Tuesday 4 November 2008

Alone-In-The-Wilderness-By-Dick-Proenneke-£5.00-Via-Download



Alone in the Wilderness Via Direct Download: Only £5.00 Via Paypal, simply send an email to

shop@homebrewpower.co.uk requesting a payment link and i'll do the rest for you. Once you pay a secure link will be sent via our website to enable you to download the film.

Dick Proenneke retired at age 50 in 1967 and decided to build his own cabin on the shore of Twin Lakes. The first summer he scouted for the best cabin site, and cut and peeled the logs he would need for his cabin. Dick Proenneke returned the next summer to finish the cabin where he lived for over 30 years. Dick filmed his adventures, and Bob Swerer later turned the film into a video so we can all watch this amazing man build his cabin by hand.

Sunday 2 November 2008

Obamas-Green-Jobs-Revolution


Obama's green jobs revolution

Democrat will lead effort to curb world's dependence on oil; Plans to create five million new posts in clean energy projects


Obama has pledged to create five million new 'green collar jobs' if elected


Obama has pledged to create five million new 'green collar jobs' if elected


Barack Obama is promising a $150bn "Apollo project" to bring jobs and energy security to the US through a new alternative energy economy, if his final push for votes brings victory in the presidential election on Tuesday.

"That's going to be my number one priority when I get into office," Mr Obama has said of his "green recovery" plans. Making his arguments in a radio address yesterday, the Democratic favourite promised: "If you give me your vote on Tuesday, we won't just win this election. Together, we will change this country and change the world."

The election has come during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s, but he declared: "We'll invest $15bn a year over the next decade in renewable energy, creating five million new green jobs that pay well, can't be outsourced and help end our dependence on foreign oil." The appeal of the idea that clean energy could help to kick-start the economy is such that Mr Obama's Republican opponent, John McCain, has also promised "millions" of green jobs if he wins.

That was looking less likely yesterday, despite Republican strategists predicting a historic upset victory as they pointed to polls showing Mr Obama's lead narrowing in "must-win" states such as Ohio. Despite the growing confidence of the Obama campaign, Mr McCain's forces are now engaged in a massive final effort, making 17 million phone calls or door knocks at the homes of carefully targeted voters in the dying hours of the election.

Mr McCain's final blitz will see him make stops in seven states tomorrow. As he told a small crowd of voters at the weekend: "The pundits, my friends, have written us off as they've done before. But we're closing... and we're going to win Ohio." A major handicap he faces, however, is a surge in early voting by Democrats – a reversal of the pattern that delivered George Bush his 2004 victory. In Florida alone, 200,000 more Democrats have already voted than Republicans, and a high turnout – predictions are that 130 million Americans will vote, the largest number since 1960 – is thought to favour Mr Obama.

In the mayhem of the election campaign, Mr Obama has yet to deliver a major speech about his renewable energy plans. But he has pledged to create five million new "green collar jobs", largely by greatly expanding the use of renewable energy, which should supply a tenth of America's electricity within four years, insulating a million homes a year and to put a million rechargeable "plug-in hybrid cars" on the road by 2015.

He also wants the US motor industry to take a lead in producing environmentally friendly vehicles rather than 4x4s. He promises to invest in clean engine technology, to increase America's hitherto lax car fuel economy standards by 4 per cent a year, and to boost sales of green cars by giving a $7,000 tax credit to people who buy them. And he has pledged to convert the White House fleet to plug-in hybrids within a year of taking office.

There is growing acceptance from economists in the US that a Green "New Deal" should be a fundamental part of the solution to the financial crisis and to America's long-term security concerns.

At the same time, British ministers are planning a huge increase in environmentally friendly investment as a central part of its economic rescue plan. Japan's Prime Minister, Taro Aso, has called the green economy "a great opportunity for new growth". And plans are being laid in the Australian treasury for a 3,000 per cent growth in green jobs over the next decades.

But it is the American plans that could have the greatest effect in dragging the world economy out of crisis. Mr Obama believes that a new clean-energy economy "can be the engine that drives us into the future in the same way the computer was the engine for economic growth over the last couple of decades".

The head of Mr Obama's transition team, John Podesta, has called for "a new vision for the economic revitalisation of the nation and a restoration of America's leadership in the world", adding: "We must seize this precious opportunity to mobilise the country and the international community towards a brighter and more prosperous future."

Monday 20 October 2008

Alternative-Energy-Why-Alternative?




Alternative Energy, Why do we address it as Alternative?

The sun is something that has been used for it's energy for much longer than modern day man has walked our planet, cold bloodied animals have used it to warm their blood, plant life uses Photosynthesis to produce energy to grow and humans use it to keep warm.

Why is it then that we see Solar energy as an Alternative Energy Source?

Solar energy is responsible for our global weather, the wind, the rain both rely on the solar energy to drive our weather patterns across the planet.

Currently our technology for creating energy from the sun (Solar Photo Voltaic) is primitive, we are achieving somewhere in the region of 20% efficiency, I believe with better funded research and time we will be able to extract much more power in the form of DC Electricity, maybe nearer to 70% I would imagine this will make Solar PV installations much more common place.

Whilst the Sun shines and the wind blows we should strive to harness our energy needs from these sources, learn to minimise our waste of heat and power and become much more energy efficient.

We can do it, we all just need educating on how to tackle our individual power requirements before we are beyond the point of no return.

Saturday 27 September 2008

Australia (Brisbane) Has Huge Personal Carbon Footprints!

Whilst I have been over here in Brisbane Australia it has shocked me seeing the blatant waste of fossil fuel, Not just electricity waste but also petrol and diesel. The current price of 1 litre of petrol in Brisbane is around $1.39 AUS or £0.70 GBP which is almost half the price of what you expect to pay in the UK. Everyone drives 3.0, 3.5 4.0 4.5 or 6.0 Litre automatic cars and Utes (Vans) it scares me to think how the global cost of fossil fuels will impact Australia in the next 2-3 years.

Another thing that stands out a mile is that the Sunshine is here, most days, all day, yet in my 2 weeks so far I have seen 1 Solar PV installation and 2 Solar Hot water installations! From the picture above taken from Southbank on the River Brisbane one evening ALL the city is illuminated through the night! EVERY night is the same.

It seems to me I was extremely naive in thinking only the US was power abusive, far from it.


Kind regards


Andy Mahoney
Home Brew Power
Off-Grid Power Installer - UK)
www.homebrewpower.co.uk

Mobile: 07504 50 50 89
HomeBrewPower Yahoo Group On Carbon Neutral Power
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homebrewpower/


Posted by Picasa

Wednesday 10 September 2008

Bon-Voyage-UK-Australia-Awaits!


I would like to let everyone who has supported me through looking and learning about Renewable Energy via http://www.homebrewpower.co.uk/ that I am going to Australia this Saturday.

The last 10 years of my life have been life changing, I have had some great times learning all about Lister CS engines as CHP units, Heat exchangers, Water to Water heat exchangers, Solar PV, Wind Turbines, Geo thermal, Off-Grid Power, Babington Atomising Burners, Turk Burners, Gasifiers, Wood Gas, SELV, IMAG Motors, PMDC Motors, PWM Motor control, Carbon Neutral Energy Sources and a million more subjects that I have whizzing around my head. Each and every one of them I have enjoyed and revelled in the wonder of it all. I have tried to build some kind of website to document what and how I have managed with each project. Not the best place on the web I know but I am not a web designer but more so an inventor and entrepreneur.

I will be gone for 5 weeks to see what the world has to offer for me. What the future holds I have no idea but what I know is this is something I need to do.

