Aquaponics | Rain Harvesting | Composting | Other Green Products
Farmers from all over are learning that inexpensive micro controllers and sensors can monitor weather data, control greenhouses and irrigation systems, and nutrient levels in hydroponics / aquaponics systems. Learn more about these new technologies at http://modernfarmer.com/2013/05/farm-geeks-learning-to-love-the-circuit-board/
Those attending the recent Windpower 2013 exhibition could get a first-hand explanation of the Looped Airfoil Wind Turbine, a concept said to overcome shortcomings of horizontal wind turbines. Devised by a startup called EverLift Inc. in Nassau, Del., the device looks a little like a conveyor belt with airfoils for cleats. The airfoils cut through the wind and push the belt along. Electric generators would be driven by the moving chain via a rack-and-pinion setup.
http://machinedesign.com/batteriespower-supplies/looks-conveyor-works-wind-turbine
In honor of my Mom, and my Wife, I’m giving away our Biodiesel / Vegetable oil as Fuel info package. This is what you need to know to make biodiesel from vegetable oil as a straight replacement for diesel fuel, or convert your diesel to run on filtered and heated vegetable oil, used or new.
Mothers Day Special – Free Biodiesel / Vegetable Oil Fuel eBook package – http://essnmag.com/wordpress/products/
For over seven years Joseph Hartvigsen of Hartvigsen Hydro (Utah,USA) and Peter Ruyter of Cargo and Kraft (Sweden) have used the Internet to successfully prevent the alternative energy community around the world from using the turgo water turbine design, and continue to do so. (See recent archives, microhydropower.net) This was accomplished by posting very strongly worded claims to ownership of the turgo design on the world’s biggest micro hydro discussion site, microhydropower.net.
http://watermotorstory.blogspot.com/2010/08/hartvigsens-post-to-group-dec12-05-and.html
Hartvigsen and Ruyter started making these claims when they began producing and selling this type of turbine them selves. Their company is now the largest producer of this particular design. The prevention of the public from using this design has been a great loss to the world wide alternative energy community. This turgo design is generally the best all around type of turbine wheel for small scale water power uses. It is very easy to build in small local workshops, or in schools. Uniquely, this design has the potential to revive the use of small scale water power. Small scale water power remains a valuable and nearly untouched resource in many parts of the world.
Over the years Hartvigsen and Ruyter stated a number of times that they would be able to provide definite and clear proof of their design ownership to any competent patent attorney “in minutes”. On Dec. 24,09, Joseph Hartvigsen met with patent attorney Brian Kunzler in Salt Lake City in order to present proof of ownership claims made by himself and supporters on the Internet regarding the turgo design. According to Kunzler Hartvigsen was unable to provide any proof whatsoever that his years of claims to the public were other than completely fraudulent.
Very recently (May 2013) the issue of ownership of this design has again been raised on the microhydropower.net water power discussion site. There has been a renewed request to Hartvigsen and Ruyter to present proof of their turgo design ownership claims to the public, which they are still unable to do, or to stop preventing others from using it. They have refused to reply.
In light of an ongoing seven years of apparently fraudulent turgo design ownership claims and various threats of legal action against anyone in the world who would use this design without their consent, the world wide alternative energy community should consider taking some type action against Hartvigsen and Ruyter to prevent them continuing to make these claims to the public and continuing to profit from these claims. At the least the same amount of publicity should be given to the fact that the ownership claims of Hartvigsen and Ruyter were completely false.
This is a matter of concern for the entire alternative energy community. While pretending to be contributing to the use of natural energy Hartvigsen and Ruyter have actually done a great deal with their false design ownership claims to prevent people around the world from using a great source of natural energy, small scale water power.
The exact method which Hartvigsen and Ruyter used to use their fraudulent claims is called “copyfraud”. Copyfraud takes advantage of the relative looseness of copright laws to take over designs in public domain. False ownership claims are made to the public, then can be dropped with little legal consequence if the fraud become untenable. Of course, as any attorney will confirm, the very claim that copyright protection applies to an internal working machine part such as a turbine wheel is in itself fraudulent.
