So in the soup back there I missed the Wankel post. When I saw your steam engine question I honestly thought you were referring to locomotive engines. Whats the deal with this new Wankel prototype; oh, and did you get the wood pellets yet? I saw the price creeping up some after there was an episode on one of the Home Shows on cable about the stoves.

(The Iraqi's are all standing there with these crooked smiles on their faces waving real nicely..BYE; as they load up the Uzi's.Waiting for us to shuffle on off. Got to get those terrorists trained and deployed. )

The motor is at quasiturbine.com I'm not sure why it is as such but I see it as the inventors choice eh? It's similar to a wankel but refined I guess.
I liked the old steam power because its more of a vintage thing, like tubes, vinyl, horns... There seams to be some debate if steam is efficient or not, at first folks say no, but then when you look at how much work gets done at the end of a day vs. fuel spent the situation can look remarkable.
I like alternative energy but I want it to be economically efficient also. The planet savers will have you believe you must stop green house gas et all at any cost to the consumer. I have a friend you has a good sized wind mill. It's a labor of lover for him and he will do great things for technology and society, I have no doubt.
When you add up all the cost of 35-50kw wind generator, the tower, the install all the this that and the other thing. It amounts to a dollar value that is larger than you will pay the utility company in the next 30 -40 years before we die. Things like that dont work well for me.

It's like trying to build a monster bass woofer in a 2 cubic foot box. It just aint gona happen! So I poke around in search of a feasible energy to mess around with. Hey, If tubes can make a come back, why not steam? More modern and safer boilers could make a big difference.

I figure pellets will start to go up. they are already talking about pellet shortage this winter too. I may have to get another ton just to have around while I can get the things.
probably take deliver on the thing in November.

I have some family which have recently bought some land 15miles inland from a small town,where they will life for the most part via solar heating/panels etc. Big expense at first,but in the long run worth it. Energy costs here are the same in winter as in summer now,15c/kwhr. Partly caused by the hydro dam cycles.
I remember when we used to have a season of half that!

If we all went nuclear power,the world would run out of fissible material in a few lifetimes,theres no one answer. People need to get out of this consumable 1yr life span thinking cycle,which will be nearly impossible.

Saw a documentary on people in papau new guinea,who live in tree huts or floating sod earth floating on swamps,living the same way they always have. Quite inspiring.

Mike.e

http://www.beautiful-waitaki.co.nz/wallpprs/canal1/800.jpg

http://www.beautiful-waitaki.co.nz/images/parsonsrock2.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/basshornguy/pics/otago/000_1260.jpg

• my pics

Must admit,in a day of national radio listening,I learned more than a month of tv!

How ya been, I think your right. There is no one answer. I think some of the answers lay in new technology and conservation.
There is a lot of waste in todays life. I remember when I was a kid in the 60's and 70's parants would not have every light on, only had one tv. either the stereo of thetv was on. That kind of thing.
I swear I must use 3 times the energy in my house for electricity now. I think my parents do too! The only savings has been in heatig systems which are now in the low 90% vs old stuff @ 50-60%

Fantastic photos by the way. fantastic

bill

I do that too,try not to waste. We all use electric heaters here.
I see heatpumps are being installed into new houses,its the installation costs which hurt. NZ is already marginal with power consumed vs produced! We had the 60s think big projects,but have done nothing since - it must be the 'now' thinking of the politicians.

Mike.e