A Dinosaur's Thinktank

OK, first thing, Google, you are screwing we dinosaurs

2010-08-17T12:10:00.004-05:00

I started to write something, got well along, about half way, and had to leave. When I came back my composition , all of it, was gone. I thought I saved it. I am very upset, and as an elderly user, I wonder if Google and all the rest if the Internet is out to screw us all dinosaurs. LOL. My guess is that I forgot to save it.

My Health Problem(s)?, or, so what!!

2010-08-17T10:15:00.017-05:00

So now I begin:

To begin with, I was cloned in 1933. No, this is in correct, I was cloned some nine months earlier than that but was ejected into this world at 7am on March 30, to be exact. Yes, I was placed on earth, I am an alien. There is no way that you can prove I do not belong since my DNA matches, exactly, that of my earth parents. The advanced skills of those who cloned me makes it so, when we visit your earth we are exactly like you. Our DNA and yours are the same, even though we may be aliens and you natives.

The following will be saved and copied to my Web page under "A monster is Created":

My health problems began with my birth. Shortly after my birth, perhaps 12 to 18 months, maybe longer, but when we lived in Bethany, Oklahoma, I contracted both measles and some other disease that I can't recall, perhaps mumps. I can barely recall sleeping in the Northwest corner room with all the blinds pulled down. I know I suffered but my mom, I did not know as the time, was a nurse and she nursed me back to health.

It was not until my family, my dad, big tank, my mom; little tank, and my siblings, the three little tubs; moved to San Antonio, Texas in 1940, when I was seven, that my next health event happened.

The first thing was that at the age of about eight or nine, I got an ear infection. This made me very, very sick. Because of the medication, I can recall throwing up a pink, staining, seemly stuff all over the rug as I lay on the couch. I did recover, thank God, or I would not be writing this now.

When our, my brother, sister and my, eyesight came into question and because my dad worked at Kelly Field, the premier Army Air Corps base, we siblings were obliged to have our eyes checked. During this time, a B-17, while taking off, lost power and crashed next to the hospital. It stopped it's motion just 10 feet from the hospital room where we had had our eyes dilated. Needless to say, with our eyes dilated, we could not see a thing, but we were evacuated. Other than getting some glasses to wear, no one in the hospital was harmed in any way.

Other than the normal colds, runny noses, and I don't want to go to school tummy aches, my final San Antonio health experience came when, over the Christmas vacation from school, while playing a special pype of football clone game, where the ball handler was the target of all the others, and for the first time in a long time, I wore shoes, I stepped on a rock, twisted my ankle and two days later, it was found that the foot was broken, not sprained. Man, was that time one of the bes tin my life, I was 14 years old and a student as St. Henry's Academy. What the very, very liberal Nun teacher did for me. But that is another story.

After WWII, my dad got work with Dr. Van Allen, of belt fame I do not know, but he was related to the belt, either son, cousin, or other close relative, James Van Allen. Both he and his wife were PhD in Physics, much like Albert Einstein and his first wife. I met his son, ?James? Van Allen, at his age of 16, mine, too, with the expressed effort to give ?James? access into the age of American teen years. He was already a Junior in College and I was just a high school sophomore. I even tried to get him to join me in playing baseball, but he was way, way too advanced for my feeble mind. This was the time I learned that I was born brainless. After three transplant attempts failed, I was told that I am stuck with being brainless for the rest of my life.

Anyway, my dad and Dr. Van Allen worked alone in a lab where they did research on the effects of radiation on the human body. I even use some of the data they produce to write a "theme" paper for my senior year in high school. The title of my paper was "the effects of radiation on the human body". I know, but the high shcool from which I graduated from was Bethesda-Chevy Chase, the most renown and advance school in the DC area. I even dated a gal who's family lived on Chevy Chase Boulevard. She was my date to the senior prom, one year after I graduated, was in collage and she was the senior and one of my sister's best friends. Too bad I did not stick with her but I was drafted and she went into nurses school. I loved that gal with a passion, would have made a bunch of babies with her had I been able. Alas, my next illness, I was incurably "love sick". But I digress.

I shall continue, please be patient. Had to stop to give aid to my wife and to walk and feed the dogs.

After one year of college, what was then Montgomery Junior College's very first year of operation, 1952-1953, a buddy with whom I played baseball on the college team, walked over to the draft board, one block from the college, told them we wanted to volunteer for the draft, renouncing our college deferment. They complied and that summer my buddy joined the paratroopers and on September 1, 1953, I reported for duty to become a medic in the United States Army. During my induction physical it was discovered that I have 2 degree flat feet but since it was congenital, I was fit for duty and classed 1A. Before our basic training began we took a battery of aptitude and IQ tests, then, as was the case then, even medics began with basic infantry training before moving on to medical training.

