Life goes on - Winter 2016

[DanNH]

Boy I am glad I live on the NH side if the state line just a few miles more east and I would go from 15 to 5 on that list.

[rustyold36]

I hear you Dan 30 miles as the crow flies takes me from 1st to 7th. Still zone 3a, Lows to -40 F. I 'm with Bill, not so bad, Way better than temps above 75F and unable to get out of the sun.

[DanNH]

I have seen -35 F here not common but I think we will get a couple nights down there this year the way it is going.
Basically if it doesn't get below -20 the waterer for the cows won't freeze up. I have one of the energy free I think they are called. You dig a 4 foot hole and put in a 2 foot diameters black plastic conduit into it. The ground heat keeps the waterer from freezing. They work great. I put maybe a gallon of hot water into it at night if it is below 10 F and the float won't even freeze in. At -25 f the water elbow right behind the float can freeze then I have to go out with a heat gun those morning are no fun. We had heat tape on it back in the 90s when we has the dairy cows but there's is no power in that barn right now and I can't afford to put it back now.
Winter was alot nicer when I has my case 5240 running to plow out with 4wd with loader and heated cab plus ac for the summer. Someday I will get the money to fix it...
Today I spent all day on my allis chalmers d15 open air 2 wd gas tractor with a loader cleaning out. Lucky for me it was 40 F today so it was nice out but all day cleaning out after a storm is a long day. I have 5 different accessed to the road I have to clean out and the barns are such that you have no where to put the snow.

[TomC]

Yes I have moved around . Michigan , California, Ohio, back to Calf, finally Wisconsin.TomC

[k_vanlooken]

I know some people here that would not mind to receive some of that white stuff... But then, they never experienced frostbite... or cold frozen hands or feet either...

[taitgarry00]

Minus 29C overnight here tonight again, same as last night. Last night the windchill was minus 46C. Daytime high was minus 26 or so, and had to help a buddy when a front tire came off his truck. Then on his way back home later he pulled a neighbour out of the ditch. Like Bill says, as long as you have heat and are prepared, not too bad, but you have to be careful on days like this.

Anyone in Thailand wants a sample, I will be more than glad to do a trade .

[k_vanlooken]

Mail with sunshine is on the way...

[JO_Olsson]

as long as you have heat and are prepared, not too bad, but you have to be careful on days like this

Last night an electric train lost power in the middle of nowhere up north in -40 C. Passengers where trapped for several hours waiting to be rescued by a second train. Dangerous situation.

Only -21 C here right now, but expecting -25 tonight going to work. This is the first time I'll leave the Rabbit behind. Not that I don't trust woodgas abilities but the Rabbit doesn't have an electric block heater and I don't think I'll be able to crank up.
However I'll be feeding the boiler 200 pounds of wood before I go

[DanNH]

Jan you should figure out how to add a pre heater to the rabbit with the waste heat from from the wood gas. I have been toying with the idea of a single large radiator that would double for the motor and gas cooling water that would allow for winter starting of the motor. Same problem here and it seems that anything I think I won't need in the winter rapidly becomes the one thing I have to use.

[DanNH]

I bet he shipped that ocean freight and it takes about 3 months to get here...

Actually I got lots of sun today just someone up north of here decided to use their wind mills to get rid if the cold cause it is crazy cold wind blowing in.

[JO_Olsson]

Jan you should figure out how to add a pre heater to the rabbit with the waste heat from from the wood gas.

It did cross my mind, but as Wayne often points out: "The devil is in the details"

Edit: Another way to go could be an insulated storage tank on the coolant system. But on the other hand the easiest way may be to stay home reading a book days like these

[DanNH]

Like I told people in the engineering department when we seemed to hit a brick wall. If it was easy everyone would be doing it.
Actually what i keep thinking about is a double wall water jacket on the inside of the cyclone filter. I was thinking that should improve the efficiency of the filter as it would increase cooling and at the same time the heat could be plumbed off for storage. I am thinking about a stationary genorator setup to supplement solar. Just an idea I have been kicking around the last few days but first things first I need to do the basics and build my first system before I worry about how to make a better wheel.

[Chris]

the easiest way may be to stay home

I like your thinking.

I'm not sure when people decided staying home in bad weather wasn't an option. It would sure save some money on snow plows, salt damage, accidents, etc...

We've got 2" on the ground now, and I'm not going anywhere...

[taitgarry00]

I bet he shipped that ocean freight and it takes about 3 months to get here...

My thoughts exactly, that's a pretty safe bet.

As for motor preheating, if it's truly cold you need something substantial that will heat over time, like an 1100 watt block heater, or an inline electric or propane coolant heater. Pepe's idea about the pan of charcoal is really good, but will take time and low wind or a tarp or windbreak. When it's truly winter temperatures here 3 - 4 hours of 1100 watt in block heating is ideal, so it's no small task.

The joys of winter...

[gasman]

Hi, Dan!
5. of January 2017

Brickwall, "efficiency" --- functionality.

A double-wall cylinder (with cool liquid) inside a cyclone is not just collecting condensing gases on it and making it grow, it also completely disturbs the radial circulation pattern!

It may also jeopardize any efforts of doing dry filtering!

Already, cooling the outer wall with a cooling liquid mantel is questionable, for the same reason. (collecting)

Preheating primary air on the outer cylinder wall is acceptable, as it usually does not cool the inner surface to the point as to start collecting "glueing" adhesive components.

[BillSchiller]

-21 F this AM when I woke up. Those darn Canadians think they have to share their weather with us. 43F in the house and +20F inside the generator shed when I woke up this morning. I had to warm up some rocks on the wood stove to place around the filter at the bottom of the outside fuel tank so the generator could stay running. It's all good now. I ran the generator (about an hour) with the door and windows close to raise the temp in the shed for the batteries. If I do this 3 -4 times per day regardless of the sun, the batteries maintain a good charge. Along with cold weather comes the sun, so the batteries are charging on their own now. Monday and Tuesday we are looking at temps in the 20's. The warm weather will bring more snow. We have about 15-18" on the ground now. I still have 4 of the 5 1/2 cord of wood left. Doing much better than last year at this time.

[kmrland]

Bill you guys up there in the minisota and canida area make me feel warm, even here in eastern ,MI. Stay warm and dont beleive that choping wood warms you up, though i bet it is good for the cerculation system.My brother lives in centrail KS and they will be in 50"s f about 90 degrees warmer for the next few weeks, they get a lot of weather swings from t shirt too parka coat same day at times.

[dbaillie]

We have been having a mild winter temperature wise but over 36 inches od snow fall so far. A fairly mild -17 c last night sunny days ahead finally worth cleaning off the panels. 24 watts to over 450 with ten minutes of work. They will get better as more melts off now.
Before:

After:

[BillSchiller]

@dbaillie You're crazy Hahaha. I'm sure glad my panels a 3' off the ground. All I can see is me sliding off the roof with no good place to land. Maybe you can design some windshield wipers for those panels. Hahaha. I'm having to clean mine everyday.

[dbaillie]

Not that crazy anymore; 5 years ago I built a cupola cover to the roof. I stand firmly in my attic through my turret and use a extention pole with a scrub brush end.