I doubt that HomeBrewPower will continue in the future as I now have new challenges and ideas to work on but if it does I will be bringing it back as a whole new concept..................

I will be dropping some posts in from Australia (Brisbane) to let all my friends and global associates know what I am learning over there and then again some final posts when I get back to the UK some time after October 20th 2008

I hope that you have all picked up something of interest from my ramblings and that one day we can converse once more.

I thank you all for your friendship


Kind regards
Andy Mahoney (10th September 2008 21:58 - The Big Bang Never Happened!!!!) Home Brew Power! (Off-Grid Power Installer - UK) http://www.homebrewpower.co.uk/ Mobile: 07504 50 50 89
HomeBrewPower Yahoo Group On Carbon Neutral Power http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homebrewpower/


Learn-About-Solar-Panels-PV-Modules


Solar-Electric Panels AKA: solar-electric modules, photovoltaic (PV) panels

PV arrays can increase the system’s daily energy output by 25 to 40 percent. PV panels are a solar-electric system’s defining component, where sunlight is used to make direct current (DC) electricity. Behind a PV panel’s shimmering facade, wafers of semiconductor material work their magic,using light (photons) to generate electricity—what’s known as the photovoltaic effect.Other components in your system enable the electricity from your solar-electric panels to safely power your electric loads like lights,computers, and refrigerators.

PV panels are assigned a rating in watts based on the maximum power they can produce under ideal sun and temperature conditions.You can use the rated output to help determine how many panels you’ll need to meet your electrical needs. Multiple modules combined together are called an array.Although rigid panels are the most common form of solar electricity collector, PV technology also has been integrated into roofing shingles and tiles, and even peel and-stick laminates (for metal standing-seam roofs). PV modules are very durable and long lasting

Learn-About-Backup-Generators-For-Off-Grid-Installations


Backup Generator AKA: The gas guzzler

Off-grid solar-electric systems can be sized to provide electricity during cloudy periods when the sun doesn’t shine. But sizing a system to cover a worst-case scenario, like several cloudy weeks during the winter, can result in a very large, expensive system that will rarely get used to its capacity. To spare your pocket, size the system moderately but include a backup generator to get through those occasional sunless stretches.Engine generators can be fueled with bio diesel, waste oils (Including WVO, WMO, Gear Oil) petroleum diesel,gasoline, or propane, depending on the design. These generators produce AC electricity that a battery charger (either stand-alone or incorporated into an inverter) converts to DC energy, which is combustion engines, generators tend to be loud and stinky but a well-designed solar-electric system will require running them only 20 to 100 hours a year.

Monday 8 September 2008

Air-Bubble-Lifter-For-WVO-WMO-SVO-For-Turk-Babington-Burners




Air Bubbler Oil Lifts are a great way to regulate various fuel supplies for Waste Oil burners, some great examples are the Turk Burner and the Babington Atomizing Burner.

The schematic above shows you hot to construct one from simple materials.

The principle is as follows: Air is supplied at approximately 6 PSI from a simple low pressure air pump (A fish tank air pump is commonly used in home made devises) down a copper tube to a tee piece, the arrangement is submersed in the oil tank / reservoir to allow the bubbles to rise up the outlet tube, as the bubbles rise up the oil filled tube they push up an amount of fuel oil above them. The more air you supply the more oil is driven up with it.

The above principle can be used in so many different burner applications and situations where a controlled and constant amount of oil is required at the burner nozzle / jet. the oil once passed over the burner nozzle that remains unburned can be easily channeled back into the oil sump / tank and recycled.

Note to consider!

As oils become warmer, as they would in the above setup, they become much thinner (Less Viscous) best practise an such a system would be to monitor the fuel oil until your system is up to a stable running temperature i.e. the oil temperature ceases to rise and then set your running air pressure. A Hasty setup on such a system could cost money and indeed lives (Play safe)

Thursday 4 September 2008

Producing-Power-From-Solar-Heat

A Solar Water Heater with a nominal capacity of 100 Litres/day costs about US$ 400 in India. The Govt gives this US $ 400 as a loan at 2% per annum interest( normal loan interest is 14%)

I saw an interesting web site which describes a demonstration plant for producing power from Solar Heat

https://matteranenergy.us/Technology.htm#Joe_Six-packs__Executive_Summary


Monday 25 August 2008

Learn-About-Coal-Gasification

Coal was traditionally gasified to make lighting gas and for running gas engines. With improved pipelines, natural gas began to become popular in the 1940s in the US and so manufacturing gas from coal fell almost into obscurity.

In the 1980s a coal gasification plant was built in North Dakota, with the purpose of converting the local brown coal into high purity methane that could be used for domestic and industrial heating in the local community.

At the time it was built, oil was cheap and so the economics didn't quite work out.

However, one of the by-products of the gasification was large volumes of pure CO2, and a pipeline was built to run 205 miles north up into Sascatchewan, so that the CO2 could be used to pressurise an oil field and get another 20 years of production from the declining field.

The process is detailed here:

http://www.dakotagas.com/Companyinfo/Gasification_Process.html

Coal gasification will likely become a viable energy conversion technology and it has the following advantages:

1. It converts low calorific value brown coal into high energy natural gas that is easier to transport and use.
2. The by-products are easily separated from the process and have commercial value for fertilisers and phenol feedstocks.
3. The CO2 is captured and can be sequestered in oil wells allowing extended production
4. Waste products - toxic metals etc are separated from the mix and can be appropriately handled
5. There is no requirement for an exhaust stack so atmospheric pollution is low.

It is fairly obvious that the world will have to continue to use its coal reserves for producing primary energy - more so with declining petroleum reserves. Coal gasification could be one technique that greatly improves the utilisation of what is generally considered to be a dirty polluting fuel.

As coal fields are exploited, the most valuable grades are consumed first. Coal gasification allows the exploitation of the remaining poorer grades.

The natural gas can be added into the existing pipeline distribution network or can be used at the plant in a combined cycle gas turbine power plant. So the energy in the coal can be exported either as electricity or as methane.

If the coal gasification process runs continuously, the methane can fuel CCGT power plant at times of peak power demand, or compressed and stored at times of low power demand. So by storing the energy in the form of methane it allows you to meet the changing demands put on the power plant. Extra CCGT generators could be spooled up quickly using the stored methane when needed.

By locating these gasification plants close to the coalfields - coal transport costs could be reduced. Energy exported in the form of electricity - possibly using a new HVDC supergrid, would be in great demand during summer months for air conditioning, whilst in winter months, natural gas for home heating may be more appropriate. Either way there is flexability to tailor the exports to meet the changing demands.

Coal gasification is a scaleable technology. Plants could be designed to suit the output of the local coal fields and the demands of the population.

The ND plant uses nearly 6 million tons of lignite per year and from this produces 54 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year - enough to power a CCGT power plant of between 800MW and 1GW.


Saturday 16 August 2008

How-To-Convert-A-Freezer-Into-A-Super-Economical-Fridge

Found this in my travels- www.mtbest.net Tells how to convert a freezer into a fridge. This can be a great way to make a very economical Fridge!

Friday 15 August 2008

Solar-cooking

Using the free heat of the sun to cook our food is easy, fun, effective and energy efficient Using the free heat of the sun to cook our food is easy, fun, effective and energy efficient. It not only replaces the fuel you would have paid for, but during the warm months, it saves on cooling costs by not heating up the house. Solar cooking has several other benefits, such as lower cooking temperatures will not burn foods, so stirring is not required.

