Hi All,
I came across this new-to-me series of info videos about an attempted solution to an ongoing problem.
Large scale, yes. But just as valid as the attempts at Wankle’s and combustion turbines (and subsequent set asides) in smaller personal use automotive, motorcycles and electrical generators.
You can load up other info videos on these Big Blow locomotives as you wish. Some better explaining the gone $'s upside down, and acceptance negatives by others of a seeming “Ideal” power solution.
The “Diesels” they refer to; advanced, evolved, to 12 cylinder piston internal combustion diesel electrics. The costs solution that made these their evolved solution was to electrically command control couple multiple units together. Three pulling and two pushing. With only then one train crew of two or three.
The total ease of use; and economics of using; and others acceptance of your heating with wood, and powering with wood will be the real reality bites just as has been found in ALL real world applications to making and delivering fuels derived powers.
I can grunt determination sweat out my own trees to wood fuel so long as the body holds up. “Keeps a body younger, and stronger.”
And as long as I can tamping down my own allure of finding, building a neat’o, better, system; then keep the actual real-use maintenances costs down.
Basing on existing in the real, systems: I find it a more productive challenge to Operator wring out better use performances.
But those Others surrounding me?? Who will question; criticize; then object to my activities?
I’ve learned as much as possible to keep my activities innocuous and non-threatening to their bought-in perceptions. Beyond; “Don’t hurt their feelings.” is not making them feel anything.
So NO visible smokes; no visible wastes dumps and minimal sounds (living in the hills amplifies and echoes) managements are prime too. Ha! Still have some drifting smells though. Solution. Live true Rural for the least number of objectors.
As the song says, "It ain’t easy . . .
Steve Unruh
Now a current available technology, personal scaled costs analysis.
We are strong into home heating and winter energy costs now in the Northern Hemisphere.
Poor, poor PV solar now for many, but with lots of woodheating BTU’s/thermal watts.
So with wood as the energy input fuel; always comes up the inquiry of how to make some home electric with some of the wood stove heat energy.
Then comes up the discussions in our electronic age of Thermal Electric Generating cells.
Here is a guy who tries, re-tries; and then gives the numbers down to costs analysis:
He says Fail.
Yeah. Yeah. many of the bright-hopes guys will say he did-not do this or that. Such as thermal circulating his water cooling cold side.
Or say he over did this or that. Such as his directly stove top contact on the hot side versus moderating with flue pipe contact his hot side.
Nonsense. Solid state TEG’s still lack the durably to depend on when driven with the deltaT needed for useable power results. Period.
Hopes and dreams will only keep an endeavor going just so long after it financially bleeds out.
Wood energy is very real.
Controlled clean; as efficiently as practical as possible; air/oxygen combusting the wood (as in his modern in-room wood stove) is as direct use as it can get.
Anything else gets more complicated, with many more needed active controls steps. And later with usage, more maintenance steps.
Ask/view anyone who will honestly show their woodgasing “laters”; “the rest of the story”.
Just the nature of all endeavors.
A clean nice smelling baby only gets that way with a lot a minders, loving works. Clean baby makes for lots of dirty baby water.
The gasoline or Grid electrical watts we love-to-hate are the results of lots of needed continual active tending; and after refining; after generating processes cleaning up’s and systems maintenance’s and repairs.
Be real to yourself about your endeavors. The numbers have to work long term, ongoing.
Steve Unruh
