[Biofuel] Introduction to tropical homegardens: time-tested agroforestry
Publication date: March 12, 2007 The Overstory #186--Introduction to tropical homegardens: time-tested agroforestry by P.K.R. Nair and B.M. Kumar Contents: : INTRODUCTION : THE CONCEPT OF HOMEGARDEN : GENESIS AND GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF HOMEGARDENS : -- Temperate homegardens : COMPLEXITY OF HOMEGARDENS : HOMEGARDENS IN THE CONTEXT OF CONTEMPORARY LAND USE ISSUES : REFERENCES : ORIGINAL SOURCE : ABOUT THE AUTHORS : WEB LINKS : RELATED EDITIONS OF THE OVERSTORY : PUBLISHER NOTES : SUBSCRIPTIONS THE CONCEPT OF HOMEGARDEN It is rather customary that any writing on homegardens starts with a definition of the term. There is no universally accepted definition of the term. An examination of the various definitions used or suggested by various authors shows that they all revolve around the basic concept that has been around for at least the past 20 years, i.e., since the early literature on the subject (Wiersum, 1982; Brownrigg, 1985; Fernandes and Nair, 1986; Soemarwoto, 1987): homegardens represent intimate, multistory combinations of various trees and crops, sometimes in association with domestic animals, around the homestead. This concept has been developed around the rural settings and subsistence economy under which most homegardens exist(ed). The practice of homegardening is now being extended to urban settings (Drescher et al., 2006; Thaman et al., 2006) as well as with a commercial orientation (Abdoellah et al., 2006; Yamada and Osaqui, 2006). Even before the advent of such new trends as urban and commercial homegardens, the lack of clear-cut distinctions between various stages in the continuum from shifting cultivation to high-intensity multistrata systems and the various terms used in different parts of the world to denote the different systems has often created confusion in the use of the term homegarden and its underlying concept. The confusion is compounded by the fact that in many parts of the world, especially in the New World, swidden farming such as the milpa of Mesoamerica evolve over a period of time into full-fledged homegardens consisting of mature fruit trees and various other types of woody perennials and the typical multistrata canopy configurations. In such situations, it is unclear where the swidden ends and homegarden begins -- and often they co-exist. Yet another cause of confusion is the term itself: homegarden. Even for most agricultural professionals who are either not familiar with or are not appreciative of agroforestry practices, what we write as one word 'homegarden' sounds as two words 'home' and 'garden' sending the signal that the reference is to ornamental gardening around homes. While ornamentals are very much a part of homegardens in many societies, homegardens, in our concept, are not just home gardens of strictly ornamental nature. As we explained in our recent paper (Kumar and Nair, 2004), we use the term homegardens (and homegardening) to refer to farming systems variously described in English language as agroforestry homegardens, household or homestead farms, compound farms, backyard gardens, village forest gardens, dooryard gardens and house gardens. Some local names such as Talun-Kebun and Pekarangan that are used for various types of homegarden systems of Java (Indonesia), Shamba and Chagga in East Africa, and Huertos Familiares of Central America, have also attained international popularity because of the excellent examples of the systems they represent (Nair, 1993). In spite of the emergence of homegardening as a practice outside their traditional habitat into urban and commercial settings, the underlying concept of homegardens remains the same as before intimate, multistory combinations of various trees and crops, sometimes in association with domestic animals, around homesteads. Intimate plant associations of trees and crops and consequent multistory canopy configuration are essential to this concept. Equally important in this concept is the home around which most homegardens are maintained; but in some situations, multistory tree gardens (such as the Talun or Kebun of Indonesia: Wiersum, 1982) that are not in physical proximity to homes but receive the same level of constant attention from the owners' household and have similar structural and functional attributes as other homegarden units located near homes are also considered as homegardens. GENESIS AND GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF HOMEGARDENS Tracing the history of homegardening, Kumar and Nair (2004) describe it as the oldest land use activity next only to shifting cultivation that has evolved through generations of gradual intensification of cropping in response to increasing human pressure and the corresponding shortage of arable lands. The Javanese homegardens of Indonesia and the Kerala homegardens of India -- the two oft-cited examples -- have reportedly evolved over centuries of cultural and
[Biofuel] introduction and stirring question.
I just joined. I am a chemistry teacher, and I've decided I'm going to start making biodiesel this summer. I ran some test batches this week, and I'm going to start on my reactor today. I read in the archives an allusion to someone attempting to make a magnetic stir plate. I had the same idea myself, but was interested in the outcome of other's attempts at this. Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[biofuel] Introduction - and Veg Oil Questions.