The slower, gentler cooking provided by many solar cookers preserves more nutrients, as well as flavor and aroma. Food can simply be placed in a solar cooker and left to cook, unattended, for several hours. I've heard that some folks will place their food in the solar oven, point it to the noon sun, and leave for the day, coming home in the evening to a hot, cooked meal. However, if you are available to adjust the cooker to track the sun, it will get hotter for a longer period, cooking food in a shorter time. I made a small table, which rotates, so when I am passing the cooker, I can easily adjust it for maximum solar input.


There are two basic types of solar cookers, the box cooker, which will perform as an oven or slow cooker, and the cook top, which functions more as a stove top burner, heating the food just from the bottom of the pot. There are many variations on these types, ranging from basic boxes made from recycled materials to high tech, expensive models.

The box cooker is the most common, and easiest to construct, the links below have plans for many designs. I have built several; the advantage of the commercial models is ease of use, longevity of the materials, and convenience.

I am now using a commercially made box cooker nearly every sunny day, we bake breads, cookies, and cakes in it, I make beef jerky, rice, beans, soups stews, and casseroles with it.

Solar cooking has many advantages, and is a low cost way for anyone to use solar energy. The links below contain much information on the subject, plans, where to buy commercial cookers, recipes, instructions, and lots more. Have fun!

www.solarcooking.org

www.cookwiththesun.com

Sunday 10 August 2008

Learn-More-About-Wind-Turbines-For-Kids

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/kids/

Fantastic website for kids and grown ups alike.

Basic-Wind-Power-Information

* http://www.nationalwind.org/
PDF report: Wind and Wildlife: Key Research Topics

* Wind Turbine Buyer’s Guide
http://greenbuildingelements.com/2007/08/22/wind-turbine-buyers-guide/

Home Power magazine has collected information about a wide range of
different wind turbines that are available for home or small business use.
The 2007 Wind Turbine Buyer’s Guide is a small but information-packed
article with a wealth of information about available turbines for small wind
systems.
The review has information on 19 different small wind turbines ranging from
7 feet to 56 feet in diameter, including systems for battery charging, as
well as batteryless grid-tie systems.
*Web sites list from: http://www.agmrc.org/agmrc/renewables/windrelwebs.htm
Related Websites (wind energy)
Information Sources:
American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)
Argonne National Laboratory
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Energy Future Coalition
Energy Information Administration
International Association for Energy Economics
Iowa Energy Center
Midwest Ag Energy Network
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
National Wind Coordination Collaboration
Small Wind
Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program
Windustry
25 x ’25 – America Energy Fuels



* PDF Diagram Basic - How a wind system works http://www.agmrc.org/NR/rdonlyres/F5C73A5D-A5DB-48C1-995F-2695B75824F1/0/windturbine.pdf

Energy terms and definitions

From http://www.eia.doe.gov/a-z_index/a-z_abbrev.html

Each abbreviation is linked to the EIA Glossary definition where possible (
Leave EIA site" will take you to a non-EIA definition source))
AC: alternating current
AFUDC: allowance for funds used during construction (Leave EIA Site)
AFV: alternative-fuel vehicle
AGA: American Gas Association
AMI:advanced metering infrastructure
AMR: automated meter reading
ANSI: American National Standards Institute (Leave EIA Site)
API: American Petroleum Institute (Leave EIA Site)
ARA: Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp
ASTM: American Society for Testing and Materials (Leave EIA Site) bbl:
barrel
BBL/D: barrel(S) per day
BBL/SD: barrel(S) per stream day
BCF: billion cubic feet BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics; U.S. Department of
Labor (Leave EIA Site)
BOE: barrels of oil equivalent (used internationally)
BTU: British thermal unit(S)
BTX:
Benzene
Toluene
Xylene
BWR: boiling-water reactor
C/GAL: cents per gallon
CAFE: corporate average fuel economy (Leave EIA Site)
CARB: California Air Resources Board (Leave EIA Site)
CBOB: conventional gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending (Motor
Gasoline Blending Component)
CDD: cooling degree-days
CERCLA: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability
Act (Leave EIA Site)
CNT: cent
CF: cubic foot
CFC: chlorofluorocarbon
CFS: cubic feet per second
CH4: Methane
CHP: combined heat and power
CIF: cargo, insurance and freight CIF: cost, insurance, freight
CIV: customs import value
CMSA: consolidated metropolitan statistical area
CNG: compressed natural gas
CO: carbon monoxide (Leave EIA Site)
CO2: carbon dioxide
CPI: consumer price index CWIP: construction work in progress
DC: direct current (Leave EIA Site)
DOE: Department of Energy
DRB: demonstrated reserve base
DSM: demand-side management
DTW: dealer tank wagon
E85: A fuel containing a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent
gasoline
E95: A fuel containing a mixture of 95 percent ethanol and 5 percent
gasoline
EAR: estimated additional resources
EIA: Energy Information Administration
EIS: Environmental Impact Statement
EOR: enhanced oil recovery
EPA: Environmental Protection Agency (Leave EIA Site)
EPACT: Energy Policy Act
ETBE: ethyl tertiary butyl ether
EU: European Union (Leave EIA Site)
EWG: exempt wholesale generator
FAS.: free alongside ship
FASB: Financial Accounting Standards Board
FBR: fast breeder reactor
FERC: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
FGD: flue-gas desulfurization
FME: free market economies
FOB: free on board
FPC: Federal Power Commission
FRS: Financial Reporting System
GAL: gallon GDP: gross domestic product GNP: gross national product GVW:
gross vehicle weight GW: gigawatt GWE: gigawatt-electric GWH: gigawatthour
GWP: global warming potential H: hundredth H: hundred HDD: heating
degree-days HCFC: hydrochlorofluorocarbon HFC: hydrofluorocarbon HID:
high-intensity discharge HVAC: heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning
HTGR: high temperature gas-cooled reactor (Leave EIA Site) IEA:
International Energy Agency (Leave EIA Site) IOU: investor-owned utility
IPP: independent power producer ISO: independent system operator KVA:
kilovolt-ampere KW: kilowatt KWE: kilowatt-electric KWH: kilowatthour LB:
pound LDC: local distribution company LEVP: Low Emissions Vehicle Program
(Leave EIA Site) LHV: lower heating value LIHEAP: Low-Income Home Energy
Assistance Program LNG: liquefied natural gas LPG: liquefied petroleum gases
LRG: liquefied refinery gases LWR: light water reactor M: thousand MCF: one
thousand cubic feet MECS: Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey MM:
million (106) MMBBL/D: one million (106) barrels of oil per day MMBTU: one
million (106) British thermal units MMCF: one million (106) cubic feet
MMGAL/D: one million (106) gallons per day MMST: one million (106) short
tons MPG: miles per gallon MSA: metropolitan statistical area MSHA: Mine
Safety and Health Administration (Leave EIA Site) MSW: municipal solid waste
MTBE: methyl tertiary butyl ether MW: megawatt MWE: megawatt electric MWH:
megawatthour N2O: nitrous oxide NAAQS: National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (Leave EIA Site) NAICS: North American Industry Classification
System NARUC: National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
(Leave EIA Site) NERC: North American Electric Reliability Council NGL:
natural gas liquids NGPA: Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 NGPL: natural gas
plant liquids NGV: natural gas vehicle (Leave EIA Site) NOAA: National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Leave EIA Site) NOPR: Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking (Leave EIA Site) NOx: nitrogen oxides NRECA: National
Rural Electric Cooperative Association (Leave EIA Site) NUG: nonutility
generator(nonutility power producer) NURE: national uranium resource
evaluation NYMEX: New York Mercantile Exchange (Leave EIA Site) O3: ozone
O&M: operation and maintenance (Leave EIA Site) OCS: Outer Continental Shelf
OECD: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OEM: original
equipment manufacturers OPEC: Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries OPRG: oxygenated fuels program reformulated gasoline OTEC: ocean
thermal energy conversion PADD: Petroleum Administration for Defense
Districts PBR: pebble-bed reactor (Leave EIA Site) PBR: performance-based
rates PCB: polychlorinated biphenyl (Leave EIA Site) PFC: perfluorocarbons
PGA: purchased gas adjustment PPI: producer price index (Leave EIA Site)
PUD: Public Utility District PUHCA: Public Utility Holding Company Act of
1935 PURPA: Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 PV: photovoltaic
PVC: photovoltaic cell PVC: polyvinyl chloride PWR: pressurized-water
reactor QF: qualifying facility QUAD: quadrillion Btu: 1015 Btu RAC:
refiners' acquisition cost RAR: reasonable assured resources RBOB:
reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending RDF: refuse-derived
fuel REA: Rural Electrification Administration RECS: Residential Energy
Consumption Survey RFG: reformulated gasoline RSE: relative standard error
RVP: Reid vapor pressure (Leave EIA Site) SEER: seasonal energy efficiency
ratio SF6: sulfur hexafluoride SI: International System of Units (Système
international d'unités) (Leave EIA Site) SIC: Standard Industrial
Classification SNG: synthetic natural gas SO2: sulfur dioxide SPP: small
power producer SPR: Strategic Petroleum Reserve SR: speculative resources -
coal SR: speculative resources - uranium SWU: separative work unit T:
trillion 1012 TAME: tertiary amyl methyl ether TBA: tertiary butyl alcohol
TH: thousandth TVA: Tennessee Valley Authority TWH: terawatthour U3O8:
uranium oxide UF6: uranium hexaflouride ULCC: ultra large crude carrier
UMTRA: Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 USBR: United
States Bureau of Reclamation (Leave EIA Site) USACE or USCE: U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers (Leave EIA Site) V: Volt VIN: vehicle identification number
VAWT: vertical-axis wind turbine VLCC: very large crude carrier VMT: vehicle
miles traveled VOC: volatile organic compound W: Watt WI: withheld to avoid
disclosure of individual company data. WACOG: weighted average cost of gas
WH: watthour WTI: West Texas Intermediate

