Good Morning All,
I did delete out my previous post I’d put up.
I’d just grabbed out and put up a video to show that no matter how big you built out a PV solar system you would still need some annual engine generated electrical power. And why-not for individual Freedom’s sake make that woodgas fueled just like the MENS folk worked at way-back-when in North Carolina.
In Curtis Stones put up video he gave his real 2-years experiences numbers that did show this. A value service to all of us he did not have to do. Publish this out.
I believe now I did this man a huge disservice.
I sincerely apologies.
My discovery of how wrong I’d been was searching back through his put-up’s to just see where he got the 100’s of thousands of dollars he seemed to be to be flinging around.
He created made-values in more than one way. Offered these up for others. They gladly paid him for the value that was offered to them.
And he I did this in a relatively short 10-12 year’s time frame.
Hah. I cannot put up links to those videos of his showing this. Way too Political for DOW terms of service membership guidelines.
So you wanna’ know more; you’ll have to work a bit for it.
Yes. A test. All Life is a never ending series of challenges and tests. Those who bear into this are living-growing. Those who do not; are downward spiral dying on their feet.
Go on youtube look up his current channel of “Off Grid with Curtis Stone”
Open up his videos and view theses 2-3 for the answers:
Build Your Ark With Little or No Money
5 Things . . . To Be Free
How I paid for All of this
No asks for your votes.
No asks for your buy-ins.
Pretty damn inspiring.
An, “If I can. You can too.” The DOW motto.
Regards
Steve Unruh
“To be free” ,… what would that mean in today’s time??? We have waded too deep into the swamp of “modern life”, the society of “consumerism” is insatiable and will not give up comfort and its “acquired rights”. Do you know that Earthlings have already used up the energy quota from fossil fuels this year, which the Earth is capable of neutralizing throughout the year? (as much CO2 as photosynthesis can neutralize in one year) . Also, if you disconnect from the network, you will feel the consequences, because the Earth is our common home, but it is definitely good to have the knowledge to survive when the “D” day comes.
The limiting factor is money. A solar plus storage system can be oversized to meet demand, but it has a super high cost. American Somoa has solar plus 3 days of battery storage, and they have a back up diesel generator, just in case. They get more consistent sunshine throughout the year.
The engine in most cases can reduce the cost and space needed to meet demand.
I never viewed it as one or the other, it is what works for the situation, both financially, as well time/work expertise needed for the system. In general solid state is the least work. It certainly can be approached from either direction, and I could care less which direction it is approached from.
I like the idea of focusing on the battery bank and inverter side of things before worrying about the “how” of generating the DC needed. Easiest route is of course engine driven, generator powering an AC-DC battery charger or engine spinning an alternator.
Solar panels on the home level can be as simple or as difficult as you want them to be, buying one panel at a time or contracting out an entire array and making payments on it.
Hmmm. I beg to differ. If you are going to develop DIY power to actually live on as Tone clearly said up in his post above then the first thing to work on is energy expectations.
On Curtis Stone’s “5 Things . . . To Be Free” his #1 was first and foremost adjusting your Attitude.
I’ve seen great success building up workable PV systems from those who did engine generate first and learn to live on that to start with. The fuels. The noise. The breakdown repairs then really spurred them on to stop idealizing-designing and get the engine generator PV supplementation going.
Snow sweeping the panels. Seasonal shifting panels. Even weekly lead acid battery banks maintenances will seem easy after many 50 hour oil changes. More than a few cranks-but-will-not starts. Spark plugs worn and fouled. Then a coil pac going tweaky. Rats and squirrels into the air cleaner! Chewing wires. Runs into town for more bottles of propane, jugs of gasoline or diesel because of sudden demands needs ripped through the available on-hand. A new baby. Diapers!
All storage is finite.
All recharging to be actually efficient is done over time as the Little Engine that Can.
Realistically you are having to Attitude shift a whole family.
And that is hard-hard when they are addicted to unfair made-easy Big-System buy-out.
Very, very hard to get these expectations shifting evolutions when Grid-Tied.
