Stephen A. Lawrence wrote. > > > Frederick Sparber wrote: > > FWIW, from the peanut gallery there has yet to > > be an affordable Stirling Engine that will compete > > with a comparable-sized Steam (Vapor Powered) Engine. > > It's been a while since I looked up Stirling engines but IIRC they're > not available from a lot of companies -- just one, maybe? -- and cost a > lot. So your statement doesn't surprise me. > Note that Stirling's engine preceded the steam engine but got blown away by it. > > > That is why I suggested going to (In the words of > > Kyle McCallister) going to a F...ing used Scroll compressor > > off an automotive air conditioner and using it as > > a one moving-part-rotary-closed cycle-Expander Engine, Steam (or > > Propane Vapor) heated from Any Heat Source, > > like a pot on top of the stove or a heat exchanger > > in the chimney, solar-warm-water, wood chips, or whatever > > will burn. > > And part of the reason I didn't respond initially is that the most > intelligent thing I could think of to say, to start with, was "WTF is a > scroll compressor?" which didn't sound very intelligent. > Why is it that vorts came find about every "pie in the sky" horse-puckey free energy web page on the net, but can't click on the links of a post or Google wiki ? :-) > > So I've go ogled scroll compressors, now I'm slightly less ignorant -- > but the idea of rigging up my own propane cycle heat engine to drive a > generator leaves me feeling kind of boggled and, since you clearly made > the suggestion as a serious proposal which, presumably, any competent > individual should be able to do, well ... anyhow by that standard I > don't feel terribly competent. > Nothing to it. Go to a junk yard pick up a Mitsubishi FX105V auto air conditioner compressor (scroll) and an alternator and fan belt. (both should have pulleys) and an automotive electric fuel pump.
Pick up a two 20 lb (5 gallon) propane tanks (about $40.00 new-filled, one empty) Couple the full propane tank to the modified (internal check valve removed) Mitsubishi FX105V so it runs as a motor, and hook the empty propane tank to the exhaust of "expander" with the valve open. Couple the alternator (use a 12 volt battery for exciting the alternator) to the expander and take the setup OUTDOORS and crack the valve on the full tank and watch it start to frost up until you set it in a tub of hot water replenished from you water heater or build a fire under it. Going by this propane pressure chart if the receiver tank is at 10 F and the full tank is at 100 F you are working the expander with 177 PSIG - 34 PSIG = 143 PSIG. If a load on the alternator looks promising, you're in business and ready to use a water loop with Calcium Chloride antifreeze in it (they use it for antifreeze in tractor tires) unless you prefer 100 proof ethanol-water. http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/propane-vapor-pressure-d_1020.html With an inexpensive Grundfos circulator pump to move the water loop: http://www.grundfos.com/web/homeus.nsf you can pick up heat from your fireplace or it's chimney with steel pipe and use PVC where high temperature isn't a problem with the 1/4 0r 1/2 inch propane piping inside it to be heated by the warm to 110 F or so. If it's too cold to poop outside a 1 inch metal pipe propane condenser sticking out the window will do, but you need a pump like the automotive electric fuel pump to pump the liquid propane through a check valve back to "boiler pipe" inside the water pipe. OTOH if you want to run the expander using steam at 30 to 100 PSIG (270 - 390 F) with it's hazards, you can go for it. > > > Having spent my early childhood in the great depression era, > > a 30 watt light bulb and running water was stuff we dreamed of. > > After WW II "prosperity" it took me a long time to get used to taking a crap > > in the house. > > It's too cold to do that in the woods up here in the winter. > The northwestern corner of Pennsylvania wasn't much warmer than Buffalo. :-) > > We're vegans, so we do a lot of it, too -- not like folks on the Atkins > diet who only need to run to the outhouse about once a week. > In that case you might consider a methane generator as backup. :-) Fred > > > > Fred >