__________________________________________________
D O T E A S Y - "Join the web hosting revolution!"
http://www.doteasy.com

Friday 8 August 2008

Peristaltic-Pumps

Peristaltic pump

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peristaltic_pump

These are great pumps for using on WVO type burners to control the oil flow rates in a precise manner.

Friday 25 July 2008

Can-Cars-Really-Run-On-Water?


Does the “water-powered car” really work?

Yes, but the water has to come from unicorn tears.

Unsurprisingly, inevitably, rising gas prices have brought increased interest in the water-powered car. Is there really a simple technology that can dramatically boost the efficiency of conventional cars or, better yet, allow you to run your car entirely on tap water?

http://tinyurl.com/watercar

Thursday 17 July 2008

Wood-Forge-Project-Going-Ahead


Previously I have mentioned a wonderful little project to supply off grid power to a Metal Casting Wood Forge Down the far south of England.

The new 140W Panel arrived today from the manufacturers. I am extremely impressed with the Solar PV Panels construction. Open circuit is 21.8V and will charge 2 x deep cycle SLA batteries at 12V. The Pure Sine Wave Inverter arrived late last week so I am currently contstructing the sub frame for the panel to be mounted on.

I'll be posting some pictures of the setup once it is installed at the forge some time soon.

Monday 14 July 2008

Cutting-Back-The-Oil-Crisis-Is-Here!

Well, I have been extremely busy lately with Home Brew Power. The business end as apposed to the Website end of things.

It seems that the Oil Crisis is finally impacting on the lives of every day people. The Fuel is going through the roof, both Diesel and Petrol are at record highs, the Oil prices (Fuel Oil) is driving people to look for real alternatives now.

Is there an easy solution to the problem? Answer, NO. You all now need to look at your energy footprint and start to look for ways to reduce it as much as possible without freezing yourselves to death.

Fixes to help:

1. Energy Saving lamps throughout your home, garage and outside lights are now a must do.
2. Leave a room, turn the light off
3. No more appliances on standby, when you have done with the TV, CD, DVD, MP3, Xbox, PS3 etc TURN IT OFF! Unplug it, that way there will be no phantom loads.
4. Have TRV's (Thermostatic Valves) fitted to your radiators, the rooms your not in, turn the heat down in the winter, you would be surprised how much GAS / Heating Oil you can save by doing this!
5. Have your home Cavity Wall Insulated, again a great way to save valuable heat escaping on a cold day / night.
6. Put on an extra layer of clothing on an evening, it's not that hard to do and will save you money!

All I can say is the situation is going to worsen from here on in, oil is finite, it will run out and we need to look for viable solutions to the 'Soon to be upon us' Energy Crisis. For now I suggest we all look at the waste energy and do something to reduce it ASAP.

I am seeing more and more people asking me about the possibilities of CO-GEN / Micro CHP systems for homes, it is something I see will fast become common, people and families will become self sufficient and off-grid, away from the hungry power companies and greedy suppliers. Solar PV, Solar Thermal, Geo Thermal, Ground Source Heat Pumps, Micro CHP, Wind Turbines will all become common sites within our cities and streets over the next decade.

Friday 4 July 2008

BBC-Radio-Leeds-Steve-Bailey-Drive-Home-Live-Interview


2 Weeks ago I was contacted by BBC Radio Leeds (Steve Bailey). They had been looking with interest at all the work I have been doing relating to Off-Grid / Carbon Neutral Power production.

I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Steve Bailey on the Drive Home Spot at 5:30PM for 20 minutes. We spoke of the work I do providing Off-Grid power via Solar PV, Wind Turbine and Solar Heating, something we are all fast becoming experts in due to the ever increasing costs of Crude Oil. This effects everything in the modern world from Petrol & Diesel right down to the cost of grain, staple foods and transportation costs.

I hope some of you heard the program and enjoyed it as much as I did. I will be in Australia from Mid September 2008 for 5 weeks, I am going to visit family and also to make a decision as to weather or not to move out of the UK for good.

When I return Mid October Steve Bailey of BBC Radio Leeds has invited me back for another live interview to update him as to my decision on moving to Australia.

Thursday 6 March 2008

Carbon-Neutral-Power-Socket-Installation-Now-Available


If you can not afford a complete solar PV installation or a grid-tied Wind Turbine but would still like to do your bit for the environment then how about having 1 socket powered via the sun?

We can install a Solar Panel, Inverter, Batteries, Charge controller and socket outlet, the latter inside your home that is powered from the sun. You could use it to power your TV, maybe a lamp or laptop? It is the most economical way you can get into the Eco Revolution!
Why not give us a call and we can give you some more info on our Eco-Powered Sockets!

Kind regards

Andy Mahoney
Home Brew Power
Off-Grid Power Installer - UK)
www.homebrewpower.co.uk
Mobile: 07504 50 50 89
HomeBrewPower Yahoo Group On Carbon Neutral Power
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homebrewpower/

Wednesday 27 February 2008

Earthquake-felt-in-Leeds-(Bramley-West-Yorkshire!)


Just to let you know at 12:55 27-02-2008 we sat through the earthquake in Leeds West Yorkshire. The entire house was vibrating and my sofa moved forwards, we knew within a couple of seconds what was going on.

We noted it lasted around 15 seconds!

Friday 22 February 2008

Solar-Fire-Project-Info

http://www.solarfireproject.com/home


Solar Fire Technologies offer one of the most cost effective ways to concentrate and use solar energy. Helping people and saving our environment is our driving vision.