When our training we completed and half of our cycle was assigned to the European Theater and half to Asian Theater, two of us, Ross and I, were held over for assignment to OCS. We spent the entire next training cycle as cadre and assisted in leading the recruits through their ordeal. However, at the end of this cycle we were told that the Korean War had ended and that the Army did not need to kill anymore Second Lieutenants. We were to be assigned to active units to serve as medics. My first duty station was with the 47th Infantry Division at Camp Rucker, now Fort Rucker, Alabama, now the Helicopter School.

The duty with the 47th Division did not last too long. With the "Forgotten" War over, the colors of the 3rd Infantry Division was brought home and with the 47th a National Guard Division it was deactivated. All of us who were left without a home proceeded to march under the colors of the elite #rd Infantry. At Sand Hill section of Ft. Binning, Georgia, WE proceeded to test the new concept of deployment, the Pentomic Division which required we spend the vast majority of our time in the field under combat conditions. However, during our time in garrison, many interesting events happened. I will save these for another story except to whet your interest by naming a movie called "The Phoenix City Story", a New Year's Eve Patty Wagon, baseball, and the officer's pistol range.

When My time in the Army was about to end, for some reason, I was given "light duty". This meant I no longer was on the duty roster. I was never told why I had light duty prescribed but let me hazard a few guesses. As I said earlier, I entered service with 2 degree flat feet but my discharge physical gave me 4.5 degree falt feed and a 10% service connected disability. I can't prove this since my DD214 and medical records were apparently destroyed in the records center St. Lewis fire in the 1970's. One more thing that might have led to the light duty is that some time later I found that there is a 3/4" difference in my leg lengths. Thus, when I stood at attention, in order to stand straight, I had to lift my left heel 3/4" off the ground in order to level my pelvic girdle, thus taking a slight kink out of my spine and leveling my shoulders. Even today, I stand wth my feet apart about 12 to 18 inches to compensate. Since I was in a medical company, I think that the doctors probably notices my crooked stance and this is why the light duty. Some of those doctors back then were rather good and, also, rather observant.

Now, where did I leave off? Ah, yes, there it is:

When I got home I actually was at a loss, at total loss, as to what I wanted to do with myself. I knew I wanted to go to college and I knew I had the GI BIll which would pay my way. I, also, wanted to play baseball, or so I thought. This was the summer of 1955 and after screwing up with my interview at Oklahoma University and was rejected, I applied to Central State College, a little "teacher's college" to the north of Oklahoma City in Edmond, Oklahoma and an easy communicating distance from my parents home. I was accepted with out prejudice and so, made my rounds. The first thing I wanted to do was to contact the athletic director and see if I could "try out" for the college baseball team. That was approved and I did try out, only to find that the athletic director was the football coach and the baseball coach. He did nto know anything about baseball but was an outstanding football coach, After two weeks, I withdrew from baseball, partly because of the couch and partly because I could not stand in the field and be effective for more than six or seven innings. My old problems with my legs has returned. So now, on with my education, major to be Chemistry/Physics, double major!

Interruptions! Interruptions! Interruptions! Now, on with my story:

From college then my career onward, there was nothing health wise out of the ordinary. My leg problems still bothered me a little but were not unmanageable with an aspirin or two. Of coarse there were the allergies in season and the colds and flu in their season. One might say I was healthy son of a gun. It was during this period, however, that I discovered that I was brainless and that my parents thought it was best to keep that a secret when the three brain transplants failed to take.

As fate would have it, things went well until after my divorce in 1974 and remarriage in 1976. The two winters, 1976 and 1977 in Oklahoma City were quite severe with frozen precipitation laying on the ground and streets from January 1 through the end of March. It was at this time, when trying to push our suburban off the ice where the wheels has stuck hard that I injured my back. It was when the doctor was examining the extent of my injury that there was a 3/4" difference in my leg length which caused a tilt in my pelvic bone when I stood erect. This put a strain on my lower spine as I pushed the car and, earlier, when in the Army, caused me to have to raise one heel off the ground so my shoulders would be level when we were at attention. If I stood with my feet apart the tilt would be minimized and my spine would then straighten. Now I know why I had to give up my baseball career, flat feet and a tilted spine. OOPS, a storm approaches and I need to shut down the computer for the duration. Be back later. Interruptions! Interruptions! Interruptions! The lightning flashes and the thunder roles.

An update

2010-08-16T11:39:00.002-05:00

Dear friends,

It has been some time since I have used my blogger. Please forgive me, I do have much to say.
To begin with, here is a list or, if you please, an outline of what I intend to talk about in order of presentation:

My health problems;
Serfdom and how it relates to today's Corporate situation;
The sins of the past, how history can bite one's ass if ignored;
The man options for furthering one's education via the Internet.

There will be more, much more but this is my beginning.

Respectfully yours,
chtank, aka, a dinosaur

NASA develops enhanced search and rescue technologies

2010-05-26T08:06:00.004-05:00

ScienceDaily (2010-05-24) -- NASA, which pioneered the technology used for the satellite-aided search and rescue capability that has saved more than 27,000 lives worldwide since its inception nearly three decades ago, has developed new technology that will more quickly identify the locations of people in distress and reduce the risk of rescuers.

