A while back, Robert Saunders sent us an article on a steam turbine he was working on. Then he sent another on solar energy steam electric. Well, here is his third chapter in this continuing quest. Hope you enjoy:
http://www.green-trust.org/wordpress/2008/12/07/solar-powered-steam-generators/
We drove to Massachusetts yesterday to visit Tom Leue from http://yellowbiodiesel.com/, and brought back one of his Recycled Vegetable Oil (RVO) burners. This is designed to replace a standard 4″ Beckett burner in a boiler or furnace, can be installed in a drum for a shop heater, used to heat water, or even create steam for a steam engine powered heat and electric application (Combined heat and power, or CHP). We talked a bit a few days ago about this burner in a previous blog article, which gives more info on the burner itself. This design is based on a Babington burner that injects air through a tiny jet in a ball, and pumps oil over the ball, forming a ignitable vapor when the oil covers the jet of air, similar to a whale’s blowhole. Discussions of the Babington principle are commonly held at http://group.wastewatts.org.
DJ MacIntyre from Leboise.com donated an 6/1 listeroid diesel engine to us. Jim Juczak from Woodhenge and I will be traveling to Belleghuan to pick it up in a couple of weeks. We will be building a 3kw Axial Flux permanent magnet alternator for the engine, which will charge our battery bank. This engine will also heat our hot domestic water. Fuel usage will be approximately 1/4 gallon per hour of used fryer oil.
Today we took steps towards the retirement of our Detroit Diesel VeggieGen. While looking for it’s replacement, a Lister 6/1 (VeggieGen Version 2), we heard that our friends at the St. Lawrence Power & Equipment Museum were having the ribbon cutting ceremony at their new, and first, permanent home in Madrid, NY. The museum has ambitious plans for working farm villages spanning the 200 years of the north country. We have donated the Detroit to the museum as a working display piece, and the power source for their community.
Additional note:
Saturday, September 2, 2006 – Saturday and Sunday. 16th Annual Old Fashioned Harvest Days, by the St. Lawrence Power & Equipment Museum. At the Hutchinson Farm, Route 15 between Heuvelton and Rensselaer Falls, NY. Field harvesting demonstrations; antique gas and steam engines, tractors, trucks, and cars; sawmilling; flea market; Bluegrass music; super food. Saturday antique tractor games. Sunday tractor pull. Exhibitors welcome. Contact Roger Austin, 315-344-7470, email rsaustin123@earthlink.net or visit www.slpowermuseum.com.
We received the CD from George at Utterpower.com. This is an excellent reference for those who are looking to build a cogen (Heat & Electric) power source for the off-grid home. The lister type engines are designed for continuous duty for many years, and use a lot less fuel (used fryer oil, diesel, kerosene, used motor oil, etc.) than our Detroit.
The Lister CS Owners Group and the Green-Trust Lister group have joined forces. The combined group can be found at Lister_CSOG at Yahoo groups. We discuss Lister powered generators, cogen (CHP) applications, general engine maintenance issues, as well as biodiesel and used fryer oil fuel. The group description is as follows:
An Owners Group for Lister CS slow speed diesel engines, Startomatic generator sets and Indian built Listeroid engines.
This group is for all Lister CS and Listeroid enthusiasts in the UK and elsewhere.
It is aimed squarely at the enthusiast who wants to put these engines to work making power and useful heat.
Topics for Discussion.
Today I received the Book “The Lister CS Story”, by David Eddington. An excellent history of the Lister company, and the Lister CS engine specifically. If you are interested in building a Lister Diesel cogen set, this is a very good reference.
Professionally, I'm an IT Engineer (Executive Level) and Electronics Tech. Philosophically, I'm a Green Conservative, leaning towards Libertarian, and may have been a hippie in the 60's if I had been old enough. I live off grid, with Solar (PV), Wind, veggie oil fueled diesel generator power, veggie Chevy Suburban and have been teaching and living sustainable technology for over 10 years.
Cabin, Boat, RV, Off-Grid Home, The no septic, composting toilet solution. Nature's Head!
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