[Stoves] Stoves Digest, Vol 6, Issue 46 message 1, HydroFan etc

[Geoff Thomas]

Hi Crispin and all, I wonder has anyone considered using a device to power their cookstove fan, -
that is the old method for cuckoo clocks, - which consisted very simply of a weight on a loop of
string or chain, the weight pulled down and powered the clock, - every week of so you had to lift
the weight back up to the top of the loop, but for a stove just one charge would be enough, - ie
you could use all the energy in the slowly descending weight to do a charge, then simply lift the
weight up again for the next charge, and the shaft from the output, - presumably two cogs to gear
it up, could simply be a piece of string as when it is wound around and can not form any knots
because of the tension, will turn as if it was solid, - like a tow-along turbine on sailboats.
Hopefully of help?
Cheers,
Geoff Thomas.
Advanced Wind Technologies.
Australia.
>
>    1. Re: HydroFan Update #1 / Peltonrad - Peltonwheel
>       (Crispin Pemberton-Pigott)

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2006 22:51:50 -0500
From: "Crispin Pemberton-Pigott" <crispinpigott at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Stoves] HydroFan Update #1 / Peltonrad - Peltonwheel
To: "Stoves" <stoves at listserv.repp.org>
Message-ID: <029c01c72a39$f18842d0$6401a8c0 at Averatec>
Content-Type: text/plain;        charset="iso-8859-1"

Dear Friends

Martin wrote
>For the air-fan, I think, a simple radial-blower will do better.

I agree with this approach.  A modern dentist's water powered drill runs on
a 'fan' type impeller at about 200,000 RMP using very little water.  It is
likely that a small amount of steam pressing down on a volume of water or a
bucket with higher rather than low pressure would run a very small impeller
very well.

Still, it is perhaps time to consider some options wihch I hope "Ken of
Stirling Fame" will respond to.

Ken: Is it not possible to make a Stirling-type device which does not
produce rotating shafts, but rather blowing air, huffed puffily and
periodically out of a light-weight device?

It seems to me that in principle it should be possible to make a low-tech
air pump powered by heat with no fans or rotating blades at all.

Whatcha think?
Regards
Crispin