Steam-powered battery charger

Posted by Mark Frauenfelder, February 26, 2008 9:26 AM | permalink

Here's a video and build notes for a steam-powered battery charger.

For the most part we have all the power we could ever need from our small 600 Watt solar array and our 20' diameter wind turbine, but on occasion I do need to run a generator and I always figured that a steam engine would be the most fun, plus... I don't need to rely on petroleum - I have lots of wood all around me!
The engine is a 1903 C&BC 6 horsepower steam engine. I bought it at auction nearby (stole it) for less than $150. It's in very good shape, I believe it's been rebuilt and never run since. The boiler we got about a year later. I'm guessing it to be about a 4hp boiler. It was made by 'The Look Out boiler company' in 1940. It seems to be in good condition.

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#1 posted by wgmleslie , February 26, 2008 10:26 AM

'The Look Out boiler company'

I'm not so sure that's the best name for a boiler company...

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#2 posted by kebko , February 26, 2008 10:49 AM

Thank goodness they don't need to rely on petroleum. If only we could all burn wood in a 1940 boiler, for ourselves & for the earth.

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#3 posted by raybot , February 26, 2008 11:13 AM

WAIT, YOU DIDNT USE THE TERM "STEAM PUNK"?!?!?! *DIES*

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#4 posted by trr , February 26, 2008 12:39 PM

Because burning wood is so much cleaner than burning oil! And it gets rid of those pesky pollution-emitting trees!

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#5 posted by David Carroll , February 26, 2008 2:39 PM

Does anybody have Ed Begley Jr's email address?

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#6 posted by Thinkerer , February 26, 2008 10:34 PM

The best part of this isn't that they've salvaged an old steam engine & boiler, it's the building of the custom alternator that it's connected to. Sweet! How about a parts list and construction diagrams?

I do hope they have a good idea of what a boiler explosion is and inspect the whole thing regularly.

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#7 posted by Takuan , February 26, 2008 10:45 PM

yeah
http://afu.com/steam/L7.jpg

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#8 posted by aeon , February 27, 2008 2:02 AM

I like my woodburner - it means that we can be self-sufficient if (when) the gas and electricity go down as it still provides heat and hot water. Having a steam engine to power a generator as well is... tempting.

If (like me) you're lucky enough to live in a forest area and burn properly seasoned dry wood from managed forests that are replanted when felled *and* burn it in an efficient modern woodburner, then it's not that environmentally unfriendly. It's certainly more 'renewable' than gas or oil.

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#9 posted by mujadaddy , February 27, 2008 10:54 AM

#4 posted by trr , February 26, 2008 12:39 PM

Because burning wood is so much cleaner than burning oil! And it gets rid of those pesky pollution-emitting trees!

You're an idiot.

Burning wood *IS* cleaner than burning oil. Wood leaves lots of residue which returns to the earth. Petrochemicals burn much hotter and are then chemically bound in other compounds which don't get reused in the natural cycles.

Trees? Trees regrow. You sound like you're advocating getting our energy from sperm whales.