How to go green without failures and disasters? 17

[RedSnake]

I think it is sad that we have thousands of years of accumulated knowledge and at least one hundred years of exponential technical development and we stil can’t utilize what we know.

I know it has much to do with politics, markets and peoples unwillingness to draw back on consumption and whether or not to believe in the scientists assessment of the climate change.
But I hope that we can keep that part of the discussion to a minimum and try to discuss the engineering and technical sides of things.

But since I am OP, I will start by not following my own advise. ;-)
By saying that, you do not need to be a scientist only a half dissent engineer, to know that if you put to many meta tablets in a toy steam engine and the pressure relief valve don’t work it will a eventually explode.

Best Regards A

“Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.“
Albert Einstein

 

[1503-44]

Alistair .. knows my buttons?

Having had a stepdaughter die of covid just last month on 11 Jan, two months now actually, I think I will be forgiven for saying this. She was 39 years old, Hispanic and lived in Houston. But hey, you know there may be more than 1 advantage for those that DO get this vaccination; Darwinism. Survival of the fittest and all... It won't end well for those that can't adapt to their current environment.

I didn't understand what the reluctance to the vaccines was all about and now even less. I've had jabs of all kinds, polio every year in the late 50s, polio boosters, small pox, TB, tetanus a dozen times or more, measles, chicken pox, flu. My tropical disease injection and immunization book is full up. No more blank lines. I'm getting a bit impatient in the delays of this vaccine distribution; I'm in the "next group", but they say I will get it very soon and I will.

So any of you that don't want the jab, what's the deal? Scared of a needle? Really? Gov infringing on your personal rights and liberties? That's a new experience for you? Not macho enough for you cowboys; cowgirls? Waiting for enough of us sheep to get vaccinated so you don't have to? Nice. Thanks. Fine, dig your own grave, but stay away from the rest of us until you need it. In the meantime, I'm happy to take your place in line. I wish my stepdaughter had that option.

Galicia has proposed a € 600,000 fine for those refusing to get vaccinated. The fine is too low, but I hope it passes anyway. You see where this is going? What's your vaccination card going to say,"Not allowed entry", "Not allowed exit", "Confined to Texas"? You don't have a vaccination card? No worries. You will.

Seriously. Wear the mask and get the first jab you can.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

mate the conspiracy stuff that i have to live with does my head in.

All my life I have had a full yellow card of vaccinations and had to present it in various poo holes round the world like you. Even had Rabies vax once.

They are all getting upset because its looking extremely likely that by opting out of vaccination it will mean that certain jobs will be restricted and travel. Which they see as discriminating against them. Where as I see it as, its your personal choice live with it. So the solution is to try and prevent a vaccine passport.

They have loads of Oxford vaccines sitting in storage and even the ones that are willing to be vaccinated are refusing them... I sent an email saying just tell me where and when and you can fire it into me.... no reply. I think I had it last year in Jan anyway.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

Just a note in the difference in philosophy's between areas and solar.

When I put my battery in last year I noticed that if it was charging it allowed the inverter to get full production off the panels. If it was already full it clipped the panel output to maintain the max output AC of the inverter to 8.5 kW.

Sent the German OEM an emial with the suggestion. Lady on service desk said we can't really help you... I said no problem just forward it to your tech director for consideration. Two days late received an email short and sweet "i like"

New firmware released and it has timed battery control for both charge and discharge (which was something else i mentioned to be able to restrict the use to Peak pricing levels)

So set it to release the battery for charging at 10:30am and it works perfectly no clipping.

Working with Germans can be a PIA but once you know what buttons to press and how its very productive.

 

[1503-44]

Get the jab, problems solved.
They won't take an Oxford because someone in 100,000 test cases died?
They have a greater chance of getting hit by a drink driver.

I also send product improvement ideas to mfgrs. Dont know why. Just disgusted with their miserable design efforts and inferior products. Supposedly good brands too. These days there is a great need for design improvements of just about everything. Many product designers just don't get the simplest things right. Soft bearings, skinny cross sections used in the highest stress locations, wrong plastics, or used where metal is required, rubber pads rotting. I can't get a power tool to work for longer than a year. Coffee makers don't last me a month. Finally found one. 4yrs now, but cost me £350 another £ 120 for the grinder. Now I can't get good beans. Nearest Starbucks is closed. I like their Ethiopian beans. Kenya's not bad.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

Your preaching to the converted mate don't worry, as soon as they send me a text saying come and get it I will be out the door even if its 4:30am, don't care which flavour it is.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

And reference your power tools issues. I invested in a battery pack welder and fancy battery charger. I use mostly Makita but the others are the same.

They only use one cell to power the logic boards in the battery's at 3.7V be the battery pack 12, 18 or 24V declared. And there is no balancing charging. So that cell drops below 2.7 and the logic board black bricks the power pack.

So if you go in and balance charge that cell then it doesn't black brick until all the cells are dead. But you need the fancy balance charger.

If someone has already black bricked the power pack you can fix it by getting a new logic board off aliexpress and then recharging that first cell or cannibalising another black brick.

I Fixed 10 6 Ah Makita 18V which come in at 100 euro each. Cost of the welder and some zinc strip and fancy charger 300 euro. I suppose you could add in the car battery used to power the welder as well at 60 euro but in my case I used the one off the grasscutter.

 

[1503-44]

We're mostly wood and concrete here. Typically only concrete in new houses, but mine is 100 years old in the newer sections. Roof framing is Canary "tea" wood. Hard as iron SG about 0.98, rock walls a meter thick. Nobody knows how old the old bits are. Used as a small schoolhouse at one time, some ancient mayor, or a judge maybe lived here once, after the goats left I guess...
I can't find battery tools with enough HP for these materials. Wood flately rejects concrete nails.