Hello All I am gathering information on the feasibility of converting a diesel car for using Vegetable Oil. I Just joined the ML, but I have been browsing the archive and searching on specific topics for a couple weeks. I have not always been able to find answers to questions, so I figured I would go ahead and post some of my major questions and see if anyone here wants to tackle them. Most likely someone already has, and can point me to the correct posts. 1) I have read that Biodiesel emissions are a bit higher in NOx than Dinodiesel . How do emissions change for vegetable Oil? I assume it would be similar to Biodiesel, but it is an assumption that someone has probably tested somewhere. How do these emissions compare with emissions from my 1999 Honda Civic (which Uses normal unleaded gasoline)? I have read that european institutiions have accepted the emmisions as reasonable (similar to bideisel), but what are the numbers? 2) How hard is Vegetable Oil on a Diesel engine? Does it reduce the operational life span of the engine? If so, How Much 3) Where can people purchase large multi-gallon quantities of vegetable oil? I am sure that folks running cars on new vegetable oil are not buying quarts from the local Safeway! I live in Eastern Washington State which is very agricultural, so I would expect I should be able to find a place near me, but I have no idea how to go about it! Those are the main questions for now. I intened to keep my eyes open in the coming years for the kind of vehicle I want, and when the opportunity presents itself, I will buy and try a conversion if I can find good sources of fuel. Using Biodiesel might also be an intersting future idea to explore, but I love the idea of using a fuel that does not need any harsh treatment to make it useable. Thanks in advance for any Michael __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM ~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Introduction
Hello everyone. I'm new to exploring biofuels so I'm sure I'll be asking a lot of questions and reading a lot of information posted on here. I thought I'd say hello and try to find out if there's anyone near me that makes biodiesel. I live in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. I've read a lot of the Journey to Forever site, and I'm getting ready to make some test batches to see what's involved in the whole process of making my own diesel. I do feel a little overwhelmed at the moment, so I'm going to start small. I'm sure that won't last long though. I would like to start off asking to very basic questions. How can I find a supply of methanol and lye? I've seen lye at the hardware store as a drain cleaner, but I'm sure there's a better source. I couldn't find any methanol though. I know my way around basic tools and electricity though so I feel up to building a processor when it comes time to do it. I just need to get my head around the process first so I understand more of the why it works as well as how. Thanks, Ryan [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Yahoo! Domains - Claim yours for only $14.70 http://us.click.yahoo.com/Z1wmxD/DREIAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] introduction of newbie.
hello all, My name is Marc Orion Cardoso. im chairman of the Ecogenics center for the study of alternative solutions.(non profit)... known as Ecogenics. we are heavily involved in biofuels and operate an ethanol distillery which we are modyfying so as to also process wvo into biodiesel. We also do a lot of research in Algae production for food fuel and fertiliser.. you can see some of our work at www dabney.com/ecogenics/ or just go to ecogenics on google. looking foreward to being here.. Marc. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] Introduction and some questions - Newbie
hello Rui, batch processes of all kinds work very very well. Unless you're about to jump right into massive scale commercial production, you don't need to worry about continuous process in order to efficiently make good biodiesel. there are hundreds of ways to build a biodiesel processor for that simple batch process, so you might find a lot of differing info about the equipment- but these are also hundreds of ways to do it efficiently- many, many people worldwide do it with a batch system with no complaints about inefficiency. Considering the economics of it, batch processes using extremely cheap (my last processor cost $50 to build) work fine (as to the economics= compared to buying petrodiesel- I'm spending about 50 cents a gallon on ingredients and power, and the labor time per gallon isn't bad either) I'm sure someone else will post more here about the supercritical methanol method- but those pressures are nothing to take lightly... as I'm sure you're aware. I've also seen lots of people make promises on the web about continuous process- but they do tend to be short on details. It seems like a good way for a successful inventor to patent and market a processor or plant design, so I feel like they're not so forthcoming and sharing with details as those of us whose process revolves around a free 55-gallon drum and a proven, simple batch process. I mean, no one's going to get a patent on the common 'barrel processor' so you might have alot more luck finding info on those designs. And they work fine for making your own fuel. there are of course lots of ways to make a backyard batch process more 'hands-off'- timers, thermostat, etc- and