Factor E Farm Blog

Here is video documentation for making the first two parabolic reflectors for the Solar Turbine project:

The Solar Turbine Convergence is here – Elliot and I are continuing on the next reflector version, and we are picking up Stuart today.

We’d like to note that we ran into a serious snag with using 4′ wide parabolic receivers in an east-west array of reflectors – which is our latest implementation concept. Daily solar motion changes the distance of the solar path to the receiver – such that at best, it appears we can get 2x concentration from parabolic dishes – such that the image size at 9 am or 3 pm will be half the reflector width – or 2 feet here. If you are familiar with this dilemma – helps us – and consider joining the Solar Turbine group. It looks at present that we’ll be returning to 1 foot wide slats instead of these 4 footers. We are going through one design issue after another – which is good. We’ll see how far we’ll get by the end of the Convergence on Sep. 3. We are presently aiming at about 50x concentration.

Here is video documentation for making the first two parabolic reflectors for the Solar Turbine project: The Solar Turbine Convergence is here - Elliot and I are continuing on the next reflector version, and we are picking up Stuart today. We'd like to note that we ran into a serious snag with using 4' ...

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A reality check is a bitter sweet pill. The sweetness comes from the truth and the bitterness is in the swallowing.

This week I received a letter from an inventor. An inventor who loves the world but sleeps on a couch. When I asked him about collaborating, the response was uncertain: Although he knew that the open source method would bring his invention to people faster, he wanted to be compensated for his work and therefore was going to get a patent. Would we still collaborate with a “closed” business?

Since we agreed that open source method was better for humanity, I responded with ways in which the open source method could also benefit the inventor.

His reply left me with a tough pill to swallow. His father was an open source inventor. He gave the world the Winiarski rocket stove. In return, other organizations received millions of dollars in grants, while he receives little more than social security. And while he does bask in the love of helping thousands, it doesn’t put bread on his table.

His contribution to society is honorable, but how do we take it to the next level, where inventors too are financially honored for their work?

In the conventional invention world, one inventor is the mad scientist, devoting all spare moments and spare change to breathing life into an idea. A patent or investor may alleviate the financial burden, but it may just as likely leave the inventor high and dry. Check out Don Lancaster’s Patent Avoidance Library.
Open source development is meant to distribute the risk. With many people contributing (albeit some more than others) the risk development burden is shared. At Open Source Ecology, we ask people to contribute financially, intellectually, and organizationally. (Feel free to contact us for more info– simply leave a comment below.)

Ask and you shall receive. And if you don’t receive, prepare yourself further, and ask again. I think many people who make great contributions to the world, to their communities, and to their families, forget about themselves. They forget to meet their own basic needs. They fail to ask others for help.

Asking for contributions of any sort is easier today than ever before with the internet. Explain your story. People listen.

But it does require persistence, paperwork, and publicity. Not everyone has the time, energy or skills for this. We hope that through our collaboration efforts, we are able offer an alternative. For example, if an inventor has a very worthwhile product, which he/she invested much time, effort, and resources personally and is reluctant to open source their work (perhaps for very legitimate reasons), than we (the great global we) could decide whether or not to collaboratively fund an effort to “buy out” the inventor to and put the product into the open source domain. This is not the ideal situation. (Open development is ideal.) But ideal isn’t always practical, especially as we are in a time of transition.

We believe that ultimately, people must produce goods. It feels funny to say this when we live in a time that is burdened with “stuff“. But the truth is very few real goods are being produced. We sorely need producers of wholesome, responsible products. That means the inventor, too can be a producer.

Indirectly, the inventor(s) may benefit through publicity. Someone may offer paying work as a result of the inventor(s) open source developments. This method works for some people. But it has no guarantees. This method alone would certainly not pay for a world-class research and development budget, at least not in a timely manner.

One way to solve this conundrum would be an open source product label. This might be used to guarantee to the consumer that a percentage of the price is going back into research and development. A label could guarantee that the product is made justly– similar to a fair trade or organically grown mark. A label would let the consumer know what version of a design they have and who produced it, who designed it, and who changed what in the design.

These are explorations in creating the open source economics of the future. What are your thoughts? What is the best way to neocommercialize? What other challenges must be overcome? What solutions are brewing?

Also, for those who are interested, preliminary designs for the Solar Concentrator are posted on the wiki. Feel free to add your comments and insights.

A reality check is a bitter sweet pill. The sweetness comes from the truth and the bitterness is in the swallowing. This week I received a letter from an inventor. An inventor who loves the world but sleeps on a couch. When I asked him about collaborating, the response was uncertain: Although ...

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A friend of ours stops in from time to time unannounced, often with a technical question on his mind. Before the weather turned so cold, he asked if we had any ideas for keeping his pond open for the winter. We had nothing intriguing to offer; just a cheap way to run an electric line for heating.

Open water is a concern for farmers in winter because when ponds freeze over, cattle have one less place to get water. The practical outcomes are: more work for the farmer (finding a way to get water to the cattle), the cattle are weaker because they lack water or the cattle are concentrated in a smaller area, potentially damaging the quality of the pasture.

