Power sources

Started by Key'ìl Nekxetse, November 23, 2010, 12:53:36 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Predict

Are these large scale applications quite recent, I hadn't seen them before?

Also, re fire. That's the idea, we don't need to consider electricity other than in running imported electronics. Electric lighting and cooking would not be necessary. We're trying to run a computer, and a radio. Maybe a fridge.

Kerame Pxel Nume

Quote from: 'Eylan Ayikranä on December 12, 2010, 11:22:05 AM
Are these large scale applications quite recent, I hadn't seen them before?
Actually no. Phillips built power stirling engines in the 1950-ies, however this were rated at about only 0.5kW. Today we got better manufacturing methods and materials.
Quote from: 'Eylan Ayikranä on December 12, 2010, 11:22:05 AM
Also, re fire. That's the idea, we don't need to consider electricity other than in running imported electronics. Electric lighting and cooking would not be necessary. We're trying to run a computer, and a radio. Maybe a fridge.
I'm thinking more along the lines of the Eco Village there.

Tonbogiri

Quote from: Kerame Pxel Nume on December 12, 2010, 02:37:02 PM
I'm thinking more along the lines of the Eco Village there.

The above appliances would probably be kept in the main body of the eco-village (though there is a movement to merge both e.v. and the tribe, with people choosing which lifestyle on preference), but they would also be required if there were no eco-village. The computer would be needed for communications (assisted by a satellite phone, for example), and the fridge for the storage of any medicines that rewuire such (as well as, of course, fish fingers...).

As for stirling engines, bear in mind that these may break down occasionally - which means that we would have to fix them (assuming our location is fairly remote). ANy mechanics among us?

I am kind of hoping that heating will not be necessary. As a tribe member, I plan on accepting 'Eylan Ayikranä's suggestion and use fir if necessary - but if any eco-village members wish to have some sort of heated home system, then this sounds like a good option.
However, I could not help but notice that the start of the Stirling engine discussion stemmed from a concentrated solar power plant. This works, I understand, by focusing light onto a tank of water, and using the steam to power the generator. WOuld this not be extremely time consuming and expensive? (not to mention complicated - again I appeal to mechanics!)


old gallery link?id=2051[/img]

Na'viru san LearnNaviyä sìk oel olo'txepit nerekx siveiyi talun
    lì'fyari leNa'vi 'Rrtamì, vay set 'almong a fra'u zera'u ta ngrrpong...

Kerame Pxel Nume

Quote from: Tonbogiri on December 12, 2010, 04:57:48 PM
As for stirling engines, bear in mind that these may break down occasionally

This is why sterling engines rock: They are extremely reliable and need extemly little maintenance. Since they're using a closed medium cycle, ideally using a noble gas like Argon there's no risk of disturbance due to pollution of the cylinders.

Quote
However, I could not help but notice that the start of the Stirling engine discussion stemmed from a concentrated solar power plant. This works, I understand, by focusing light onto a tank of water, and using the steam to power the generator. WOuld this not be extremely time consuming and expensive? (not to mention complicated - again I appeal to mechanics!)
Another upside of a stirling engine: You operate it directly from the collected heat, i.e. you place the hot side of the stirling engine in the focus of the solar collector. The cool side can be air cooled, but I'd use it to heat water, e.g. in as part of a process to purify/clean/sterilize it to make it drinkable. Also stirling engines make it very easy to regulate the power output. A power plant must deliver exactly the amount of power thats consumed. Any excess power would ultimately lead to the destruction of the plant. With CSP you can regulate this by the amount of mirrors focused onto the collector. A steam cycle system needs several minutes to follow. Acceptable if one powers a whole country. But if there are only a few consumers such a system must react within seconds.

About the question if there's a mechanic: This sounds to me like if the eco villagers were to abandon wide use of technology, which I don't quite understand. The problem is not technology, it's its mindless use and using it to drive a economy based on exponential growth.

From my point of view I think the only way humanity can get out of the mess it made, by radically changing the economy, but even more important by implementing the technology to revert what we did. Technically it was possible to collect CO2 from the atmosphere, thermolytic spearate the carbon and sequest that. But we don't because there's no economical value in doing this (yet). What I ultimately want to see, is mankind using technology to live in a symbiotic connection with nature. In the 20th century technoloy was only used to suppress nature whereever possible :(