By providing abundant, affordable and clean energy, the Solar Fire Project is a tool in the interrelated fights against global warming, deforestation, waterborne disease, pollution, desertification, soil degradation, poverty and general unsustainability.

Powerful enough to bring a liter of water to boil in 5 minutes, Solar Fire Technologies are do-it-yourself machines, on the same level of complexity as a bicycle. They are built from widely available materials, and simple enough to be operated by a child. Once built, SF technologies can meet the basic energy needs for a family for more than 10 years.

IMAG-Induction-Motors-As-Generators

They will need capacitors to work. The newer metals used in some motors are more efficient as far as the hysteresis losses go. That means a few of them don't have the
'fault' of having residual magnetism. What's good for a motor is, in
this case, bad for the generator start-up.

I think where the confusion is starting may be from the planned usage.
In a grid tied IMAG (Induction motor generator) the thing will spin like
a motor until you apply motive power to it. It has to spin a bit faster
than the synchronous speed in order to generate. This setup is pretty
much fool proof. You start it as a normal motor and should the grid go
down, it stops generating. Note that you HAVE to start it as an electric
motor FIRST, from the line.

Now, IF we don't want this IMAG running constantly, there has to be a
mechanism to ensure that it will be running in phase with the power
lines when we connect. It can get expensive, but a cheap method involves
the use of a light bulb placed in parallel with a breaker which is in
the line going to the grid.

The operation starts by bringing the motor up to speed with your prime
mover. When the generated power is in sync with the line, the light bulb
will go out and the breaker can be closed. The rotor is now locked to
the line frequency.

That last setup requires the capacitors you speak of in order to start
generation from the residual magnetism. It is an isolated system at
start up and needs its own reactive power.

For line connected, grid start motors:

The simplest inter-tie allowed is with an induction generator which is
excited by the grid, so *no* problems with synchronization. The
generator is turned somewhat faster than synchronous speed so there is
positive slip and generates power into the grid as long as the grid is
powered. This power grid is an "infinite buss" and gives all the kVAr
required to magnetize the generator and accepts all the kVA the
generator can produce.

So far so good! When the power goes off, then the induction generator
unloads and must be protected from overspeed etc, and even though there
may be fuel available and the engine could be run, it cannot generate
backup power.

http://www.smokstak.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20046

Grid Connection Required


On the page about the permanent magnet synchronous generator we showed
that it could run as a generator without connection to the public grid.
An asynchronous generator is different, because it requires the stator
to be magnetized from the grid before it works.
*You can run an asynchronous generator in a stand alone system, however,
if it is provided with capacitors which supply the necessary
magnetization current.* It also requires that there be some remanence in
the rotor iron, i.e. some leftover magnetism when you start the turbine.
Otherwise you will need a battery and power electronics, or a small
diesel generator to start the system).

http://www.newenergy.org.cn/english/guide/async.htm

Thursday 21 February 2008

The-Battery-Charge-Process

The Battery Charge Process

Introduction

Batteries are complex mechanisms that can even fool the experts at
times, so it comes as no surprise that non-technical people have a
hard time understanding the charge process. Ask a typical crowd of
battery users when their batteries are full charged and at least ten
answers will surface.

In both Living on 12 Volts with Ample Power, and Wiring 12 Volts for
Ample Power the authors explain that a battery is fully charged when
the voltage is about 14.4 Volts and current through the battery has
declined to less than 2% of the capacity of the battery in Amp-
hours ...2 Amps for a 100 Ah battery.

That information is substantially correct, however, a more intuitive
feel for the charge process is necessary, not only to understand when
the battery is full, but also to know when the battery is not
behaving normally. It is the intent of this application note to
provide enough information about the charge process so that the
average user can judge how well the batteries are charging.

The Bulk Charge Step

When a charge source is first applied to a well discharged battery,
charge current begins to flow, typically at the maximum rate of the
charge source. If a true 40 Amp charger is connected to an 8D battery
which is completely discharged, about 40 Amps of charge current would
flow for some period of time. Because most of the charge is delivered
at the maximum charger rate, the first step of the charge cycle is
called the bulk charge step. NOTE: During the bulk step, battery
voltage will steadily rise.

The Start of the Absorption Step

At the instant battery voltage has risen to the maximum allowable
voltage of the charge source, current through the battery begins to
decline. This simultaneous event of reaching maximum voltage and the
start of current decline marks the beginning of the absorption step.

For instance, if the 40 Amp charger is set to 14.4 Volts, then when
battery voltage has risen to 14.4 Volts, the charger will now hold
the voltage constant. Current through the battery will begin to
decline. NOTE: The charger, (or alternator), is not limiting the
current at this point. The battery is `absorbing' all it can at the
voltage setpoint.

The End of the Absorption Step

The absorption step should continue until current through the battery
declines to about 2% of battery capacity in Amp-hours as mentioned
above. Without knowing what the current is through the battery, you
can't know when it's full. Just because that fancy charger, (or
inverter/charger), has kicked out to float is no sign that the
battery is full ...there is no charger on the market that measures
battery current!

It's a given, then, that you need to measure battery current to know
when the battery is full. With a battery current meter, you can
discover some very interesting details about the charge process. For
instance, you can discover that once the charger voltage limit is
reached, battery current begins to decline. If the current decline is
rapid, either the batteries are nearly full, or they are NO GOOD! If
the current decline is slow, then either the charge source has more
output than the batteries can reasonably absorb, or the batteries are
NO GOOD! Here's where Amp-hour instrumentation is particularly
valuable.

Given enough time at the absorption voltage, charge current will
decline to a steady-state value, that is, a low current that either
stays constant, or declines very little. At the point where charge
current has gone as low as it is going to, then the batteries are
truly full. While 2% of Ah rating is close, good batteries will reach
a steady state current at less than 1% of Ah rating.

The Float Step

Once a battery is full, a lower voltage should be applied that will
maintain the full charge. Depending on the type of battery, (liquid,
gel), and the age of the battery, 13.4 - 13.8 Volts is appropriate as
a float voltage.

Temperature Compensation

The voltage given above are good only at F, (C). For high
temperatures, voltage will be less. It is important to charge
batteries with temperature compensation. To learn more about this
aspect of charging, refer to page 70 in the revised edition of Wiring
12 Volts for Ample Power.

A Very Common Problem

Your batteries are only four months old. You discharge them until
their voltage is less than 11 Volts and then crank up the engine. The
alternator brings up the voltage to 14.4 Volts very quickly, but the
current begins to decline immediately and in a few minutes is down to
a few Amps. You:

*suspect your voltage regulator and immediately call the factory and
ask for a replacement to be sent out; OR
*realize that something has happened to the batteries because the
alternator and regulator are operating as expected.

Conditioning Batteries

How do batteries that are only four months old die? Perhaps they
weren't broken in properly; maybe they sat deeply discharged for a
few days or more; perhaps they were allowed to self-discharge over
the last four months ...there's plenty of ways to murder batteries.

All batteries that refuse to accept a charge are not necessarily
ready for the scrap heap. Often, a deep discharge followed by a slow
charge will recover lost capacity and charge acceptance. For more
information, refer to Wiring 12 Volts for Ample Power.

Tuesday 19 February 2008

Living-In-The-Woods-Woodland-Low-Impact-Living

We did our time as nomads in a couple Winnies. We still have a Tioga
and a Chinook. We raised two welps without death or major crime.

In our experience the real problem with a baby is heat. If you have
good heat you can make do while you deal with the rest.

We have found no small scale solar anywhere near effective for space
heating up here above the 40th parallel. The woman who does will be
the one Bill Gates goes to for a loan.

