I can upgrade the shelter
Chapter 46 Considerations for Heating (Requesting Recommendations and Favorites)

Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Considerations for Heating (Requesting Recommendations and Favorites)

For humanity, environments of dozens of degrees below zero indeed represent life-prohibitive zones utterly unsuitable for human survival. However, even in the most hostile polar environments, humans have nonetheless established permanent polar research stations, and these stations are not deeply buried underground but instead placed directly on the surface.

Temperatures of dozens of degrees below zero are indeed perilous death traps, but with current human technology, building a warm and comfortable research station in such an environment is not a problem.

Take the polar research station built by Flame Country as an example. The interior of the container houses is sprayed with a 120mm thick polyurethane insulation layer, and then decorated with outfitting panels. This setup is both warm and stylish and can completely withstand the bitter cold of dozens of degrees below zero in the polar environment.

Of course, the station itself does not generate heat. No matter how well insulated, heat exchange still occurs, so the research station is equipped with heating devices.

This proves that with existing human technology, there is genuinely no need to dig several kilometers underground to face extreme cold temperatures.

With current human technological capabilities, as long as sufficient insulation and protection are in place when building a shelter, and reliable heating equipment is equipped, it is entirely possible to ensure that a shelter can be warm and comfortable in an environment of dozens of degrees below zero.

However, in this era when the apocalypse has arrived, ensuring reliable heating equipment is not so straightforward.

Taking polar research stations as an example, there are generally two main heating methods, electrical heating and fuel heating.

Since research stations typically generate electricity 24 hours a day, larger stations generally use indoor electric heaters for warmth. This method is simple and easy to install and maintain, allows easy temperature control, and is clean. However, most of the station’s electricity is often used for heating, and when external temperatures are low, it can easily cause generator overload and, if improperly used, can lead to electrical fires.

Some research stations use oil boilers as the primary heating equipment, similar to ordinary heating in the northern regions of Flame Country. This requires extra installation and maintenance of heating equipment but reduces the risk of electrical fires and effectively decreases generator load.

Additionally, some small summer research stations only have simple gas heating equipment, using special gas heaters to burn bottled liquefied gas or natural gas indoors. However, it is essential to ensure ventilation and constantly monitor the carbon monoxide levels in the air to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

These three heating methods are all well-developed and reliable, each with its pros and cons, but all are capable of meeting the heating needs of a shelter.

According to Chen Xin’s knowledge, the three large shelters in the city use additional boiler heating systems. However, they use coal, not oil.

Flame Country’s oil reserves are not particularly abundant, but the coal reserves are relatively quite sufficient. After all, Flame Country ranks ninth in the world for oil reserves but third for coal reserves.

Moreover, oil must be processed from crude oil into gasoline, diesel, and kerosene before it can be burned. In contrast, coal can be directly burned after extraction, so as long as railway transport can be guaranteed, burning coal is undoubtedly more economical, stable, and reliable than burning oil.

Therefore, it’s an excellent choice for large shelters to use boiler heating. As for additional maintenance work, in the post-apocalyptic world, manpower is the least valuable resource. A large shelter housing tens of thousands of people will never worry about finding workers.

For not-so-large shelters, there is no need to adopt such means. As long as they can guarantee electricity supply, they can use electrical heating without the need to install heating boilers.

For private shelters like the one belonging to Chen Xin and Mo Qingyan, installing a heating air conditioner or preparing two electric heaters can basically meet the heating needs. Installing a boiler would just be a waste of money and impractical.

However, this matter does remind Chen Xin that upgrading the heating system should be scheduled in the shelter’s upgrade plan.

Even though he has prepared electric heaters and electric blankets for himself, wouldn’t upgrading for greater comfort be desirable? Why insist on wearing cold-weather gear indoors and wrapping in three layers of blankets when sleeping?

Chen Xin thought about this, habitually took out his notebook, and began jotting down and sketching his next shelter upgrade plan.

On the notebook, based on the previous sequence recorded by Chen Xin, items such as electricity supply, lighting, food, and medical care were listed. Chen Yu thought it over and added heating as a project before lighting.

Upgrading the power supply system is undoubtedly the top priority because, among the other four projects noted in the notebook, except for the non-priority medical category, the other three projects would increase the shelter’s electricity consumption. Therefore, upgrading the power system to increase the shelter’s power generation is an inevitable task.

Furthermore, Chen Xin must consider the fuel consumption caused by power generation. Based on his current electricity usage, on average, ten liters of gasoline are required daily for power generation. As electricity consumption increases, fuel consumption will inevitably rise, so Chen Xin must consider both gasoline replenishment and acquiring more sustainable and efficient power-generation methods.

Under normal circumstances, the only long-term sustainable and efficient power generation method Chen Xin could consider would be nuclear power—an approach he hardly has access to. But for Chen Xin, who has a system, geothermal power generation and geomagnetic power generation are currently in the realm of science fiction and laboratory research but are within his future upgrade plans.

Therefore, regarding securing efficient and sustainable power, Chen Xin is not worried. Continuously upgrading the shelter will suffice. With enough survival points, Chen Xin believes that even advanced technology such as antimatter reactors or artificial sun-like power sources could be upgraded.

Though these science fiction technologies seem too remote for Chen Xin and require astronomical survival points, under the magnificent power of the system, they are indeed things to look forward to.

While the future holds promise, it’s too early to worry about such things now. The most important task at present is to re-cultivate the area vacated after harvesting vegetables in the greenhouse and sow new vegetables so that there will be ample harvest next month to exchange for the materials needed for upgrades with Mo Qingyan.

However, considering the material exchange, Chen Xin thinks he should first make a list to see what materials he currently needs. This will help him target what he wants when trading with Mo Qingyan and allow her to prepare in advance, thus saving time.

Even with Uncle Ding’s connection on Mo Qingyan’s side, obtaining materials still requires time.