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Messages - biobill

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1
Waste Vegetable Oil / Re: How long can you store wvo?
« on: November 12, 2008, 01:14:26 AM »
Fred,
  I processed some a month ago that had been sitting in 5 gal pails w/lids for three years and it was fine. Water, crud, chicken parts, and french fries in the bottoms of the pails didn't seem to hurt anything and, being hermetrically sealed, may have still been edible ;D. The oil I decanted was clearer than what I usually get - probably from sitting so long. We don't have your temperate climate here. Temps range from -20 to 95F so YMMV. I've yet to see any "spoiled" or hardened oil that was kept in an opaque sealed container with minimal air space. Think linseed oil.     Bill

2
Everything else / Re: Exhaust heat recovery- Exhaust to water exchanger
« on: November 03, 2008, 05:21:57 PM »
Quote from: Middle of Nowhere
I was thinking about exhaust heat recovery today and thought about the idea of putting a catalytic converter before the 'recover area' to heat up the exhaust gas a bit more as the converter 'burns' the unburnt fuel in the exhaust gas from the engine, thus more heat; it also would help clean up the exhaust emissions a bit as well. Smiley
  I was thinking the same thing. Anyone know anything about cats? Are gas/diesel the same? Is sizing critical?  Extra heat and cleaner exhaust (fewer deposits?) would certainly be a plus.

Quote from: rcavictim
How about molten salt as the phase change storage media?
Interesting. How hot do you have to get salt to melt it?
     Bill

3
Everything else / Re: Exhaust heat recovery- Exhaust to water exchanger
« on: September 09, 2008, 02:04:17 AM »
Quote from: jzeef

IMO, if the $.25/hr or so in heat is of interest and you have a design to deal with the condensate and soot cleanout, then exhaust heat recovery is a good idea.
  If it's only about finances than yea, there's better ways to go. But circumstances enter into it too. If you're out in the boonies, with grid power miles away (to run the central heating system you'd have to buy), on a road where fuel trucks fear to tread, it might be worth thinking about.
  or, you might just like to putter

4
Other Fuels / Re: Glycerine as a fuel source
« on: August 03, 2008, 07:59:44 PM »
  From my observations, glycerine waste from the biodiesel process has very little in common with motor fuels. If the feed stock is WVO the gly will be far from pure and the flash point is much higher than diesel fuel. I've experimented a bit with the intention of using it for a space heating fuel, but it's got it's challenges, not the least of which is it's gelled at room temperatures. I would expect that it's BTU content is far lower also. You can visually compare it's burning properties with diesel fuel by atomizing with a spray bottle and igniting with a propane torch (best done outside!) or, more simply, just throw a cup of each into a fire. Not the same stuff.     Bill

5
General Discussion / Re: Stirling engine concept
« on: July 15, 2008, 02:03:15 AM »
  Saw this over on the yahoo list. Pretty neat, a sterling cycle oscillator (linear only, nothing rotates so it's not very sexy ;D)that generates 1kw while heating your house.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJbo3U3viRA

6
Bio-diesel Fuel / Re: Tyson- Conoco/Phillips Biodiesel politics
« on: July 14, 2008, 05:57:21 AM »
Quote from: mkdutchman
I suspect that'll happen once bo gets in.......people will realize then how good they had it now
Can't imagine remembering the last 8 yrs as the Good Old Days no matter who gets elected, but I don't blame that entirely on the Bush/Cheney regime. With very few individual exceptions, congress has been totally complicit. More likely I'll think back to the days when the Bill of Rights was intact, when the budget was balanced, when we weren't fighting wars for fabricated reasons, when torture was beneath us, and when we could count on the investigations of the press/media to keep the politicians somewhat honest.

7
General Discussion / Re: Mercedes & Smart Diesel Models
« on: July 11, 2008, 07:08:55 PM »
  Is the diesel smartie available in the US?  I've only heard of the gasser which, at 40mpg, doesn't excite me too much.  My 25 yr old VW diesels do better and carry more.

9
Bio-diesel Fuel / Re: Tyson- Conoco/Phillips Biodiesel politics
« on: July 11, 2008, 03:18:53 PM »
Quote from: Reno Speedster
why on god's green earth do we actually give tax breaks to companies who move American jobs and production overseas?  Under what possible logic is taking away American jobs and loosing the tax base a good idea for anyone but international corporations?  Why are we actually paying oil companies millions tax dollars when they are making record profits?
Yea, why would we?  "We", being citizens and voters, wouldn't. But with the corporate control of  the Republican and Democratic parties, they simply give it to themselves. And with the corporate control of the mainstream media, third (fourth, fifth?) party candidates are simply invisible.  Sure would be nice to see Ralph Nader, Ron Paul and others on the debate platform with B.O. and J.M.  Perhaps the discussion might turn to things that really matter.
          Bill

10
General Discussion / Re: Peak Oil revisited
« on: July 03, 2008, 03:55:46 AM »
  I find it curious that the folks who espouse "free markets" and and deregulation of everything, are now  looking for scapegoats for the higher oil prices. Oil companies, oil producing nations, speculators, etc have all come under fire yet it seems to me that oil prices are simply responding to the market forces of supply and demand. This was certainly predictable to anyone who was paying attention (GWB being the possible exception) but the folks in charge simply decided to do nothing on the demand side and made a gawdawful mess of the supply side. And they're still happily investing in subs to chase "terrorists" out of their caves while conservation and renewables get peanuts.
    A nation in denial, wondering how long the high prices will last.  ???
                             Bill

11
Straight Vegetable Oil / Re: Buy Straight Oil - Best type an price?
« on: June 28, 2008, 02:19:47 AM »
  Veg oil?
   Might try here: http://www.bulkoil.com/scripts/oiltype_item.asp?p=127
 No personal connection or experience etc, etc.
       Bill

12
Everything else / Re: Trojan T-105 Battery
« on: June 17, 2008, 02:23:08 AM »
Quote from: sid
after looking at the order on the clip board. he open a drawer and pulley out labels. he made a 36 month battery,a 48 month battery. a heavy duty battery etc,, all from the same batterys

 no kidding....and to think I always buy the "premium" thinking of wintertime starting. I think I'll bring a scale with me next time - see if one has more lead than the other >:(

13
General Discussion / Re: Constant load to increase efficiency
« on: June 17, 2008, 02:13:32 AM »
  My Trace(Xantrax) c-40 charge controller can be configured as a diversion controller so it can be used with wind generators - some of which need a constant load so they don't over rev. I'd think that the dump load would have to be resistive, like a space or water heating element and, since the DC current would vary with the battery S.O.C., it would be hard to put it too any other use. 
   Seems like an electronically savvy guy could design a controller that would be in line between the generator and the charger - taking a constant 2kw from the  gen, sending the charger what it needed and the balance of the 2kw to a resistive load of appropriate size.  ???

14
  There were a bunch of railroad units that were put on the market. If it's one of them I believe they were 2400rpm.  I'd concur with Doug on the noise part. Never liked being too close to those Detroits. ;D

15
Generators / Re: Wondering which gen to buy or use.
« on: June 16, 2008, 03:08:21 PM »
Quote from: dusty
Also, what do the letters ST stand for.
Thought it was Stamford Type,  after the origonal designer
       Bill

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