Larry Kidd stopped by the other day. He said to tell everyone hello and let you know about his newest project.
He picked up an old truck engine and is in the process of converting it to steam using old propane tanks as boilers.
He's going to power several pieces of equipment including a generator with this.
The children and wife are fine and he's adding on to the house. He wants to use my homemade well drilling rig to make a new well. I just have to get the pipe and fittings back from my son.
Nice to hear from Larry again. Please send him my regards and request that he stay in touch.
He would do better to invest his time in wood gasification rather than steam. Much safer, the engine runs directly off of the wood gas and less people have died from wood gas generators.
There is a danger from CO but not as dangerous as steam expanding to 1200 times its own water volume in a split second.
Quote from: glenn kangiser on September 12, 2010, 11:19:20 AM
Nice to hear from Larry again. Please send him my regards and request that he stay in touch.
He would do better to invest his time in wood gasification rather than steam. Much safer, the engine runs directly off of the wood gas and less people have died from wood gas generators.
There is a danger from CO but not as dangerous as steam expanding to 1200 times its own water volume in a split second.
I'll let him know Glenn. I'll see if I can find some information on it to give him. I think he has a computer but he's in the same area I'm and there's no way to get internet....we can't even use cell phones most of the time.
The nearest I can come to wireless is drive 10 miles to town and mooch off the cafe wireless.
I followed this on a forum for a while as I wanted to build a steam engine also. That is when I found that it is better and safer to use the wood to make burnable - producer gas to run whatever you want than to use steam.
I started building a gasifier but never completed it - not that complicated though. There is quite a bit of discussion of it on the net.
Found a link to one of the best gassification sites on Permies.com
http://www.gekgasifier.com/gasification-basics/how-it-works/