- Company and Demonstration Project funding from Richard A McKay $6,174,334.16 to completion including R&D. Why? Otherwise this endeavor would not happen.
- Full time from founder Roger S Sprankle MechEng 1969 UCSB
- Full time from founder Richard A McKay (NASA/JPL Rocket Scientist) BS 1949, MS 1950, PhD ChemEng 1959 all Caltech
- Use of backhoe from Davison Backhoe
- Internet access from BeamSpeed (Phil Merrill)
- Web site hosting from Gautam Godse - (MacMessiah)
- Web site creation Consultant Alliance
- Assorted from WMIDD: see Test Site Sign
- Richard has donated his 1959 356A Porsche Cabriolet/Hardtop collector car for sale to gain funds to purchase the SPP generator. The car was sold and a generator has been purchased and is in storage at the source.
- Needed is charitable tax-recognized donation of $20,000 estimated cost for two bilingual students to learn, teach, oversee, and report on the RO system and modern farming in Mexico as described below.
- Charitable Donations welcome.
- Our Carbon Credits to Caltech
- Royalties on product sales, tentatively 12.5% matching wind energy, slated to go to Caltech for science and technology R&D.
- Reverse Osmosis System - The Communities of the Ciénega de Santa Clara, now back home following the damaging earthquake, are pleased to accept the gift of a 700 Gallons/Day RO system installed plus spare filters and membrane plus operating costs, and two hydroponic systems plus a 22’ x 26’ greenhouse. The RO system is interim pending the eventual installation of an SPP to supply the water.
- Two Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) hydroponic kit systems plus greenhouse to the Communities of the Ciénega de Santa Clara for the citizens to operate.
- iMac computer for the Communities of the Ciénega de Santa Clara school.
- Pass through donation from Richard McKay to fund all costs for the RO system for the Communities of the Ciénega de Santa Clara.
- Pass through donation from Richard McKay to purchase two small NFT hydroponic systems plus a 22’ x 26’ greenhouse for the citizens of the Communities of the Ciénega de Santa Clara to operate.
- Pass through donation from Robert Nickerson Farms to purchase iMac computer for the school in the Communities of the Ciénega de Santa Clara.
- On August 14th, 2011 the water system equipment was ushered into Mexico at 7 am with the assistance of Amy representing the Mexican Consulate. Accompanying the equipment to Ejido Johnson were Alex (Alejandra) representing Pronaturea Noroeste, and agricuraral student Raul, candidate observer instructor for the greenhouse hydroponic farming which is planned. Expectation was to install the water system with the use of water from Jose’s existing well. The permanent system placement requires the agreement of the entire Community of the Ciénega de Santa Clara to select a location, obtain a well permit, install the well, and provide an electric meter. Fortunately temporary use of Jose’s well was authorized for the system demonstration, and the complete system was assembled for the first time in Ejido Johnson for the benefit of the entire Community. Tasting specialist Juan Butrón decreed the product water (permeate) as having better taste than the purchased water. Notable is that the purchased water had a salinity of 66 ppm Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) whereas our permeate has a salinity of 5 ppm TDS, which is better than available at most kiosks. Champaign celebration? No, Richard took cups and concentrated pink lemonade to be reconstituted using permeate; ice was enthusiastically contributed by Juan and Jose. (Greenhouse delivery accomplished 7/14/2013; assembly pending.)
- On September 11, 2011 a water system inspection trip was made, attended by Raul. Jose had installed a shade over the system and reported the system worked well, but its use was intermittent. Foam had been observed temporarily, worrying some residents, but good taste was not impaired. Permeate was 8 ppm TDS vs. 5 initially. The foam may have been from food residues in the storage tank even after steam cleaning. We attempted to force manual regeneration of the water softener. The system is being operated manually, but continuous automatic operation would be better. Community interest is mild, including for the greenhouse. Jose indicated a desire to continue to care for and operate the water system and to assist in the assembly of the greenhouse. He suggested his family would like to proceed with the use of the greenhouse and the hydroponics. This would be highly supportive of the Oasis Project. The plan is to continue to monitor the water system, and then change the two 5-micron filters at 6 months. The system will guide us as to what is necessary. Jose has discovered that he can grow plants with the RO waste water.
