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In
our last Newsletter we mentioned several topics that would be
discussed in this month's newsletter. Well, we have made some
adjustments and those topics will be covered in future
Newsletters. One of the reasons for this adjustment is because Turbo
Burn submitted to us an interesting explanation of energy and
the different types of fuels available to the consumer. This is
educational and we wanted to share it with you. |
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1) Energy and Fuels - A simple explanation |
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Fossil Fuels
The remains of plants, animals and
microorganisms that lived millions of years ago. |
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Crude Oil
These are the common fuels created
from the processing of Crude Oil |
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Liquefied Petroleum Gas - LPG -
Methane, ethane,
propane, butane |
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Gasoline -
Fuel for internal combustion engines |
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Diesel fuel -
Used as Fuel Oil for
heating homes or as diesel engine fuel |
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Lubricants -
Motor oils, hydraulic fluids, greases, etc. |
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Natural Gas |
| Also known as
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LP Gas) |
| Deposits are
found underground (usually associated with oil
fields) and require processing to remove
unwanted gasses. |
| The Natural Gas
used in homes is almost pure methane gas. |
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Coal |
| Coal is a
readily combustible black or brownish-black
sedimentary rock primarily composed of carbon.
Often sulfur is present. |
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Organic Fuels
From renewable resources |
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Biomass
Solids to be burned for heat |
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Biomass
is the stored energy in organic
materials made from plants and animals.
Some examples of biomass fuels are wood,
crops and manure. |
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Biomass is a
renewable energy source because we can
always grow more trees and crops, and
waste will always exist. |
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Ethanol
Gasoline additive |
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known as Grain Alcohol - Ethanol is made
by fermenting and then distilling starch
and sugar crops -- maize, sorghum,
potatoes, wheat, sugar-cane, cornstalks,
fruit and vegetable waste. |
| A little
more expensive to produce than gasoline.
Pure grain alcohol is rated at 106
octane. Is used to boost the octane in
gasoline and is safe for most vehicles.
Gasoline has up to 10% ethanol (E10). |
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Biodiesel
Diesel fuel additive |
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Biodiesel is the name of a clean burning
alternative fuel, produced from
domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel
is the end product after glycerin is
chemically removed from fat or vegetable
oil. |
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Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it
can be blended at any level with
petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel
blend. It can be used in
compression-ignition (diesel) engines
with little or no modifications.
Biodiesel is simple to use,
biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially
free of sulfur and aromatics. |
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Fuel-grade biodiesel must be produced to
strict industry specifications in order
to insure proper performance. Biodiesel
will gel in very cold temperatures, just
as the common # 2 diesel does. Blends of
5% biodiesel (B5) or less have virtually
no impact on cold flow. Higher blends
are adequately handled with the same
fuel management techniques as #2 diesel. |
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Solar |
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There are two
methods
of capturing energy
from the sun |
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Using the sun's radiant
energy to heat water in snaking tubes on a
building's roof. This hot water can be used
for domestic purposes such as showers,
dishes and laundry or can be used to heat a
home through heat transfer devises.
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Using the sun's radiant
energy to energize special photo cells
which, in turn, creates electricity. This is
called 'Photovoltics'. Electricity must be
used immediately or stored in battery cells. |
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Electricity |
| Primary
electricity generation in the United States:
Coal 50%, Nuclear 20%, Natural Gas, 18%,
Hydroelectric 7% |
| Consumers can
generate electricity with windmills,
paddlewheels in moving water and solar photovoltics.
Surplus electricity can be sold back to the local
power company, stored in battery cells or used to
heat water which can be stored for future demand. |
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WaterStove
tie-in: All forms of energy
listed above (except gasoline and ethanol) can
be used to heat the water in a Premium WaterStove.
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2) Where WaterStoves
fit in the home heating Big Picture |
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PRIMARY
HOME
HEATING
OPTIONS |
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TYPE |
ENERGY
SOURCE |
HEAT
DISTRIBUTION |
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Furnace |
Gas,
Oil, Wood/Coal |
Forced air duct
network |
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Heat Pump |
Ambient heat, Electricity |
Forced air duct
network |
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Electric
Heaters |
Electricity |
Forced air duct
network,
baseboard |
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Boilers |
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Gas, Oil,
Electricity,
and Wood
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Wood
Burning Boilers
are also called
WaterStoves |
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Forced air duct
network,
Hydronics (radiators,
baseboard, radiant panels,
in-floor tubing). Boilers can
also supply domestic hot
water. |
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SECONDARY
HOME
HEATING
OPTIONS |
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TYPE |
ENERGY
SOURCE |
HEAT
DISTRIBUTION |
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Solar |
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Sun |
Hot water for
Hyudronics |
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Fireplace |
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Cord Wood |
Radiant and
local fan |
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Space
Heaters |
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Gas, Oil |
Local fan |
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Electricity |
Radiant
Panels, convection panels and heating elements with
a local fan |
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BACK TO TOP |
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3) The
typical WaterStove owner |
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Lives rurally or in the country
Wants to heat with the least expensive
fuel available
Wants independence from the big oil
companies
Has access to inexpensive or free
fuels (wood, waste oil, etc.)
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4) Heating Terms:
Conduction, Convection and Radiation |
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There are only three
ways to transfer heat |
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Conduction
Conduction Heat is when heat energy is passed from a material of
high temperature to another with a lower temperature. Examples:
Using a stovetop burner used to heat a frying pan or laying on a
warm waterbed to get warm. |
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Convection
Convection Heat is when heat energy is transferred between a
solid and a fluid (liquid or air). Forced Convection is when a
fan or pump moves a fluid over a hot or cold object. Natural
Convection is when cool fluids create currents as they move
toward warm solids. |
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Radiation (thermal)
Thermal Radiant Heat is the infra-red energy given off by a hot
object that is absorbed by another. The open space between the
two objects is not necessarily heated. Examples: The sun heating
the earth and a fire in a fireplace heating the people in front
of it. |
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BACK TO TOP |
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Coming in the June WaterStove
Newsletter |
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We will try again to cover these
topics:
How to build a perfect fire
The importance of the right insulation
Using solar energy and electricity with a WaterStove
Current EPA and local government rulings
and more |
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BACK TO TOP
BACK TO
THE WATERSTOVE DIRECTORY |
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Thank you for reading the WaterStove Newsletter.
Suggestions and
comments to this Newsletter are welcome.
Unfortunately, time constraints will allow me to
personally respond to very few emails.
Mike@OmniM.com |
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This Newsletter is sponsored in part by
the following businesses: |
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NCSS
North Coast Sales & Services, Inc |
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