We have 3 Toyo heaters in our trailer and would strongly advise you
not to use them in the same air space as your child. We use them only
in emergencies. In an emergency we evacuate the child ASAP.

We used to flip an old cast iron skillet over a burner to heat up in
the morning but again that is not good for baby.

If you can put in the fireboard and do a safe job the wood stoves
built for wall tents work great but they are scary as hell. Don't put
one between you and the door.

We have slept in tents with a box of hot rocks and been very
comfortable and safe. Not real eco friendly but if you have a back for
it we recommend it. It works and is safe for baby if hard on Dad.
Don't use river rock.

Our Winnies had combo heater/reefer units made by Electrolux and were
very safe and function-able so you might be willing to pay for the fuel
if you don't want to adapt. There is a small danger to baby but
nothing near Toyo's and the rest.

A propane fridge is an oxymoron as far as we are concerned. We
frequently go over a hundred F.
We use to this day coolers and ice in an adaptation cycle.
If you do the maths you will be able to decide if it is worth it to
you. For us solar powered cold creation is not cost effective at small
scales any where it gets hot.
We used/use the fridge for mouse proof storage.

We have and still use semi daily a "turkey" cooker propane stove. It
boils up a big pot of water in less time than a cup of tea. You will
want more hot water now. We paid $28 for it at a hardware store and a
propane tank gives us baths and wash water for about 40 days. With a
baby probably about 30.

We use the sawdust bucket method from the Humanure guy. We didn't mean
to. We were just using it while we built our composting toilet. It
works so well we just kept using it. It is by far the best way to go.

Diapers will be a problem. Washing them in the woods is no more eco
friendly than composting disposables. You can save a lot of time
composting. We gave up and used disposables and froze them in bags in
the winter and dumpstered them when we went to town. We composted them
and even tried to burn them. There just wasn't an easy way to deal
with it.

Grandpa used to say
"The surest way to get rid of your wife is to move her to the woods".

In our experience if you want to keep sane and married you need to
make sure you have SPARE rain shelter, heat, something hot to drink, a
hot wash up and clean underwear. In that order.
Everything else is extra and negotiable.

Make your man get you a REALLY comfortable chair that rocks and one of
the soft tummy carriers so you can free up your hands.
Make him deal with the diaper disposal.
If he loves you he will buy you a big wash tub and care for baby while
you have a hot soak twice a week.
Get a good tent you can stand in, a tarp big enough to cover the tent,
a 100' nylon cord, a good stout knife, a cot to keep you and baby off
the ground, a cold weather bag and a space blanket. Practice putting
the tent up with baby on your tummy. You need to know you can do it alone.
Get a double burner propane stove and lantern and a case of those
little propane bottles.
Get a half dozen NEW five gallon buckets with proper lids and put
clean dry SPARE underwear and baby clothes/towels/blankets/diapers in.
Fill one with paper plates and disposable forks and the like and
another with instant drinks and tinned food.
Don't leave out stuff, don't cheap out because you think you will
never use it.
Put the stove, lantern, tarp, tent, propane, line, knife and a roll of
trash bags in a big plastic tote box.

This is all EXTRA. You don't use it except in emergencies.
It is a $250 insurance policy for your domestic tranquillity. If you
never need it good on you. If like us you find the woods throw you a
few unexpected parties you will be happier. As in less unhappy.

After all these years we still have our bucket full of plastic forks
and such. We have raided it once or twice. We still have the stove(s)
and lantern and tent. We added an air mattress two years ago. We
switch out the propane canisters every year when we go camping
elsewhere and we have changed out the food but we still keep our
"Spares". We have only had to use the stuff a few times in all these
years but they have made the difference between living in the woods
and visiting.

Babington-Oil-Atomizing-Balls-Have-Arrived-In-The-UK



Our batch of hand made Babington Oil Atomizing Balls have arrived at HomeBrewPower!



Close-Up of a Babington Ball



Our order of custom made Babington Burner Balls have now arrived at HomeBrewPower UK.

These Nozzles enable the clean burning of Waste Vegetable Oil, Straight Vegetable Oil, Waste Motor Oil and any other combustible oil you can think of!

The principle is really simple, ' The Babington Ball is connected to an air source (Car tyre inflator or any other small air source capable of producing around 30-40 PSI via a 1/2" NPT standard fitting) A tiny stream of air is jetted out of a 0.010" presicion hole in the middle of the Babington Ball. Oil is pumped over the outer surface if the Ball producing a thin film around the ball head.

Where the jet of air is expelled the oil is Atomized into mist which can be readily burned. The atomizing effect is known as the Venturi effect similar to the principle of a whale expelling air when it surfaces.'

If you would like to purchase a Babington Oil Atomizing Ball then please visit our online shop by clicking HERE.

Babington-Burner-Air-Lift-Pump-Theory-For-Oil-Feed


Air or Steam lift pump video on YouTube. This is used for feeding a steam Babington, using Air, Steam, or even Propane to lift waste vegetable oil to the ball.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1asAWAowbQA

An air lift pump can lift a liquid to a height above the surface of the liquid equal to about 2/3 of the depth at which the air is injected into the bottom of the vertical pipe.

The capacity of the air-lift pump depends largely on the percentage of submergence of the foot piece; that is, the greater the submergence of the foot piece below the water level in the discharge pipe, the greater the volume (column) of water the pump can deliver per unit of time. However, the deeper the foot piece is submerged, the greater the compressed air pressure must be to lift the column of water.

http://www.geocities.com/~dmdelaney/air-lift-pumps/Air_lift_pumps.html

In air-lift pump operation, compressed air has to be regulated correctly. The amount of compressed air should be the minimum needed to produce a continuous flow. Too little air results in liquid being discharged in spurts, or not at all. Too much air causes an increase in the volume of discharge but at lower discharge pressure. If air is increased still further, discharge volume begins to decrease

Some details for water pumping..

Sizing the air lift pump
The flowrate through an air lift pump is proportional to the flowrate of the air powering it. The literature reports air lift pump flow rates of 20 to 2,000 gpm and lifts to more than 700 ft.
An empirical calculation attributed to the Ingersoll Rand Co. correlates the flow of air with that of water.

Va = 0.8 Ll/(C log10{(Ls + 34)/34]
Where Va = volume of free air (cu. ft.) needed per gallon of water
Ls = length of the submerged section (ft.)
Ll = length of the lift section (ft.)
C = constant that depends on Ll (see Table 1)
Another relevant variable is the relationship between Ls and Ll. Functional air lift designs exhibit a curious non-linear phenomenon. The ratio of submerged length to total length, Ls/(Ll + Ls), runs about 0.6 when the lift is only around 20 ft., but decreases to about 0.4 when the lift is 500 ft.

The last relevant variable is the air pressure needed to make the device operate. This depends, of course, on the specific gravity of the fluid. The depth that corresponds to one psi is inversely proportional to the specific gravity. For water, one psi corresponds to 2.31 ft. of depth. If one ignores the friction losses in the line, the applicable relationship is:

P = (Ls * sg/2.31)
Where
P = required gas pressure (psig)
sg = specific gravity of the fluid (dimensionless)

Domestic-Off-Grid-Setup-For-Power-Heating-HomeBrewPower




Above is the current schematic of the Off-Grid systems I designed and installed at HomeBrewPower.

At the heart of the installation is a Lister CS 5/1 (Not 3/1) as shown on the diagram that provides the bulk of power and heating, coupled with a large battery cubicle for energy storage. The batteries provide power to the 5KW MSW Inverter that produces 230VAC electricity back to our consumer unit.