it's not very expensive to do and not all that complicated. Look at Dale Scroggins' touchless processor at the journeytoforever.org website- it's a great design yet not a complicated technology, given enough scavenging to find the components cheaply. Even without getting into using vacuum like he did, you can do a lot of automating with just some investment in timers. My advice is to spend some time learning your way around the process on a small scale, batch process, using the simplest safe equipment you can make, and to then decide on more complicated equipment and processors once you've had some time to get familiar with it all and have gone over the learning curve and have figured out the unique parameters of your site and your needs. Fortunately it's very cheap to get started in biodiesel before you decide on any other equipment to experiment with. mark At 10:16 PM 2/4/2003 -0800, you wrote: Hi, I am a gearhead first and foremost. A friend of mine has a VW Jetta diesel (TDI) and he introduced me to Biodiesel. I do not currently own a diesel vehicle but I am looking to convert my Toyota LandCruiser to diesel, plus I want to look at the potential of using a biofuel for heating oil. I found the idea of using WVO very attractive. It seems to me from what I am reading (please correct me if I am wrong) that the key for producing biodiesel is having an effective continuous process right? I have looked at all kinds of websites that talk about having developed some kind of continuous process, but I have not found any real info. Any suggestions? The only really interesting info that I found was at http://www.biodieselgear.com/documentation/http://www.biodieselgear.com/documentation/ where there is document (Methanol Super Critical Transesterification Method) where it is dicussed that under the right circumstances you can produce biodiesel without acid or base, and in 4 minutes. This type of process seems to be more inline with the requirements of a continuous process. The drawback is the required pressure of 35 MPa (~5600 psi) and temperature of 350C. At first it looked like this was out of reach of a garage project, but maybe with some careful planning... Has anyone looked at the pressures produced by direct injection fuel pumps? The Dodge/Cummins direct injection pump puts out 24000 psi... Hmmm By the way I live in the Boston area and would love to look at how Biodiesel is actually produced. Anyone live close by that has a running setup for processing biodiesel that would be willing to share/show how biodiesel is actualy produced.. Thanks, -Rui = - Rui Fernandes [EMAIL PROTECTED] Boston - USA - __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.comhttp://mailplus.yahoo.com Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.htmlhttp://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/Yahoo! Terms of Service.
Re: [biofuel] Introduction and some questions - Newbie
Has anyone looked at the pressures produced by direct injection fuel pumps? The Dodge/Cummins direct injection pump puts out 24000 psi... Hmmm by the way , those kinds of pressures are very dangerous for reasons beyond just the capacity of the container/component design. I know someone who worked on ships- and had a story about a fuel system that had a fuel leak on the high-pressure end of the fuel system. They knew it was there but couldn't see the exact location of the leak, and they had the good sense to test for it by running a broom along the suspected area of the fuel lines- looking for the moment when the broom bristles would start to shear off from the pressure. Apparently it was well known that if you were to be careless in this situation, and would have stuck your hands or body in the path of the high-pressure leak, you'd have been likely to lose some fingers (or ears, or whatever) cut off by the high pressure stream of diesel coming from the pinprick hole in the system. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] Introduction and some questions - Newbie
Hi Rui Hi, I am a gearhead first and foremost. A friend of mine has a VW Jetta diesel (TDI) and he introduced me to Biodiesel. I do not currently own a diesel vehicle but I am looking to convert my Toyota LandCruiser to diesel, plus I want to look at the potential of using a biofuel for heating oil. I found the idea of using WVO very attractive. It seems to me from what I am reading (please correct me if I am wrong) that the key for producing biodiesel is having an effective continuous process right? No, not right, as Mark has explained, and as thousands of people all over the place can confirm. I have looked at all kinds of websites that talk about having developed some kind of continuous process, but I have not found any real info. Any suggestions? The only really interesting info that I found was at http://www.biodieselgear.com/documentation/ where there is document (Methanol Super Critical Transesterification Method) where it is dicussed that under the right circumstances you can produce biodiesel without acid or base, and in 4 minutes. This type of process seems to be more inline with the requirements of a continuous process. The drawback is the required pressure of 35 MPa (~5600 psi) and temperature of 350C. At first it looked like this was out of reach of a garage project, but maybe with some careful planning... It's been discussed here a few times, it comes up every now and then. Hey, I might as well update the archives again... here