With this, we might be able to "tag" our children with a "tracking device" which they can strap on when they are out and about. It our kids have to walk to and from school or the mall, they can wear the device around their waist and with a push of a button, send an emergency signal if accosted by an attacker or sexual predator. Also, I can see all of our cars with a tracker built in. We have such trackers now, but with this system it would be almost impossible for a car thief to hide. Also, it would help cut back on high speed chases, allowing the cops to merely track the the car to the chop shop or crime scene/hideout.

Bio-Digester Tutorial on its way

2009-12-10T16:16:00.002-06:00

A quick note to let all know that the Bio-DIgester Tutorial has been published on http://chtank.org. It is just the first draft with many additions and revisions to be added but is complete enough for anyone who wishes to start building a working model. That is exactly what I plan to do. I will, in the very near future, build an approximate 1/4 scale model using 1/2 inch treated exterior play wood with a treated lumber frame and using the hand tools I have available at my home. This will be a working model and the input will consist of grass clippings, dog droppings, and finely chopped garden wastes and leaves. Nearly all the feed stock is in my overflowing plastic compost box already. The left over waste will still be composted or bagged and place for the Houston compost material trash pickup. click on the links provided to find the Bio-Digester design.

Bio-Digester Tutorial on its way

2009-12-04T16:25:00.004-06:00

I have not posted to this BLok in some time. I do want to tell all who view this blog, please let my know you are here. If no one is interested, then I will discontinue the blog. First, please go to my website; http://chtank.org. There, you will find the latest news of my recent activities on the Sustainability Engineering front. At this time, I am in collaboration to write a How-to, or Tutorial for high school student in India, specifically, and for anyone who wishes to build a safe, simple, inexpensive bio-digester. When complete, the tutorial will be published on http://chtank.org and will be free for all to download and use. Just remember, the tutorial is copyright to me and to Agro-Biogenics, Inc.

As for this blog, I am seriously considering to start publishing my "Musings of an Alien". After all, I am a confessed alien. See "Alien Reports":

ALIEN REPORTS: - science FACTION novel in very early stages.

This is enough for now, so please let me know if you want me to continue this blog. If I don't get replies on here, you can make sure I know you are reading by my e-mail, chtank@gmail.com.

Hybreds for Green Energy No. 4

2007-07-18T10:01:00.000-05:00

It seems that Solar Energy and Wind Energy is catching on among those who can afford it. The cost of solar is coming down and the efficiency is going up. Soon, Solar Energy's cost will soon reach the $0.50 per watt that will make it competitive with commercially produced energy. The same is true, too, for Wind Power but at a lesser extent. There is, however, still one more roadblock that makes both clean energy sources less viable. Solar Cells produce no electricity unless the sun shines and Wind Turbines require the wind to blow. For those times when the sun does not shine and the wind does not blow at least at 8mph, expensive battery systems are require or one must buy electricity from the commercial producers or both.

There is a solution. If the fuel cell, in particular, the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell is used, then one can find complete independence from the commercial electrical power companies, from expensive foreign oil, and from the greenhouse gases that plague us today. With this schema, one can still use his already existing solar cells. But rather than powering his home directly, he/she would use the sunlight to produce hydrogen through electrolysis of water. The produced hydrogen would be stored along with other gases to fuel his/her SOFC. The Solid Oxide Fuel Cell is actually is an almost hands off and maintenance free continuously operating electric power source that runs on a multitude of fuels, all of which can be produce by the home owner.

I would like to propose two skid units, one containing the electrical equipment modules and one containing biomass fuel modules. The modules should be manufactured to several sizes to accommodate a multitude of budgets and physical space requirements. The primary electrical skid would be sized for the modest budget at a basic 3 KW output, with the exhaust heat produced to drive a steam boiler that would service the hot water, heating and cooking needs of the home plus providing the possible process needs of the biomass fuel skid. From this modest size, one can scale up to 5 KW, 10 KW, and beyond to supply a whole community with low cost clean electric power.

The biomass skid will also be designed for a modest budget with up-scaling for larger biomass input. THe basic design should include the use of household wastes including bathroom and kitchen wastes. The bio-digester module for the household wastes would produce a 50-50 mix of methane gas and carbon dioxide. If one wishes, the carbon dioxide can be scrubbed, however, since the CO2 is organically derived, it will be greenhouse gas neutral and safe to allow in the atmosphere. The liquid waste, effluent, from the bio-digester will contain some alcohols and should be sent to the vacuum still module for further processing. All yard and garden wastes would be put into the biomass precondition module where is will be batch treated with enzymes and boiled to extract the starches and sugars. The solids from the precondition module would be sent to the syn-gas reactor module that would use the high temperature steam from the SOFC exhaust boiler (800 to 850 C). The starches and sugars would then be transfered to the fermenter module. The liquids of the fermenter would be supplied to the boiler section of the vacuum still module to extract the alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, and their isos). Since these are fuel alcohols and not fit for human consumption, the federal alcohol taxes should not apply but a federal alcohol still license should be obtained. The solids from the fermenter will also go to the syn-gas reactor module. All the syn-gas and bio-digester gas will be stored in the 500 to 1000 gal. SOFC input tank on the electrical skid. The alcohol production will be stored on the fuel skid's 50 gal. liquids tank with any access to be sent to the SOFC input tank.