Jumping in with both feet is really not a sink-or-swim. It is an at first flounder; splash around a bit until you get your swimming strokes working. Calmed then. You can learn to float along peacefully. Not much bothered anymore by Fears they have indoctrinated into you and yours.
Go acquire and run a little inverter-generator to start out with. Experience just what it can and cannot do. Beg, borrow, rent something bigger then. Track the fuels you do use. The kW/hrs made and consumed. Let that define just how big of energy balloon you will have to loft to float your Life, for you and yours. And THESE attitude-expectations adjustments can be done while still living Urban/suburban just a master braker disconnect. Prepping you for your initial got-out-onto-the-Land beginning months.
Jump in now folks. The water is fine. The water is your friend.
Face it. Designer Life’s just do not work. Look at the modern divorce rates. All of the wedding cakes and perfect weddings does not ensure long term success living results.
Cut and fit. Stitch and fit, right from the beginning gets the results done. Because you are already into make-work, change, changes, and running adjustments.
Thats Life. Dynamic.
Steve Unruh
Hi All,
I have been following with interest now the newest push-back political developments with the newer E-Fuels by the German auto industries.
The I linked into this relatively short video of, The Evolution of Gasoline
I have two books on this. One old. One newer.
So gasoline has always been a blended mixed fuel. Later a more and more engineered fuel.
Here Washington State our pump prices have increase in the last two weeks by 20%. Said to be the switch from winter high volatile fuel blending to summer lower volatile fueling blending.
Woodgas, not so much charcoal gas we are pushing for better engine power biased blend ratios too. More CH4. More CH4. Just a percentage shift makes a difference.
S.U.
Steam power from a shock absorber. I’m going to build this. I can see a lot of applications. Grinder, table saw, planer, all depending on how much speed and torque you can get out of it. Not to dangerous. Low pressure steam.
You are safe Sean. I have plenty of old struts. The idea of putting waste heat to good use is always a good plan. I usually think in terms of stored water or sand batteries but steam makes sense as well.
Imagine how life would be if all the holes had to be drilled manual . Now plasma is cutting next plates while bending and the boys are building a unit. Every other day one leaves the shop. Here is my excuse if not having build a gasifier yet. This goes on six days a week from 07.00-22.00. If I can have a beer before bed I am happy
Doesn’t seem to. i don’t know much about this stuff but it looks like he uses the pressure to drive the piston out, bleed off the pressure and the force of the flywheel brings the piston back. If not then I don’t have a clue how it cycles but I’ve seen several other videos doing the same thing.
This bike has a steam engine using motorcycle shocks and has an engine per wheel in the rear.
Personally I would go with a Monotube boiler.
The water is inside the tube which is coiled around a bunch and only a bit of steam and water is in the tube at a time. If something were to burst, the steam/water would put out the fire instead of bursting open with full force like a firetube boiler.
But this guy is no dummy and I’m sure he knows what he’s dealing with. I bet he has some pressure relief valves built in.
He isn’t a dummy and it is rather clever. I wouldn’t count on the safety valves but you could use like the instant pot type of valves. They are rated for around 15 psi.
There is a professor brasil that makes stuff that is rather sketchy that works. I don’t think it is the same guy.
Now this one has valves, though they’re hard to see in this video. If you check one of the construction videos, you can see another motorcycle fork used as a slide valve. There’s also a video where he replaces the fork pistons/cylinders with VW beetle hardware. I suspect lots more power, but lots more steam, too.
There is some risk from having a crap built boiler at your back, but no one seems to be to concerned about the EM radiation effects of sitting on a giant battery bank in an EV. Could end up with an alien life form in your bloomers. Sometimes paranoia can be your friend.
A solar plus storage system can be oversized to meet demand, but it has a super high cost. American Somoa has solar plus 3 days of battery storage, and they have a back up diesel generator, just in case. They get more consistent sunshine throughout the year.
. Now plasma is cutting next plates while bending and the boys are building a unit. Every other day one leaves the shop. Here is my excuse if not having build a gasifier yet. This goes on six days a week from 07.00-22.00. If I can have a beer before bed I am happy 