Some of the waste heat from the Lister CS coolant circuit is recovered a water to water heat exchanger and then heat from the exhaust is also recovered via a air to water heat exchanger. The hot water is then pumped through insulated underground pipes to our central heating loop to provide heating via radiators.

Our PMDC custom built wind machine provides DC to the battery banks to constantly trickle charge the battery cubicle. We have seen it producing anything from 20W right through to 1200W on a very stormy evening in the UK.

Everything has been built from the ground up and custom made to suit our purposes, including the control installation, battery cubicle, metering, wind turbine & pipework.

Monday 18 February 2008

Low-Impact-Woodland-Home-Simondale




Below is a quote from the Simondale House Website. They have build a Low Impact Woodland Home In Wales UK. A True inspiration to anyone wishing to build their own Low Impact Woodland Home.

'You are looking at pictures of our family home in Wales. It was built by myself and my father in law with help from passersby and visiting friends. 4 months after starting we were moved in and cosy. I estimate 1000-1500 man hours and £3000 put in to this point. Not really so much in house buying terms (roughly £60/sq m excluding labour).

The house was built with maximum regard for the environment and by reciprocation gives us a unique opportunity to live close to nature. Being your own (have a go) architect is a lot of fun and allows you to create and enjoy something which is part of yourself and the land rather than, at worst, a mass produced box designed for maximum profit and convenience of the construction industry. Building from natural materials does away with producers profits and the cocktail of carcinogenic poisons that fill most modern buildings.

Some key points of the design and construction:
Dug into hillside for low visual impact and shelter
Stone and mud from diggings used for retaining walls, foundations etc.
Frame of oak thinnings (spare wood) from surrounding woodland
Reciprocal roof rafters are structurally and aesthaetically fantastic and very easy to do
Straw bales in floor, walls and roof for super-insulation and easy building
Plastic sheet and mud/turf roof for low impact and ease
Lime plaster on walls is breathable and low energy to manufacture (compared to cement)
Reclaimed (scrap) wood for floors and fittings
Anything you could possibly want is in a rubbish pile somewhere (windows, burner, plumbing, wiring...)
Woodburner for heating - renewable and locally plentiful
Flue goes through big stone/plaster lump to retain and slowly release heat
Fridge is cooled by air coming underground through foundations
Skylight in roof lets in natural feeling light
Solar panels for lighting, music and computing
Water by gravity from nearby spring
Compost toilet
Roof water collects in pond for garden etc.

Main tools used: chainsaw, hammer and 1 inch chisel, little else really. Oh and by the way I am not a builder or carpenter, my experience is only having a go at one similar house 2yrs before and a bit of mucking around inbetween. This kind of building is accessible to anyone. My main relevant skills were being able bodied, having self belief and perseverance and a mate or two to give a lift now and again. '

Sunday 17 February 2008

Learn-More-About-Woodgas-Gassification




So what is gasification?

Gasification is the high temperature conversion of combustible solids (e.g. wood, coal, coke, charcoal, municipal waste etc) into a gaseous fuel mixture containing amongst others, hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO). Depending on the production context, the gas mixture generated may be known variously as “wood gas”, “synthesis gas”, “producer gas” or “coal gas”

Is gasification a new technology?

Far from it, it has been around for over 100 years.

Why do we need biomass gasification for renewable energy, isn’t wind and solar enough?

Wind and solar power are key components to the future electricity generation mix because they are low maintenance and greenhouse neutral. Solar generation has the advantage of peaking at the same time as peak air-conditioning loads, and wind energy when networked sufficiently widely with appropriate interconnection can provide base-load generation. However, neither can provide on-demand generation for load-matching. Bio energy based generation such as gasification can provide this, and if supplied from sustainably-harvested fuel, can be a truly greenhouse-neutral on-demand generation system to complement wind and solar.

What about coal gasification? Isn’t that supposed to be good for greenhouse gas emission reduction too?

Yes, coal gasification can be done. (Most town gas used to be produced from coal gasification processes.) Whilst coal gasification in an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) system can offer improved efficiency in a centralized power station over combustion alone, it represents only a transitional step in greenhouse gas emission reduction, and is not a long-term option without a viable and cost-effective carbon-sequestration technology.

But isn’t wood gasification just an excuse to chop down even more trees?

We hope not. We think it is a practical means for deriving energy (and an income) from the sustainable management of native re-vegetation schemes, off-setting fossil fuel electricity production. We think it is a good reason to do more than just plant the trees, but sustain and maintain them and generate renewable power along the way.

What are the waste products from the wood gasification process?

A high-performance power gasifier is optimized to generate the maximum gas and little else. By-products of the process are a small amount of low-grade activated carbon, some ash and water. Ideally, these by-products should be combined and returned to the soil as a soil conditioner. Waste heat is also produced by the process and can be used for water or space-heating, or for pre-drying the fuel for the gasifier.

What’s the advantage of biomass gasification over production of bio fuels like ethanol or biodiesel?

A well-designed gasifier can accept a range of feedstocks and thus the technology supports a bio diverse resource base rather than a monoculture energy crop. However the energy density of the gas is far lower than that of liquid bio-fuels, making it more suitable for stationary applications than transport. Although amateurs are now powering a diverse range of vehicles on woodgas.

What is in the gas that comes out of the gasifier?

Whilst the exact gas composition will be particular to the feedstock and operating conditions, typical gas composition from an air-blown gasifier is around 20% carbon monoxide (CO), 18% hydrogen (H2), 10% carbon dioxide (CO2), 1% methane (CH4) and 51% nitrogen (N2). It is a very high octane but low specific energy gas mixture that has a relatively low flame temperature and combustion flame speed due to the large amount of dilution gases (CO2 and N2) present.

What can the gas produced in the gasifier be used for?

The gas mixture produced by the gasifier can be used for process heating applications by operating the gasifier in a forced draft (positive pressure) mode and passing the gas directly to a burner. In induced-draft mode it can be inducted into internal combustion engines as a fossil-fuel replacement for developing motive power, driving generators etc.

What sort of engines can you run on woodgas?

Both spark-ignition engines (petrol or gas), and compression ignition engines (diesel) can run on wood gas. 100% petrol or gas replacement can be easily achieved on spark-ignition engines; compression ignition engines still require around 10 to 20% diesel for ignition of the fuel charge as the gas will not compression-ignite in a diesel engine. Sometimes spark-plugs are retrofitted to diesel engines for 100% fuel replacement. In large applications, the gas can also be use to drive gas turbines.

What about exhaust emissions from engines running on wood gas?

Exhaust emissions from an engine running on wood gas are typically more benign than petrol or diesel, ie lower in nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOX) unburned hydrocarbons and particulates. The major components of the exhaust gas from the engine are nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapour.

Isn’t the carbon monoxide dangerous?

Yes! Carbon monoxide is an odourless, but highly poisonous gas and care should be taken not to inhale it. In the gasification process, the carbon monoxide is an important component of the fuel gas mix but exists only for a short time in the process between gas production in the gasifier and combustion in the engine. With the engine running properly, carbon monoxide is not present in the exhaust gases. Our particular gasifier operates at sub-atmospheric pressure to minimize the possibility of a gas leak. But, just like a petrol-powered car, a gasifier should never be operated in an enclosed space in order to further reduce the risk of a carbon monoxide build-up.

Can an engine be damaged by running on wood gas?

The single biggest risk to an engine running on wood-gas is the risk of tar formation in the gas. This only happens if the gasifier is either badly designed or operated improperly. The tar will cause engine parts (e.g. valve stems, pistons) to stick and this will lead to disasters like bent and broken pushrods, rocker-arms, con-rods etc. An engine should never be operated if there is tar present in the gas stream.

