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February 2001   Newsletter

Micro Cogeneration
An answer to needed economy in energy consumption.

I wrote a how-to book some years back on this subject and was planning to update the cost examples and re-issue it. Upon reflection I decided that even if the book was re-issued at ten times its original size it would still be too small to contain all the information needed for someone who had no electrical and mechanical background.
Instead, I am writing this paper as a starting point for someone who has the desire to institute energy savings in his community and has the background or ready access to people that do.

Concept
Cogeneration is the simultaneous production of two or more products. Most processes naturally have multiple products or outputs and it is in the interest of efficiency if you can control the process and/or construct the equipment so that those multiple products are of use to you.
Most high quality energy, electrical energy, is generated in centralized power plants by the combustion of a fuel. This process results in a great deal of heat which has no useful purpose. Generally the elimination of this heat into the local environment requires fans and/or pumps to move air or water through a heat exchanger and this energy burden lowers the overall efficiency of the installation. If you have a use for that otherwise lost thermal energy the overall cost is distributed over the useful products, thereby lowering the cost of the first, or principal, product.
A utility company with proximity to the New York flower market has utilized this otherwise waste heat to grow roses in greenhouses and has the enhanced margin of no heating bill. This is a much wiser use of resources than the common practice of throwing the heat away.

Micro cogeneration
We all use electricity. Most of us need heat. If we examine our energy usage we find, especially in colder climates, that we consume a great deal of energy in the form of heating our environment, and in any climate the basic requirement of hot water for clothes, dishes, and baths is significant.
The usual way of fulfilling these needs is to buy electricity from one source and fuel for water and space heating from another. When the electricity is generated in a fossil fuel plant the waste or bottom end heat is thrown away. We then burn additional fossil fuel in water heaters and furnaces that adds to total consumption of fossil fuels and total environmental carbon dioxide burden.
A much more efficient utilization of fuel resources would be to generate the electricity where heat is needed. The waste heat would be useful load, an obviously superior condition. There are other advantages as well. Locally generated power eliminates transmission losses and distribution grid vulnerability to damage, accidental or otherwise. The capital and materials investment is also avoided. The benefits of cogeneration are being realized by industrial processors on an accelerating scale. Not only are their efforts reducing their outlay for energy, they have also disconnected themselves from an electrical grid that appears to be approaching overload soon in many parts of the country. These benefits need to be secured by individuals as well as mega corporations. The use of micro (small) generating facility on an individual building would be appropriate technology.

How
Internal combustion engines burn fuel and convert part of the produced thermal energy into mechanical work. This process is not 100% efficient and heat is a major byproduct when you run an engine. If the fuel you normally burn to heat the structure and make hot water is burned instead in an engine, you can generate electricity without the normal cost of the fuel as the waste heat is not waste. This makes the incremental cost of the fuel used for electrical generation much cheaper.
Coupling this technology with application of measures to reduce total consumption, such as adequate insulation and utilizing heat exchangers in building ventilation can cut energy costs drastically. Where climate permits the incorporation of passive solar can increase your comfort and reduce your heating expenses even further.
Should you do this? I suppose if you can be realistic in your commitment to maintenance. Are you the kind of person who drives his car until the red dash lights tell him to add oil or service other systems? If so then you should accept the fact that the only way you will achieve reasonable service from your power plant is if you get a service agreement from a mechanic or similar person. Agree they will change engine oil every 100 hours of operation and inspect and replace filters and other maintenance items. Diesel lubricating oil must be used in a diesel engine. Belts, if used, must be properly tensioned and periodically inspected. If neglected, a ten dollar item can cause hundreds of dollars of damage. Don't be scared off by this admonition. If you are successful maintaining an automobile, you should be successful with your power plant. In fact, the power plant has low oil pressure shut off (if not, then install one) and can be designed with other safety equipment as well which an automobile does not have. A meter to tell you accumulated operating time is well worthwhile also.
You can save by buying consumables like oil when they are on special pricing at various times of the year. Shop around and buy by the case. Keep spare rubber parts on hand as well as spare fuses, etc. Plan ahead.
Most people will opt for diesel as solar thermal power plants are still not readily available. You should become familiar with external combustion engines if you want to go solar, biomass, or coal powered.
Most descriptions of prime movers undervalue reliability and efficiency and overvalue light weight and power density. Stationary service has different criteria than in a mobile application so don't accept authors' evaluations without considering their decision criteria. You may find you don't agree with them.