you go: Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2002 01:38:59 +0900 To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com From: Keith Addison [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [biofuel] New BioD Method Hi Ken Keith writes: .Personally (actually not just me, rather wide reservations have been expressed) I'm not very keen on the idea of sodium methoxide at 350 deg C at a pressure of 30 MPa (296.077 atmo- spheres, 2.176 tons/square inch). Not exactly something for the kitchen. The ONE nice thing about this method is you don't need to use sodium methoxide (or any other catalyst). The unusual conditions at supercritical state cause the reaction to proceed quickly with just alcohol and oil (plus a solvent in some versions). Still need big excess of alcohol to drive the equilibrium -- even more than we do because the glycerine doesn't drop out. The safety thing is still a concern, certainly in ones garage, just because of the high T and P. Yes, that is a nice thing, but supercritical methanol is a nightmare. A while back I approached a contact for an expert opinion, after folks started messing with hydraulics gear and saying stuff like this: I hold no concern for a properly designed reaction vessel under the needed pressure which on review is around 345 atmospheres / 35MPa / 5080 PSI. at 350 to 400C. Hydraulic excavators, presses and such machinery often operate at twice these pressures and occasionally (but not by design) at these temperatures. There is little danger in this, and no problem obtaining off the shelf pumps etc to achieve these pressures at any volume. The person I asked for an opinion is a Chartered Engineer and a full Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, and a chemist. He worked for 24 years as a Royal Air Force engineer, including 12 years spent vetting modifications and designs to aviation equipment. He was also on five Boards of Enquiry into accidents. This was his reply: Saka seems to have done some very good, safe industrial research, but this is a quest for a simple, safe, kitchen-sink method of winning the annual Darwin Award. What they propose, and how they suggest it might be achieved, is bordering on fantasy in a home environment. Even a small amount exploding would result in horrendous damage, and supercritical fluids are notoriously fickle. This is a project that would be approached with extreme caution even in an industrial environment. My personal view is that debating such a process on an amateur forum is utterly irresponsible as it glosses over the very real dangers involved. Were they to be held accountable for all the accidents that would undoubtedly result from keen but ignorant amateurs being led to believe that it is a simple matter they can try at home, then perhaps we might see a little more caution. I just wish it were possible to take these people to an ordinance factory where controlled explosions are carried out under the control of experts so that they could see for themselves just how dangerous the whole exercise is. Those that have had no experience of explosions just have no notion of how incredibly fickle and unpredictable matter is when placed under such duress. Those who have had no experience in such matters invariably underestimate the protection required, and have no idea of how metals behave when subjected to supersonic shock. Instant crystallisation and shattering of even ductile metals is not uncommon. What you have just told me turns my blood cold. As a professional engineer I MUST
Re: [biofuel] Introduction and some questions - Newbie
Rui, Continuous process is not all that proponents crack it up to be. You can make every bit as good a product and in some instances better with the batch system, ranging from gallon jugs to 3,000 gallon reactors. Or you could fire up your multi-million dollar hp reactor and keep an engineer and machinist on staff full time to minimize the possibility of catastrophic failure. Doubtful that your pocketbook or your consumption level would warrant that. Todd Swearingen - Original Message - From: Rui Fernandes [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 1:16 AM Subject: [biofuel] Introduction and some questions - Newbie Hi, I am a gearhead first and foremost. A friend of mine has a VW Jetta diesel (TDI) and he introduced me to Biodiesel. I do not currently own a diesel vehicle but I am looking to convert my Toyota LandCruiser to diesel, plus I want to look at the potential of using a biofuel for heating oil. I found the idea of using WVO very attractive. It seems to me from what I am reading (please correct me if I am wrong) that the key for producing biodiesel is having an effective continuous process right? I have looked at all kinds of websites that talk about having developed some kind of continuous process, but I have not found any real info. Any suggestions? The only really interesting info that I found was at http://www.biodieselgear.com/documentation/ where there is document (Methanol Super Critical Transesterification Method) where it is dicussed that under the right circumstances you can produce biodiesel without acid or base, and in 4 minutes. This type of process seems to be more inline with the requirements of a continuous process. The drawback is the required pressure of 35 MPa (~5600 psi) and temperature of 350C. At first it looked like this was out of reach of a garage project, but maybe with some careful planning... Has anyone looked at the pressures produced by direct injection fuel pumps? The Dodge/Cummins direct injection pump puts out 24000 psi... Hmmm By the way I live in the Boston area and would love to look at how Biodiesel is actually produced. Anyone live close by that has a running setup for processing biodiesel that would be willing to share/show how biodiesel is actualy produced.. Thanks, -Rui = - Rui Fernandes [EMAIL PROTECTED] Boston - USA - __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