I’ve heard about farmers manually breaking the ice for the cattle and I’ve seen articles on windmills, which keep the water flowing, reducing the risk of freezing. Others use an electric heater, but often getting electricity to the pond is tricky and costly. After reading about solar concentrators all week, I wonder if anyone is using one to keep their pond open in the winter. It seems like the perfect tool for the job.

Although our primary goal is to produce electricity, concentrators are diverse tools. Among the uses I’ve seen so far: solar cookers, food dehydrator, water distiller, wood gasification, lighting dark rooms, hot water, in-floor heating, and heating swimming pools.

What I’ve found so far, is that not many people are building linear concentrators. I found just two examples that are similar to our plans. Ausra is an Australian company who is planning megawatt linear concentrator electrical plants. Complete with thermal storage, they expect to supply energy during low-sun, high demand (ie. nighttime) periods without difficulty. They can compete with fossil fuel generation because of the low cost of the concentrators. Close to the ground, the concentrators are easily cleaned and do not require as much structural supports against high winds as other designs.

A small scale design was built called the “aquaflector.”

This is probably the best representation of what we plan to do. The inventor is hoping to eventually use the concentrator to power PV cells. Although he has not worked out the details of electrical generation, the aquaflector does produce steam.

Although none of their designs match our plan, the philosophy of www.solarfire.org matches ours intimately. They have published open source designs for two solar concentrators. They are open to improvements and encourage others to make and sell them. Moreover, they are working on a site for collaboration on all types of solar projects. They see a larger vision than simply supplying people with solar. However, that’s their entry point. We hope to collaborate with them more closely in the future.

A friend of ours stops in from time to time unannounced, often with a technical question on his mind. Before the weather turned so cold, he asked if we had any ideas for keeping his pond open for the winter. We had nothing intriguing to offer; just a cheap way to run ...

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When I was eight years old or so, my mom took us to the local lake. It was a particularly hot day and I put on sunscreen. After hours of fun in the lake, we came in for a picnic lunch. I was crispy. The swim suit straps had saved only a narrow stripe of skin on my otherwise bright red shoulders from the suns rays. My first sunburn.

All that energy. Right into my shoulder. The sun is the source of energy on earth. So why do we harness it so indirectly for our own energy needs?

According to the Energy Information Administration 2006 Annual Energy Review, 6.8 percent of the U.S. energy supply comes from “renewable” sources. “Renewable” energies include hydroelectric power, geothermal, solar/pv, wind, and biomass. However, within that figure is also petroleum derived ethanol.

I’m now looking for a figure that says how much “renewables” we used to consume. For as pitiable as 6.8 percent is, it will look good in comparison to ten years ago. But, I am distracted by a chart (also from www.eia.doe.gov). The caption says, “The United States was self-sufficient in energy until the late 1950s when energy consumption began to outpace domestic production. At that point, the Nation began to import more energy to fill the gap. In 2006, net imported energy accounted for 30 percent of all energy consumed.” Furthermore, since 1988 we have not significantly changed consumption of Btus per person. These charts are really interesting. I could tell you all about them, but I’m losing the point of this post. Go check it out for yourself. http://www.eia.doe.gov/aer/ep/ep_frame.html

The point of this post is solar concentrators. We’re going to develop one. Meaning you and me. Marcin asked me to help move the open source solar concentrator design forward. The problem is, I don’t know much. But you do or one of your friends does. Somebody out there does. Help put me in contact with them. Send me your best links and ideas.

The ground rules are as follows:

1. Although efficiency is important (the more efficient the better), highest efficiency is not our first design criterion.

2. What we are interested in is the most cost effective (ie,  efficient for the price of construction and maintenance), most replicable, simplistic design.

3. The goal: people can begin producing these and compete with subsidized energy. I know, that sounds unfair. But honestly, Americans are not going to accept “renewable” energy unless it looks and quacks like its subsidized counterpart.

4. Scaleable. A DIY home-brewer should be able to build one in their backyard. At the same time, a small-scale entrepreneur should be able to supply energy to an entire town using the same method, scaled up.

5. The concentrator will produce heat. That heat will be eventually turned into electricity. The current thought is a boundary layer turbine.

6. Marcin thinks a flat concentrator (rather than the more popular parabolic design) is the best route at this point because it requires minimal structural support (reducing costs) and is more easily scaleable. Is this the best method? What do the design details look like? Should oil or water be used as the medium in the collector? What’s the best angle for the mirrors? Where’s the best place to locate the collector in repect to the mirrors? Will 16 fold magnification create enough heat? Is 4′x8′ good for one panel size?

I realize these questions are a bit out of context, but I threw them down to get thoughts started. The solar concentrators wiki page may help put it into context, if you want more info right now: http://openfarmtech.org/index.php?title=Solar_Concentrators

So, pick your brain and your neighbors brain for ideas. Click the comment button, and share your thoughts.
And as always, if you are interested in leading or contributing to the other projects, let us know!

When I was eight years old or so, my mom took us to the local lake. It was a particularly hot day and I put on sunscreen. After hours of fun in the lake, we came in for a picnic lunch. I was crispy. The swim suit straps had saved ...

[7] Comments