Author Topic: power for the back forty (Read 2269 times)

timberfaller390 · « **on:** August 03, 2008, 10:48:33 am »

I am building my mill shed in kind of a out of the way place on my farm and I will need power for the construction and for the lights and a table saw after it is built. I am looking for some kind of permanent power sourse without having to run a gas genarator all the time. any thoughts?

logwalker · « **Reply #1 on:** August 03, 2008, 11:42:26 am »

Lots of solar, big batteries, and a large inverter. Just need lots of money to afford it. joe

DanG · « **Reply #2 on:** August 03, 2008, 12:54:52 pm »

That sounds like the ideal spot to build a small methane digester, and install a modified gas genset.

Radar67 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 03, 2008, 01:25:34 pm »

Or build a gasifier to burn up the scrap wood with.

TexasTimbers · « **Reply #4 on:** August 03, 2008, 01:55:13 pm »

Gasifier and a 4000 watt wind generator if you gots a good spot for it. Wind gen would be hassle free and save your wood for the gasifier, for when the wind is lay. Building your own low RPM high volt dc motor is not hard. The magnets, coil wire for your windings, and the free online software to figure your wire size and turns, magnet arrangemnt and the whole nine yards is readily avaialble. You can build 4 to 5 motors in your shop, in your spare time for what a new one costs.

Making your own 6' to 7' wooden, or PVC props is also easy. Your main cost will be a tower and if you start looking now you may have found 1 or 2 by the time you have your generator assembled.

DanG · « **Reply #5 on:** August 03, 2008, 02:20:00 pm »

All that is well and good if you just want something to tinker with, but the methane digester will just put out energy, 24/7, rain or shine. Biggest problem might be finding a use for the excess.

smoothED · « **Reply #6 on:** August 03, 2008, 08:52:27 pm »

Is there a stream nearby? A water turbine or waterwheel would make power 24/7. It was one one the things i was looking for on my new property.

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #7 on:** August 03, 2008, 10:33:33 pm »

SmoothEd, ever read about the vortex turbine

Looks pretty interesting, and a minimal amount of head.

smoothED · « **Reply #8 on:** August 03, 2008, 10:45:51 pm »

I've been reading about everything i could find about water power and how-to's,BUT, i might have to comprimise with my better half and find a place with electric, well and building there already and that gets me out of my price range for a stream.

Now i gotta read everything on wind and solar

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #9 on:** August 04, 2008, 08:31:34 am »

Quote

i might have to comprimise with my better half and find a place with electric, well and building there already

That's not a compromise, that's a cave-in.

timberfaller390 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 04, 2008, 11:33:27 am »

I love the water wheel idea but unfortunatly no stream.

Texas Ranger · « **Reply #11 on:** August 04, 2008, 01:42:08 pm »

Generac and propane, sell it when your done, or keep it around the house for the coming black and brown outs.

My Generac ran for a little over an hour yesterday when a squall from Eduordo cut the power.

timberfaller390 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 04, 2008, 02:53:42 pm »

What exactly is a generac and how does it work?

Radar67 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 04, 2008, 03:04:53 pm »

A generac is an internal combustion engine powered generator. Generac is the brand name.

Radar67 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 04, 2008, 03:15:18 pm »

Quote from: TexasTimbers on August 03, 2008, 01:55:13 pm

the free online software to figure your wire size and turns, magnet arrangemnt and the whole nine yards is readily avaialble.

Point us to this software please. I've seen many of the sites explaining how to build the stators and rotar, but have not seen the windings calculators.

timberfaller390 · « **Reply #15 on:** August 04, 2008, 04:06:15 pm »

Quote from: Radar67 on August 04, 2008, 03:04:53 pm

A generac is an internal combustion engine powered generator. Generac is the brand name.

Oh, thanks I feel a little stupid for not recognizing that.

Quote from: Texas Ranger on August 04, 2008, 01:42:08 pm

Generac and propane, sell it when your done, or keep it around the house for the coming black and brown outs.

My Generac ran for a little over an hour yesterday when a squall from Eduordo cut the power.

I want to stay away from a generator that runs from an engine. Im leaning more toward wind power but I dont know if I have enough wind to do much.
Texastimbers, is a gasifier going to use wood to produce steam to turn a generator or is it something completely different.

Texas Ranger · « **Reply #16 on:** August 04, 2008, 04:23:15 pm »

New roof top wind turbines need a minimum of 12 mph winds to generate the needs of a 48 volt system. Propane is clean and (relatively) cheap here in Texas, we also have wind turbines, but only the big ones so far.

Radar67 · « **Reply #17 on:** August 04, 2008, 04:29:07 pm »

A gasifier produces wood gas to run an internal combustion engine. Paul_H has a truck running on wood. See the Wood Burning Truck thread HERE

I am currently gathering the materials to build a gasifier to power a portable electrical generator. I'll be starting a thread on it when I get started.