RE: [biofuel] Introduction and some questions - Newbie
There is an out of print book Novel Drilling Technoques that in the second edition talks about cutting sandstone at several meters per second with liquid pressures of that magnitude. Granite I think was 7cm per second if memory serves. Obscure technology. Anyway, you can lose a lot more than just soft tissue. Even a couple hundred psi can inject you like a hypodermic needle. Probably wouldn't be a good thing to happen. Kirk -Original Message- From: girl mark [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 1:00 AM To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [biofuel] Introduction and some questions - Newbie Has anyone looked at the pressures produced by direct injection fuel pumps? The Dodge/Cummins direct injection pump puts out 24000 psi... Hmmm by the way , those kinds of pressures are very dangerous for reasons beyond just the capacity of the container/component design. I know someone who worked on ships- and had a story about a fuel system that had a fuel leak on the high-pressure end of the fuel system. They knew it was there but couldn't see the exact location of the leak, and they had the good sense to test for it by running a broom along the suspected area of the fuel lines- looking for the moment when the broom bristles would start to shear off from the pressure. Apparently it was well known that if you were to be careless in this situation, and would have stuck your hands or body in the path of the high-pressure leak, you'd have been likely to lose some fingers (or ears, or whatever) cut off by the high pressure stream of diesel coming from the pinprick hole in the system. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
RE: [biofuel] Introduction and some questions - Newbie
Hi Kirk There is an out of print book Novel Drilling Technoques that in the second edition talks about cutting sandstone at several meters per second with liquid pressures of that magnitude. Granite I think was 7cm per second if memory serves. Obscure technology. Anyway, you can lose a lot more than just soft tissue. Even a couple hundred psi can inject you like a hypodermic needle. Probably wouldn't be a good thing to happen. Probably not very good, no. Then add the not very friendly nature of supercritical methanol at 350 deg C (BP 65 deg C). NIMBY thankyou. I wonder why Philip Hill has put that thing on his website. He's aiming at small-scale folks after all, it's no use to them - well, it might be, but anyone capable of making something of it in a safe and responsible manner sure isn't going to be buying any plastic biod processors from Philip Hill. Whereas there's a good chance someone who isn't capable might be tempted to blow his head off. DIY biodiesel has been remarkably accident-free so far, I think it's maybe worth a bit of vigilance and foresight to help keep it that way, short of being a squeaky-kleen nanny. Biofuels has many powerful enemies, who'd no doubt be most delighted if we started killing ourselves (and others), they'd kick us with it for years to come. Best Keith Kirk -Original Message- From: girl mark [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 1:00 AM To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [biofuel] Introduction and some questions - Newbie Has anyone looked at the pressures produced by direct injection fuel pumps? The Dodge/Cummins direct injection pump puts out 24000 psi... Hmmm by the way , those kinds of pressures are very dangerous for reasons beyond just the capacity of the container/component design. I know someone who worked on ships- and had a story about a fuel system that had a fuel leak on the high-pressure end of the fuel system. They knew it was there but couldn't see the exact location of the leak, and they had the good sense to test for it by running a broom along the suspected area of the fuel lines- looking for the moment when the broom bristles would start to shear off from the pressure. Apparently it was well known that if you were to be careless in this situation, and would have stuck your hands or body in the path of the high-pressure leak, you'd have been likely to lose some fingers (or ears, or whatever) cut off by the high pressure stream of diesel coming from the pinprick hole in the system. Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
RE: [biofuel] Introduction and some questions - Newbie
