All this is fine and dandy, but it doesn't change the FUN factor.
The Tow Mixer Gas Milage Competition is mostly for fun.
Yes, I think we can learn a few things in the process too.
I'm more than happy to open up the concept to other energy sources, each in their own category. However, most people don't have a watt-hour meter. Anyone that does have a "Kill-A-Watt" or other similar watt-hour meter is encouraged to measure their electric mixer in operation and post their results as well. FYI, those Kill-A-Watt type meters can pay for themselves very quickly if you use them to track down all the phantom loads burning electricity in your home needlessly.
For that matter, I'd love to see Clarissa post about how much papercrete her draft horses can mix per bucket of oats or bale of hay! That would be... AWESOME!
Bottom line, I think it will be fun to see how much energy each papercreter uses to mix up papercrete. If we happen to learn some new things to help each other become better at doing it... all the better.
--- In
papercreters@yahoogroups.com, josef mc wrote:
>
> a little math will show there are more efficient ways to make pulp than
> pulling it behind a car. however i think the convenience of a tow behind
> mixer outweighs the gas savings. (dump out into forms instead of lifting
> heavy pulp)
>
> Gasoline contains about 36600 Wh/US gal.
> the 5hp Baldor motor mixer shown in this post:
>
>
http://tucson.craigslist.org/tls/3520388633.html>
> 5 hp = 746 watt (1 hp) x 5= 3730 watt to operate for one hour = 3730 wh
> with a gasoline engine being approx 35% efficient at best this means i
> could run this electric 5 hp motor for 3,5 hours on one gallon of fuel.
>
> towing a trailer might add one gallon of fuel to the regular usage of the
> car. needles to say that the gas driving the car surely outweighs the
> additional fuel, so unless you would have driven the car anyhow. you are
> wasting a lot of gas. however like i said i think the convenience outweighs
> the gas debate any day.
> if you are talking about setting up a production line inside a shop as a
> permanent install. the electric operation will always be less energy
> consumed.
>
> if we would be debating the emissions it would be a whole other debate.
> the 3730 watt needed to operate the electric motor have 78% heat loss at
> the power plant to add to them. this means it was 16954 watt (raw fuel)
> needed to produce those 3730 watt electrical.
> the watt ratio of electrical power (final fuel) to gasoline (raw fuel) =
> 1:2
> since gasoline otto type engines are 35% efficient at best.
>
>
> 16954 watt (raw fuel) to produce 3730 watt electrical = 3.5hour run time
> 5hp (el) motor= 59339 watt (raw fuel) to operate 3.5 hours (power plant 22%
> efficient with 78% heat losses)
>
> so unless you are operating on a wind mill or a wood gasifier to produce
> your electrical power to run your mixers. It is producing more emissions
> utilizing electrical grid power (coal fired power plants 22% vs 78% waste)
> than using a regular gasoline engine 35% efficient.
>
> I know i went to far with this simple question just thought it might be
> interesting to somebody lol.
>
>
>
> --
> Please check out my website, it shows one alternative for us to learn how
> to built your own power supply.
> It is a self cycling biomass
> gasification process
> utilizing a combined
> heat and power (CHP)
> approach with grass
> clippings and
> woodgas to
> power your home.
>
> www.OneAlternative.US
>
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