03-18-2008, 05:55 PM
Thanks all, I want to say that I APPRECIATE criticism of all sorts. I'm not here pulling of some Sierra Club stunt, I'm a guy of moderate meaning hoping to survive what I believe to be forthcoming. So, obviously, if someone can show be a better way, I'll drop it in an instant and switch. I used to be an ecologist. Today I'm a survivalist: I expect in 5 years there is chance, not a certainty, that I'd be the only person with power. We live on diesel here in Hawaii, and that could get gastly expensive very quickly.
But still, hold my feet to the fire. I've got no agenda except to survive and win.
Still.. . Hydrogen
Yup, totally on that, but don't believe that the world economy will hold together enough to ever develop it. I really don't. That is where we disagree on that score. Otherwise, in a futuristic world with : fission power, superconducting wire, and ceramic fuel cells: wonderful. Add warp drive and transporter beams while you're at it.
Holtzman gas is a PROVEN technology, and an accessible one, and it has driving a large part of the world. It is not without problems. Frankly, it's a hassle. Still, in the world I envision, having power, uninterruptedly, to run machinery, is so unbelievably valuable that it's actually unimaginable, and no other alternative fuel source even comes close. There is nothing theoretical about this at all. At this point, having run gensets and the like I'm down to the niceties of where the waste heat goes, etc., before I weld it all together and forget about it. My biggest problem with the system is I built it bombproof, out of massive steel, so it doesn't burn out. It generates ferocious temps and if you build it light it will burn up quick. Especially, as hydrogen is generated, ie, previous conversation, you need to really overbuild or you will have problems. For mobile units, in a world where you don't mind breaking the thing down once a month and putting it back together; and frankly with a powered sawsall, skill, and a wirefeed welder isn't really even an hours job, still, to power a genset and with no concern with warmup time(long, one hour) build the thing really massive. You must maintain heat or the reaction quits. As well, you fry the tars out, which hurt motors, and even the dust burns up. It's a lot of heat, maybe nearly 1600 degrees. We're pushing what steel can handle. The only way you get away with it is is by having enough thickness--for me 3/8 minimum in the fire tube, that it carries it away by thermal conductivity, which is all good and helps the reaction. All in all, we're still talking a unit that weighs less than 200 lbs for 10 kw, as I can lift it and lug it with a lot of grunt. But, thats not tons, for sure.
The proof is in the puddin' and anybody who sees this run wouldn't ever buy anything else. We're talking about a tech that as a backup, at least, for PV, can make 10kw for the price of 3 panels at 70 watts.
But still, hold my feet to the fire. I've got no agenda except to survive and win.
Still.. . Hydrogen
Yup, totally on that, but don't believe that the world economy will hold together enough to ever develop it. I really don't. That is where we disagree on that score. Otherwise, in a futuristic world with : fission power, superconducting wire, and ceramic fuel cells: wonderful. Add warp drive and transporter beams while you're at it.
Holtzman gas is a PROVEN technology, and an accessible one, and it has driving a large part of the world. It is not without problems. Frankly, it's a hassle. Still, in the world I envision, having power, uninterruptedly, to run machinery, is so unbelievably valuable that it's actually unimaginable, and no other alternative fuel source even comes close. There is nothing theoretical about this at all. At this point, having run gensets and the like I'm down to the niceties of where the waste heat goes, etc., before I weld it all together and forget about it. My biggest problem with the system is I built it bombproof, out of massive steel, so it doesn't burn out. It generates ferocious temps and if you build it light it will burn up quick. Especially, as hydrogen is generated, ie, previous conversation, you need to really overbuild or you will have problems. For mobile units, in a world where you don't mind breaking the thing down once a month and putting it back together; and frankly with a powered sawsall, skill, and a wirefeed welder isn't really even an hours job, still, to power a genset and with no concern with warmup time(long, one hour) build the thing really massive. You must maintain heat or the reaction quits. As well, you fry the tars out, which hurt motors, and even the dust burns up. It's a lot of heat, maybe nearly 1600 degrees. We're pushing what steel can handle. The only way you get away with it is is by having enough thickness--for me 3/8 minimum in the fire tube, that it carries it away by thermal conductivity, which is all good and helps the reaction. All in all, we're still talking a unit that weighs less than 200 lbs for 10 kw, as I can lift it and lug it with a lot of grunt. But, thats not tons, for sure.
The proof is in the puddin' and anybody who sees this run wouldn't ever buy anything else. We're talking about a tech that as a backup, at least, for PV, can make 10kw for the price of 3 panels at 70 watts.