All the fuel produced here are usable to fuel the SOFC. The SOFC is able to reform each of the gases and alcohols for its own uses, with the exhaust being water, carbon dioxide, some nitrogen, and 800 to 850 degree C (1475 to 1560 degrees F) heat. When condensed, the water in the exhaust is pure and safe for human consumption. If fact, the condensed fuel cell water on our space shuttle and space station is saved for use as drinking water for the astronauts. The exhaust water from our SOFC should to into a holding tank for our own use in preference to ground water.

I am too old, at the end of my life, on social security and too poor, or I would actually design and build these skids myself and use them as a demonstration. If anyone wishes, please do sue this process layout and do the design. I suggest, however, that the design follow all of the OSHA regulations, that a process and mechanical flow diagrams be created and used in a thorough hazards analysis prior the construction of the skids and that competent engineers be employed for each phase from the design of the home or retrofit to the home, the installation of the skids and with the start-up of the modules. As we move from fossil fuels and into the hydrogen economy we must take care that we do not cause harm to ourselves and that we might actually enjoy our new found freedoms.

Hybreds for Green Energy

2007-06-25T12:10:00.000-05:00

It is time to update again:

After continuing to research the subject, it is still quite clear that the keep to clean(er) energy to run our homes, farms, and factories will come from the use of fuel cells and in particular, the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell. Both Acumentrics and Siemens are preparing to develop such fuel cells in the 5KW range. Both have submitted briefs to the DOE for approval and both will quite affordable, selling at around $2,000 to $5,000 per unit. The units will also be produced for safe installation, complete with hook-ups to the fuel source and directly into the electric grid. Both Siemens and Acumentrics Units are fully capable of using and internally reforming Methane (pipeline natural gas), propane, alcohol, and bio-fuels. They do, however, require the removal of any sulfur from the fuel stream prior to entering into the fuel cell.

As for the use of solar cells and wind turbine, these are still limited and too costly for the average home owner. Solar panels are rapidly increasing in efficiency, but still sell in the price range of $3.00 to $5.00 per watt. Also, they produce electric power only when the sun shines. The most effective use of solar electric power is to store the electricity produced in some sort of battery system. I propose that the solar power be used to disassociate hydrogen from water, releasing the oxygen into the atmosphere, and inserting the hydrogen into the natural gas pipeline feed to the fuel cell generator. http://www.distributed-energy.com/hydrogen_generation.html is an excellent source for Hydorgen generation for this purpose. This can be done best by placing a tank of about 500 gal. just before the fuel cell. Since the natural gas is at low pressure and the hydrogen is produced up to 200 psig, as the hydrogen is produced, it will displace the natural gas and some of the hydrogen will likely be safely back-fed into the pipeline for others to use.

It is important to understand, too, that the conditions and relative cost of wind turbines is essentially the same as that of solar cells. The difference is that the cost of maintaining a wind turbine is high, after all , it is a mechanical device, and the wind turbine must have a constant wind at a minimum of 8 miles an hour to be effective. I see the wind turbine and the solar cells as being a primary source of hydrogen for use in the Fuel cell and not as the primary producer of home electric power. Eventually, the natural gas pipelines will be converted into hydrogen pipelines. In the mean time, the efficiency of the SOFC, up to 90% if used in co-generation, will markedly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the waste heat produce by the SOFC can be used for home heating and cooking.

So, let's step forward now and insist on our hybrid, the true "high-bred", green energy built home.

