http://rimstar.org Hands on (mostly) experiences with solar/wind, composting, non-conventional energy/propulsion, related stories, and details about equipment I needed to build on the way and materials I had to work with. en-ca http://rimstar.org/images/rimstar_ngc3949_large.jpg http://rimstar.org http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking_recipe_soya_rice_vegetable_concoction.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking_recipe_soya_rice_vegetable_concoction.htm It's February 20th in Ottawa, Canada, the ground is covered with a foot of snow and the temperature outside is below freezing, as it will be for another month or so. Time to start solar cooking again! Today I made what I'm calling a Soya Rice Vegetable Concoction using my new modified CooKit solar cooker. And it turned out great! See the link for details. Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:15:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/off_grid_solar_battery_maintenance.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/off_grid_solar_battery_maintenance.htm The new subsection on solar system battery maintenance is done! The finishing touches included topping up with water, equalizing your battery bank and cleaning the acid off your batteries. Add this to the previous sections on the different ways of measuring you state of charge using a hydrometer, an amp hour meter or volt meter and you now have a very complete how-to on battery maintenance. Enjoy! Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:12:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/how_to_measure_solar_system_battery_bank_voltage.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/how_to_measure_solar_system_battery_bank_voltage.htm Continuing with the new subsection on solar system battery maintenance, here are full details on measuring both battery bank voltage and the voltage of individual batteries within the bank. Both getting the voltage from system components and by use of a meter are covered. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:37:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/equip/build_make_van_de_graaff.htm#HOW_VANDEGRAAF_WORKS_VIDEO http://rimstar.org/equip/build_make_van_de_graaff.htm#HOW_VANDEGRAAF_WORKS_VIDEO Finally a video about how a Van de Graaff generator works that goes beyond the mechanics and into the physics. And there's a surprising amount of juicy physics in it: the triboelectric effect, corona discharges, the Faraday ice pail effect, electric charge and strong electric fields, and even the photoelectric effect that Einstein won a nobel prize for explaining. For those starting from scratch, the basics of electric charge are given at the beginning. Plenty for those who thirst for understanding. Enjoy! Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:47:00 EST Equipment http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/amp_hour_meter_for_solar_power_system_battery_bank.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/amp_hour_meter_for_solar_power_system_battery_bank.htm Continuing with the new subsection on solar system battery maintenance, here's a new page about amp hour meters used for monitoring a battery bank's state of charge along with some sample installed systems. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:46:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking_recipe_gluten_free_sourdough_pumkin_break_cake.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking_recipe_gluten_free_sourdough_pumkin_break_cake.htm Another delicious looking cake baked using a car sunshade solar cooker. This time it's a gluten-free pumpkin sourdough bread/cake. See the link to feast your eyes on it and see if you can't hold back from solar cooking one yourself. All you need to make the solar cooker is a car sunshade. Enjoy! Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:46:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/materials/piezo/ignitor1.htm#IGNITOR_VIDEO http://rimstar.org/materials/piezo/ignitor1.htm#IGNITOR_VIDEO An easy source of powerful and free piezoelectric crystals are BBQ ignitors. I recently took one apart and made this video as I did so. See the link to view it. Enjoy! Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:34:00 EST Materials http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/measure_battery_electrolyte_specific_gravity_with_hydrometer.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/measure_battery_electrolyte_specific_gravity_with_hydrometer.htm As a start to a new subsection on solar system battery maintenance, here's a page all about using a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity of the electrolyte in your batteries. I hope you'll find this new subsection useful. Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:14:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/window_covering_solar_air_heater_furnace.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/window_covering_solar_air_heater_furnace.htm More and more I'm seeing solar air heaters being sold that go indoors, covering an existing window. The illusion is that this provides more heat than letting sunlight pour into the window unhindered because you feel hot air coming out the of the solar air heater. In fact, you get better heating by letting the sunlight enter the room and spread the heat throughout. This page explains why, and hopefully will prevent some from wasting their money. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:57:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_site_survey_DIY_shade_finder_tool.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_site_survey_DIY_shade_finder_tool.htm I'm quite proud of this one! It's a shade finder for doing solar site surveys that I designed and built myself. The resulting design is simple, works well and did not require any iterative construction (meaning it worked well the first time!) Check it out! Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:11:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/modified_cookit_solar_cooker.