Biofuels has many powerful enemies, who'd no doubt be most delighted if we started killing ourselves (and others), they'd kick us with it for years to come. ++ If biofuel becomes a big enough threat I am sure they will arrange some demonstrations to encourage laws to outlaw home production. They use the law to control competition. Kirk -Original Message- From: Keith Addison [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 11:01 AM To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [biofuel] Introduction and some questions - Newbie Hi Kirk There is an out of print book Novel Drilling Technoques that in the second edition talks about cutting sandstone at several meters per second with liquid pressures of that magnitude. Granite I think was 7cm per second if memory serves. Obscure technology. Anyway, you can lose a lot more than just soft tissue. Even a couple hundred psi can inject you like a hypodermic needle. Probably wouldn't be a good thing to happen. Probably not very good, no. Then add the not very friendly nature of supercritical methanol at 350 deg C (BP 65 deg C). NIMBY thankyou. I wonder why Philip Hill has put that thing on his website. He's aiming at small-scale folks after all, it's no use to them - well, it might be, but anyone capable of making something of it in a safe and responsible manner sure isn't going to be buying any plastic biod processors from Philip Hill. Whereas there's a good chance someone who isn't capable might be tempted to blow his head off. DIY biodiesel has been remarkably accident-free so far, I think it's maybe worth a bit of vigilance and foresight to help keep it that way, short of being a squeaky-kleen nanny. Biofuels has many powerful enemies, who'd no doubt be most delighted if we started killing ourselves (and others), they'd kick us with it for years to come. Best Keith Kirk -Original Message- From: girl mark [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 1:00 AM To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [biofuel] Introduction and some questions - Newbie Has anyone looked at the pressures produced by direct injection fuel pumps? The Dodge/Cummins direct injection pump puts out 24000 psi... Hmmm by the way , those kinds of pressures are very dangerous for reasons beyond just the capacity of the container/component design. I know someone who worked on ships- and had a story about a fuel system that had a fuel leak on the high-pressure end of the fuel system. They knew it was there but couldn't see the exact location of the leak, and they had the good sense to test for it by running a broom along the suspected area of the fuel lines- looking for the moment when the broom bristles would start to shear off from the pressure. Apparently it was well known that if you were to be careless in this situation, and would have stuck your hands or body in the path of the high-pressure leak, you'd have been likely to lose some fingers (or ears, or whatever) cut off by the high pressure stream of diesel coming from the pinprick hole in the system. Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ --- Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.449 / Virus Database: 251 - Release Date: 1/27/2003 Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Introduction and some questions - Newbie
Hi, I am a gearhead first and foremost. A friend of mine has a VW Jetta diesel (TDI) and he introduced me to Biodiesel. I do not currently own a diesel vehicle but I am looking to convert my Toyota LandCruiser to diesel, plus I want to look at the potential of using a biofuel for heating oil. I found the idea of using WVO very attractive. It seems to me from what I am reading (please correct me if I am wrong) that the key for producing biodiesel is having an effective continuous process right? I have looked at all kinds of websites that talk about having developed some kind of continuous process, but I have not found any real info. Any suggestions? The only really interesting info that I found was at http://www.biodieselgear.com/documentation/ where there is document (Methanol Super Critical Transesterification Method) where it is dicussed that under the right circumstances you can produce biodiesel without acid or base, and in 4 minutes. This type of process seems to be more inline with the requirements of a continuous process. The drawback is the required pressure of 35 MPa (~5600 psi) and temperature of 350C. At first it looked like this was out of reach of a garage project, but maybe with some careful planning... Has anyone looked at the pressures produced by direct injection fuel pumps? The Dodge/Cummins direct injection pump puts out 24000 psi... Hmmm By the way I live in the Boston area and would love to look at how Biodiesel is actually produced. Anyone live close by that has a running setup for processing biodiesel that would be willing to share/show how biodiesel is actualy produced.. Thanks, -Rui = - Rui Fernandes [EMAIL PROTECTED] Boston - USA - __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Introduction
Hello everyone, I have just joined your list, and thought introductions would be in order. My name is Jean-Leon Morin, I have been interested in biofuels for a couple of years. I am in the process of converting a 1966 Land-Rover 109 (much like the journey to forever vehicular projects) to a cummins diesel 3.9 BT 4 cylinder. I am hoping to use the vehicle for expeditions into northern canada, and it is my daily mode of transportation. I am a student at a community college, taking mechanical engineering technology, and work in the automotive repair industry part-time. I used to work for a farm equipment repair garage, which means I have a good understanding of diesel powerplants. The Land-Rover currently has a gas engine as I prepare the rest of the vehicle for the dual-fuel setup (twin fuel tanks, heated fuel lines, overdrive, three way valve, solenoid gangs, etc) Well, I guess that's it! J-L [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Get your FREE credit report with a FREE CreditCheck Monitoring Service trial http://us.click.yahoo.com/MDsVHB/bQ8CAA/ySSFAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] Introduction