Ron Davis
Watermotor@yahoo.com
Watermotor.net
Watermotor on Facebook
Watermotorstory.blogspot.com
Watermotorturbine on Youtube
I was having a discussion with a buddy of mine, and he mentioned an outfit that was selling a waterproof battery pack in a hardened package. It used a 12v 5ah NiMH battery pack, and included a waterproof 12v power port. At an asking price of over $220, I felt this was a ripoff, but the concept is valid. I knew I could design a better solution, so I came up with a 10ah, and 20ah version, for about half the cost, with some nice options like built in usb ports (cellphone, mp3, and kindle charging) and solar recharging.
So Here Goes:
One surplus ammo can, water proof, can hold two 12v 10ah battery packs (20ah total)
One 8 D cell holder (12v) (get a 10 cell holder if you can find one, or just add a 2 cell holder in series), add a second set for 20ah capacity instead of 10ah.
One set of eight 10ah NiMH D cells + 2 more for 12vdc (second set for 20ah). Alkaline D’s are 1.5v (8 = 12v) but NiMH are 1.2v (10 = 12v).
One marine waterproof 12v power port (can connect the solar panel here for charging, or add a second one)
Optional waterproof dual usb charging port
Optional 40 watt solar panel (add a second one for the 20ah solution).
Optional second ammo can to hold a 150 watt inverter until it’s needed for low wattage ac gadgets, like a laptop or portable tool charger.
As long as the charge rate is C5 or greater, you don’t need a charger, as solar is only going to charge 3-5 hours full sun daily anyway. A 10ah battery / C10 = 1 amp charge rate. Divided by C5 = a 2 amp charge rate.
You could also add a 1amp 12vdc power pack for ac charging. Charging at higher rates than 2 amps require temperature monitoring and a smart charger, which we will be building at http://arduinotronics.blogspot.com
This paper examines a battery backup circuit and Control Board designed by the author to eliminate hazardous conditions and inconveniences experienced whenever the local power grid fails. Fortunately, power outages in this country are usually cleared on the average within an hour to ninety minutes, although many can last for days.
Everyone who has a system with pumps relies on the grid to keep the pumps running. In certain cases, systems need to be shut down immediately upon loss of power, either to avoid damage to the system or for safety reasons. In the case of oil or gas fed furnaces, fuel is shut off when power fails. In the case of wood or coal burning furnaces there is a need to avoid any buildup of steam. In such cases the fire cannot usually be extinguished and re-ignited quickly upon return of power. A reliable battery backup system can help to avoid such situations and the inconveniences associated with power failures.
Hopefully, this paper offers readers, from the casual reader to the technically competent reader, an opportunity to learn enough to understand generally how a battery backup system works and specifically how a controller functions. The casual reader can get a grasp of the system by reading and understanding only sections 1 and 2, while a more detailed description follows in sections 3 and 4. The material presented in this paper concentrates mainly on the Control Board. Another paper will describe the interface connections, internal and external to the electrical enclosure.
One of our group members stumbled across this DIY flooring material. That not only looks cool, but is cheap and durable.
Paper bags or cut up pieces of paper are glued to the floor (concrete or wood) and stained, then polyurethaned for a unique and pleasant looking floor. The Author did a 10′ x 12′ room for about $80.
Read the tutorials:
http://www.domesticimperfection.com/2013/03/paper-bag-floors-a-tutorial/
http://lovelycraftyhome.com/2011/11/09/the-ultimate-brown-paper-flooring-guide/
Green, green, green. The green building message is everywhere, and it is an important message. Everyone should be building green. But how should “green” really be measured?
The emerging answer appears to be that building with sustainable, environmentally responsible materials is the one, true “green” way to build. And one of the best materials for deck or fence building happens to be redwood, which is not only beautiful and durable, but is a material that can actually reduce the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
The California Redwood Association recently commissioned a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to better understand and compare redwood to other materials, such as plastic composite decking. A Life Cycle Assessment is a scientific technique commonly used to quantify the environmental footprint of producing and consuming products we use in our everyday life.
The results of the LCA were conclusive, showing that considerable differences exist between redwood and alternative decking products such as plastics and plastic composites. In fact, in terms of global warming potential, plastic-based decking materials are contributors, while growing, harvesting and using redwood for decks do not contribute to global warming.
Indeed, using redwood is a great way to actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While plastics and composites rely on chemical resins and fossil fuels that release carbon and increase emissions, redwood trees take carbon out of the air and store it in wood fiber.