Hybreds for Green energy

2007-06-14T10:53:00.000-05:00

More news updates:
It continues to appear that the SOFC running on hydrogen filtered from Natural Gas is still the best and most economical option for electrifying our homes, be it a new home or as a retrofit for an existing home. However, there are other options for producing the Hydrogen. The problem is that the options for Hydrogen production, all of them in a state of development. All of the methods are, to date, expensive. Usually, too expensive for the home owner/builder to seriously consider. It looks like the heart of our electrification, the SOFC, will run us as much as a new car, somewhere in the $10,000 to $20,000 area. But keep in mind that there is a payback. Our 5kw unit will supply us with all the electric power we need with some left over for our neighbors, thus saving us our currently high monthly electric bills. There is, also, some payback from the State and Federal governments, too, in the form of subsidy and grants for switching to green energy.
There is one more bonus for using the SOFC. It operates as +/- 50% efficiency at a 800 degree F exhaust temperature. This is hot enough to produce high pressure steam to drive a steam turbine driven generator, thus increasing the total efficiency to near 90%. The water that is condensed is pure and drinkable or can be used as the feed water for a hydrolysis hydrogen generator; more on this later. The water condensing process can also heat water for our household hot water and for home heating, too. Thus, our efficiency goes up to near 95%. These benefits and the multiple fuel capabilities is what makes the chosen tubular SOFC so attractive. As we move toward the Hydrogen economy but still needing the carbon fuels, the increased efficiency alone reduces the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.
Let us now consider some other options for producing our fuel of choice, Hydrogen. This will quickly show why getting our Hydrogen from Methane at this time:
Our governments, federal and local, have embarked on a campaign to put Hydrogen into a pipeline system for distribution. This is very feasible, safe, and the most logical idea. Hydrogen in the natural gas pipeline is far safer than the current Methane being distributed now. Methane is heavier than air and settles into pockets as it mixes with air and produces a very powerful explosive mixture, one spark an BOOM, you house is gone. Hydrogen, on the other hand is the lightest of all the gases and quickly rises high into the atmosphere as it mixes with air. The mixture then reacts with sunlight to produce water but is not likely to be explosive nor would it likely find a spark to ignite it if the explosive mixture is achieved. so, until our natural gas pipelines are filled with hydrogen, we will be able to use the methane to give us our hydrogen.
Another method for producing our hydrogen is to use solar cells to drive a Hydrolysis Hydrogen Generator. Distributed Energy Systems has just a system already available. Their system includes not only solar cells but wind turbines, too. The one drawback is, however, they are pointing to the PEM fuel cell rather than the SOFC. I am sure that this is an easy fix, however. The real problem is the costs of the solar cells, the wind turbines which are for windy locations, and for the hydrolysis units. I can see the solar cell/wind turbine/water hydrolysis as a added on scheme for later uses and/or for areas where the Natural Gas/Hydorgen pipelines are not available. One more problem with this method is the storage of the hydrogen. It can be put into tanks with pressures up to 200 psig, stored with metal hydrides and/or in nanotubes that are being developed now. But all of these methods add cost to our home system and we need the least expensive method. Otherwise, we will be stuck with using the fossil fuels we are forced to use today.
There are still more methods for producing hydrogen in development, but none of them hold much promise for mass production or hardware store availability. It is important to note, however, that the SOFC does operate on bio-gases and alcohols, too. These bio-gases and alcohols are also an important source of hydrogen, having more hydrogen per carbon atom than does water have per oxygen atom. Also, the alcohols are normally liquid and even mixed with water up to 50% can be used as a motor fuel as well as a fuel cell fuel.

Hybreds for Green energy

2007-06-05T12:16:00.000-05:00

More information for green energy, A new and important Solid Oxide Fuel Cell unit is soon to be put on the market. It is still in the demonstration and testing mode right now, with just 30 or so units in operation at a unit price tag of $175,000. This is well beyond the means for most of us. However, Acumentrics is assuring us that the price tag will be far more reasonable when the unit is readied for commercial distribution. I expect to see it in the $17,500 to $7,500 range at the beginning with further drops as sales and demand increase.

The beauty of the Acumentrics’ 5000 Power System is that it operates directly from natural gas, propane, biofuels, LPG, methanol, ethanol, or hydrogen. I would recommend hydrogen, however, as it is the cleanest of all the fuels and it will not need to have sulfur extracted. Acumentrics believe the life expectancy for the Acumentrics’ 5000 Power System to be in the range of 50,000 (5 years) to 100,000 (12 years) hours of continuous operation without a major overhaul. This is far better than the best turbine or internal combustion driven generators. My guess is that by using only hydrogen, this life expectancy might be extended to over 20 years.

Another recent discovery is from the Japanese. It seems that they have developed a ceramic filter that will pass the hydrogen molecule but reject all other elements and molecules, including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, water, steam, methane and other hydrocarbons. This allows that natural gas (methane) can be treated with steam, forming hydrogen, carbon monoxide, water (steam), and left over methane. The hydrogen, only, is passed along for use in the SOFC. The remainder to be sent to a second reform unit to remove the carbon before it can be put into the atmosphere or to be burned for heating and/or cooking fuel in the pipeline. There are already some who are putting this technology (nanotechnology developed) into operation to make clean hydrogen for pipeline distribution.

Although photoelectric cells are improving dramatically in both efficiency and in price, it is clear that it will be a few more years before they will be affordable to the general public. In addition, to use the solar cell for hydrogen production would require a hydrolysis unit. This only adds to the cost of using solar cells or wind turbines for making hydrogen for the solar cell. In time, solar energy and other alternative ways of prodicing hydrogen will be important, but for now, let us use the ceramic filter method, it is the best and least expensive method available to us.

Official Google Blog: Google Apps Partner Edition

2007-05-22T08:38:00.000-05:00

Official Google Blog: Google Apps Partner Edition

Hybreds for Green energy

2007-05-13T11:32:00.002-05:00

update:
The 'Homepower' article continues to to evolve with more discussion added to the outline provided.