Hope your project goes well. Keep us informed. Tee At 03:24 PM 9/24/01 -0400, you wrote: Hello everyone, I have just joined your list, and thought introductions would be in order. My name is Jean-Leon Morin, I have been interested in biofuels for a couple of years. I am in the process of converting a 1966 Land-Rover 109 (much like the journey to forever vehicular projects) to a cummins diesel 3.9 BT 4 cylinder. I am hoping to use the vehicle for expeditions into northern canada, and it is my daily mode of transportation. I am a student at a community college, taking mechanical engineering technology, and work in the automotive repair industry part-time. I used to work for a farm equipment repair garage, which means I have a good understanding of diesel powerplants. The Land-Rover currently has a gas engine as I prepare the rest of the vehicle for the dual-fuel setup (twin fuel tanks, heated fuel lines, overdrive, three way valve, solenoid gangs, etc) Well, I guess that's it! J-L [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Get your FREE credit report with a FREE CreditCheck Monitoring Service trial http://us.click.yahoo.com/MDsVHB/bQ8CAA/ySSFAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] Introduction
Jean-Leon, Just check the torque output of the 3.9 litre Cummins engine as compared to the Landrover engine, I am doubtful whether the drivetrain of the Landrover will take the torque increase. Also check your diff ratios too, the original ratios may be too low for comfortable highway cruising. Just a thought from a mechanic who is into repowering . John in Australia From: Jean-Leon Morin [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2001 5:24 AM Subject: [biofuel] Introduction Hello everyone, I have just joined your list, and thought introductions would be in order. My name is Jean-Leon Morin, I have been interested in biofuels for a couple of years. I am in the process of converting a 1966 Land-Rover 109 to a cummins diesel 3.9 BT 4 cylinder. I am hoping to use the vehicle for expeditions into northern canada, J-L Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Get your FREE credit report with a FREE CreditCheck Monitoring Service trial http://us.click.yahoo.com/MDsVHB/bQ8CAA/ySSFAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] Introduction
that's quite a project. good luck, and keep us informed Steve Spence Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter: http://www.webconx.com/subscribe.htm Renewable Energy Pages - http://www.webconx.com Mirror Site http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] (212) 894-3704 x3154 - voicemail/fax We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. - Original Message - From: Jean-Leon Morin [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, September 24, 2001 3:24 PM Subject: [biofuel] Introduction Hello everyone, I have just joined your list, and thought introductions would be in order. My name is Jean-Leon Morin, I have been interested in biofuels for a couple of years. I am in the process of converting a 1966 Land-Rover 109 (much like the journey to forever vehicular projects) to a cummins diesel 3.9 BT 4 cylinder. I am hoping to use the vehicle for expeditions into northern canada, and it is my daily mode of transportation. I am a student at a community college, taking mechanical engineering technology, and work in the automotive repair industry part-time. I used to work for a farm equipment repair garage, which means I have a good understanding of diesel powerplants. The Land-Rover currently has a gas engine as I prepare the rest of the vehicle for the dual-fuel setup (twin fuel tanks, heated fuel lines, overdrive, three way valve, solenoid gangs, etc) Well, I guess that's it! J-L [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- Get your FREE credit report with a FREE CreditCheck Monitoring Service trial http://us.click.yahoo.com/MDsVHB/bQ8CAA/ySSFAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] Introduction
Aha! John, good point... Land-Rover? Well, the only thing stock is the body. The chassis was replaced by a custom made square tube one , making the vehicle quite a bit more solid. I'm right in the snowbelt in Canada, so corrosion is a problem. The old frame rusted out, so I built a new one. It can handle any motor I can throw in it. (well, not any)... The current drivetrain consists of a Ford 300 inline six, mated to a tow truck transmission (borg warner T-19). The T-19 is mated to a Land-Rover transfer case, giving me a driveline that is virtually bulletproof. Not sure if you have the ford 4.9L inline six in Australia, it has a rating of about 250 ft-lbs of torque. I have been assured by many 4x4 nuts running large ford motors with this transmission that it is upto the task, and the transfer case (according to people who have put large motors through rover T cases) is very strong. This driveline setup has the advantage of having a super low 1st, very useful when meddling around in the woods. The cummins in its most powerful version puts out 333 ft-lbs of torque, which will be on the heavy side. This means that broken driveshafts and axleshafts are a real possibility, and I am aware of this. However, I am a conservative off-road driver, and I use power with restraint, so I should