As they grow, redwood trees will absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Through photosynthesis, that carbon gets stored in wood fibers in the tree’s roots, trunk and branches and the oxygen is released back to the air. The faster a tree grows then, the more photosynthesis occurs and the more carbon is removed from the atmosphere. Since redwood is a fast-growing species, managed redwood forests excel at removing carbon from the atmosphere.
When such redwood trees are harvested, that carbon they captured continues to be stored in the decking, fencing and other wood products they become. In fact, wood is about half carbon by weight and so a redwood deck can actually store a half-ton of carbon. As the managed redwood forests regenerate, more carbon is removed from the air by the newly planted trees, which continues an ongoing cycle of carbon removal and storage.
Moreover, redwood is also recyclable and cleaner to produce than composites or plastics. The trees are grown and harvested in accordance with the highest environmental standards in the world as the they tap the sun for energy while soaking in California’s famed North Coast fog. In fact, roughly 90 percent of all product-producing redwood forests are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
The next time you wonder about what green building products to use in deck or fence building, remember that red is green-redwood, that is.
The residents of the town of West Lincoln, Ont. are reporting a variety of stress related illnesses they attribute to a wind farm nearby.
“‘It’s too late, two years too late,’ said Helen Kzan … ‘I’ve been to the doctor. They told me to move. My stress level has skyrocketed. My physician told me my stress will kill me before the wind turbines.”
Many people attribute these illnesses to the reported sounds, vibrations, and light patterns made by the moving blades. What’s wrong with this picture?
The wind farm hasn’t been built yet.
These people are reacting to the anti-wind advocacy groups reports on what they think will happen. It’s not wind turbines that make you sick, it’s listening to the lies and made up statistics of the anti-wind groups. It’s their own fears that are making them sick, and the anti’s are creating self fulfilling prophecy.
http://www.powerofwind.com/blog/post/wind-farm-neighbors-stressed-but-its-not-the-turbines_1
Our buddy Melvin Martin sent us this fact sheet he’s written for his demonstration of his veggie powered truck at the Local Living Festival in Canton NY
Heated Vegetable Oil Fuel System Facts
Heat in tank causes condensation/water. Water in fuel causes bacteria. Heat in tank can cause “waxing” or “drying” which = plugged pipes.
Too much heat on filter isn’t good. Diesel fuel loses its lubricity when hot. Cold vegetable oil is thick. Therefore heat your fuel only when you need to.
Injector pumps have very tight tolerances. Thick oil can seize metal with tight tolerances, especially at high speeds and pressure. Cold diesel in injector pump = cold injector pump even if the engine is hot. Hot vegetable oil pumped into a cold pump = cold oil = thick oil = possible seizing or severe wear of pump.
This truck is equipped with a dual tank vegetable oil fuel system
One tank/fuel system is designed for diesel fuel. The other one is specifically designed for running used vegetable oil.
It starts on pure diesel fuel. When it’s hot enough, it can be switched over to pure vegetable oil. A few minutes before shut-down, switch it back to pure diesel. The basis changes from original is a second tank and fuel system, and a method to switch between the two fuel systems. The vegetable oil fuel system is heated with engine coolant and has larger sized pipes and filters.
Do’s and Don’ts:
Do switch to diesel before shut-down and run on diesel on restart until the engine is fully warm. It gives easier starts, less fuel system wear from cold oil, less gumming of engine, and less gumming, sticking, and corrosion of fuel system parts from prolonged exposure to vegetable oil.
Don’t rev engine right after switching to vegetable oil until the injector pump has warmed up. Extreme pump wear can result even if the engine is hot.
Do use a strong dose of injector cleaner and lubrication fuel conditioner in the diesel system. Also consider using a anti-bacteria fuel conditioner.
Don’t spill vegetable oil without cleaning it up. In time it makes a terrible mess.
Do work the engine hard. Hard working engines run cleaner and have much less trouble with carbon buildup.
Don’t let the engine idle for extended periods of time, especially on vegetable oil.
Do enjoy the ride.
Don’t put dirty oil in your tank
The Down Side To Vegetable Oil
1. you can’t start the car or truck when it’s really cold out on it.
2. It can seize up your injector pump.
3. You have to have a diesel car or truck to make this work.
The Good side To Vegetable Oil
1. It saves you money on gas.
2. It’s fun to find out about how it really work’s.
3. Good for the diner’s to get rid off their old used oil in a good way
Book of the Week:
Past Book of the Week Suggestions
Our Social Networks:
Arduino Projects