After reviewing the information available via a Google search, it is
clear that the price of solar cells will drop dramatically one day soon,
more reasonable ~$0.50 kw/hour. However, we must keep in mind that the
sun shines an average for less than half a day per year. Not only do we
have to contend with the earth's shadow but also cloudy, rainy days.
And, keep in mind that trees, tall buildings and far northern latitudes
also lessen the sunshine that can produce electricity produced by solar
(photovoltaic) cells. We also must consider that converting the DC
current to AC current produces an energy (heat) loss within the Inverter
and or storage devices such as a battery, be they lead acid or other.
Each and very device placed between the source - solar panels - and the
use - home heating, lighting, cooling, etc. - produces heat and thus
robs us of our energy.

But how can we overcome such a problem? It is clear that we cannot rely
on solar cells along. We are developing low cost highly efficient solar
cells but need to incorporate the energy produced into a system that is
also low cost and highly efficient. Note, too, that high efficiency and
low cost go hand-in-hand. That is, the higher the efficiency, the lower
the cost of the energy and the lower the cost of the equipment, the more
tolerant of energy losses can be accepted. However, it is important that
any system be able to deliver ~5kw/hour at a price, including equipment
costs, comparable to current grid prices, to operate any reasonable home.

I am proposing a schema which I feel will work. In a nutshell, it is
solar cells to a water hydrolysis unit to produce hydrogen and oxygen.
The oxygen is released to the atmosphere and the hydrogen sent to a
storage unit, at least one and perhaps two 500 gal. pressure tank. The
hydrogen is now available on demand for a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell capable
of producing at least the ~5kw/hour output. This entire system can also
be tied into the grid to produce an income for the extra electricity.

The choice of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) is to take advantage of
other available fuels besides hydrogen on which the SOFC is capable of
using as a fuel. This can include Methane (natural gas), Methanol,
Ethanol, and other liquid alcohols. All of these alternate fuels can be produced by
bio-digestion of home and garden wastes.

As an additional benefit for the Green Energy schema, excess hydrogen
produced can be fed back into the natural gas distribution system to
"enrich" the natural gas supply. This can work in reverse, too, as the hydrogen can be produced in remote desert regions where the sun shine is abundant and transmitted through the natural gas pipelines for distribution throughout the land. The hydrogen does contain more energy
than to the natural gas (methane) and is actually much safer than is
natural gas (methane).

Finally, this schema can be adapted for vehicular uses, too. In fact,
one's electric car can be "recharged" with hydrogen for fuel cells and
or highly efficient batteries, such as Lithium-ion batteries, while the
car sits in the grocery store or business parking lots. The recharge can
also be done from the home-power hydrogen/fuel cell system, too, as we
sleep. All of this mobile schema can be applied to our lawnmowers,
tractors, and other small tools.

New to Blogging

2007-05-12T08:52:00.001-05:00

I am new to blogging and this is a test of blogging for me. As I say in my introduction, I will be using this as a pubic vehicle to extend the personal web pages of http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~chtank/thinktank.html. and also my personal IRC chat room, #Thinktank which is established on http://www.deepspace2.org/. The chat room, #Thinktank, is set up for academic discustions, the format varies as needed. Since I am one of six founding network administrators, how deepspace and #Thinktank are used is under my absolute control. I will not knowingly allow strong sexual content, illegal software (warez), nor abusive and personal attacks on any of the web services I control.

--

--
chtank, aka gramps, aka Q.

Green Energy Now

2007-04-24T20:18:00.000-05:00

We have seen much about Global Warming, Pollution of our atmosphere, water and land, and stories of how we can help on the Media. At least here in Texas, our electric power companies are fighting each other for our dollar while offering "green energy". Houston, Texas gives us a little green bin in which we are to place our old newspapers, empty plastic containers, and aluminum cans for recycling. Also, Houston uses four separate trash pickups, one for "normal garbage once a week, one for bagged yard and garden wastes for making compost once a week, one for the recycling once every two weeks, and finally, one for "Heavy Trash pick-up once a month. All pick-ups must be at curb-side on the given day. This is the City of Houston's answer to the problem. There is one more effort by the city coming in the near future, a city wide wireless broad-band Internet access at a reasonable rate. I have heard it will be about $10 a month, but will wait and see about that. Such a plan could be an energy energy saving and pollution reducing event. This would save on the use of cable and telephone lines for transmission of the digital signals.

For those of use who are taking action at home, the list is long. We are switching from the old incandescent light bulbs to florescent bulb, 23 watt florescent equaling 100 watt incandescent. We are looking at the energy star rating on our air conditioning, refrigerators, and other electrical appliances. Many of us are buying more economical automobiles and willingly purchasing the fuel that is at least 10% Ethanol and would like to see even higher Ethanol content. A few of us are retrofitting solar cells to our home to supplement our electric supplied by the power companies. All in all, many Americans to take pollution and global warming seriously. Those who do not simply don't care or are in some sort of denial with their heads in the sand. But is what we are doing enough? Can we do more or is the price simply too high?

