Hi Day Brown, hope you are having a nice day
Saturday, 12 July 1997 03:23:34, Day Brown wrote to All Subject: steam
engines
 DB> Sometimes I wonder if anyone has tried to use some of the heat
 DB> from a wood heater to power a small steam engine for additional
 DB> power during that period of the year when it is cold and there is a
 DB> very limited amount of solar energy.
 DB> and.. whether the investment in time and money of such a
 DB> system is competitive with just trying to buy solar capacity, which
 DB> is excessive the rest of the year. ... Vegetarians dont make it to
 DB> the top of the food chain.
Now you are moving into an area of passion for me. A bloke around the corner
from me runs a steam engine business and I am lusting after one of his set 
ups!
Unfortunately his price of about $A20,000 slows me down a bit.
It seems that from the data he has shown me the most efficient way to use 
steam
is to have an engine feed a single cylinder engine. this can drive up to 
hree
alterators.
These charge banks of batteries that can last up to two days if used 
sparingly.
You can heat your house by using under floor pvc piping that circulates warm
water which is heated by an exchanger.
The exchanger is required to tranfer the heat from the cooled steam (plus 
nti
corrosion additives so they can be re-heated to steam again) to the 
nderfloor
heating.
Seems you save a fortune on additives doing it this way.
He claims that many of his customers use about two barrow loads of wood per 
day
to run his system.
Some of his customers use the waste heat to warm hot water for the house.
He has told me that with a solar water heater supplimented by the steam that 

family of five has constant hot water.
He is a facinating fellow, has made two attempts on the world speed record 
or
a steam powered boat. Last attempt he missed out by two mile per hour!
Back to your original question, I doubt that you would develop sufficient 
steam
energy from a combustion heater. Most steam engines have many water tubes.
What we see a lot of here, is water jackets for combustion heaters that are
plumbed to augment the hot water services.
Though these aren't without danger. A local family forgot to open the water 
valve
and the water in the pipe in the firebox superheated and blew up the 
combustion
heated.
Unfortunately their kids were sitting near it at the time.
The amusing aspect is the kids now sport tee shirts labeling them as "Blown 
p
Kid #1" & "Blown up Kid #2"
Can you find a spot to errect a mast at least 18 feet above any tree of 
ouse?
If so you may like to look at wind power.
There is another bloke around here who has some impressive wind generators.
Unfortunately I don't think I would get the building approval from the local
council to go high enough here %-]
 -=>Yours sincerely, Jock Rogan <=-
      Fido       : 3:800/409.4
      InterNet   :jock@tne.net.au
.!. Computers can never replace human stupidity.
--- Terminate 4.00/Pro
---------------