here's an article containing some really entertaining twists on the debate about biofuels:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/opinion/19friedman.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=homepage
if the link doesn't work, it's called "the U.S.S. Prius" by Thomas L. Friedman, NYTimes Dec 18 2010.
on that note it needs to be said that the discussion on "biofuels versus food production" is blown largely out of proportion and best described with the german word "totschlagargument" ("beat-to-death-argument", meaning a statement whith such heavy moral connotations that it serves to immediatly end the debate:
so if you're in favor of biofuels, you're in favor of starving children (just as you're in favor of rapists if you oppose mass dna samples, etc). This was only topped by a newspaper promising "diesel made out of cats" on the front page next to a picture of a very cute kitten, which lead to a rather boring article in the middle explaining how pretty much any corps or cadaver or what have you can be decomposed and biofueled in some way.
now there is still a massive potential for growing sustainable biofuels on unused agricultural land in the very middle of europe (and many other parts of the world), often in sequence with food production where the fuel crop prepares the soil for the food crop in the following year.
apart from that, there is a lot of unused biomass in all agriculture, which could be turned into fuel. and the algae...
Friday, 24 December 2010
warming the workshop
here's what keeps me warm these days: GROND runs on waste-waste plant oil, in fact the part of the chipfat that was too polluted, sludgy or watery to turn into fuel for vehicles.When I was recycling chipfat into fuel (I've given up on that, as the truck needs to be warm to take it and I'm hardly ever going anywhere these days) I always ended up with about 5% of oil that was plainly too disgusting to run it through the filter, as all the water and sediments acumulate on the bottom of the containers. I'm glad I've saved it, now I've got a carbon neutral heater which is well satisfying.
the design is quite future proof: the (in my opinion deliberately) misleading debate about the consequences of large scale biofuel production distracts from the facts that:
- there is still a huge potential for locally and sustainably grown biofuels
- there is an imminent quantum leap in biofuels: fuel producing algae require nothing else than sunlight, water (which can be contaminated or even sea water) and a few basic nutrients to produfe fuel while pulling carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Algae reproduce by cellular
division, hence they'll grow exponentially as long as the conditions are right, which cuts out the hassle of getting a whole crop of plants through the year
- all biomass can be burned, if there is an adequate process of drying or decomposing it. On that level, research on bacteria holds another series of breakthroughs
Higher quality fuels can be used in vehicles and generators, the bottom end of the production can go thru devices as the GROND, which is rather primitive, but could probably be the heart of a system with up to 90% fuel efficiency. In my case, a long section of rippled stackpipe makes sure I'm getting most of the heat out of the exhaust fumes and there is zero smoke, hence a quite complete combustion.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
three wheeler cargo cycle
easily carries two adults or a similar payload.
will go through anything and up most hills in crawling gear.
a quick and easy way to build a utility cycle.
some proposals
I decided to share my project proposals because there is no way I could realize all of them myself. Also, the things I describe might already exist in some form somewhere, or somebody might have the means to make them happen.
And of course I would apreciate any constructive input whatsoever.
Over the past years I have obeserved that often the development and public appearance of a functioning prototype will go hand in hand with the market introduction of a very similar mass produced item.
Diesel Motorcycle:
Aim:
Accelerate the development and market introduction of a Diesel Motorcycle which would contribute to drastically reducing carbon emissions as it is consuming less than half the amount of fuel that similar petrol engines require and also could be easily converted to run on carbon neutral biofuels.
Due to its rather primitive components, the performance of the prototype described here would not be anywhere near that of existing modern models, which exist but are still unavailable on the market.
However, it would still highlight the possibilities and also, if equipped with a power take off, serve as a mobile power plant to run mid size machinery in off-grid situations.
Description:
A small diesel engine (a 325cc Lombardini one cylinder DI, which is the engine used in the Royal Enfield Taurus Diesel) is fitted into the frame of an old motorcycle, preferably one that allows for the separation of engine and gear box with a drive chain in between the two.
With the bike on its centre stand, the engine's flywheel can be used to belt drive applications such as water pumps, lathes, or sawmills. Hence the motorcycle is also a mobile power plant.
Another option is to fit the engine and gearbox into a quad bike, a sidecar outfit or a dutch brombakfiets.
Performance is limited to the apx. 10hp output of the engine, but its fuel efficiency is amazing. The bike is ideal for local traffic in urban or rural environments and also an agricultural tool.
The engine could be converted to run on carbon neutral biofuels.
It could be toured as an attraction for various events ranging from steam fairs to ecological festivals.