I've been battling a large, very solid volcanic rock protrusion into the driveway for the last month, but with a large plugin electric hammer. Progress became to slow getting into the lower layers, so the neighbour loaned me his monster concrete saw... also grid powered. Made some good progress with that on Friday and thinking I could finish that job today. Rained yesterday and the power went off for an hour. So I'm going to see how much dust and noise the grid can make today. No joy and I'm switching to Might need to talk to some of your LIP explosives experts. (Local Indigenous Population)

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

Yep big jobs I go rent something that burns hydrocarbon or I have a grid powered SDS plus hammer drill

Its getting your hands on bang that's the issue. The doing the dems is relatively simple.

You drill a hole in it and fill it full of water then put your explosive charge in ontop in a polythene bag and then cement the hole up. Let it dry. 30 min safety fuse and walk away.

bit of a bang and it will split the rock.

 

[RedSnake]

Sent the German OEM an emial with the suggestion.

Watch out Alistair soon you will be a Electrician/PLC programmer

Working with Germans can be a PIA but once you know what buttons to press and how its very productive.
Yes ;-) and one button that always work is.
If you are not competent enough to do the job! Then I will do it myself.

Yes this thing with buying sol panel packages is as you say more expensive then project manage it yourself.
But very few people have the skill for that, as you have and I, if I decided to do it.

Well I have bought a RYOBI they hade the best batteries on the market some years ago, there batteris all goes with all tools, you can buy different sizes and tools separate, The tools may not always be so ergonomic but for someone like me that uses them a couple of times a year it works fine.

You should use snail dynamite, and I am not joking now!
You drill some holes in strategic places and then you fill them with the mixed snail dynamite and then it expands so eventually it cracks.
It seems you might need some drills for the wood with diamond dust as well ;-)

Best Regard A







“Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.“
Albert Einstein

 

[swall]

What is "snail dynamite?"

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

Its an expansive rock fracture material which you use instead of explosives.

Its basically the old swelling wood techniques on steroids.

You make it moist fire it in the hole and then keep feeding it water and it swells up and splits things.

 

[1503-44]

Snail dynamite is interesting. If I could drill a hole in that rock, I would try it.
I'm in town, so use of dynamite is frowened upon unless its New Year's Eve, or the neighbours dogs are barking too loud.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

As i said in the other thread its lava so basically you going to have to work it like granite.

Cut groves down into it and then shear slice of it off. But your going to have to use a petrol disk cutter with diamond blade. And you will more than likely end up looking like the incredible hulk afterwards.

 

[1503-44]

My Notes on Hydrogen Production

Electrolysis of H2 requires 40kWh/kg_H2 produced, with a yield of 142 MJ.
Production using Rotating Electrolyzer has a 65% efficiency reducing the net yield to 92 MJ
With added compression for use by cars, it reduces overall efficiency to 55% with a net yield of 77 MJ

Water Electrolysis needs 55kWh/kg_H2 of electricity (200MJ), so only 79% of the electrical energy used is recovered in the 1kg of H2 produced.
Electrolyzer cost is $1.1M/MW, costs of these are falling towards $0.9M/MW
Cheap electricity is required, or production cost will exceed value of product.
This method will prevail when electrical rates are low.

H2 from Steam Reformed Methane has an efficiency of 65%, but Steam Reformer cost is only $0.8M/MW
Lower equipment cost fosters competition with electrolysis despite its lesser efficiency.
Steam Reform has high maintenance costs.
This method will prevail when electrical rates are high.

 

[SnTMan]

This method will prevail when electrical rates are high.

Or we could just...burn the methane

The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand

 

[cranky108]

What about the lifting cost of the water? It can be rather dry in places.

 

[1503-44]

"We were so up to our necks with aligators that we forgot to drain the swamp."
Originally we were thinking about this because supposedly we don't want to burn the methane. Remember?

Water's coming from snowmelt of all those glaciers. All downhill.

 

[SnTMan]

1503-44, oh yeah, I remember but really, is it a case of:

We must do something
This is something
We must do it

I've got another definition of GREEN:

Don't cause an increase in entropy more than absolutely necessary

The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand

 

[1503-44]

How many problems would have been solved by minimizing entropy? Minimizing entropy by burning methane maximizes the amount of entropy needed later to correct the results of what you want to burn today. You know. It's like credit cards. You don't make the payments today, the amouont owed only goes up. And they repo your car too.

But forget about entropy and credit cards. Why don't you just say that you don't want to do anything except burn methane. That's easy for all of us to understand. That's the easiest and cheapest way to solve your and our daily needs today. Just that there's some doubt as if that will be the optimum solution tomorrow. If you don't want to do anything else, you don't have to. Just call the gas company and tell them you need to get fixed up. Maybe you are OK with the electric guys as they seem to already be burning enough of it. I'm OK with natgas. I have two butane water heaters and I try to minimize entropy by getting in and out of the shower in a couple of minutes. I figure that that those few minutes of direct burning butane heater at an efficiency of 70% is better than using grid electricity created by burning NGL to create the steam that spins the grid's generators, or burning gas in a gas engine spinning generators that probably continue to run if I'm in the shower or not.

 

[SnTMan]

1503-44, hey don't get me wrong I don't have the answers, I just think we need to do things that make sense. Right now that looks to me like addressing the issue piecemeal as we have been doing for years. I know that approach is not drastic enough and fast enough for the zealots. I just don't have a great deal of faith in govt mandates.


The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand