Comment from Gary Smith, CEO of Powersouth

Posted on February 9, 2011 by George B.

I’ve asked a friend working for Powersouth if there’s a place we can go to find Powersouth’s Newsletter, I look forward to their CEOs comment, and I think others might enjoy his common sense as well.

For the moment, I post His comment in Feb 2011 edition of the company’s newsletter, the rest of the letter is full of good info.

 Who really pays for incentives?

CEO Gary Smith discusses funding for renewable projects, his comment follows:

I am a huge fan of the Seinfeld Show. I like it because it takes everyday things, blows them out of proportion and makes them humorous — at times hilarious. It may not be a ‘show about nothing,’ but it is a show about the little things of everyday life that most people don’t notice.

One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes has Kramer coaching Jerry on how to get money for his stereo by tearing it up, insuring it through the post office, shipping it to himself and making an insurance claim for the loss. When Jerry questions Kramer about who will pay for the stereo, he responds, “…they will write it off.” After a discussion of what “writing it off” means, Jerry accuses Kramer, “… you don’t even know what a write off is, do you!”

I can’t help but think of that episode and dialogue whenever I hear the debate about government incentives and subsidies, especially subsidies and incentives for green energy or green power.

You hear a lot about green power and how it will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, thereby mitigating global warming, reducing our dependency on foreign oil, creating a new economy based on green jobs, lowering our energy costs and generally improving our standard of living.

You also hear a lot about the need to provide government incentives to “jump start” the green economy. Just last month, U.S. Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, and the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) — how did we ever live without acronyms? — urged a substantial increase in the U.S. government’s investment in green energy-related research and development of $16 billion per year so we can maintain pace with China in energy innovation. That investment is in addition to the billions of dollars in government subsidies and incentives the ethanol program, the wind power program, the solar energy program and any other program that claims to be green already gets from the government.

Advocates of green energy encourage even more subsidies and incentives for green energy than those proposed by Secretary Chu and PCAST. They argue that without subsidies and incentives, renewable and green power projects cannot develop, thrive or expand. Why would that be?

The answer is that almost all renewable or green energy costs more, and most green energy costs substantially more than conventional fossil fired energy. Green energy is simply not cost competitive, and those green energy developers would go bankrupt without government subsidies and incentives. And they will not be competitive until the price of conventional fossil energy approximately doubles from its current levels.

Also, government subsidies and incentives allow the government to pick winners and losers. If they like a certain type of technology or if the developer of a project was a rather large political contributor, a technology or project may be favored.

But didn’t government subsidies and incentives help promote nuclear power and combustion turbine technology? They did, but now that the research and development is complete, those technologies are run by the private sector with private investment. But what research is being done on wind and solar? They just need the subsidies and incentives to stay afloat.

Finally, who pays for the government subsidies and incentives for renewable or green energy projects? If they are government subsidies, of course the government does.

This is where the Seinfeld episode comes into play: Do you know what a government subsidy or incentive is? The government takes your money from taxes — and we all pay taxes, whether income, property or sales taxes — and decides who gets the free government handout of subsidies and incentives.

So in the end, the government takes your money and gives it to developers of solar projects, wind farms and ethanol projects, which will increase your cost of electricity. So you pay at least twice. You pay the higher cost of power from green sources and you also pay taxes for the government to subsidize and incentivize those green projects. If you didn’t know that you paid, you are like Kramer, you don’t really know what a government subsidy or incentive is.

g

George Comment Follows.

Some of you might recognize Powersouth as having the only CAES ‘Compressed Air Energy Storage System’ in North America. http://www.powersouth.com/mcintosh_power_plant/compressed_air_energy

Note on this above link, there’s a youtube link, I’ve signed up as a subscriber, and I will ask if we can get information as to where we can go to get the CEO’s monthly comment online.

added note! if you look at the blog link, you can find Gary Smith’s comment… look here: http://powersouth.wordpress.com/ 

Now I don’t suggest that CEO Gary Smith holds many of my views, but I certainly respect his, and after having some time to reflect on his comments above, I think we might have reason to add to our vocabulary of popular and trendy terms.  Many of us have come to recognize the term ‘Clown Car’ as being a small and impractical car, we note that clown cars are most often purchased by people wanting to make a statement versus expecting a return on investment. An example might be the not so SMARTcar when we compare it to a 4 passenger Chevy Metro or similar car and compare prices, economy, an practical use and more.