Situation:
I have purchased the engine and gearbox, it would need a suitable frame and a good motorcycle mechanic to fit it and make it road legal.
stirling wood burner:
aim:
to allow low power off-grid systems to function without or with less conventional means of charging 12V batteries (solar panels and wind generators) and to act as a backup for these systems to reduce weather dependency.
description:
a simple one cylinder stirling engine is fitted into a woodburner which is used for domestic heating. The cooling water is gradually heated up and can be used for domestic purposes or stored for heating if radiators are fitted, which drastically improves the efficiency of the wood burner and allows us to run it for a shorter time period.
a 12v generator is fitted to the stirling engine which could produce an average of 100 W.
situation:
I have purchased the blueprints and description to build a small experimental stirling engine as developed by german engineer Walter Kufner.
It illustrates the principles and the potential of the engine, but a different design would have to be developed to fit into a wood burner and deliver sufficient power, also access to a lathe and TIG-Welding facilities is required.
The purchase of an existing stirling engine, potentially out of a Whispergen would accelerate the project.
Vertical Wind Turbines:
aim:
to make the micro generation of windpower commercially viable.
description:
small vertical wind turbines are fitted to the corners and roofs of buildings.
They are equipped with simple ac generators. The electricity is run through short cables to the next point in the building where warm water is stored or used in radiators and supports the existing warm water system through inexpensive immersion heaters.
This reduces the carbon emmissions produced by the existing heating system and prevents a minimal backup in the event of its breakdown.
As the electricity is directly turned into heat, voltage and frequency regulation are not an issue, inexpensive and simple generator bits can be used and even minimal winds produce warmth. The system acts as a regulating cycle and produces heat when the building is most likely to loose it.
situation:
to my best knowledge no suitable wind generators exist at this point, but for a start a number of accessible vertical wind turbines could be used to create a functioning demonstration system for a public building.
And of course I would apreciate any constructive input whatsoever.
Over the past years I have obeserved that often the development and public appearance of a functioning prototype will go hand in hand with the market introduction of a very similar mass produced item.
Diesel Motorcycle:
Aim:
Accelerate the development and market introduction of a Diesel Motorcycle which would contribute to drastically reducing carbon emissions as it is consuming less than half the amount of fuel that similar petrol engines require and also could be easily converted to run on carbon neutral biofuels.
Due to its rather primitive components, the performance of the prototype described here would not be anywhere near that of existing modern models, which exist but are still unavailable on the market.
However, it would still highlight the possibilities and also, if equipped with a power take off, serve as a mobile power plant to run mid size machinery in off-grid situations.
Description:
A small diesel engine (a 325cc Lombardini one cylinder DI, which is the engine used in the Royal Enfield Taurus Diesel) is fitted into the frame of an old motorcycle, preferably one that allows for the separation of engine and gear box with a drive chain in between the two.
With the bike on its centre stand, the engine's flywheel can be used to belt drive applications such as water pumps, lathes, or sawmills. Hence the motorcycle is also a mobile power plant.
Another option is to fit the engine and gearbox into a quad bike, a sidecar outfit or a dutch brombakfiets.
Performance is limited to the apx. 10hp output of the engine, but its fuel efficiency is amazing. The bike is ideal for local traffic in urban or rural environments and also an agricultural tool.
The engine could be converted to run on carbon neutral biofuels.
It could be toured as an attraction for various events ranging from steam fairs to ecological festivals.
Situation:
I have purchased the engine and gearbox, it would need a suitable frame and a good motorcycle mechanic to fit it and make it road legal.
stirling wood burner:
aim:
to allow low power off-grid systems to function without or with less conventional means of charging 12V batteries (solar panels and wind generators) and to act as a backup for these systems to reduce weather dependency.
description:
a simple one cylinder stirling engine is fitted into a woodburner which is used for domestic heating. The cooling water is gradually heated up and can be used for domestic purposes or stored for heating if radiators are fitted, which drastically improves the efficiency of the wood burner and allows us to run it for a shorter time period.
a 12v generator is fitted to the stirling engine which could produce an average of 100 W.
situation:
I have purchased the blueprints and description to build a small experimental stirling engine as developed by german engineer Walter Kufner.
It illustrates the principles and the potential of the engine, but a different design would have to be developed to fit into a wood burner and deliver sufficient power, also access to a lathe and TIG-Welding facilities is required.
The purchase of an existing stirling engine, potentially out of a Whispergen would accelerate the project.
Vertical Wind Turbines:
aim:
to make the micro generation of windpower commercially viable.
description:
small vertical wind turbines are fitted to the corners and roofs of buildings.
They are equipped with simple ac generators. The electricity is run through short cables to the next point in the building where warm water is stored or used in radiators and supports the existing warm water system through inexpensive immersion heaters.
This reduces the carbon emmissions produced by the existing heating system and prevents a minimal backup in the event of its breakdown.
As the electricity is directly turned into heat, voltage and frequency regulation are not an issue, inexpensive and simple generator bits can be used and even minimal winds produce warmth. The system acts as a regulating cycle and produces heat when the building is most likely to loose it.
situation:
to my best knowledge no suitable wind generators exist at this point, but for a start a number of accessible vertical wind turbines could be used to create a functioning demonstration system for a public building.
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