[Gasification] Retort construction, hydrogen embrittlement, and similarity in appearance between the motorcycle gasifer and the gasifier Peter is working with.

[Peter Singfield]

Hi Rex;

The entire project -- 

Gasification ---> thermal ORC boiler ---> ORC prime mover ---> 6 kw power
plant

Has already been developed by ORMAT and well proven.

Let me find an old url ---

http://www.ormat.com/technology_8.htm

(I have appended the text from that page -- see below)


The problem is the costs -- until it become a mass production item  -- it
will always remain far to expensive.

However -- if you wish to study -- and then introduce this technology -
-advise buying that ORMAT unit as a starting point -- you will find no
better "arraignment" of devices to result in such a function.

When adapting a turbo charger into a turbo extractor -- it is the
compression wheel run backwards that must be used -- not the exhaust side
turbine -- 

>I was wondering if you had small
>scale ORC experience? I like your idea of solar heat during the day...
>

ORMAT originally started by designing and manufacturing solar based ORC
power plants!! Using solar heat salt water "ponds"

They are now one of the largest suppliers of geothermal ORC based power
plants -- in the many megawatt ranges.

So all you are curious about -- they have done -- efficiently --
productively - -and profitably.

http://www.ormat.com/technology_6.htm

Energy from the Sun 
Innovative Power Directions:
Solar and Locally Available Energy Resources

The original ORMAT® Energy Converter (OEC) was based on an Organic Rankine
Cycle engine designed to convert solar energy into electricity. Some thirty
years later, already as a mature manufacturer and leading developer and
supplier of commercial power plants, ORMAT still considers the sun and
renewable energy sources as potential resources of sustainable energy.

**************************

In closing -- it would be wonderful to make individual components available
at low costs so we here in 3rd world could have a part of that pie!!

Which does appear to be such a wonderful solution to small energy
requirements.


Peter / Belize


At 09:11 AM 2/2/2007 +0200, Zietsman, Rex wrote:
>Peter wrote:
>"Ergo -- for a small stationary power plant -- a char producing small
>stove heating a small ORC boiler/prime mover set up as a stationary
>power plant -- and the char so produced becoming "portable" fuel for a
>producer gas "horseless Carriage" -- or whatever.
>The small ORC unit could also be operated as a solar power device -
>using a simple solar collector -- the thermal gasifying could be a batch
>operation started just after the sun goes down -- and the char ready the
>next morning for the small "truck" -- The small "truck" being one of
>those infamous -- Chinese Mules."
>
>I am really curious and interested in how you would design/build a small
>ORC unit. Have you built one or is this speculation on your behalf or
>have you seen such a unit? I have a mechanical engineer (turbine
>specialist) friend who has been telling me for years about his idea of
>building a Carnot cycle power genset using truck supercharger
>components. I suspect that could work here as well. He has also dreamed
>of building a 10kW gas turbine with one working part. I am bugging him
>to do this as we can use gasifier gas to drive it. However, as this is
>likely to be too far into the future, I was wondering if you had small
>scale ORC experience? I like your idea of solar heat during the day...
>
>Rex


*********************appended*********************

ORMAT Biomass Fueled Power Unit 
FOR RURAL ELECTRIFICATION 
The ORMAT Biomass Fueled Power Unit is a new model from the ORMAT® Energy
Converter (OEC) product line designed to supply power to off-grid rural areas.

The Biomass Fueled OEC is based on the OEC technology, also known as the
CCVT (Closed Cycle Vapor Turbogenerator), of which over 3500 units have
been manufactured and supplied by ORMAT since 1965 to 63 countries, for use
as power source at unattended remote telecommunication applications. Many
of the OEC units have already achieved over 25 years of continuous
maintenance-free operation.

The Biomass Fueled OEC is offered in either of two capacities: 4 and 6 kW
meant to fulfill the large demand for small scale, distributed power units
in those rural areas where fuel costs are high and logistics of fuel
availability are difficult. Applications include: remote community
mini-grids, health clinics and schools, irrigation/water pumping, micro and
small scale enterprises, telecommunications, etc.

The Biomass Fueled OEC is a self contained, factory tested, fully automatic
power unit, easy to install and operate by local farmers. The unit is
virtually maintenance-free, requiring daily load of biomass and periodic
simple ash removal.

The Biomass Fueled OECcan use various agricultural residue types, such as:
coffee husks and pulp, rice husks, maize cobs, cacao husks, sugarcane tops,
wood (trimmings and chips), and others.