Tiny Steam Engines

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DrHenley

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https://tinytechindia.com/Renewable-Energy/steam-power-plants/

"NO FREEDOM AND HAPPINESS WITHOUT YOUR OWN POWER"

Prices start at $4500 for 3000 watt single cylinder steam generator, and $4800 for a 5000 watt double cylinder steam generator. Just the steam engines without the generators are $1500 and $2000 respectively.
 
https://tinytechindia.com/Renewable-Energy/steam-power-plants/

"NO FREEDOM AND HAPPINESS WITHOUT YOUR OWN POWER"

Prices start at $4500 for 3000 watt single cylinder steam generator, and $4800 for a 5000 watt double cylinder steam generator. Just the steam engines without the generators are $1500 and $2000 respectively.
Thank you for providing this.

My great grandfather had a steam powered car called--like the vacuum cleaner--a stanley steamer.

He had to keep the firebox in the back stoked with wood or coal, and he carried a bucket with a string tied to the handle so that he could stop on a bridge, and pull up water from the stream to pour into the car if the water got low.
 
Awful lot of maintenance and noise plus water usage and fuel (wood, coal etc..) someone would have to monitor it during operations, I see it oppressive with very little freedom. Seems like a lot of money for the amount of wattage. For 4 grand I can set up a nice little solar system.

It's cool though, not many people can brag about a steam engine in the back yard :)
 
Thank you for providing this.

My great grandfather had a steam powered car called--like the vacuum cleaner--a stanley steamer.

He had to keep the firebox in the back stoked with wood or coal, and he carried a bucket with a string tied to the handle so that he could stop on a bridge, and pull up water from the stream to pour into the car if the water got low.
Wish I had one of those now! Jay Leno has one that’s awesome.
 
You use the steam engine to produce electricity to charge batteries you will use at the end of the day. Burn fuel to store energy. The problem is moving parts, friction, oil, noise and fuel consumption. The benefit, parts (except batteries) the can be repaired / replaced with primitive technology. After a EMP, you may have to fall back to this power source, if you can find any electric motors that are not toast.
 
My main consideration is 400 acres of hardwood timber as a ready fuel source. My thoughts were previously on gasifying the wood to use in a propane genny...which I already have. But..if wood can be used as is for fuel...

Besides, solar systems have an expiration date. So do batteries.
 
My main consideration is 400 acres of hardwood timber as a ready fuel source. My thoughts were previously on gasifying the wood to use in a propane genny...which I already have. But..if wood can be used as is for fuel...

Besides, solar systems have an expiration date. So do batteries.

With 400 acres of hardwood forest, I would be very interested in this concepts. You might want to check into some kind of muffler for it. Plus you will want it far away for any living quarters, for comfort (summer use) and safety (boiler explosion). Excess heat could be used for home heating with some careful planning. Think old fashioned radiators.
 
My main consideration is 400 acres of hardwood timber as a ready fuel source. My thoughts were previously on gasifying the wood to use in a propane genny...which I already have. But..if wood can be used as is for fuel...

Besides, solar systems have an expiration date. So do batteries.
I wonder about an intermediate compromise between these ideas.

I know that it's not a big deal to make methanol (wood alcohol) from--obviously--wood.

Methanol is toxic, but it isn't like cyanide or arsenic. Gasoline is also toxic.

Is it possible to make a generator that can run off of pure methanol?

I would make methanol with the destructive distillation of wood in a still, and dry the water out of it with quicklime, made by heating sea shells and/or limestone.

I don't know if such a generator would be all that practical (methanol doesn't have as many BTUs as gasoline, or even ethanol), but I suspect that it would be more efficient than a steam engine.

What are your thoughts on the subject?
 
One other point occured to me after I posted.

Methanol burns very, very clean.....and also cooler.

This means that a methanol engine--if it was built to similar specs of a gasoline engine--I suspect that all the moving parts will last longer, and require less lubrication than a similar gas engine.

The downside is that it is toxic, and may play havoc on the human body with long term exposure of even small amounts (although not anywhere near as bad as cyanide, arsenic, chronic lead exposure, and so on......but--mind you--still bad).

Is it a worthy idea, or is a menthanol motor seem like a pipe dream?
 

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