But now, we might add the ‘Kramer Car’.  The People most attracted to the car will think it’s magic, they’ll buy it because of the incentives.  Government Motors knows it’ll be a hard sell because it’s VERY expensive, and those who have invested in Government Motors and the philosophy might recommend we allow the incentives to double and ‘encourage’ entities to make easy loans, so folks can drive what they can’t afford.

Kramer Cars may become the heart of the REPO business once the new owners figure out their monthly payments for the car and what it cost to install an ample charging system. Insurance, the surcharge soon to levied State Road Tax you no longer pay at the gas pump, and who knows what else?  It won’t be long and the Kramers of the world will quit making payments, and of course the loan and all of the subsidies will fall on the backs of the public as it so often has lately.

Remember… if it’s a good idea, you won’t need a subsidy to sell it!

One last thought, for you Kramers out there.. do note that PowerSouth really does make power for the grid out of thin Air! Imagine that…..

G

Posted in Alternative Energy Sources | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Q and A: 2/9/2011 Email of the Day

Posted on February 9, 2011 by George B.

Hi George…..

Seems to me that building a diy genset is a low probability/high risk proposition….even if you are willing to buy all new parts from wherever, fab and weld what you need and anything else it takes.

I have 3 diesel mechanic contacts that have owned their own shops for years and have drawn a blank. The biggest hangup to this hobby/serious business seems to be a source of low speed motors.

Maybe you could do an article about getting into this activity….be specific….here are the main parts to a 3kw genset and here is where you get them. Good motors are here and you can get on the the waiting list for my generator over here. And here is a list of other miscellaneous parts you might consider for a top shelf finished product.

If, IMO, a person can’t get that far (seems like first base to me) then they are wasting there time and money. Maybe you need to say that.

I look forward to disassembling a new motor and dialing everything in….but where is the best source of the best motor ? ? ?

Sorry for the rant. Chalk it up to frustration.

Joe 

George’s Reply:

Hi Joe, DIYers are one per-centers, we have a different view of what is practical and what’s not.  As I read the above, I think about the gen set I am building right now. If I were to add up the time I’ve been thinking about the project, it would certainly receive an insanity rating from others I know. There are some who invest a great deal of time and energy following sports, I choose to waste my time playing with back up power, and what I call practical Alternative Energy, which certainly will not include a Chevy Volt in my driveway.

As for slow speed, that Engine and Generator in Clark Fork generated a lot of interest, but no one wanted to go get it or arrange for shipping, and the seller wasn’t able to offer that.  I guess it wasn’t easy enough to buy? My Articles mention several ways you can get all the parts, and as you likely know, you as an individual can import most things up to $2000 worth without an agent.

I’ve also mentioned there are folks buying this new generation of small two cylinder diesels and they like them so far.., fact is, Joel Koch has/had some extended run units with high capacity oil sumps and more for sale in Portland Oregon, your back yard?

For those of you considering import and resale of slow speed parts, there seems to be a market.

A special treat?? Several years ago, I received an email from a person who said he had Willem Engine, (VERY) rare as we find no owners on forums. Apparently it’s a 24/2 that has received some extensive work at Willem’s shop. A rare op? The asking price is $2500. Willem told the owner in email he’d ask $5000.00 for the same engine and mods today. Do note, the owner waited three years for this Gem, and you can own it for half price and pick it up this week!

Joe, we are ‘one percenters’, we do what 99% of the population think is crazy… we know it. There’s quite a few slow speed engines out there, some people look at rebuilding oil field engines, but I doubt that’s an inexpensive way to go. There’s a number of forums out there you may want to visit, and check the ‘for sale’ pages on..  micro-cogen, smoke stack, and more. Anyone who cares to note a favorite forum below, please feel free to place a link.

All the best,

George B.

Posted in Engines, Questions & Answers | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Standby Fuel Supply

Posted on February 8, 2011 by George B.

Continious learning in a changing world. Our fuel is not our Father’s fuel..