Kirk....................................................The above was emailed to myself, by Kirk, with permission to print in our newsletter, thank you Kirk for taking the time to share your ideas...Ken

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The following letter is an extract from the web site at
http://www.cybernaute.com/earthconcert2000/MiracleinVoid.htm
Please go to the web site to view the full document.

March 13, 2000

Subject: Miracle in the Void: The New Energy Revolution

Hello everyone

Here is the compilation about the new energy sources as promised in my last email. I was fascinated, reading a long article received at the beginning of this year, about a number of new revolutionary ways of producing clean, safe energy and I resolved to share this with you. One of the most basic needs we have on Earth right now, as we look at the grim future our profligate use of fossil sources of energy and nuclear power is sure to create, is new ways of producing as much energy as required without further jeopardizing and polluting our environment. The good news is that, as best as I can judge, tantalizing possibilities exist to switch in the next few years to such environmentally sustainable sources of energy. The bad news is that neither the governments nor the multinational corporations and the investors that could help bolster the chances of such good technologies to become swiftly available to all of us seem anxious or even interested to seriously look at these possibilities, prefering to invest their attention and money into mostly traditional ways of generating energy that are proving fatal to our whole planet. Is it short-sightedness on their part of has it more to do with protecting the cash cows that make the fossil fuel-based economy churn?

I'll let you decide. In any case, if you are someone who would like to be amongst the first investors pioneering the solutions to our planetary case of growing high fever, there is a golden opportunity below. But think fast, because the delay is this March 15.

Onward towards a saner future

Jean Hudon
Earth Rainbow Network Coordinator
http://www.cybernaute.com/earthconcert200 0

NOTE: After reading "Miracle in the Void: The New Energy Revolution" (see an abridged version below - the original version is available at http://www.connexion.org/kaplanand will also be posted on the ERN website above), I decided to first ask to Mr. Hal Fox, an expert in the unfolding new energy revolution and publisher of a newsletter on the subject, his assessment of the various technologies featured in this article. This is a good introduction before entering into the heart of the matter. Also I must add that this is certainly not a comprehensive review of all the options that exist, but these are the lesser known and most exciting possibilities that I've seen so far.

Date: 7 January 2000
From: Hal Fox <halfox@slkc.uswest.net>
Subject: Sending information.

Dear Jean Hudon,

According to knowledgeable observers, we should focus our attention on six new technologies:

(1) plasma-type devices;
(2) solid-state electromagnetic devices;
(3) hydrogen gas cells;
(4) super motors based on super magnets;
(5) cold fusion or "new hydrogen energy" (the Japanese name for cold fusion);
(6) hydrosonic or cavitation devices.

Here are my comments for what they are worth:

(1) plasma-type devices:

These are the most important type of devices. The best example is the high-density, charge-cluster technology discovered first by Kenneth Shoulders (U.S. Patent 5,018,180) and later by Ilyanok of Belarus, later still by Mesyats in Russia. These were all independent discoveries. Such devices tap the energy of space and will provide both thermal and electrical energy for the future. Several other discoveries, knowingly, or unknowingly, are based on charge-cluster phenomena. Laboratory work has shown electrical energy output as much as one hundred times higher than energy input.

(2) solid-state electromagnetic devices:

So far there has been one proven EM device that puts out considerably more energy than is input to the device. This device has been carefully studied by Greg Hodowanek and the results have been published by us.

(3) Hydrogen gas cells:

The only hydrogen gas cell that I know about is Dr. Randell Mills discovery that hydrogen can be collapsed below its normal un-ionized orbit stage (called the ground state). Your readers should read the papers in www.blacklightpower.com

(4) super motors based on super magnets:

So far there are none that are effective. Dr. Harold Aspden has done the best work and reports on this type of motor. He has a website.

(5) cold fusion or "new hydrogen energy" (the Japanese name for cold fusion):

In my judgement, the cold fusion phenomenon is not sufficient robust to be a good commercial device. Most of the energy comes from the creation of charge clusters when the palladium cracks. It is much easier to make the charge clusters directly. See plasma-type devices.

