or, at times, and where possible, improve environments where they are implemented. (The two current project fit this category.)
Consortium members are individuals with interest in and/or are stakeholders in the Consortium’s specific projects in some manner, which, at times may mean direct involvement with involved companies, or act merely in an advisory capacity because of the potential impact of a technology or its implementation.
Consortium membership is voluntary and by invitation only, and we attempt to include major stakeholders in the Consortium discussion groups. The members list (top navigation bar) refers to the members and companies in which they are involved. The Consortium plays only an advisory role and exercises no direct authority in projects per se, though individuals in the various discussion groups may.
Our Director is Assoc. Professor Eric Frost
Our Director of Operations is Adj. Professor Ronald A. Newcomb
Our Director of Strategic Planning is Wm "Bill" Seach
Our Director of Project Management is Rob Manriquez
Our Liazon to Mexico Is Enrique Sanchez, J.D.
Our Political Advisor is the Honorable Bill Vander Zalm
Our Business Advisor is the Honorable Dennis Shaw
Many new technologies such as Dr. Newcomb's fish friendly generator his vertical axis wind generator, or his geothermal desalination technology tested at the Geothermal Desalination Laboratory can benefit the environment if implemented in environmentally wise manners being mindful of the synoptic level of impact, that is, when considering the long-reaching effects both in the physical distance (the normal usage of the term 'synoptic') and in the depth of impact on the environment when viewed as a highly ordered and homeostatic system that involves various aspects from the earth's crustal and tectonic systems, to the overt geographic and topographic systems, to biological systems and their response to stimulus ranging from soils to solar irradiance.
Considering the full impact of any given project or technology allows for adjustments that benefit all, usually improving the project's overall impact and profits. We believe in stewardship, both of the economics of business, and of the environment in which we all live and breathe. These concepts need not be mutually exclusive.
Until March 2007 the consortium has spent all of its time working on environmentally responsible desalination technologies using renewable energy sources. Its recent focus is on two methodologies using geothermal resources as an energy source. The first are two devices using hydration/dehydration designs that use medium enthalpy geothermal energy to create high volumes of desalinated water at low cost.
The second is perfecting electrolysis desalination to transport hydrogen high into the mountains where it can downflow to the region in need of water. While this is easily described, the effort now is to design a system that can do this in a cost effective manner.
Hydrogen is less dense than atmospheric gasses, ergo, gravity lifts it up. Oxygen, being plentiful in the atmosphere (21%) does not need to be transported to operate a fuel cell, this can be taken from the ambient atmospheric gases. (The atmosphere is 78.084% nitrogen, 20.946% oxygen, Argon 0.934%, Carbon Dioxide ~0.038% and other gasses 0.002% including Neon, Helium, Methane, Krypton, Hydrogen, nitrous oxide Xeon Ozone, Nitrogen dioxide Iodine Carbon monoxide and ammonia.) So the hydrogen lifts itself, a fuel cell at the other end makes water, and it flows down hill to the spot it is needed. The question becomes, how to do this in a cost effective manner.
Next, the improvement of solar energy by understanding the physics of IR light in relationship between thin panel solar and stirling engine solar arrays is being examined to see how to improve the techniques of broader spectrum utilization.
Lastly the economic and land reclamation in Sonora Mexico. The ability of creating high volumes of highly potable water creates new opportunities. One of these it to use the abundant geothermal resources around the head of the Gulf of California to make water and then use the water to grow trees which can, in turn create income opportunities for the poor people of Mexico.
Documents:
Geothermal Desalination
(three devices, with two methodologies currently being studied)
San Diego Bay formation and rhombochasm
Punta Banda (Punta Brava) Known Geothermal Resource Area (Flash)
King Abdulah Economic City Research
Laguna Salada (moved to commercial site)
Sonora Economic and Land Restorations Project
CO2 Sequestration