During the last year, I’ve made the time to tear into two of the Yanmar Clone Fuel tanks just to see what goes on inside. I can’t tell you all of what has been run through the tanks and fuel lines, I was running commercially sold bio diesel in one till the short hose between the tank and the injection pump spilt, the stock hose will last less that a year, and if your fuel isn’t shut off, you’ll find all of it on the ground or your shop floor as I did with my re powered Cushman Truckster.

 When I looked inside the fuel tank, I was alarmed! There was all kinds of crude in the bottom, and gunk clinging to the walls of the tank, the (in the tank filter) was half blocked with what looked like varnish. So what’s the lesson? I think it’s fairly important to have a fuel tank you can easily look inside of, and that you can clean if you have a fuel separation problem, or if it becomes contaminated. This is another reason to consider boat tanks. The plastic is far less reactive than the bare metal we see in some fuel tanks, and there may be less tendency for condensation to form. but what I really like, is you can quickly disconnect the tank, and take it to good light, since the tank wall is translucent, you can see into every corner of the tank through the opening. If you have a filter between this tank with a water trap, and an area where you can visually inspect your fuel, you will have far fewer surprises, and you don’t want to be surprised when you need backup power.

This week, I removed another stock tank from a yanmar clone, and I found a sticky mess in that short stock hose between the tank and injector, the stuff is very dark, but there was also much lighter stuff in the same hose. It easily clings to a paper towel without wicking into the paper fiber.  What would happen if I tried to fire this engine? I won’t know, as I will remove the pump, clean it and inspect it first. but.. we know it easily passed through the stock filter in the tank.

With these personal experiences and others, I would never run bio fuels, home brew fuels in a generator without good filters, a bowl you can see into >AND< and selecter valve and second fuel supply full of petrol diesel that will allow you to purge your injection pump, and the entire high pressure side to the injector intself before shutting down. You may be lucky, and not have problems, but in my experience, everytime we depend on luck, we get burned. Murphy says.. The wife will be there to witness the failure, the kids will be cold, and they’ll all Question the value of your handy work and the money you spent on backup power. The kids will say they could have gone to Disneyland, the Wife will say she could have bought new carpets, and maybe even new drapes..       

We have moderate temperatures here in Western Washington, but  I have seen the temperatures in the single digits, I have also seen diesel fuel sold at the pump cause problems at above freezing temperatures. The point I attempt to make is some of these fuels at NOT yet well understood, but they are on sale at the pump.

We know that the majority of fuel sold in the USA passes through autos and fleet vehicles, their fuel systems are often sealed, and people with newer cars say they even get a warning on the dash WHEN their fuel cap is loose. There may be more than one reason for this, we know fuel vapors can escape, but we also know that when the tank and fuel cool, we form a vacuum that can suck in moist air, and this will condense on the walls of the tank and contaminate our fuel.

With this said. The majority of those who buy fuel could be satisified with the performance WHEN it does really bad things to your small engine, you are the minority, you are a one percenter, and your concerns will seldom get attention. Part of the answer will be to build a better fuel system, and I think metal is the wrong stuff. I remember all the problems the Washington State Ferry had when they decided to burn biofuels, expecially at the landings. They couldn’t change filters fast enough, and I’m sure you can find a paper on their findings. We have a Washington State Ferry System Engineer in our DIYer Group, I’m wondering if he has a link to their study?

As a last thought, this Yanmar clone tank has a most beautiful powder coated exterior, or at least that’s what I think it is, but the inside looks no better than a primer. I’m wondering if bare metal inside reacts with the fuel? We know it would react with any moisture in there, and I know the stock system won’t keep the moisture out. Got a vent on that standby Generator tank? Keep in closed..

Posted in DIYer Generator | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

A Popular DIYer Generator Build

Posted on February 7, 2011 by George B.

 ‘Wife Friendly’, A Smart Engineering Excercise.