I have begun an article on my personal web site that deals with a self contained and potentially, a producer of clean energy to the power grid and also to the natural gas utility grid. The article is linked in the title of this blog, "Green Energy Now". I call the article "Home Power". I have two more articles in the works, too, but little has been done on these as yet, one is called "Ultimate Lawnmower" and the other is titles "Bio Digestion". None of these article are anywhere near completed. I am waiting on the commercial availability of nanotechnology improved solar cells, fuel cells, water hydrolysis equipment, and hydrogen storage. The system will need to be commercially available at a price that the consumer can afford. I know for a fact that this is currently in the works, one can follow the developments for the equipment with the National Nanotechnology Initiative, a Federal Government site. In addition, the Bio Digestion site will include an old how-to article published in Mother Earth News way back in the 70's. The article described in detail how to build a tax-free vacuum still to produce denatured Ethanol for fuel.

I would like help with these articles and would willingly give credits to anyone who is willing to contribute. If you wish to discuss this more and make arrangements, feel free to e-mail me or join me in my IRC chat room, IRC.deepspace.org, #Thinktank. The #Thinktank can be set up to have a moderated panel one hour long discussion followed by 23 hours of open to all discussion and question period.

Thoughts on Human Relations and the Sexes

2007-04-18T18:49:00.000-05:00

This post will serve two purposes. First it will become a part of my memoir under the heading of "Dinosaur Eggs Hatched, Part III". Even though it encompasses the entire period from the Part I through Part III, the subject matter is about what I learned about my own sexuality and details how I developed my philosophy concerning heterosexuality and homosexuality. Thus, this must be consider "R" rated since in today's climate it is a no no for under 18 to learn anything about their own sexuality. It is a shame, too. Our teens will have to acquire their sexual attitudes on the street, just as their parents and grandparents often had to do. Too bad that their parents are afraid to talk about sex and what they learned. The song, "We saw mama before she was mama", comes to mind.

Today we hear so much on the news about teachers having sex with students, Gay Rights, and Dating Services that I feel I must say something. After all, I have seen seven and a half decades. My memories of my past sexual feelings and activities is still fresh in my mind. One might say, barring Alzheimer's, that memories of what was is all we Dinosaurs have left. After all, even with Viagra, the availability of sexual expression is behind us. However, the desire for sex remains to leave us with nothing but longing and fond memories.

The stories which will follow have brought me to these conclusions about love and sex:

"Love and lust are not the same. Love is an emotional state of being while lust is a physical act."
"while one loves his parents, his children, and his neighbor, he does not necessarily Lust after them."
"One can enjoy sex with any partner but sex is many times better when the trust and understanding of love accompanies the sex."
"Sexual desire is a normal bodily function, just as is hunger and the evacuation of bodily wastes."
"We are driven by our sexual desire to reproduce and one cannot reproduce with the same sex."
"Love for another does not require sex with the other; love for parents, children, and neighbors is Godly but lust is earthly. After all, God loves us all but does not have sex with any of us except for one, after all, he gave His only begotten Son."
"If God had impregnated Mary today, he would have been put in jail for 20 years to life."
"Sex with another is a pleasure in order that we should reproduce, any other sexual expression with another is nothing more than mutual masturbation."
"One cannot reproduce with the same sex."

(to be continued: I have published this to my memoir and the remainder is available here: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~chtank/hatched.html, PART III.)

MY ECOENERGY PAGE

2007-04-17T14:47:00.000-05:00

by Charles H. Tankersley

As a child, I enjoyed the "outdoors" and relished running through the woods, exploring along the banks of ponds and lakes, and in general observing all of God's creations. When I grew into adulthood and entered the work force, I began learning how to alter the earth to suit man's needs and wants. Usually, man's wants outweighed the needs. As fate would have it, I learned how to design dams, waterways, power plants, chemical plants, and refineries. When I began working in the Power and Petroleum Industry I became worried and concerned with what we are doing to this little space station called earth just for a little profit. I have seen the chemicals we bury in the ground or dump in our rivers and streams. I have seen the smoke stacks as they pumped their toxic fumes in the air. I have built the systems that fuel aircraft, trucks and cars. I have helped design the gas and coal boilers for electric generation. I have distributed the gas used for cooking our food and for heating our homes. Because of all this pollution we created we are now facing a global climate change! Global warming is man's own doing. mankind's demand for "comfort and convenience", regardless of the consequences, is catching up with him.

The past 100 years has seen pockets of increased cancer, untimely deaths, and genetic harm industry and government contractors have done with pollution left in the soil, in the ground water, and in the air. There are even cases air pollution from atomic power plants. Mostly, though, all that is heard from the general population is, "They ought to do something about that" and that is the end of it. What is not realized is that the "They" in the foregoing sentence is "We, the People of these united states...and the world...", you and I; we are the "THEY". But people do not want to give up automobiles or even second automobiles. Man does not want to turn off electric lights, does not want to stop using lawn mowers. People do not want to haul old empty paint cans to a safe place to dispose of them. It seems mankind does not want to take the action needed to clean up this junk yard earth. Yes, it is true, the human being is the most deadly and wasteful animal on this earth. It is greed, waste and complacency that will lead mankind to the dinosaur's fate. Science has been warning of this for years, yet, even today the warning goes unheeded by the majority.

One of the problems faced with trying to clean up the earth is to give a viable alternative to the current infrastructure. The oil companies, the power companies, and the the appliance and automobile manufacturers have enjoyed an almost uninhibited road to wealth and power. They respond to the wish for more and better luxuries, happily lining their pockets for the pleasure and entertainment of civilization. They build bigger, faster automobiles which give out more carbon dioxide so the drivers can get to the hottest night spot to booze it up with their favorite sex objects while becoming deaf to the 100 DB sounds of a over amplified rock bands with flashing colored lights designed to drive everyone insane. It all runs on energy, dirty energy. However, hidden way to the back of this runaway bus are a few who will try to make a difference. These brave few offer alternatives to dirty energy demands and point to clean, safe energy. This web page will offer a few of these alternatives. This web page will page will offer some suggestions and collect a few links to others who are working to help clean up the earth.

ALIEN REPORTS

2007-04-17T14:41:00.000-05:00

EXTRATERRESTRIAL SPIES ARE EXPOSED!

As members of an extraterrestrial observation team, aliens report regularly to their headquarters, which is a well-concealed space station near earth's solar system. The aliens have determined that human intelligence has evolved sufficiently to allow an alliance for space exploration and utilization is feasible. However, the human race must stop fighting among itself, and learn to use energy effectively without polluting the earth with emission of fossil fuels and waste by-products of atomic fuels. Care is being taken not to cause a general panic when the aliens reveal themselves to the human race. These reports are the first steps toward joining with human in cooperation and space exploration.

CUTTING EDGE OF SCIENCE

2007-04-17T11:37:00.000-05:00

TO EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~chtank/starships.html
Let us discuss those things that are still theory or even simply ideas and thoughts in the realm of physics and astrophysics. We will not make any attempt to claim all is actually fact or fiction. The ideas discussed here may or may not be proved now or in a future time. However, this material is subject to serious scientific study which we can only hope does become the facts of the future. Just as many ideas presented in science fiction, when fiction becomes fact it builds the knowledge base for future explorations into the unknown. From the moment of Creation, all that exists in the universe is belongs to God. This includes those Laws and Truths that make the universe work; that fly the planets in their orb; that shine the many suns; that give animals their breath. What better honor can we give our God than to study His Truths? Did His Son not say all will be revealed? Look at what has already been revealed! Until the fate of theory is known, may we continue to dream the stuff of science, fiction and fact.

ON EDUCATION:

2007-04-17T11:33:00.000-05:00

The purpose of life, the reason to exist, from birth to death, is to learn. We are here to learn of God's Truths in His works. We are here to learn to live in peace and in harmony with all of God's Creation. What better way to know God than to look for His Truth in His Work.

It takes very little insight to realize that all life on earth must learn. Failure to learn guarantees extinction. Although learning does not guarantee immortality, it does point in the right direction. Perhaps life created earlier in remote reaches of this universe is more advanced than we, and perhaps we were the earliest life created, but in either case, we have much yet to learn. There are those who claim a soul and I am incline to agree with such a concept. It seems that learning to breath, to move about, to find food, to communicate ideas, and to reason would be fruitless without some form of immortality. Thus, one should consider a soul, spirit, or form of being beyond the physical body-and there is evidence that points in this direction, too.

If we are here to learn, then, as a race, it is our duty to learn or face extinction. And if it is our duty to learn, in turn, it is our duty to teach. As we discover the many truths of the universe, regardless of how simple the truths, we are obligated to pass the truths along to the whole of humanity. This is done in many ways today, but the written word is most common. We can know only that we can perceive. Many of us, as we perceive, record our perceptions. Since man learned to write, he has recorded what he perceives and many great books of knowledge and been written and, sadly, many have been lost. But all told, we still have many books of TRUTH available to us today. It then becomes imperative that all human beings learn to read and in turn, study, read, and record the TRUTH's as they are discovered, regardless of the risk, as Copernicus did when he discovered the solar system. Remember, too, that to this very day, mankind knows no absolute TRUTH. Regardless of our position in life, we are still both student and teacher, forever.

A Dinosaur's Thinktank

2007-04-17T10:28:00.000-05:00

This is the first post into my thinktank blog. I will be using it for many elements of my personal website's "Table of Content" and to discuss many of my interests in continued adult education via the Internet, computer use tutorials, the sciences, and my memoir. From time to time, I may copy elements of my three websites listed in my profile posted on this page, however, the tree URL's will continue to be the jest of all my work. To know me it to look at my websites.