(6) hydrosonic or cavitation devices:

There are two groups that have had some success with cavitation devices: James Griggs with his hydronic pump and the use of cavitation in electrochemical cells.

There are other new devices that have not been publicly announced but which, in my judgement, will make dramatic changes in the way in which we produce energy, create propulsion, and fly.

As fast as proper patent protection is achieved, we publish peer-reviewed technical articles on these various topics (and others) in the Journal of New Energy. Hope that these comments help.

We have started a closed-end mutual fund to help fund some of the better new-energy products.

Best personal regards,

Hal Fox, editor, Journal of New Energy

AND THEN ON JANUARY 10, 2000, MR. FOX ALSO SENT THIS:

Bless you for the work that you are doing to get more accurate and complete information to the public and the media about the new developments in energy. You certainly have my permission to use any of the information that I have sent.

If you will send me your address, I'll send you a copy of the proceedings of the last Institute for New Energy Conference Proceedings. As the editor of the four-year old Journal of New Energy, I used my contacts to invite special presentations on new-energy and allied topics. We have received strong congratulations both on the conference and on the proceedings.

Last Friday, a retired scientist came to visit our lab. We showed him how we work with high-density charge clusters in solutions and also in the atmosphere. Then we gave him a copy of the Proceedings. His comment was something like the following: "I have known all my scientific career that we were missing key ingredients in our science. Now you have shown me experiments and articles that confirm my belief."

Jean, we are living in exciting times, especially for changing the way the world produces and distributes energy. Unfortunately, the media's response (if any) is to call the local university for corroborative information. It has always been difficult for the academic community to recognize REAL scientific breakthroughs, unless such progress is accompanied by grants and contracts (especially from the government).

The best method to show the world that new-energy developments are REAL is to manufacture and sell the products, and/or to license the products. One of our objectives for the Emerging Energy Mutual Fund is to be a part of that process. In addition, we want to give the small investor opportunities to invest and not just to have the "big boys" get the major share of some of these fast-growing new-energy companies.

We do have to be careful. There will be those who are so convinced that this type of new technology will not work, that there will probably be some strong comments and accusations made that we are trying to perpetrate a fraud on investors. That is another reason for us to move as quickly as possible to get new-energy products on the market.

Thanks for your help!

Best personal regards, Hal Fox
The above was an extract from the web site at;
http://www.cybernaute.com/earthconcert2000/MiracleinVoid.htm
Please go to the web site to view the full document.


 

Peter's Page
ASTRO MEETING Friday Jan the 12
th 2001

The meeting started at 8.05 pm and was opened with a welcome to all by Rodger. Apologies were accepted from Percy.
Rodger thanked Michael for the use of his residential premises for our ASTRO meetings and said that ASTRO would pay for the carpets to be cleaned in a sign of appreciation.
Athol…read the previous meeting's minutes. They were accepted.
Treasurer's report…there was $1156.00 after the 1st and 3rd ASTRO prizes had been claimed.
Rodger...apologised that things were a little disorganised for tonight's meeting as he had been burnt out twice in a month and he was literally standing in his whole possessions. He passed around some photos of the fire aftermath.
Ken…went through Email correspondence.
Rodger…re-congratulated the winners of last months ASTRO INVENTOR"S PRIZES
Ken…for his brilliant halogen light power supply unit. (See ASTRO Page for details)
Percy…for his portable "Bio-Diesel Generator"
Kieth…for his innovative off-road vehicle jack.

