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Gas tubine generator

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Tim

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hello all

This is my first time here and was wondering if anyone here has come
across anyone who has built a natural gas turbine/ generator for home
use. A few years ago i came across a guy that did but didnt mark his site.

He used a home built gas tubine like the kind you use for a model jet
airplane to run some kind of generator. From what i remember he said it
paid for itself in 3 years or so. He also was able to get heat for his
home and hot water as well all from the exhaust gases of the turbine.

What are the thoughts he guys?

Thanks

Tim
 
V

Vaughn Simon

Jan 1, 1970
0
Charles Foot said:
a New Zealand company makes a unit called a Whispergen. Not however, a
turbine.... it is a Stirling engine which runs off natural gas, produces a
couple of kW of electric power and hot water as well. They also make an 800
watt diesel fired version for marine use.
See http://www.whispergen.com/

And Honda teams with another company to make an ICE version of that idea:
http://www.climate-energy.com/Products/wasystem.asp

Be aware that the small model engine turbines that you asked about have short
TBOs (time between overhauls) and will likely produce far more heat than power.
Lower technology (such as a clean ICE engine) seems like a better fit for
home-sized applications. These CHP (Combined Heat & Power) concepts seem to
make sense only in a climate where the waste heat is usually useful. Us folks
in south Florida need not apply.

Vaughn
 
T

Tim

Jan 1, 1970
0
Mike said:
Excess heat can also be used in hot climates to chill water, all it
takes is a little thought.

On the subject of TBO, Capstone units have an extremely extended
service life
http://www.capstoneturbine.com/prodsol/products/index.asp
Ya I know about the TBO but im not looking to power a city or anything
lol Just wanted to know certain key things like for example how much
continuos KW is need to run a house of average size with say standard
100 amp fuse panel and the normal amount of appliances including air
conditioner?

We live in Canada and the winter can get cold and we need the heat for
hot water as well so the heat part of it is useful. I have looked at
capstone and they use a modified turbo charger as their turbine but they
are built for industrial peak shaving applications, not home use.

Is it even possible to run a turbine off or standard home gas pressures?
Any links anyone has would be great. I think that a system the size of
say a refrigerator would be the perfect system for a hot to replace your
furnace, hot water heater and hydro supply to your house.

Thoughts are welcome.


Tim
 
T

Tim

Jan 1, 1970
0
John

Great info but maybe you could explain to me how aircraft and larger
turbines get longer lifes? I am green i am interested to know if this is
an idea for home use?


Tim
 
V

Vaughn Simon

Jan 1, 1970
0
Mike said:
Excess heat can also be used in hot climates to chill water, all it
takes is a little thought.

You seem to be imply greater knowledge than the rest of us, so why don't you
go ahead and explain? Links to a few competatively priced household-sized
absorbtion AC units would be nice while you are at it.

Vaughn
 
V

Vaughn Simon

Jan 1, 1970
0
Morris Dovey said:
Not too helpfully, the darned thing will only work when the sun
is shining...

On the contrary. Here in s. Florida, when the sun is shining is exactly when
we need AC the most. Solar energy is a perfect fit to air conditioning and heat
driven AC units are nothing new, but the devil is in the details. As far as I
know, there is nothing on the market.

Vaughn
 
N

No Body

Jan 1, 1970
0
In 1974 (just after the last ice age!) Honeywell had two tractor trailers
with solar panels, one on top, and one on the side. The trucks were parked
along an east west axis. The roof top panel extended up, and the side
panel extended out from the side of the trailer forming a flat collecting
surface.

When I was involved with the project, it was parked in Coral Gables, Florida.

They had two "loads" for the pannels.. One was an Arkla Servel absorbtion
chiller, and the other was a turbine with a working fluid of freon (
eleven if memory serves). The whole turbine assembly was about the
size of a large coffee can.

On the output side of the turbine, was a conventional refrigeration
compressor and a generator. (In fact, it was often WAY too cool, and
we'd end up wearing sweaters!)

In full sun, this system would provide all the power and cooling needed
to run an office/lab and a demonstration area with power to spare.

In fact, if we took either of the units off line for some reason,
we had to lower the collectors or the glycol in the panels would
boil in seconds. There was a "tank full of rocks" that we used for
heat storage which would cool the facility for several hours after
dark!

I wish Honeywell had commercialized the technology back then.

Given what we know about materials science and fluid dynamics
now, I'm sure you could easily power and cool a house with the
results of a roof full of solar collectors.
 
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