Life goes on - Winter 2017

Enjoying the raspberryPi. Think I got it in the spring but summer got in the way. Got a display for it but check out the wireless keyboard/touch-pad. it has a glass top. In touch pad mode the keyboard disappears.

And in keyboard mode.

The input device is a HI8+

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It has its challenges but it sure is pretty

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Dear @Wayne and @KristijanL,

sorry for the delay in the reply, it was a turbulent week for me.

According to this video it takes 2 hours from cold to full boiler pressure. Here you can see the lighting of the fire, a cab-ride and the drop of the grate in the end.

Here is another cab-ride:

I really like Sentinel Steam Waggons. If I would be a millionaire, I would totally ignore sport-cars like Ferrari or Porsche, but would like to have a steam lorry in the shed. Very “cool” toy for big boys :wink:

Regards,
Til

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I asked before but, why do you suppose, since they were well developed before WWII, that they weren’t put back into full production. As an alternative for not having oil? TomC

Dear Tom,
as far as I know, there are both technical and law aspects that put them down.

Technical: Heavier and slower compared to an IC-engine lorry, frequent need to top up water and coal, more daily and frequent maintenance work required, much more time needed to start up in the morning. More dirt and pollution for both driver and the surroundings. A two man crew was needed, one driver and one fireman like on a steam loco (although the last versions were able to be one-man operated). They were very robust and reliable, but couldn’t compete with the fast progress of the IC-engines.

Law-aspects: The lobby of IC-engine and car manufacturers was also strong in the UK, so they forced the government to enforce higher taxes for steam vehicles. And other rules that favour IC-engine trucks. So they became too expensive to operate.

Steam was also regarded as somewhat outdated, especially on the road.
Compared to an IC-engine with gasification, a wood-gasser is more economical with the fuel.

In Germany, they built some prototypes with a more modern boiler design in the late 30s that were fired automatically with tar-oil from coke production. So they avoided the imported petrol and diesel and a fireman. The prototypes were quite successful, but the the tar oil became more expensive and thus the steam power too costly again.

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Nice to see more people from Washington on the site, we have an abundance of wood here but not a lot of interest in gasification.

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Hi David, welcome to DOW. Where are you located in Washington State. I live in East Wenatchee.
Bob

Hi Bob, greetings from the washington coast, I am south of Forks in the rainforest.

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Oh Ya, that is a lot more rain fall than where I’m located. Your weather is more like @SteveUnruh, or @mggibb, 20% dried wood you can only hope at times of the year.
Are you off the grid where you live?
Bob

yes Bob i am 2 miles from nearest power. The tree farmer probably gets about half or less in precipitation as i do, and about the same gibbs. We sometimes get 150 inches a year here, they dont call it the rainforest for nothing lol.

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I worked 2 years at Pacific Beach and Moclips converting everyone from septic tanks to a collection system and upgraded treatment plant.
RAIN RAIN RAIN, but outstanding razor clam digging.
Also great sport watching the helicopter shake bolt harvesting

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If I’m not successful with a gasifier on my Land-Rover, I will go for this solution:

:wink:

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Thanks Til for the videos of the steam power trucks.

I never realized the vehicles had a driver plus a fireman. With this in mind I may promote my wife up to the fireman level on my wood burner. With her riding in the truck bed with the fuel and gasifier we should be able to travel 1000 plus miles before stops! :grinning:

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Ha, your wife is lucky. Myne shuld be squeezed in a sedan trunk :smile:

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Just a very short clip contrasting steam power and wood power .

HWWT

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I picture you and Wayne as gentlemen and letting the wives drive the vehicles and you both opening the hopper and stoaking it with wood. The title is fireman, not firewomen.
Bob

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Yes, we are in the middle of our 40 days and 40 nights of rain that we get every year. When its raining the air is thicker and the helocopter can pick up more wood on each trip. when you here that wop wop wop that means its a heavy pull. The first thing you learn about is that the bird gives off enough static electricity to knock you on your butt if you dont let the lift cable contact the earth and discharge before you touch it.

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I’d guess they didn’t to lose their forests.

Interesting idea: filter effect of wood chips and ash cleaning motorized.(German language.)

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found this interesting, semi-scientific video.

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