What would happen if

[old]

Say out of say 1 in 10 of use could have a steam engine that could say run a 10KW genny and we could put them in service for say 8 hours per week. Would we impact the cost of power??. I know I sure wish I owned a steam engine because I would use it to help power my home
Hobby farm

 

[Janicholson]

In two ways.
We would make a statement though not felt by the power companies (ours failed for 20 minutes for no reason visible on our block only tonight) that would be heard a little bit in the news.
Second we would run through a lot of wood and make pollution that would get us in trouble.
We number in the tenths of a percent that could actually operate a boiler in any satisfactory way. I dislike the fact, but there are very limited experiences on steam equipment. I don't think there are enough inspectors to check the boilers for safety, and I can't imagine very many today understand danger well enough to respect safety valves, water level, Lime deposits, and Flyball governors. I just wish wood was cleaner than it is. Pitifully dirty fuel, it would be like burning Ludens Cough Medicine in a dual fuel H. JimN

 

[john in la]

I want to say supply and demand rules but then again our city/parish (county) goverment sets what the electricty company charges per watt.
It is a delicate ballance of giving them enough to make a profit for their share holders and supplying energy for our homes.

If enough people were to start generating their own electricty then the demand for new power plants would be less so the cost may come down for the ones left buying it.

But unless you lived in a coal area the devastation to our forest because of the increase in wood use for fuel may offset any gain you made.

So the question is do you have enough land to support that much wood and the time to cut it???
Most do not. Even people with hundreds of acres most likely use it for pasture or crops and could not grow wood fast enough to keep up with the steam engine use.
Even with enough land do you think 1 in 10 are devoted enough to take the time each week to cut that much wood.

Look good at your electric bill and you should see generating the electricty is not real high. It is the fuel surcharge that drives the bill up.
And is that the electricty company's fault or his fuel supplyer's fault.

 

[bill mart]

could you accomplish the same thing using one of those listeriod style diesel engines and run it on homemade bio fuel? just a thought.

 

[MarkB_MI]

First, you'll find it very difficult to generate power much more cheaply than you can buy it, once you figure fuel, maintenance and depreciation on your equipment.

Second, if you run your generator at times of peak consumption, you may actually SAVE the utility money! That's because their most expensive power is "peaking" capacity. Reducing peak load reduces the average cost of electricity to the utility.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Keep up the brainstorming. Edison said "At least we know what doesn't work."

 

[Tradititonal Farmer]

With a wood fired boiler/turbine it'd work most likely.Around here the land fill charges businesses $95/ton for disposal so I can get all the good quality wood I need for free.

 

[Steven f/AZ]

You would make a much bigger (and cleaner) dent in the power company by setting up wind and solar.

 

[Kentb of SWMO]

You would have VERY expencive electricity. You forget you have the cost in fuel of heating a COLD boiler before you get ANY electricity out. Steam is most economical if once you have the boiler to tempature you run it as LOOOONG as you can before you shut down.

Kent

 

[Mike M]

Now your thinking like me ! very dangerous ! LOL

I would plan on firing the boiler with junk mail.

I once visited a fellow who made his own electric for years. He had a gas well drilled and at first used a very old large 1 cyl. engine with huge fylwheels. Then later he went to multi cyl. engines. He had 2 alike so when 1 needed serviced he could run the other 1. When they needed overhauled he would rechrome his own liners. A very interesting and resourceful fellow he was.

 

[Red Dave]

You would have a huge impact on the cost of power. Your own power. The cost would skyrocket.

Did you ever feed a working steam engine? I mean cut the wood, haul it, stack it, split it, and shove it into the fire box? Ever even just shovel coal for one? Then clean out the cinders and swab the flues. I have.

That power company electric would start to look real cheap sooner than you think.

 

[Walt Davies]

Old (younger than me) I can put you in touch with my nephew he's big in Solar electrical business.
Walt
<a href="http://s77.photobucket.com/albums/j50/WaltDavies/?action=view&current=Res-AgTracker.jpg" target="_blank">

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[big fred]

You'd be wasting energy. Your typical coal-fired electrical generating station runs steam at over 2000 psi and over 1000 degrees F. If you have a very efficient system, maybe made from a converted steam locomotive, you'd be running around 300 psi and maybe 500 degrees F. Efficiency is directly related to the temperatures and pressures. The only way you'd save money is that, unlike the electric company, you don't have to build and maintain hundreds or thousands of miles of distribution systems.