novelsite Chapter 56 Water Purification System
Chapter 56 Water Purification System
At 7:30 p.m., the fourth carriage was bustling with activity.
Lin Luoer and Li Xiaowei had both changed into lightweight and durable work clothes, and their long hair was tied into neat ponytails. The two were squatting in the middle of the carriage, installing a complex piping system by referring to the 3D drawings on the tablet computer.
"Weiwei, help me hold this three-way valve." Lin Luoer's face was a little dusty, but her eyes were bright. "Yes, that angle, hold it."
Yesterday afternoon, they had completed the laying of the planting substrate and the sowing of the first batch of seeds. At this moment, the water purification equipment filled almost half of the carriage: shiny stainless steel filter tanks, rolls of food-grade hoses, valve fittings of various sizes, and several miniature water pumps that looked very professional.
"Zhengyang, you've come at the perfect time!" Lin Luo'er stood up and dusted off her hands as she saw Wang Zhengyang enter the carriage. "Come and see the 'Extreme Environment Life Support Core Module' that you designed."
Pointing to the half-installed water purification system, her tone brimming with the enthusiasm typical of an engineer, she said, "This system is designed entirely according to your proposed 'fully closed-loop self-sufficient' standard. The first stage is a physical sedimentation tank—" She pointed to a stainless steel box already welded in the corner of the carriage, "After the water source enters, it first settles here to remove large particles of impurities. The interface for the 1000-meter long-distance water suction hose that you specifically requested is located at the front end here, and a pre-filter has also been installed."
"The second stage is a dual sand filter tank," Li Xiaowei continued, as she was in charge of assembling the pipes today. Her fingers deftly connected a flexible hose to the filter tank interface. "We used three different sizes of quartz sand, filling them from top to bottom. When water passes through this layer, 99% of the suspended solids will be trapped."
Lin Luo'er nodded and walked to the third stage of equipment: "The most crucial part is this—the activated carbon adsorption and membrane filtration combined unit. Activated carbon removes chlorine, organic matter, and odors, while the ultrafiltration membrane blocks bacteria and microorganisms. After passing through these three stages, the water that comes out meets the standards for direct drinking."
She tapped the cylindrical stainless steel membrane filter canister, which produced a crisp echo: "It has a processing capacity of 500 liters per hour, which is more than enough for drinking, cooking, and basic cleaning needs when fully loaded. All filter media are modularly designed for quick cleaning or replacement, and have a design life of at least three years—which perfectly meets your testing requirements for 'long-term distance from civilization's supply points'."
Wang Zhengyang carefully examined the pipeline routing and the sealing process of the interfaces. The system implementation was more comprehensive than the concept on his drawings; Lin Luoer not only considered water purification efficiency but also reserved redundant pipelines and quick-access maintenance ports.
"Has the rainwater harvesting system been integrated?" he asked.
"It's integrated! That's the most ingenious part." Lin Luo'er's eyes lit up even more as she pulled Wang Zhengyang towards the back of the car. "Come with me, the core energy storage of the entire water system is in the back!"
The three of them walked through the connecting passage and arrived at the twelfth carriage, which was still under construction.
The scene here is still in the middle of construction—the frames of four huge cylindrical stainless steel water tanks have been erected, but only the outer shells of two have been welded, while the internal supporting structures of the other two are still exposed. Chen Yishang is leading two workers in welding the curved wall panels of the third water tank, sparks from the welding flashing in the air, and the air is filled with the slightly burnt smell of heated metal.
"Each water tank has a capacity of 6,000 liters, and the four together have a total capacity of 24,000 liters," Lin Luo'er explained, pointing to the blueprints. "This is the 'strategic water reserve core' originally planned for the project. Based on the minimum survival standard of 100 people at full capacity and 5 liters of water per person per day, this batch of stored water can provide a safe buffer period of 48 days—and this does not even take into account the increased collection and purification brought about by the continuous operation of the system."
She walked to a water tank that had already been welded, gently patted the cold stainless steel wall, and then pointed to the pre-installed interface on the top of the tank: "Look here, this is the integration point for the rainwater harvesting system you requested. Once everything is completed, concealed drainage channels will be laid along both sides of the roof, directly connecting to these four main water tanks through internal pipes. Whenever it rains, the train will automatically collect rainwater to replenish the storage."
Li Xiaowei added, "Following your suggestion, we also designed a siphon-type internal circulation system, which allows the stored water to circulate periodically, preventing bacterial growth in stagnant areas. Once the diversion channel is installed, there will be an automatic filter at the inlet, preventing large debris from getting in."