- On October 21, 2011 a water system inspection trip was made, ably attended by Alex. The water production is as needed, yielding permeate of 10 ppm TDS. The pressure drop across the main filter has remained at two psi. Algae growth in the soft water tank may be arrested by blocking sunlight with white RV topping we delivered. Jointly we determined where the greenhouse will be erected. Many small trees in pots in the yard will be delivered soon to a customer, making way for the greenhouse. When the small trees are out of the way, ground leveling and preparation for the greenhouse will proceed. It will be interesting to see if locally produced good water and premier vegetables will lure back the villagers who fled after the earthquake to live in rather cramped government housing elsewhere.
- On April 7, 2012, a water system maintenance trip was made, ably attended by Alex. Odor had indicated a need to replace the carbon filters. One of the twin pressure gauges for measuring pressure drop across the roughing filter had failed, so the filter was replaced arbitrarily. No buildup of algae had occurred. A UV sterilization lamp was installed ahead of the filter. The permeate was 10 ppm TDS and was being consumed; taste is OK. Replacement carbon filters are yet to be installed. The donated computer for the school was delivered. email cienegaramsar@yahoo.com
- On January 27, 2013 meeting in the Communities of the Ciénega de Santa Clara to consider new location for water system and greenhouse.
- On July 14, 2013 the greenhouse and hydroponics equipment were delivered to the Communities of the Ciénega de Santa Clara and unloaded from our trailer with the assistance of community members. Recall that the greenhouse was ordered 03/11/11. Attempts were made to cross the border into Mexico November 19, 2011 and subsequently. The crossing was not easy, much assisted by Alex (Alejandra) representing Pronatura Noroeste The crossing took place at San Luis Rio Colorado, requiring a $139 customs tax paid in pesos, and an additional $150 USD service fee. This totaled less than the $480 USD tax stated two weeks earlier by customs agents at Algodones. Assembly of the greenhouse and hydroponics equipment will be scheduled soon, and the Oasis Project can proceed
- The operation of the fresh water system, the hydroponics equipment, and the greenhouse, all donated, constitute the Oasis Project. The plan is first to evaluate the feasibility of using Nutrient Film Technique hydroponics in greenhouses in association with SPPs in arid regions to create oases. If feasible, applications will be assisted by Oasis Creators (Inc) which was organized for this purpose. The water system is installed in the Communities of the Ciénega de Santa Clara in the yard of Jose Butrón; a place in the yard has been selected for the greenhouse, but getting a delivery permit, attempted since November 19, 2011, proved to be difficult. Progress with the Oasis Project can be monitored here. Meanwhile finishing our solar pond in Dome Valley Arizona is our first priority.
- 700 gallon per day pure water system installed in Ejido Johnson, Ciénega de Santa Clara, Mexico
- parts of greenhouse and hydroponic equipment in Mexico
- greenhouse materials, etc, in Mexico
- teamwork
Founders Roger S Sprankle and Richard A McKay
Richard mini bio
One of my directors said I should tell you a few words about myself. My mother said I entered this world in a race to see who would land first, me or Charles Lindbergh; I barely won. My family moved to Cuba when I was an infant, so my father could run the copper smelter west of Havana; Fidel beat me to Cuba by about 8 months. At age 12 I had to get a Social Security card so I could sing carols in the Twentieth Century Fox movie Alexander Graham Bell; hence I am an ex-movie star. After receiving a PhD from Caltech, I worked at JPL for 33 years where I had a geothermal project I ran in Utah, Mexico, Italy, and New Zealand. My work caused the formation of the U.S. Department of Energy in 1977, so you can thank me or blame me for the DOE. At JPL I worked on the manufacture of solid rocket propellant. I solved the problem of lumpy propellent, leading to improved propellant in the SRM boosters used in launching the Shuttles and in the Delta rockets which sent the long functioning Rovers Spirit and Opportunity to Mars. Thus I am a NASA/JPL rocket scientist. My technology is patented. So also is my technology for hydrocarbon burners, used especially for water heaters and furnaces, so as to burn all the fuel and yet not produce oxides of nitrogen, thus not adding to the smog. I have formed the company Oases Creations with the object of producing premier food efficiently, but have no results to report yet.