 

Phil's-DIY-Wife-Friendly-generator

Phil's-DIY-Wife-Friendly-generator

 My personal thanks to Phil for his years of sharing what works and what doesn’t, and his good finds on surplus items. Phil is plenty happy with his new diesel and this may be what our DIYer movement moves towards as the EPA figures out how to make gasoline even more unstable and near useless for our standby ready small power equipment. Needless to say, we never know what the future brings, the stationary engine exemption might be re-instated some day. The EPA has demonstrated their propensity to plan statically, E15 would not have been so vehemently opposed, had the CARB and the EPA not previously  worked so hard to make carbs non adjustable and impossible tune for a different percentage of alcohol mix.  We know their endorsed fuel causes us to throw away the carb, and sometimes the complete engine due to corrosion and oxides forming where we can’t rearch to clean because of the tamper proof design they insisted on. 
Podkanowicz Perkins-Utterpower PMG

Podkanowicz Perkins-Utterpower PMG

Picture showing the drive system was taken during trial fitting.    

WE know this new generation of small diesel engines will serve us far better than the Gasoline engines.  We know we need the best of coolant protection, and we’ll need a lube oil that has anti-wear additives, and anti corrosion additives, it’s best you look at every quart of oil you buy, and read what’s in it. Do all you can to keep condensation out of your engine. Keeping it at a near constant temperature and slightly above air temperature if possible can help keep acids from forming in the crank case, and of course a monthly routine run will re coat parts with oil and remove any moisture that has condensed inside.

Thanks Phil!

George B.

Posted in DIYer Generator, Off Grid Power, Projects, Small Diesels, Utterpower's Friends | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Utterpower’s Urban Backup Prototype, headed to a new test site soon.

Posted on February 7, 2011 by George B.

A collection of ideas from many readers and past Utterpower projects. With the placement of this  generator installation, we add another test site, and our volunteer family will report on what works well, and what needs to be improved.   

Urban-backup-gen2

As I’ve mentioned, our blended ethanol/gasoline fuel has created a lot of logistics problems for owners of small engines.  For this customer I recommended a small diesel electric start engine and the PMG. I expect the unit will carry 4kw (3kw) continious)  and of course we under run the RPMs some to extend the life of the engine and hopefully make a little less noise.

This setup is being installed in a newer neighborhood, a little boy lives here who has no problem opening child proof locks, so we’ve designed this   enclosure to be Zach proof.  It  will sit along the east side of the house behind a closed gate. lifting up the hinged roof reveals a boat fuel tank with quick disconnect, an RPM/Frequency adjustment, a motorized decompressor unit, an AC breaker on the back wall, a AC plug in for a KILL A WATT , a fan for forced cooling, hour meter and more more. 

Generator enclosure

Generator enclosure

I start with the 10HP Yanmar clone, a serpentine drive system that allows the engine to run right at 3000 RPM, and the 120/240 VAC Utterpower PMG to run at 3600.

 I had the heavy angle box frame laying around, so it dictates the size of the enclosure which is nearly perfect for this project. Later, you’ll see the insulation, and how I set up all the sides to be removed to give access. The front panel and side panels can be removed for oil changes and other maintenance work.  Forced air exchange is from the back which will be set back from the house outside wall  a few inches. This fan was once used to cool a PDP-1170, I’ve been saving it since we were forced to junk a room full of 1170s,…… we loved them!

Yes, we will have metal fabric across the back, as we know what mice will do to equipment we leave open to them. 

 The way it’s going to work, is the roof opens to access the removable Boat fuel tank(s), on a top rack. Maybe it’s hard to see, but there are rubber mounts the generator sits on, three sides and the top are all insulated to cut noise, a secondary muffler will help to reduce the nose another DB or so. The unit will set on a rubber blanket set atop a level concrete pad along side the house for added isolation.   

One of the things I plan to share in this project is a neat junk yard auto  part that is used in the remote start application. Since weselected a six circuit manual transfer switch to keep the costs down and to provide a legal install, I think there’s little reason to get too fancy with the remote start. There will be a momentary button you push and hold down for the decompressor, and a key switch for the starter. We’ll instruct our customer to use the decompressor to save wear and tear on the starter. If you’re wondering, pulling the one cover allows access to the manual starter,and that motorized decompressor makes it sooo much easier to start manually too.