"The key to extreme environment testing is the independence and redundancy of the water source." Lin Luo'er's expression became serious. "Food can be rationed, and energy can be allocated, but once a clean water source is cut off, any survival system will quickly collapse. This design—remote water intake, rainwater collection, three-stage purification, and large-scale storage—will, upon completion, enable the Longyuan to truly possess the ability to sustain life systems for a long period of time in the event of a complete cutoff from external supplies."
Wang Zhengyang surveyed the construction site. The progress was in line with expectations—this was precisely the design he had insisted on including based on his memories of his past life. In a post-apocalyptic environment, clean drinking water is often scarcer and more deadly than food. Being able to safely obtain water from any body of water and replenish it using the weather is the true guarantee of survival.
"How long will the overall construction period take?" he asked Chen Yishang.
Chen Yishang turned off the welding machine, took off his mask, and wiped his sweat: "The main welding and reinforcement of the four water tanks will take another two days. Pipeline connection, sealing testing, and integration with the fourth water purification system will take at least three more days. The total construction period is about five days, which should be enough to complete the main functional testing before the weekend." He paused, "Engineer Wang, has the specific installation location of that 1000-meter suction pipe been determined? Its winch and guide device need to have a base reserved in advance."
"The location has been determined." Wang Zhengyang pointed to a reserved square area at the rear of the carriage. "I'll give you the base blueprints this afternoon. The weight issue will be resolved through the carriage's counterweight balancing."
Chen Yishang nodded and made a mark on the tablet.
Wang Zhengyang turned to Lin Luoer: "What about the progress of the entire water system's control logic?"
"The control system has been designed and procured; we're just waiting for the hardware to be installed!" Lin Luo'er pulled up the control flowchart. "According to your plan, I designed a three-layer control system. The first layer is local manual emergency control, with physical valves and hand-cranked pump interfaces at each key node; the second layer is carriage-level automatic control, which uses a waterproof and shockproof PLC controller to automatically select the water source based on sensor feedback; the third layer is integrated into the train's main control system, allowing all parameters to be monitored and modes to be switched from the driver's cab."
She zoomed in on a detail in the drawings: "What's special is the remote water intake mode—once the system is completed, it will first perform basic water source testing upon startup. If the pollutants exceed the standard, it will automatically add a pre-filtration process to protect the main purification unit. This is all designed for the core subject of 'water source safety testing in unknown environments'."
"Have you estimated the efficiency of rainwater harvesting?" he asked.
"I've estimated it!" Li Xiaowei answered quickly. "Once all the drainage channels are installed, based on the average rainfall in the Berlin area, just one moderate rain will be enough to collect at least two thousand liters of water on the roof. In areas with abundant rainfall, this system could even increase the amount of water the tank uses!"
Lin Luo'er added with a smile, "Of course, in actual testing, we also need to consider the pollutants in the air. However, the activated carbon unit at the front of the purification system should be able to handle most acid rain or dust pollution problems."
Just then, Li Xiaowei's stomach rumbled softly. She covered her stomach sheepishly, "Um...shouldn't we have lunch? I stewed a pot of beef and potatoes for lunch, it should be simmering well by now..."
Lin Luo'er glanced at the time and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear, it's almost eight o'clock! I was so busy that I forgot the time!"
Wang Zhengyang realized that no one had rested since noon. He nodded: "Let's eat first. We'll continue tomorrow."
As the three walked back, Li Xiaowei was still excitedly planning: "Once the water purification system is fully completed and running, I can use the water we treated ourselves to cook. I heard that the hardness of the water affects the taste of the food..."
Lin Luo'er smiled and took her arm: "Then you'd better keep a close record of the differences in taste when cooking with water from different sources. This is also part of the 'Extreme Environment Quality of Life Test'!"
"Absolutely!" Li Xiaowei puffed out her chest. "My mission is to ensure that everyone involved in the testing can enjoy the most delicious meals, regardless of the environment!"
Wang Zhengyang watched the two girls' backs, then turned back to look at the four huge water tanks that were taking shape and the crisscrossing pipes.
These designs, based on lessons learned from the past, are gradually becoming a reality. Five days later, when the system is completed, the Longyuan will have: strategic water storage to supply 100 people for 48 days, water intake capability from a safe distance of 1000 meters, automated rainwater collection and replenishment, and a three-level purification safety guarantee.
In a post-apocalyptic environment, such a water system means the ability to traverse arid regions and ignore contaminated water sources—the probability of survival would increase exponentially.
Moreover, water resources, which are of paramount importance, will also be one of the key currencies in future transactions.
Five days later, the Longyuan will gain the confidence to cope with that dark age, based on the lifeline of "water".
The water purification system is just one crucial safety measure. But once completed, this safety measure will be more vital than any other weapon or armor, determining life or death.