Want an alternative source of power that is more robust than a generator, solar panels, or wind turbines? And talk about long lived: did you know there are steam engines still in operation since the 1855? Watch this interview with Steam Power expert Mike Brown and see how much a small 3 hp engine could do for you. It’s EMP proof, will run long after your gas or diesel sours, and is proven for more than a century of operation.
Get more information about Mike and his steam engines at www.MikeBrownSolutions.com.
Hey Hon! This is on my wish list!
Marjory Wildcraft is an Expedition Leader and Bioneer Blogger with The [Grow] Network, which is an online community that recognizes the wisdom of “homegrown food on every table.” Marjory has been featured as an expert on sustainable living by National Geographic, she is a speaker at Mother Earth News fairs, and is a returning guest on Coast to Coast AM. She is an author of several books, but is best known for her “Grow Your Own Groceries” video series, which is used by more than 300,000 homesteaders, survivalists, universities, and missionary organizations around the world.
COMMENTS(0)
Excellent – also know how to make a simple exhaust/chimney (since you already have a water source) stack (not just for your steam engine) scrubber!
Love the smell of the burning wood some may not! Burning something other than wood be draw attention, a scrubber solves this!
Oh yes, a scrubber would be a great idea.
I keep telling my husband I want a steam engine for my birthday. LOL
We’re enjoying your articles….just way tooooo busy to comment very often. Thanks for taking the time to gather this stuff for a “”people”” who’ve become complacent & “””reliant””” on others. Looks like God is bringing us ALL back to, “neighbor helping neighbor””. And, “With God allll things are possible”. & we will prevail!
Take care,
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
I sure do appreciate the comments when you can make them. I love knowing what others are thinking – the responses help me direct what content to bring forward.
Yes, I also appreciate your understanding that community is vital. And so is your relationship to the Creator.
Yes, so many things are possible. There will be tremendous changes no doubt, but also many people will be released from old systems into new energy and potential
Hi Marjory,
I would agree that flat barings such as the cross-head section you wouldn’t want to use ball-barings. Any-ways. This is how T. Edison powered his generators / Dynamo. With low grade coal. For $1,500 he could sell a compleat unit that would power light-bulbs for one square mile. He put his power lines under ground to protect them from all types of harm.
Some people believe (and I do) that steam power can be made from the sun.I just have too many prodjects to work on that.
On Garagelabs.com under my user name Analognerd you should fine a little discussion on steam-power, if Mr.Brown cares to look.
YOu know, we had some experiments with solar energy – using those big Fresnel lenses from old big screen t.v.’s – just simple experiments. I did ask Mike about using solar for generating the steam, and I can’t remember his reply but the gist was that it isn’t worthwhile to do. A boiler powered from wood, coal, etc. is far better. I guess there is always the issue of needing steam when the sun isn’t shining too. Thanks for the comment and check back – as I’ve got several very knowledgable mechanical engineers who regularly help me with questions. I’ll get the exact reason why solar isn’t good.
Wonderful! Bravo to the gentleman who doing this and thank you Mrs. Wildcraft for bringing this to our attention. I’ve been in love with the idea of using steam power ever since I saw Jay Leno’s “working” Stanely steamer vehicule! What a wonderful, beautiful and futuristic piece of equipment, far more advanced then the garage thats being sold to us now! As for using wood with the steam engine….what about using alcohol?! Taking a que from Steven Harris and his “kitchen sized” distilling machine, I’m thinking that by making and using alcohol to operate the steam engine the scrubers (and using valuble wood) could be elimated from the equation. What do you fine folks out there think?
Hi M&M,
I have recently spent some time with Steve Harris and I’ll have to look into his alcohol crewing system.
I am sure you could create a boiler that would run off alcohol. Basically you want heat to coil water… But I am guessing that making alcohol is a much more involved process than simply getting a boiler that burns wood. And I am also guessing that alcohol is much more valuable for transportation or medical uses.
I would love comments from anyone who is more knowledgeable in alcohol production with Steve Harris’s setup.
You may also want to look at a high-tech steam power system that is coming soon.
http://www.cyclonepower.com/index.html
They’ve been in development for a few years, I’m waiting to see the first real application.
I’ll run that by my mechanical engineering experts.
One thing I like about the steam engine is its been around for so long – it is proven.
But I am open to see how this cyclone develops.
Shannon B.
06/19/13
May-be I should exsplain my self. I think solar steam would need to be a hole bunch of very small steam engines working together. I don’t feel that alcohol is as hot as wood but I never tested it.
Take two strong cans. Put wood in one and candle or paraffin wax in the other can. A good dose of Lighter fluid should get the wax (alcohol) up to a flash temperture so it will burn on its own. I don’t fine it very hot but it will burn for a very long time so use litle wax 1/2 inch or pland to spend hrs watching it to burn out. If it spills it goes out just as soon as it loses its self flash temp. Thats right away. Or you can cover it and let it cool that way. Just a sold safe fuel you cant spill when at normal tempertures. Ya, it will self burn in the winter too. Must be good for some-thing,”may-be”
Back the same day Shannon,
OK I was going to put up a candle power steam engine (1800 rpms) but we were talking solar steam. Imagine ten of these as an in-line drive. You may want to go smaller. This is around the rpms that Edison used to dynamo DC power. Now, my 9″ DC fan I plug into the AC with a adapter. Use’s 6 watts of power come paired to a AC 9″ fan that my use 75 watts. You can buy 12 V. windsheld heaters for your car which is 24 watts. DC can be line noisy and my trouble your TV or such with out a line filter. So much for Edison. My point is steam is faster than a Stirling engine. Heres a solar steam engine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNJx4eC5ZLw
Again ?
I thought I’d add that if you use a soup can and if you surport 3or4 candle wicks by some means like a glued in wire. Pour in your wax. You can reach a flash point (no petro) by just too many wicks, but it takes time and all the wax will melt befor it reaches that point. Its a very slow burn when it reaches its flash point. A burner like this can be thrown into the trunk of your car and be safe even if you get plowed into. But its wax so with high heat it could soften. All-way try this out doors. I thought of it when I lost power in winter and worried about the pipes freezing. And Yes a dynamo can be run at 350 rpms. I think Thomas Edison steam turned 1,000+ and he frist used belts/shafts to drive the dynamo that may have been down geared to 350rpms if I remember right…
Gang: I really can’t see how the Cyclone Engine is different from many previous steam engine designs. It uses a “monotube” or “flash” boiler, a radial “uniflow” engine, and an air cooled condenser to recycle the boiler water. All common stuff that you can Google for more info. Its efficiency may be higher than the average steam engine system primarily because of compactness, but I doubt it can reach 20%. In addition, water is not the best heat transfer medium… here it comes….Boiling GASOLINE…or naptha…to produce high pressure naptha vapor to push pistons allows for better efficiencies…and more modern gas/liquids..like some of the freons..can do even better and are less dangerous. Perhaps you find that boiling a pot of high pressure gasoline over a gasoline fire is not a great idea, too! Here’s a link to some of the Naptha engines of 100 years ago… Prepare to be amazed…These were actually used safely for years before they became illegal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naphtha_launch
http://gasengine.farmcollector.com/Gas-Engines/The-Naphtha-Engine.aspx#axzz2XcHnZ6ox