There will be a battery maintainer built in, a 12 volt work light under the hinged roof as well. Since this is a remote start unit that will be in standby and possibly started by the woman of the house, we need keep the proceedure simple so she can have it running quickly, as there will be a child under foot.  This means we need the fuel tank vented, so we will have a canister to trap moisture, and of course we will instruct that the fuel tank will be topped off at all times when  not running.  We will be running biocide addatives, and one quart ATF per 20 gallons of fuel for added lubricity.  closed).  I have been using silica crystals that turn a blue color when they’re full of water, they are great to put in an old sweat sock, and put in your gun safe or whatever else you want to control moisture in. I have been experimenting with drying these crystals out quickly, and I finally came up with the ultimate solution. Put your sweat sock full of crystals in the microwave, it will  come out steaming. now start your shop vac and put the hose up to the sock, you’ll see vapor pour out of the vac, it’ll look like the clothes dryer vent on a cold morning. To assure moisture doesn’t get in your fuel, make a can up with a fitting that attaches to a small hose between you tank vent and the can.. put your sock full of crystals in there, and keep the tank full of fuel. If you have no moisture in the fuel, you’ll be able to store it for a LONG time..    

I bought a quality 12 volt fuel valve that will be right next to the injection pump. Shutting off the fuel, and using  the decompressor will assure a smooth kill.  If you’re wondering, the enclosure has been finished off in cedar boards to match a fence. I will add to this post and show you the actual install of the transfer switch and the generator.

The six gallon boat tanks, are easy enough for the woman of the house to remove and fill at the local service station. The tank has a handle and easily carried and connected to the generator, there is a priming bulb to help charge the fuel line. No doubt, this will run on some home brew fuels, if you learn the right way to make it.

We’ll schedule a monthly run to assure all the internal parts stay lubed. Check back for updates to this article. Some will question the use of wood in this enclosure, there is a  lot of space around the generator.. for safe measure, we’ll also have a fire detector and a way to report the alarm in the house. Wood solves some of the condensation concerns, and I believe it will help create a more stable temperature for the generator, and maybe less condensation forming inside the engine.

More to follow, likely in the form of you-tube videos. 

GB

Posted in PMG | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Ozzie Luke Roberts, Top Lister CS Moder!

Posted on February 5, 2011 by George B.

 

Luke-Belt-Drive-2

Luke-Belt-Drive-2

At first Look, you might think Luke has increased the distance from bearing support to flywheel center line, but not the case according to Luke.

He has trimmed a lot of material off that bearing housing before fitting his mods.

Some might look at Luke’s efforts and think they are extreme, but this set of Mods addresses some of the largest problems we typically see in Indian Lister clones. It’s the gear train, and they fail for all kinds of reasons. About the time people assume they’ve seen all the causes of failures, another one pops up.

Noel Douglas in Fiji  has recently been fighting a problem where the crank gear splits and then spins.. no other gears break, gear  problems can have many root causes. For those familiar, we see train wrecks all too often, Cam Gears break, Idlers Break, and the biggest pain is when the harder gear on the crank is damaged, it’s a lot of work to change.

Steve, ‘proprietor of Ozlisteroids’ is considering using a tapered bush to lock the flywheel in position, and he is dedicated to making reliable power with this old design.  The Taper Lock will certainly make Western owners happy, as too few of us know how to deal with the Gibs, and only the Indians continue to use them.

If Luke produces Cams, Governors, and his belt drive, what next to improve? If we look at the GM90, we see they have managed to deliver lube oil under pressure to the crank pin, no that’s a worth while MOD too .

As of today, I know of many who have thought about MODs like this, but I don’t know of anyone that has actually done it. Will Luke do an overhead cam next? Will Luke’s Parts find customers? We’ll see.

Hats off to Luke, if you are looking for more information about Luke, you might contact through their website. Maybe Steve or Luke will come along and tell us more?

Posted in Slow Speed Engines | Tagged , , | 17 Comments

Get you EV truck at bargain prices!

Posted on February 5, 2011 by George B.

Washington State is the mecca of green activity, we have an abundance of green trees, plants, and people.

If it’s Green it’s good, no matter how impractical it may be. 

Here’s some neat little trucks the taxpayers bought, if you are truly green, you’ll have no need to ask why they’re selling them.   Note, this is a fraction of the cost of a Chevy Volt, and you can haul stuff! Imagine attending a Pro Castro rally in this baby!  

http://www.washington.edu/facilities/finadmin/movingandsurplus/inventory/item/electric-trucks

So… if you’re a young man, and trying to get the attention of that young environmentalist babe, buy an EV Truck.