minimise breakage. I just can't wait to drive something with a flat torque curve. Axles are soon to be Range rover 3.54 differentials, and combined with my current 35 tires, it puts me right in the meat of the torque curve at cruise, at 1600 - 1800 rpms. I think this should be a liveable RPM. The axles are relatively weak, but parts to beef them up are available, so it a Salisbury rear end, which is a very stout differential. J-L in Ottawa, Canada. - Original Message - From: John McLean [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, September 24, 2001 7:35 PM Subject: Re: [biofuel] Introduction Jean-Leon, Just check the torque output of the 3.9 litre Cummins engine as compared to the Landrover engine, I am doubtful whether the drivetrain of the Landrover will take the torque increase. Also check your diff ratios too, the original ratios may be too low for comfortable highway cruising. Just a thought from a mechanic who is into repowering . John in Australia From: Jean-Leon Morin [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2001 5:24 AM Subject: [biofuel] Introduction Hello everyone, I have just joined your list, and thought introductions would be in order. My name is Jean-Leon Morin, I have been interested in biofuels for a couple of years. I am in the process of converting a 1966 Land-Rover 109 to a cummins diesel 3.9 BT 4 cylinder. I am hoping to use the vehicle for expeditions into northern canada, J-L Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-- FREE COLLEGE MONEY CLICK HERE to search 600,000 scholarships! http://us.click.yahoo.com/47cccB/4m7CAA/ySSFAA/FGYolB/TM -~- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Introduction-lurker
Hi, My name is Tim Castleman, in Mesa, Arizona. I have been a lurker on this list a little while. I actually created a seperate view in outlook due to the high volume of posts. I did that because this is the best list I have ever had the good fortune to subscribe to. Many thanks to all of you for your willingness to share your expertise on these things. I guess it is time to (humbly) throw my hat in the ring, so to speak, and invite your comments about my wild idea. In short, the concept envisions a renewable resource system using fibrous crops such as hemp and kenaf to produce core free fiber, ethanol and other chemicals. www.fuelandfiber.com This system would not use the seed at all, cropping would be frequent (good in Fla.) and large scale agriculture is required. The high value product would be the fiber. Fuels and chemicals would be an economic wash, but would cover crop production, harvest and seperation costs, sustainably. A system on this large of scale would indicate an ADM or Cargill or whatever, and maybe someday those guys will do just that, unless grower groups get together early. A good model is found in the many co-ops producing ethanol here in the US. Collectively, they produce about 1/2, which may be close to 1 billion gallons per year soon. So, this is what I have been working on here in sunny, irrigated Arizona. The Maricopa Ag center produced a world record 14 ton per acre of kenaf. One of the PHD guys that was in on it is a friend, and eager to proceed. We have about 400,000 irrigated acres historically used for cotton, 300+ days per year sunshine and a dry climate that eliminates any feral population issues and enhances fiber seperation during processing. For those interested, please check out the site, feed back is welcome. I ask in advance for you understanding of my limited time these days, and so I may only rarely post to the list, but I do try and read as many as I can (miss most). I closing, I would alos like to invite you to visit www.azhemp.org , a brand new site for a non-profit.org we have formed. Tim ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-~ Make good on the promise you made at graduation to keep in touch. Classmates.com has over 14 million registered high school alumni--chances are you'll find your friends! http://us.click.yahoo.com/l3joGB/DMUCAA/4ihDAA/FZTVlB/TM -_- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] Introduction-lurker
Tim Castleman said: So, this is what I have been working on here in sunny, irrigated Arizona. The Maricopa Ag center produced a world record 14 ton per acre of kenaf. One of the PHD guys that was in on it is a friend, and eager to proceed. We have about 400,000 irrigated acres historically used for cotton, 300+ days per year sunshine and a dry climate that eliminates any feral population issues and enhances fiber seperation during processing. Some years back I attended an annual convention in Dallas of the Kenaf growers association, then tried growing Kenaf. It grew, but the growing season is not long enough here in Idaho to get good yields. I was primarily interested in the possibility of growing various species of mushrooms on the material remaining after fiber separation. You may want to consider this possibility yourself. It might add to profitability, and perhaps the byproduct could still be used for energy production or sold as a protein-enhanced cattle feed supplement. -- ...Warren Rekow Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~-~ Make good on the promise you made at graduation to keep in touch. Classmates.com has over 14 million registered high school alumni--chances are you'll find your friends! http://us.click.yahoo.com/l3joGB/DMUCAA/4ihDAA/FZTVlB/TM -_- Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
