windmill composter

[JOR_EL]

Re: windmill composter/blades-props

SHF,

Sounds good to me! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

We must have made the same kinds of drawings in physics class (while we should have been paying attention). /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

I remember a v-8 powered toothbrush, with every known gear/lever/pully. etc. in between. Thinking IN "the box" was the self-discipline problem /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif !!

Larry

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Re: windmill composter/blades-props

Jor El

Box? What box? I think I might have dumped it in the burn barrel by mistake. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

You could do the same thing with a conventional windmill. As it turned, it would spin a small waterwheel which would lift water from a trough into a channel and carry it to the upper bin, now a water tight container.

One thing nobody ever accused me of is making things too simple. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

SHF

 

[RPM]

I just found an article on Lubrication of Worm Gears while roaming around on the net. This should be useful ...

 

[RPM]

Re: windmill composter / Minto\'s Wonder Wheel

Branch,

I had some time to think about Minto's Wonder Wheel. It is definitely innovative and could probably do the job of a conventional windmill.

A few caveats (but not necessarily showstoppers) would be:

1. If the heat source was the compost (an assumption) then designing a heat exchanger to extract heat from the compost while the compost is slowly being turned over would be hard. The heat exchanger would have to stay covered by compost to absorb enough heat to make this work.

2. Having the heat exchanger be tough enough to withstand the corrosive (hot, wet) compost environment - and also the inevitable pitchfork / shovel when getting the compost out.

3. Designing the heat exchanger so that the rotating barrel (assumption) could be tilted to get the compost out.

4. The propane tanks (or substitutes) would probably be hotter than the compost in the summer sun. So, the device would probably not turn in the day - only a couple of hours at night. This may actually be beneficial.

I would tend to think that having the compost as the heat source would make it a little too complicated - but it is an interesting alternative to provide rotational power if an alternate energy source is used.

I think it's GlueGuy that has a bunch of solar panels on his place. Maybe he'll donate one to the cause /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Re: windmill composter / Minto\'s Wonder Wheel

RPM

I was wondering if Minto's wheel could be enclosed in a kind of insulated box, thereby shading the gas cylinders. A solar collector could be used to heat water and this heat could be transferred to the bottom cylinder by use of a Hydronic Radiant Panel. The main problem would be to keep the box from heating up. (Maybe an astrofoil product?)

It would be helpful (from a cooling and heat transfer standpoint), if the wheel could be angled somewhat from the vertical so that it would be easier to transfer the heat without heating the whole box. An ideal situation might be to situate near a small stream and use a hydraulic ram type pump to supply cold water to cool the "off" cylinders. Or, with the extra HP, could we find some way to power a small fan to cool the off cylinders?

SHF


Maybe a fresnel lens/mirror combination could be used to heat the lower cylinder.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by StoneHeartFarm on 06/27/01 10:14 AM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Branch]

Re: windmill composter / Minto\'s Wonder Wheel

I don't have any experience with composting so my assumptions are very possibly way off the mark. My experience so far is with grass clippings in a plastic garbage can. Within a couple hours they tend to get real hot, far more than the roughly 4 degrees Minto mentions. With this limited info I proceed.
I start with the concept of a cement mixer. A plastic garbage can angled up, paddles angled such that they will give a screw motion that folds the compost onto itself and contain it in the barrel. That barrel is slid into an identical barrel, minus paddles. A gap will exist at the bottom of the two barrels which I fill with water. This is my heat exchanger. Reversing rotation and angling down should cause the compost to come pouring out. If I create a decent seal between the two barrels the water should stay captive. Problems 1-3 solved?
Shading the condensing tanks along with a little mist of water could use evaporation for cooling?
I've got to cut the lawn this afternoon so I'll play with this. We're having mid 80 days so I'll see what kind of temperature difference I get. I'll set up two barrel sets, one with clippings, one empty, then measure the water temperature at the end of the day and again in the morning. If I have at least a 5 degree difference I think I'm on the way. Improvements like painting the outer barrel black should be able to improve the differential. We'll see.

Branch

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Re: windmill composter / Minto\'s Wonder Wheel

Branch,

I guess I'm wondering why the compost heats up. Is it because of microbial action? If so, will turning the compost relase the heat, cool the pile and prevent the little critters from doing their job?

SHF

 

[JOR_EL]

Re: windmill composter / Minto\'s Wonder Wheel/super magnifier

Hi Guys,

Now this IS getting interesting. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I agree that the "summer sun" on the hopefully-cooling tanks is a "no-problem" issue, solved simply by a piece of canvas or plastic tarp for shade. The "cooling mist" sounds good too! A small sprinkler head at the "rest" position of each of the "cooling" tanks could do the trick, with the "heating" tank being shielded(from the water-fallout, but not from the sun).

An interesting but probably not-practical heat source idea is a large fresnel lens focused on a black metal heat-exchanger plumbed into the tank-heater bath-water. I say this because I have several of the (40" square?) plastic lenses such as are sold (or at least used-to-be) by Edmund Scientific, and have experimented with them a little in the sun.

With the lense supported on a frame at the focal length (I seem to recall about 50"), the "hot-spot " (claimed to be 2000-3000 degrees f.) IS for sure HOT!

I timed a pot of water coming to a boil, and it was pretty quick, though I don't remember the time.

The hot spot looks like a flashlight beam on the target, and with no hiss or smoke to remind you what is going on, is easy to carelessly pass your hand through, while positioning things, or measuring temperature, ...YEEOOUUCH!! NOT-RECOMMENDED! You will move your hand very-quickly, I can report for sure! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Amazing how much energy is available from a square-yard or so of sunlight. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

A collector(funnel) of panels/mirrors could gather the energy from several times the area, ...not simple to align properly, but scary if accomplished.

Drawbacks: 1. Must "track" the sun's movement, or the spot will soon move off-target.
2. Not sure how the plastic material of the lens itself will hold up to the UV degradation of extended exposure.
3. Only operational during the hours when sun-position and cloudless sky cooperate.

With a modicum of "cooperation" though, the water in the bath should retain enough energy to heat the tank-to-be-emptied fairly quickly, without losing too-much heat, until the clouds moved-on, and more energy could be absorbed.

"Don't try this at home!" may be overstating things, but kids playing with this thing w/o adult supervision is a no-no! It's DANGEROUS!

You have to be constantly watchful that you don't carry it in such a way that the sun comes in focus on anything you don't want burned. For a comparison, consider this: When I held a lit-match to a piece of dry cardboard, it started to "flame-up" after some number of seconds. When held under the lens, it was burning NOW!! Nearly instantly!

To others who may have been (as I now shamefully admit ) "mad-scientists" as kids, and might have toasted an ant or two during sunbeam experiments, this thing is the "hydrogen-bomb" of magnifying glasses! /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

Are we havin' fun yet?

Keep those ideas comin', boys and girls! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Larry

 

[skent]

Re: windmill composter / Minto\'s Wonder Wheel/super magnifier

Why not just construct a GIANT version of the novilty "Drinking Bird"? Seems like if we built several of them, large enough we could turn a crankshaft!

Steve

 

[JOR_EL]

Re: windmill composter / Minto\'s Wonder Wheel/super magnifier

Steve,

Guess I never paid any attention to those "drinking birds", ...could you explain how they work?

Larry