Posted in Your Wasted Tax Dollars | Tagged | 4 Comments

More on Ethanol blends and what the DIYer needs to know.

Posted on February 4, 2011 by George B.

A quick update on an earlier post. News of a new article in progress on remote start kiss standby generator for non DIYers.

I am building a custom standby generator for a typical American family in suburbia. (not DIYers), this is more an experiment, and I have put a lot of research into the project. Yesterday, I finished the design on the remote decompressor that can be activated remotely by a simple switch or microprocessor. The Starter will turn the engine over without the use of the decompressor, but why strain the starter and shorten it’s life? This site will provide information on what the more typical American family needs in the way of a reliable back up generator to satisfy their needs. Will they remember to perform routine tests? We’ll see…expect video of the install, including the transfer switch and kitchen power quality monitor, all KISS engineered as reasonable. Manual start for backup? Yes!

After a trip to one of our largest outlets of small boats and outboard motors, I ruled out ethanol blended fuel all together. I strolled by the outboards and noticed that a smaller horsepower unit was $8000.00 dollars. I talked to the guy at the service counter, and asked him about the use of Ethanol blends, he replied “smart boaters will use this fuel for no longer than 30 days”.  I stopped to think about a good used outboard, and the likelyhood that used units that cost a fortune new would depreciate quickly, there’s a big chance of extensive damage to the internals with this fuel when it ages, and who wants to gamble that the previous owner cared to protect the engine?  

If you are forced to use this fuel, I think it is prudent to have a portable tank, you will have a very positive fuel shut off, and run the float bowl dry after every use. But what to do with the fuel after the run? I suggest you pour it back into your car, and burn it. It may be a good plan to keep your vehicle full of fuel and engineer a way to borrow fuel from the vehicle when required. We can hardly call our generator a ‘stand by’ with this plan, but it’s better to have one that has a better chance of running when you need it right?

Back to our Suburbia standby unit, this will be a small air cooled diesel, and there are some that claim to meet the current  EPA emissions standards, but that may be mighty temporary. the house is more ideal for a smaller backup unit as the larger appliances are natural gas including the kitchen stove. This may be God-sent as we are forced to develop our many natural gas resources here.  Phil P. and others have made really nice generators out of the new crop of two cylinder small liquid cooled engines, they have names like CAT, Kubota, and more. Not doubt, these are a good choice, but they add a little more expense to the project. 

When we study ethanol blended fuel, it is something we must buy fresh to make use of.  If we looked for a comparision in food, it might be a bunch of bananas, put them in the fridge, or on the counter and their days are numbered, eat them or toss them. My point is it’s simply not a good fuel to rely on IF you wish to have some independence. One last note, There are few fuel vendors that service the fleets, and if you know a trucker that buys fuel from these vendors, you might ask about mo-gas. This stuff is not ethanol blended, and will stay in a tank a lot longer.  Fact is.. if you use the ethanol blends in a number of snowmobiles for instance, you have no warranty..you need this fuel if you want to operate without damage to parts.  Don’t advertise the fact you can still get it… the Greenies might work hard to make it illegal just because they know you shouldn’t be out there messing up the snow in the first place, frightening the wildlife and all.      

If you buy diesel fuel from the pump, add a quart of ATF for every 20 gallons, add a biocide and place it in a plastic tank with the vent closed and in an insulated shed out of the sun, I’d expect it to have excellent compatibility with a mechanical injeciton pump and to be useful for 10-20 years. keep it cool or at a stable temperature, keep the moisture out. The ATF is added to increase lubricity, and some have corrosion protection, we add it to protect the injection pump.

One thing to consider, we want to run our standby generator at least once a month to run the moisture out of the crank case and to assure that we don’t etch the crank pin or other important surfaces, coating everything  with an oil that has anti wear additives and anti corrosion properties is key.. (don’t use the new EPA recommended stuff unless you want to replace the engine more often.)  If we consider ethanol, we need fresh fuel each time.

A question we need ask.. What’s stopping the EPA from banning all diesels? Our current crop of politicians have granted the EPA ‘King Like’ powers. It may be a reason to consider buying your small diesel today VS trying to buy one later.

But some will ask, where do I get a two bearing generator? I’ve been asking that myself lately. Winco is out there, it’s American owned, and they make smaller 2 bearing generators. Might be worth a look?

