Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.960306102330.11245A-100000@rccsun> Date: Wed, 6 Mar 1996 10:24:36 +0700 From: Richard Tinsley <mailto:tinsley@AIT.AC.TH> Subject: Re: Methane gas to electricity (fwd) To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 05 Mar 1996 21:49:56 -0400 From: Dave and Dorothea Mann <mailto:mannd@mail.candw.com.ai> To: Richard Tinsley <mailto:tinsley@ait.ac.th> Subject: Re: Methane gas to electricityAt 08:04 AM 3/5/96 +0700, you wrote: >
>Saw you nice massive message to our little integrated farmers. I am sure
>she will appreciate it. I have one concern with your answer. what about
>sulfur and nitrates mineralizing with the decomposition. Will they form
>there (their) respective acids and erode (corrode) the containers or
possible the engine? >If so is there any way they can be easily cleaned.
hMMMMM ... good point that I had not previously considered. I would opine, however, that use of a water bubbler filter for the gas distribution system would take care of the sulfur, assuming we wished to be concerned with corrosion. Nitrate residue might be more difficult to get rid of, but I suspect MTBF (mean time before failure) will not be significantly changed by presence of either sulfur or nitrate residues. The moving generator components followed by the engine components will fail first. Above all, we are not putting this system into L5 orbit, so we can accept a large amount of potential and planned failure and inefficiency. Also, we want to produce something which is useable over the short range but which may have long range design potential. Corrosion of the container will occur if it is metal, but my thoughts are that a concrete or other non-metallic enclosure might be a better idea for long term use. One possibility would be to use tamped or rammed earth with a liner made from fiberglassed cloth. Another would be to use 55-gallon drums, since the small top hole is 3/4 inch wide thread and could be used with standard PVC pipe. The large hole or top bung could be used as the filler if a funnel and patience was employed. The 55-gallon drums could be daisy-chained together, again using the PVC pipe. When the drums began to show signs of structural failure, they could be cut lengthwise and used for other purposes, including grill ovens, concrete mixing, sand casting holders, etc.
Regards.
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P.S. Could you please repost to Agriculture Group from your end. Thanks.