Hi Chris
On (12 Aug 96) Chris Harper wrote to Roy J. Tellason...
 CH> I'm also intend to make it a closed system, totally condensing the steam
 CH> back into water and recycling it through the turbine. Going to bury a 
OT
 CH> of "pipe" (actually hose), in order to do this, to create a thermal mass
 CH> to use in the winter on those cold nights!
There's an operational penalty for using a condenser system- the water tends
to ionise and become increasingly corrosive. Utility boilers suffer
dreadfully from the problem so these run on "distilled" water that is
constantly being purified by a separate Demineralising plant which
automatically adds doses of corrective chemicals while also monitoring the pH
value of the water.
You should therefore get advice on what inhibitor to best use [who knows- an
automotive product could be OK!] and be prepared to run at the lowest
practical temp and pressure.
The world's fist ocean liner to be propellor driven, the SS Great Britain 
now
at Bristol, England in dry dock] ran I believe at a boiler pressure of six!
psi. But as it used sea water in the boiler not fresh water, the internal
corrosion problem was probably OK. The engine was I think a vee- two layout
with the crank shaft parallel to the prop shaft and the mighty pistons
inclined as port and starboard. Like a quarter of a V8 auto engine.
                                                                    
 CH> Going to use PVs as well, for a hybrid totally solar system. If the 
olar
 CH> boiler generates enough heat, I might even use it as a furnace to melt
 CH> lead and zinc, and well as distill the acid, and recycle batteries as
 CH> well, "killing several birds with a single stone"!
Wear a mask! The vapours of lead and zinc are cumulative poisons. And
distilling acid seems a health hazard. Maybe take up serious Yoga and learn
to function without breathing! :-)
Cheers......ALEC
... ........The hasty and the slow meet at the ferry
--- PPoint 1.92
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