Posted in Generator Realities | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

A new perspective on an old Indian business deal

Posted on February 4, 2011 by George B.

I’ve told the story of the purchase of a container load of Ashwamegh engines. We had a few problems and we were working with the company to try and get some help in resolving the problems.

Along comes an email explaining that due to the increasing  cost of materials and labor, our next order would cost us exactly twice the old price.

We again complained about the troubles we found in the last order. In return we got a letter of apology, and an offer to purchase the next load at one half  the new price mentioned in the previous email in compensation for our difficulties in sorting problems with the last batch.

At the time I was not impressed at all.. I wondered how they could keep a straight face though the whole charade?

I’m older now, I recently listened to President Obama’s  latest speech and listened as he talked about winning the Future (WTF). I listened how they were going to cut a few dollars off the budget, and then how they were going to solve every problem we have through more spending.. Yes, they ran the budget out of site, they’ll now knock off a few dollars and expect praise for the effort.

Now I look back on Ashwamegh…. their offer was generous compared to what Obama promised to do for the Nation. I no longer blame the Indians… I realize they’ve just been watching American politicians,and attempting to copy them…

George B.

Posted in Things I Hate! | 2 Comments

Reliable fuel for small engines.

Posted on January 30, 2011 by George B.

Now that we have no choice other than to buy ethanol blended fuels in most states, we are seeing a rash of small engine problems from very expensive to repair damage in outboard marine engines, to small saw mills, lawn mowers, garden tractors, and generators.  The fuel is corrosive, unstable, and has a very short shelf live, put it in a container that is vented, and the ethanol can attract moisture and cause the ethanol to drop out of the gasoline, the higher the humidity, the larger the swing in temperature during a day, and the more problems you’ll see with this fuel.

We know that the EPA hates diesels, any kind of diesel. Some States (like mine) have removed the option of Premium Fuels without ethanol, so this means we no longer have a gasoline fuel with any reliable storage life past 90 days when stored in ideal conditions, and you should know how long it’s been blended and laying in the tank you pump from too. My point? I think the EPA is driving us to purchase more diesel power.

One very interesting power tool that has been around since the late 1940s is the power flail. Small ones cut a 48 to 60 inch swath. They have a horizontal shaft that has a cover over it, and all along the shaft are attachment points where you can bolt a knife that is shaped like an ‘L’ or a ‘T’. If you hit a rock, the knife is not broken off, it simply pivots on it’s attachment point, centrifugal force is the only thing that keeps it fully extended. The advantage is we DIYers can easily build flails, and maintain them. Certainly you will visualize the steel sheet cover over top to assure your safety. The engine sets on top, normally a horizontal shaft engine from about 10hp to 24 horsepower. The small diesels you see for sale at central surplus and other places may be good choices to power small power appliances in the near future, wood splitters, flails, mowers, generators, and more.

One potential use for blended ethanol/gasoline blends gone bad is to put the mix in a clear one gallon jug, remember those? If you have some, consider them valuable, as you can use them to sample, test, and mix small batches fuel. I remember when the hardware stores used these clear one gallon jugs to sell kerosene, and we kids would get 10 cents each for them at the hardware store. A trip to the dump, and we could easily find 5 or more at a time, ….that bought enough candy to make a kid sick..

Take your sample of ethanol/gasoline blend and add about a quarter cup of water per gallon, shake well until all beads up, set the jug down and watch the ethanol and water settle to the bottom. They sell fuel test kits that could be mighty handy for off gridders and those who will attempt to use this fuel, to blend their own fuels.

If we were to take a test tube and rubber stopper, we could add some sand, fishing weights or other material and build our own specific gravity indicator that would approximate what #2 diesel fuel is. We simply float our home made hydrometer in #2 diesel and note where we make our mark.

Once we remove the water and ethanol from the bottom of the container that holds our contaminated or bad blended gasoline fuel, we can use it as an additive to oils, and using our hydrometer we can do our best to approximate the specific gravity of our diesel fuel. Once blended, we pass all through a 2 micron filter and water trap, blending before filtering should make it easier to filter and faster. Of course you will consult the EPA before using this fuel, and assure their approval. don’t run it in a vehicle without paying road tax.  