GENERAL MEETING
The night was allocated as a general discussions night, with no guest speaker present.
Peter…mentioned that the "Smithsonian Museum of Natural History" in the USA had at last recognised Nicola Tesla as the inventor of AC Electricity, not Edison, as had apparently had been incorrectly (and purposefully) alluded to for more than a half of century.. A small display of some of his inventions will be exhibited. Peter suggested this might be because some of his SCALAR technology ideas are now coming out of the secret closet. He also mentioned a large seminar in USA on " Electric Wound Healing", suggesting that the scientific world is re-inventing and legitimising some of Bob Beck's work.
Nina…said that a professor in Germany had discovered that magnets in water cause the dissolved iron to pool. She also said that milling flour with metal grinders caused the Vitamin-E to degenerate. She asked if anyone knew any more.
George…said that it was due to the electrical charges in the enzymes, and gave as an example the much improved crop yield after using copper ploughs instead of iron.
Dino…mentioned that an Aboriginal community had had lead poisoning from lead leeching out of PVC water pipes. He also mentioned toxic pillows.
Andrew-S…mentioned a film on the "Hindenburg Disaster", where the misleading indictment on Hydrogen cast a shadow on it's use as a fuel. The fierceness of the fire was, in reality, due to dope in the fabric covering, fine aluminium powder on the outside and fine iron powder on the inside of the dirigible.
Victor…said that "the razor blade in the pyramid" staying sharp was due to the forces (inside the pyramid) keeping the blade dry.They dessicated the atmosphere or anything inside. He said that you could do the same by blow drying your blades after use.
Yanis…said that from an article on the Adams Motor (in Nexus Magazine) that we are not producing electrical energy, only just making a "gate" to extract it.
Davershoen….mentioned a catalogue called "Lost Tech Archives", available from PO Box 96' PHIA, Auckland, New Zealand. This was a good source of lost technology information.
Bruce…said that Hydrogen was the flavour of the month. He had bought a H2 unit from Canada, and had put it on a Toyota Corolla. His economy went from 28 Mpg to 47Mpg. (Also see Jan 2001 newsletter Hydrogen Boost article). He also said that someone in Melbourne was getting 77 Mpg from a similar unit, drawing 15Amps. McKenzies citric acid is now used as the electrolyte instead of Sodium Hydroxide (which damages engine parts).
Ken…said that fuel injected cars run better on hydrogen supplimentation because the computer backs the fuel off, making them more efficient.
Bruce…blew his cell apart due to a backfire. He has built a "flash back arrester" from a PVC tube with a water trap inside.
Rodger…mentioned that a lot of people are getting cancer from fried chips. The toxic fatty acids apparently increase at an alarming rate as the oil is continually used.
Charles…concurred about the oil, saying that the only safe oil to cook in was olive oil if only used once. He also added that people who use low fat milks also put themselves at a much increased health risk due to the fact that the fat globules are too small for the body to process safely. He said that if you need to use milk and you want to reduce the fat content from the "normal and insignificant" 4% to the "low fat" 2%, use half of the normal amount. (He is a medical specialist and researcher)
Dino…spoke on a new invention that had taken 20 years to develop. It was a ball with scollops taken out from the outside surface area. When it is in an air or a fluid stream it suspends and is inertia-less and can move in any direction without any gyro effect. Some of its uses are as a fuel mixer, micro mill, a bearing-less water pump and an electric generator. Dino also spoke on an article from an English newspaper where a human memory chip was mentioned. He also mentioned "Bush's Eye in the sky" and a "Soul-catcher Chip" which will enable everything that you see, after being (usually involuntarily) implanted in some person or animal's eye, to be beamed up to a satellite and viewed by the controllers.
Yanis…showed part of a video from Poland where a professor demonstrated the existence of wall like energy grids that are apparently all over the earth. He found only two places in Poland that were not effected by these grids. They were 1/ Parliament House and 2/ the salt mines.The video also showed an aluminium flying saucer(in an electrical field), polaroid lenses blocking light and used to view these grids, a mammoth tooth found in the Warsaw River and coal with snake skin imprints. These lenses can be used to check the tensions in crystals. The professor also showed a globe glowing blue in his hand (with 22Kv @ 250Khz). See www.earthtransitions.com/articles/sleeping-hartmann.htm Yanis also had a big folder of Email correspondence from around the world, on his "gravity wheel". He would like Ken to put these on the Webb. He also asked for assistance in describing and putting up on the Webb (in plain English) an accurate description of his Gravity Wheel.
Other things discussed were
(a) power lines that give a radiation reading of 400 mT in the daytime give double the reading in the night.
(b) when using a gas stove, the user should be aware that the gas coming off the sides of the cooking utensil is toxic and can lead to brain damage.
Roger(from M Bridge)…gave an eye catching demonstration of a Dick Smith Ultra-bright LED message disk, with the different messages and patterns (in four brilliant colours) being controlled by a PIC controller on a small printed circuit board.

Rodger…then closed the meeting by thanking everyone for their inputs and invited them to supper.

The next meeting is on Friday 9th of February.

Cheers
PeterP

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