Why not run micro turbines on the gas rather than piston engines?

We get asked this a lot for some reason. Piston engines are cheap and easily available. Micro turbines are not. Old car engines will run happily for years on wood gas and using second-hand engines reduces eco-footprint considerably over buying either new engines or micro turbines. Micro turbines are far less tolerant of contaminants in the gas stream (e.g. particulates and moisture) than piston engines. Also, when a car engine breaks down in many cases you can fix it yourself or worst case it can be taken to the local mechanic. But try fronting up to your local garage with a busted micro turbine and see how far you get.

Can I retrofit a gasifier to my little portable petrol or diesel generator?

Sadly, in most cases the answer to this is “No”. The reason is that the small generators are typically of the 2-pole type and operate at 3000 rpm for 50 Hz (3600 rpm for 60 Hz). This reduces the weight of both the engine and the generator, improving portability. Wood gas simply doesn’t burn fast enough to run an engine much over 1800 rpm and hence is only suitable for the larger-scale 4-pole generator systems operating at 1500 rpm for 50 Hz (1800 rpm for 60 Hz).

Thursday 14 February 2008

Philips-Sustainable-Habitat-2020


Take a look at the link and watch the video at the bottom of the page from Philips Concepts


Off The Grid Sustainable Habitat 2020 from Philips



Today, our habitat is very dependent on the international grid of energy & water. Energy crisis, clean water shortage, global warming and environmental pollution are worldwide problems. Understanding cities as dynamic and ever-evolving eco-systems can help us to formulate strategies for a sustainable urban future. The whole project is based on the the brief to develop sustainable housing for urban megalopolis in China in 2020.

This is exploring the integration of electronics and bio chemical functionalities into the inert material of the built environment. The design of the concept fundamentally changes the current approach to buildings and habitat. This future habitat shifts from the current state where the building surfaces are benign inert ‘dumb’ materials only used for construction and shielding purposes to sensitive functional skins that are ‘alive’ and act as membranes to harness energy. A membrane creates a strong link between the exterior and interior of the habitat and used as a transporter collecting and channeling the elements of air water and light - from the outside feeding into the inside space. This will supply the habitat with all necessary sources to be able to live off the grid.


LightThe active skin of a building reacts to sunlight and automatically moves into the most efficient position to channel light and generate energy. By collecting and channeling the natural light no electricity will be needed during the day for lighting. Bringing natural light into our homes will not only save energy but also provide all the advantages for health and well being.


AirThe active skin of the building reacts to the wind. By channeling air and wind through the skin of the building energy will be generated and the air will be filtered to provide clean air inside the building. Compressed and dissipated through funnels, the air will also be cooled for natural air-conditioning. Outside air is cleaned and stripped of CO2 before being exhausted from the building.


WaterThe active skin of the building reacts to the rain and collects and channels rainwater into the habitat. By catching moisture from the air the facade collects water even in dry periods.Through purification, filtration and reuse, water will be used in a closed loop and fresh water consumption would be optimized.


WasteHuman waste and other organic waste will be transformed into biogas energy. The biogas can be used for heating and cooking as well as providing hot water for washing.

Eco-Madness!-Musings-Of-An-Eco-Warrior


This week has been rather strange. What started out as a simple week has evolved into something more sinister!

Life can be like that, once in a while it comes along and tests you, it tries to push you to the limits and then a little further!

In a nutshell this week has been somewhere on the scale of 8/10. Difficult? Yes, Impossible? No.

The bulk of my work and revenue comes from my electrical business, Mahoney Electrical. http://www.mahoneyelectrical.co.uk/ This is what I pay the bills with and do 5 days out of 7. I would love to spend all my time on http://www.homebrewpower.co.uk/ I have huge plans for it. Problem with any master plan is the one driving force always comes down to Money! Or as I was once told, 'The LACK of money is the route of all evil!'

I guess what I need here at http://www.homebrewpower.co.uk/ is nothing short of a miracle, I need a big fat cheque to fall out of the sky and enable me to kickstart the business I dream of.

I want to travel the globe bringing all the latest Eco / Green News, Products, Concepts to light for my viewers.

Anyone out there with excesses of money want to make a donation? Don't be shy!

Things we are looking for right now.............

1. Eco Products to evaluate / review
2. Pictures of peoples sustainable lifestyle with info
3. Big Fat Cheque

Thursday 7 February 2008

Wildlife-Direct-To-Receive-The-First-100-Protos-Plant-Oil-Stoves



Quote from the Ending Charcoal Blog

'Yes, I am based in Boulder, Colorado. Ephrem Balole is based in Africa and he and I work closely on this blog. At this point, most of our focus is on the Protos project. The reality is, this is a massive project and as such, will probably leave little time to pursue other things such as biodigesters for the time being. Having said that, though, if there is anyone out there that wants to look into technologies such as this, that would be great!

The Relationship Between BSH and WildlifeDirect:

Yes, we are working with BSH on the introduction of the Protos stove in the DRC. Their business model clearly forbids the introduction of the stove in politically unstable areas, however, after hearing about the fate of the mountain gorillas, they agreed to participate in a joint-venture with WildlifeDirect. BSH has generously agreed to donate the first 100 stoves and is providing guidance and technical assistance. BSH is adamant that users grow their own fuels, and do so in a sustainable, eco-friendly manner. They are very serious about this and have actually pulled out of areas that have failed to demonstrate their commitment to this principle.

Current Status of the Protos Project:

Ephrem has the difficult task of doing the required Phase 1 & 2 market research for BSH. He is looking at things such as demographics, supply chains, alternative cookers, costing, household cooking habits, agricultural sectors, and barriers to entry. I will be working on putting together the training program for the introduction. I will most likely get trained in the Philippines and then make my way to Goma to train the trainers and help with the initial introduction, which we hope is in March.

Cost of the Protos Stove:

If brought in from the outside, the cost of the stove will be around US$50-75, 50% or which is transportation cost. Once local manufacturing capability is established, that cost should drop to US$20.


Fuel Types for the Protos Stove:

The Protos stove can burn canola, coconut, Jatropha, palm, peanut, rapeseed, safflower, soy, sunflower, and used cooking oil (biodiesel). One of the most important parts of this project is to grow fuel for the stoves locally. As Paula suggests, it looks like Jatropha will be a great fit in the DRC. We will be making sure NOT to use palm oils coming from any place that has destroyed vital habitat to establish palm oil plantations. This monoculture is a scourge in many places, such as in Indonesia and Malaysia, where it has had a devastating impact on orangutans and other key species. We will be vigilant about using only environmentally sustainable fuel sources.

Fear of Charcoal Mafia Reprisals:

With the crackdown on illegally harvested charcoal, there is clearly a renewed risk to the mountain gorillas. Luckily, this comes at a time when Nkunda and his rebels have agreed to cease hostilities. UN forces are now escorting them out of Virunga NP. This has made it possible for the ICCN rangers to return to their post and resume patrols. This is no guarantee that the gorillas will be safe, but it is a step in the right direction.
Creating New Ways to Make a Living:If we are successful with the Protos project, a whole new sector of the economy will be created. The hope is that the people involved with the illegal harvest of charcoal will see that more money is being made in the plant oils and naturally want to transition into this area.

How you can become involved:

Remember the old adage that only a few degrees of separation stand between you and just about anyone in the world. Think of who you know, and who that person knows, and so on. Rack your brains to think of people that would be willing to help raise funds and awareness to save the last mountain gorillas – and the other critically endangered species of the planet. Think outside the box of what you think is possible!'