I've been doing a lot of research on going off grid and one of the conclusions I've come to is...you will have to have some type of generator to produce electricity during slow period of sun and wind if you are strictly solar and wind powered. Building a diverse off grid system is the key to having a truely self sufficient system.

A good reading source for a variety of different systems is www.backwoodssolar.com . They sell components, but also have a lot of useful information to get someone started. Another good read is www.otherpower.com .

StorminN · « **Reply #18 on:** August 04, 2008, 07:54:40 pm »

Timberfaller,

The OtherPower site that Radar linked to also has a forum site associated with it, called Fieldlines... I'm sure the guys on the forum could point you in the right direction for software to figure out the windings / magnets, etc.

Fieldlines forum

-Norm.

TexasTimbers · « **Reply #19 on:** August 04, 2008, 09:05:26 pm »

DanG it doesn't take as long as you might think. Here's a couple of videos to show you how to put some sewing machine parts and a drill to use, or if you don't want to tinker at all, how to wind a coil on your lathe. Even if you are not making a huge Tesla coild you can use your lathe to make a coil winding.

radar I am looking for the formulas/software links I saved for figuring the poles. i have a WHOLE bunch of favorties under my Soalr/Wind folder. i need to figure out how to be more organized . . . . . . . yah right.

timberfaller390 · « **Reply #20 on:** August 04, 2008, 09:21:45 pm »

I'm kinda thinking about building a small steam engine to turn a genarator

JimMartin9999 · « **Reply #21 on:** August 04, 2008, 10:16:02 pm »

I hate to be negative but steam engines tend to be expensive , and worse , require constant attention , unless you can use a computer to automate everything from constant pressure, fuel feed etc.
Here is a company that actually sells small steam engines and gives a realistic list of considerations about their use.
http://www.tinypower.com/
If some of you tinkerers could make the Sterling engine generate electricity, we would have a wood fueled blessing and the world would beat a path to your door. I certainly would. Get a start with a google search.

Radar67 · « **Reply #22 on:** August 04, 2008, 10:44:48 pm »

Like Jim, I hate to sound negative, but steam can get real dangerous, real quick. This is a hot water heater going off, from pressure.

http://www.youtube.com/v/JmJoyuUJj2Q&hl=en&fs=1

timberfaller390 · « **Reply #23 on:** August 06, 2008, 04:23:03 pm »

Just found out that there is a gentelman in his 80's a few miles from me that is a steam genius. Apparently this guy has done some work for MGM, the Smithsonion and completely rebuilt several steam locomotives for various museums. I was told he has a 1/2 scale African Queen in his shop and once got a ticket for driving a steam tractor on a public road. I'm going out there this weekend to get his thoughts on it. I know I will need his help to do this safely if I go through with it. If I do I will probably try to modify my table saw and lathe to work off of belt power. They are both very old machines so it shouldn't be hard.

olyman · « **Reply #24 on:** August 06, 2008, 05:36:38 pm »

Quote from: timberfaller390 on August 06, 2008, 04:23:03 pm

Just found out that there is a gentelman in his 80's a few miles from me that is a steam genius. Apparently this guy has done some work for MGM, the Smithsonion and completely rebuilt several steam locomotives for various museums. I was told he has a 1/2 scale African Queen in his shop and once got a ticket for driving a steam tractor on a public road. I'm going out there this weekend to get his thoughts on it. I know I will need his help to do this safely if I go through with it. If I do I will probably try to modify my table saw and lathe to work off of belt power. They are both very old machines so it shouldn't be hard.

you need to go and learn EVERYTHING you can from this old guy--hes a wealth of knowledge---and when he passes on---its gone---including the small details-------

timberfaller390 · « **Reply #25 on:** August 06, 2008, 05:54:05 pm »

I fully agree. Supposedly he has become somewhat of a hermit the last few years so I feel privleged just to be able to meet him. They say he won't even talk to you unless he thinks your worth fooling with so I hope if I show up with my usual eagerness to learn he will take me in. Most people who know me say I have an 80 year old mind anyway so we should get along great.

StorminN · « **Reply #26 on:** August 06, 2008, 06:31:06 pm »

timberfaller,

You should also check out Mike Brown's steam engine site, there is a bunch of knowledge there and he sells complete engines as well as kits...

Mike Brown Steam Engines
and Alternative Energy Products

-Norm.

StorminN · « **Reply #27 on:** August 06, 2008, 06:31:18 pm »

timberfaller,

You should also check out Mike Brown's steam engine site, there is a bunch of knowledge there and he sells complete engines as well as kits...

Mike Brown Steam Engines

Mike Brown Alternative Energy Products

-Norm.

News:

Author Topic: power for the back forty (Read 2269 times)