America’s unwillingness to produce it’s own energy supplies, no nukes, no natural gas, no Alaskan oil, no off coast drilling, no new dams, has put us in a vert tight spot. Environmentalists find every reason NOT to produce clean natural gas in the heartland, they would certainly let your children freeze to death before allowing you to light a candle, we all know that less people on the planet would be good for all environmentalists right?  Of course we know what they do when they think no one is looking.

We know that small portable power will need to be diesel power or something other than gasoline, you can invest in gold, but getting some garden tools, and more durable goods you’ll likely need may be a good idea. If our dollar goes to hell, you’ll spend more to buy those durable goods. 

In my state Safeway >was<  pumping B20 diesel, this fuel voids the manufacturer’s warranty in many cases, and this fuel caused a lot of trucks to literally stop running at very moderate temperatures, (30-40F). Since then, Safeway has been pumping B5 for Diesel fuel, and I see advantages, lubricity is improved.  The incentive for them is subsidies.  I mention this as an example of fuel blenders and those who sell it not understanding the fuel they sell, and what problems it might cause their customers. The guy in charge of Safeway fuel stations at the time had been promoted out of ‘produce’ he really knew his fruit and vegetables, nice guy too. He was relying totally on his fuel vendor for guidance, of course the fuel vendor was better rewarded when he sold more of the biofuels, as they were getting a subsidy for each gallon. I have first hand knowledge of diesel pickups that quit running on this fuel, and I >know< for a fact it was the blend that produced a wax like sludge that clogged the fuel filter. One person I know had his truck towed into the dealer, and was presented with a $600 bill for diagnosis and filter replacement.

Back to blended ethanol fuels, they may get worse, testers have found up to 14 percent ethanol in the E10 fuel during spot checks, and this might destroy your small engine as it will run very lean and hot. Remember that incentive to sell more ethanol, when the blender pumps more ethanol into the fuel, he makes more in subsidies, I doubt he gives a rat’s ass if your small engine burns up on the stuff.

Google up fuel test kits, as I mentioned, this situation will grow far worse. At this time, those who will make a lot of money blending E15 are still pushing it, no doubt, there are vehicles that can handle this fuel when it’s fresh, AND when they drive often enough to keep the fuel in the tank fresh. This fuel meets the needs of city folks and newer cars, remember, they are the tail that wags the dog.

Sad to say, you take your biggest chance of getting  bad fuel at the places we’d like most to support, when you pull up to that small town station that has invested everything in those new above the ground tanks, you may be taking a bigger risk, the fuel likely changes temperature more over the course of a day, and really cold weather can cause the fuel to separate and ethanol to ‘drop out’. Are those tanks insulated? Should they be?  Even if there is an area for the water an ethanol to be trapped below the inlet of the pump, there may not be enough ethanol in the mix to give you the octane you need to keep that ‘knock’ at bay. I’m sure you’ve heard that knock after fueling at one station or another.

I think about above the ground stations, what is the fuel temperature? fuels can expand a bunch with temperature, It might be fun to take that non contact thermometer to the station with you. We know the aviation industry uses far more precise measure when it comes to fuel, they weigh it, matters not what temperature it is, they know what BTUs they buy based on weight. Do you get more fuel for your money on a cold morning VS a hot summer afternoon? If you are the first to pump on a really cold morning could you get a slug of ethanol and water? Darned if I know, but I sure think about it.

A question, does your station test the fuel it pumps, or do they count on their vendor to test it for them? I suggest you get a test kit, and find out what you’ve been buying.

And my prayer for today?   God grant the Egyptian People the wisdom to avoid turning their country over to radical Islam. The Iranian people were justifiably disappointed in the Shah’s rule, but some are even more disappointed in the Mullahs rule.  No doubt they sponsor terror, no doubt they’d love to rule over the Egyptian people by making it a puppet State of Iran. Only the foolish would dismiss the possibility. America’s leaders have bowed to the environmentalist for their re-election, it may be our undoing. We seem to have no vision to see what the future might bring upon us.

Study this.. ‘J’ provides the right answer, but the lame answer gets more attention.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101106191120AAYRslP 

Better to trust in God than an environmentalist, they are perhaps the most short sighted of all, but cocksure of all things when you ask them.    

 All the best,

George B.

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