Wood fired, steam/electricity generator.

[robdunn]

I thought this would be useful.  anybody ever seen anything like this?  I am aware of similar things on an industrial scale, but what about smaller units for your home.  They could provide, all your heat, hot water, and probably a small amount of electricity(at least in a power outage).  Wouldn't have to be over engineered either, but probably not a DIY project.

[Paul_H]

robdunn,

it has been discussed here here a couple of times,I don't know if any members are building a system.

Here is a link and a quote from a thread back in June of this year.

Link

   The problem is not with the engine. Even finding a boiler shouldn't be that difficulr. Mike Brown's site is good,thetr are a coupla companies building boilers,and engines for steam launches. The real problem for steam is maintainence. A "preassure" vessel is a nightmare to maintain,especialy with all the records that are required now. Maintaining a constant preassure is a full time job for at least one person. For heat,a hot water domestic boilerb is one thing,as long as the water is hot,you can get heat out. To get power,or useful work out,a steady preassure needs to be maintained.
   Here are some things a boiler operator needs to tend to,and keep in order. The most important thing is the water level. With an engine running,you are constantly removing water,it must be replaced,hence a feed water pump. To make sure you have water for the feed water pump,you will need a cold water pump. Steam preassure needs to be maintained,so someone needs to tend the fire. There is a significant difference in keeping steam up,and keeping a fire in the boiler.Of course,you will want to keep a good eye on the stack,DNR EPA  get really interested in stack emmissions from a power boiler.
   Steam is a very efficient and reliable source of power,however,it doesen't scale down very well.One could eaisly tend to a boiler engine generator. The problem is , that's about all you could do,and the amount of electric that you would be able to sell back to the utility would be infintestanably small. For those of us with wood product wastes,it would be fantastic. It would also have a very high kool factor. Unfortunely small scale steam power is about as practicle as a screen door on a submarine.
   S real shame too

[Don P]

When I've looked into it for home use there's a few problems. There's no way you want to make steam indoors. The house becomes the pressure vessel if there's a problem, steam expands from the water like nobody's business if something ruptures.

Where we are used to something stalling under gas or electric power if something goes wrong, with steam it is very easy to just build pressure till something breaks.

A steam fire is not a woodstove's crackling little fire, it is a hot, bright, constantly tended wood eating monster.

It would be cool though 

[Paul_H]

It would be cool!

Tom,a local mechanic in the valley here is building a 5hp steam engine for his boat and he told me that it will run on wood only.I'll have to go see him and check on his progress.

[robdunn]

i guess that is why i have only seen similar applications on an industrial scale.  I had envisioned something like an outdoor wood boiler, only larger.  My thoughts weren't for putting back into the grid, but only for possibly primary heat source and back-up electricity in a power failure.  I realized it would be extremely inconvenient. 

[Don P]

This is probably going way off topic but if photovoltaics work why can't something along the lines of thermocouple power. There's tons of "waste heat", I wonder if there is some type of "receptor" that can turn that into power? Even making 12 volt off a hot stovepipe in the winter could power my lights  ???

[jpgreen]

Solar is very expensive and it would cost a great deal to generate that much heat and/or excess voltage. Plus you have the winter factor of clouds right when you need it most.

For us folks with a woodlot, and that in live the forest- I still think producer gas "woodgassers" are the answer.  Even if all you built was a gasser to power a 6-9hp engine turning a Delco alt, the benefits would be significant. Another product of running a water cooled engine is hot water. Hot water for radiant heat and the fawcett.

I have powered our home and every 110v need in the shop for 9 years with solar, and a Delco alternator backup generator.  Currently I'm using a Chinese 6ph changfa water cooled diesel engine turning a Delco alt via serpentine drive belt for cloudy days in the winter, and heavy usage days in the summer from running the swamp cooler on hot days. 

I'm producing 40-45 amps @24v DC, direct to our battery bank for 5-6 hours on less than a gallon of diesel.  This is pure power and runs a continuous 35 amps 110v AC to my shop alone.  I can cut 1/2" steel plate with my plasma cutter on the solar panels alone.

This is real power and doable for anyone.  Paul has demonstrated the answer for us with his wood gas generator. 

[robdunn]

I believe ford or gm just bet their existence on something to do with temp. differences to generate power for auto.

[pineywoods]

This is probably going way off topic but if photovoltaics work why can't something along the lines of thermocouple power. There's tons of "waste heat", I wonder if there is some type of "receptor" that can turn that into power? Even making 12 volt off a hot stovepipe in the winter could power my lights  ???

Don, there's been a lot of money spent trying to develop thermocouple type power sources. On paper it looks good, no moving parts, etc. Problem is it's very in-efficient and costly. Best so far is used in Russian space probes, about the size of a 55 gallon barrel, makes 25-30 watts. Heat source is a chunk of plutonium, not exactly a home-owner situation.  :

[Riles]

Here you go:

http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Eneco_power_chip

Be forewarned, there's a lot of paranoia and quack science on this website.

[Fla._Deadheader]

Have any of y'all even THOUGHT about a BIG Fresnel lens ???

  Make a tracker mechanism, and it will make all the steam you can handle.

  Do y'all know you will need an injector, to add water to the boiler, under pressure ???

  That's about ALL I know about Steam.  : : ;D ;D ;D

[Riles]

Yep, got one of them too.


http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:IAS

[Blake22]

I've been thinking about opening a exercise gym in my shop and conecting all the equipment up to a Delco alt. I can make money coming and going by charging the usual dues for the "gym" and let them make power for me. I tried a simular deal once before that didn't work. Two girls came jogging by a yard I was mowing and I tried to get one to edge the driveway and the other to weedeat around the house and they both declined. :D

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

www.tinypower.com Is a good site to look at if you are keen to find out more it has alot of usefull information for seting up a systm for home power supply think they run from 1.5 hp upto 9 hp they sell kits and runners   ;D. A bit to small for me tho  ;) :D I used to run two 900hp boilers at a sawmill i used to manage the kilns at they used  to run 24/7  we would run 1 flat out for 6 months while we retubed and tested the other the cyliders measured 28' long by 12' dia we ran them on a plc fanforced syst and burnt 4 truck loads + of dry sawdust and shavings per 24 hours

Reguards Chris