Clyde Wheatland

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since Aug 24, 2020
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Recent posts by Clyde Wheatland

I regularly use a gas powered fridge that was probably built in 1953. As far as I know it has never been repaired beyond cleaning and maybe a new burner.   It has a little flame that burns all the time regulated by a thermostat.  Running this with a rocket stove would be a full time job.

The basic request was about refrigeration without power.  However, if it was rephrased as refrigeration without grid power then systems like a sundanzer might be useful.  Boat refrigeration uses eutectic mixtures to store coolth when power is available and then melt to keep things cold when power isn't available.  You can buy the bits to make these.  Propane powered fridges can use a lot of gas.  If you go that way enquire from people who use the particular model you are looking at.  They will also like the cooling fins kept clean so make sure you can access the back of the machine.   If you go with kerosene then try to ensure you have spare wicks and chimneys and an understanding of how to control temperature.  The thermostat system can be erratic.  They will probably need adjusting to suit the ambient temperature.  It is possible you can find an absorption refrigerator that just needs a new burner.

I also use an energy efficient electric fridge on an off grid system that provides mains quality power to run the rest of the house.  Works fine, is a normal kitchen refrigerator with a freezer section, single biggest user of electricity.

If you are just starting out then I would look at camping systems.  Some photovoltaic panels, with or without(see sundanzer) a battery, and a good quality portable electric refrigerator with a compressor (not an absorption one) that can make ice.  Maybe a solar regulator.  The most problematic piece is the refrigerator and I would take a lot of advice in looking at one, asking about reliability and efficiency.  This should get you a refrigerator that will keep perishables like milk and meat cold and either the ice or the battery would keep it cold overnight.  It is likely to be a little small compared to your average fridge.  It has inbuilt temperature control and does not need constant attention to burners or refurbishing ancient equipment.

Clyde
3 years ago
Assuming it is just gray water

Worth reading Art Ludwig.  He writes on the long term use of gray water and the failures and benefits of various systems.

My suburban australian gray water system doesn't like fats so I now have two grease traps in tandem.  I find making them easily accessible encourages me to check them.  Otherwise the fats tend to cover the wood chip I use as a filter and the water runs down the outside or through a restricted channel.  You may find it difficult to keep the whole of your vermiculture pile wet enough if the water channels through it.  I have seen flood and empty systems that immerse the worm system and then immediately drain it.  I don't know how well they work.

Food scraps can attract vermin and open ended drains without traps might allow them access to the house.

Pooling surface water lets mosquitos breed.  If you have cold winters surface systems may just freeze up.

If you make a leach field try and keep rainwater out of the distribution pipe or trench.  This is a requirement where I am.  It is better to carefully level the down hill edge of the transverse pipe or trench.   This will help the even distribution into the leachfield. Here the leach field can be a 100mm thickness of sandy loam  with the top at ground level.

If it is dry then surface discharge may not stay wet enough for long enough to be broken down.

If it is wet, or monsoonal, there is a risk of material discharged on to the surface being washed into waterways while still relatively fresh.

If this includes toilet waste then a composting toilet may be the go.   I find powered positive ventilation to be essential (I use a solar panel) and easy access to allow removal of composted material to be a really good idea.  I have a rotaloo that has six bins so that when the bin in use fills up the next bin(longest since last used) is emptied and used to replace the bin in use.  A system with two bins at least seems like a good idea.  That could include two separate toilets with one in use at a time.

3 years ago
Adding plastic sheeting will add to the windload on the structure.  More guy wires will help that.  Covering the guy wires with something that won't wear the sheeting e.g. low pressure irrigation pipe, might be an idea.  Cable stayed towers move a little as the wind changes but the sheeting may be fixed at the base.

Consider differences in thermal expansion of plastics and metals.  The taller the tower the more it might matter.

Taller towers are better for wind energy production.  Note they have intermediate guys that might cause problems in the greenhouse.

One reason for not putting wind turbines on a roof is turbulence created by the building.  Sloped plastic sheeting to ground level shouldn't create much turbulence at the tower head.

Consider how you will service the tower, the guys and the turbine when it is needed.  It would be good not to have to remove the sheeting in order to do this.

Consider whether putting a power system (electronics, batteries, and maybe high voltage DC and AC) inside a hot and humid atmosphere is a good idea.  It is actually done with greenhouse automatic controlled equipment but water and electricity are not always a good mix.

The air leaving the turbine should be as unrestricted as possible.  This might affect where the sheeting goes in relation to the turbine.

The thought of stacking functions is a great one and should help you establish how the problem you have is related to the solution you propose.

Have a look at prior art.  There has been a lot of stuff done on the West Coast in the last 50 years or so.  It is highly likely that some of what you propose has been tried before.  Worth looking at so you can make new mistakes rather than repeat old ones.

What about adding a thermal convection tower (Spain(actual), Australia(proposed))?  How would a tower a kilometer high go?  Or some form of solar concentrating collector mounted on the tower (don't forget the servicing issues)?

What I want you to do is to just consider what you think about the comments above without worrying about whether I think you are wrong or right.  I might be wrong, or irrelevant, or whatever.  If my comments help, good.  If not, not. Keep up the thinking.  It is not as common as you might hope.
3 years ago