I found this review interesting, maybe others will too.
Steve http://www.villageearth.org/pages/AT_Library/atsourcebook/chapters/energygeneral.htm#The%20Heat%20Generator The Heat Generator, MF 19-437, book, 108 pages, by Reinhold Metzler, 1983, Swiss Francs 22.00 from SKAT. The heat generator is essentially a fan turning in a closed box, converting mechanical power on the shaft into heat as it stirs up the air. In small water powered mills this may allow some very interesting possibilities for small industry applications for drying crops or boiling liquids. This book reviews some heat using small industries in Nepal, discusses the economics of the heat generator as compared to several alternatives, and provides construction drawings of the equipment. The author concludes that under certain circumstances a heat generator would have the lowest unit cost of energy. The technical attractiveness of this technology is unfortunately not matched by its financial appeal, at least for Nepal. To make his case that the heat generator would provide low-cost energy, Metzler assumes the following: it will be used with a turbine mill that is already installed and underutilized, full capacity utilization of the heat generator will be achieved, maintenance costs will be low (3.5%), fuelwood for small industries will all be purchased, and a low real interest rate (after inflation) of 5.5% can be achieved on the invested capital ($800 plus 30% of the mill investment- $2100-for a 5-kw output). He neglects the facts that local firewood consuming units are often built at virtually no cash cost by family members, that in the rural areas firewood is usually gathered rather than purchased, that these small industries are usually seasonal and part-time, and that small investments in design improvements in small industry stoves and kilns can yield large fuel savings (e.g.. 33%). When all of these factors are taken into account, the heat generator is likely to produce energy that costs at least twice as much and requires an investment at least 10 times as much as the fuelwood alternatives. In other countries and under other circumstances, there may be a place for this device, and therefore we include it here. ----- Original Message ----- From: georgewrbaldwin To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2005 2:44 AM Subject: [microhydro] Re: Heat Generator Carlos! Thanks for the come-back. Even after all this time I have not been able to locate anybody who has given as much thought as he to the heating of air by mechanical means. I am aware of several patents going back to the 19th Century but it was the thoroughness of his own approach that interested me and that fact that the units had been installed and were working correctly - at least they were at the time his book was written in the early 80's. Somewhere I still have a copy - which I got from the ITDG bookshop in London. Would you (or anyone else) happen to know where Reinhold can be contacted? I would very much like to see a unit in operation, wherever that may be...... except perhaps for Nepal, where I understand that the political situation is deteriorating on a daily basis. Regards, GB Carlos Bonifetti <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Yes, I know Reinhold also. The problem seems to be in the practical > application of the heat generator. > The machine is for generating hot air is a "bad centrifugal fan" with so > high internal losses that the air became hot. We are fan builders and > reinhold's and so find design is very good. > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> In low income neighborhoods, 84% do not own computers. At Network for Good, help bridge the Digital Divide! http://us.click.yahoo.com/EA3HyD/3MnJAA/79vVAA/FGYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Does your company feature in the microhydro business directory at http://microhydropower.net/directory ? If not, please register free of charge and be exposed to the microhydro community world wide! NOTE: The advertisements in this email are added by Yahoogroups who provides us with free email group services. The microhydro-group does not endorse products or support the advertisements in any way. More information on micro hydropower at http://microhydropower.net To unsubscribe: send empty message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/microhydro/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
