If the solar flare/storm is severe enough, it'll fry a lot of things. A shielded wood-burning (steam-driven?) generator is the easiest replacement power source and the most likely to survive.
R
And very expensive, prohibitively so. There's got to be another way. For some time now I've been thinking of a way to turn a tree into a power supply. A tree is a giant solar collector with thousands of *directional* leaves doing the collecting. From the solar that is collected by the leaves a process known as photosynthesis occurs which converts the solar into chlorophyll which then feeds the tree producing growth. We have 10,000 trees on our property, many of them in the 60 to 80 foot tall range and if each was tied together in a series and the photosynthesis process converted into a means of producing power without adversely effecting the tree, voila'. This *conversion* type process has been employed in many other types of technology throughout history and I see no reason why it couldn't be done again. (wood, converted to steam, which is then used to produce pressure that moves steel parts =3D steam engine, or electricity is converted into a wave which is then cast out into the sky and captured at another location becomes a radio transmission). Conversion is the key. The power is already there but not in a form that can easily be used. A conversion process must be discovered. The movement of the ocean tides is another method ready to be exploited.
Huh? I can't imagine anything cheaper. Steam spins an axle, any one of several different ways, and the axle turns a motor. The motor is now a generator. It's not elegant, but it'll work, and we're talking emergency times, make anything on hand into what you need.
If a solar EMP, or nuclear for that matter, fries circuits, it'll fry your backup system as well unless it is shielded. If you're serious about backing up your energy supply, high tech is definitely not the way to go unless you're playing a dilettante's game. In many ways it would be easier to have smaller and/or portable sources of energy. If you want to work in the solar or wind, same idea with the motor in reverse.
reverse.http://www.ehow.com/how_4814501_build-generator-using-electric-motor....>> or you could use wind instead of steam, etc.http://www.ehow.com/how_5984698_build-own-alternator-wind-generator.html>> R
Since I grew up on a farm "pre-grid" with electricity, perhaps I can shed some light on how it's done. We had a "Windcharger", made in Sioux City, Iowa and a (General Motors) Delco Gasoline engined Generator that maintained two 32 volt batteries (a lead acid battery in the basement and an "Edison" battery in the (detached) garage/shop building. The Edison battery was second hand former railroad signal battery. The Windcharger did a good enough job maintaining the batteries that we could go for about 3 days without any wind before we had to start up the gas generator. Our kitchen range and (absorption type) refrigerator were propane fueled. Central heat was a hand fired coal furnace with gravity circulation. Bedrooms were unheated. I should also qualify this as in the "pre-TV", pre Air Conditioner, and "pre-microwave" era. It is unfortunate that the greedy utility companies have pretty much run 32 VDC appliance and light bulb manufacture out of business.
I have spent winters "off the grid" living in a travel trailer with solar panels on the roof to maintain 12 volt batteries and a small gas powered 2KW generator for occasional 120 v loads. Cooking and Refrigerator were propane fueled.
Take a good look at RVs that are equipped for "off grid" boon dock living, rescale living areas for these principals and adopt their appliances, and I believe one can live quite comfortably off the grid.
REBel
I'm not talking about the generator. Hell, all motors are generators, in reverse. I'm talking about the steam engine. I delved into this a few months ago and they ain't cheap, not by a long shot. The only conclusion I could come to is to keep my eyes peeled around here for an old broken down engine and see if I can purchase it and then rebuild it, the old fashioned way. In the spring they have an annual antique tractor and engine show that comes to town and I'll be perusing it a little deeper next year. Ken and I talked about this a lot in email. He's good for bouncing ideas off of.
:
Actually, its been acting exactly as it has been since at least the
16th century when they first started keeping track of this stuff. There are a number of different cycles the sun goes through with each named things like the current cycle which is Wolf. There is a large 400 year cycle and then many subset cycles down to 11 years in duration. The name is eluding me at the moment but I told you about it awhile back - the net/shield that you can make from fine copper wire screen to protect your sensitive electronics. It can even be adapted to your vehicle though its rather complex. It was in the email that also mentioned a colloidal silver generator.
ote:
ed some light on how it's done.
Delco Gasoline engined Generator that maintained two 32 volt batteries (a = lead
garage/shop building. =A0The Edison battery was second hand former railroad
e batteries that we could go for about 3 days without any wind before we ha= d to
refrigerator were propane fueled. =A0Central heat was a hand fired coal fur= nace
"pre-microwave" era.
n 32 VDC appliance and light bulb manufacture out of business.
ar panels on the roof to maintain 12 volt batteries and a small gas powered= 2KW
propane fueled.
ng, rescale living areas for these principals and adopt their appliances, a= nd I
Subterranean cistern, 20'x20'x10' deep, 8' underground, will stay 36 degrees all year long. That's refrigerator temperature. Copper coils at the bottom of the cistern would cycle oil underground via solar pump/12v battery backup to the refrigerator in the house.
A Farraday cage (or shield). I always liked the simplicity of it.
R
rote:
Interesting. You saw them with your own eyes? Its being said that all the big transformers are FOREIGN made and will take 2 years or more to replace any that go down. I see alternatives in my near future.
Oops! Maybe it heard you and it's on its way!
un-solar-storm-auroras/
Ours is clouded out.
They really messed up when they scheduled this solar storm!
R
Thanks for that, Ken. I have a new desktop background now.
R
Sounds blissful......
Ohhh. He's talking about his real life backyard background! I thought he had a blue screen of death. ;)
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