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/modified_cookit_solar_cooker.htm I finally had enough sunshine to try out my new solar cooker - the Modified CooKit solar cooker. This is a very easy one to make: 3'x3' piece of cardboard, aluminum foil and glue. In an hour or so you can be ready to cook. See the link and give it a try. Bon Appetit! Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:44:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking_recipe_sourdough_sunshine_cake.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking_recipe_sourdough_sunshine_cake.htm And now an irresistible looking sunshine cake baked using a car sunshade solar cooker, with a sourdough filling and an organic, freshly picked tangarine frosting. See the link to feast your eyes on it and solar cook one yourself to taste it. Enjoy! Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:18:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking_recipe_bread_pizza_crust_am.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking_recipe_bread_pizza_crust_am.htm I've started a new section on recipes for solar cookers. Somebody's gotta help feed those hungry sun worshipers. The first one is no-knead bread and pizza crust and cooks at only 200F (93C), easily in reach of pretty much any solar cooker from panel cookers to solar box ovens. Enjoy! Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:01:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_air_heater_types_diy_homemade.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_air_heater_types_diy_homemade.htm Got a gable or odd shape you'd like to fit a solar air heater into? A baffle type backpass solar air heater should be able to do the trick. Also, preliminary results showed that screen solar air heaters are the most efficient but how to make long ones? Updates to this page illustrate both these things. Enjoy! Tue, 07 Dec 2011 10:44:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/elevation_azimuth_shadow_site_survey_tool.htm#EA_VIDEO http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/elevation_azimuth_shadow_site_survey_tool.htm#EA_VIDEO I just finished this new video showing how to survey a solar site using an elevation and azimuth tool I made (easy to make!) along with a sun chart. Full explanation of the concepts are given along with a demonstration. See the link and enjoy! Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:12:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/blog/index.php/2011/11/27/the-vanishing-garbage http://rimstar.org/blog/index.php/2011/11/27/the-vanishing-garbage Lately I'm noticing more and more reuse going on rather than throwing in the garbage destined for landfill. I've written this blog entry of a few recent stories, both personal and on a larger scale. Enjoy, and comment if you have anything to add. Sun, 27 Nov 2011 11:32:00 EST Blog http://rimstar.org/materials/piezo/how_to_make_rochelle_salt_piezoelectric_crystal.htm http://rimstar.org/materials/piezo/how_to_make_rochelle_salt_piezoelectric_crystal.htm Piezoelectric crystals are crystals that you bang on and they give a voltage or vice versa. If you've opened up a musical gift card then you've experienced a piezoelectric crystal speaker. This is a step-by-step guide to making a piezoelectric Rochelle salt crystal, including a video - useful for science projects, general fun experimenting and repairing vintage stereos. See the link for details. Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:32:00 EST Materials http://rimstar.org/space/index.htm http://rimstar.org/space/index.htm After years of secrecy Blue Origin, a private aerospace company set up by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, finally revealed some of its plans for going to orbit. They include a resusable 1st stage booster which will return to Earth by landing vertically using its rockets. See the link for more details and a diagram. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:17:00 EST Space http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/cansolair_solar_air_heater_install.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/cansolair_solar_air_heater_install.htm The Cansolair is a commercial solar air heater, famous for being made of soda/pop cans. Back in 2006 I installed one on a house for a customer and now I have a webpage dedicated to that installation. See the link for details. Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:11:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_thermal_hot_water_heater_enerworks_sdhw_fm.htm#VIDEOTHEPARTS http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_thermal_hot_water_heater_enerworks_sdhw_fm.htm#VIDEOTHEPARTS The previous video was a tour of a friend's Enerworks solar thermal/hot water system. This next video goes into details about various parts of the system and how they work. This includes details about the controller, expansion tanks, stagnation control, ... and more. The link will take you straight to the video. Enjoy! Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:57:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_site_survey_shading_location.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_site_survey_shading_location.htm It's no use building and/or installing solar panels if they're going to be shaded from the sun for long periods of time when that can be avoided. This new set of pages details some methods of figuring out what parts of the surroundings will shade your panels at any time of the year so you can pick an optimal location. Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:51:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_thermal_hot_water_heater_enerworks_sdhw_fm.htm#VIDEOTOUR http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_thermal_hot_water_heater_enerworks_sdhw_fm.htm#VIDEOTOUR My last update mentioned a new page about a friend's Enerworks solar thermal/hot water system. I've now uploaded a detailed video tour of that system for those who prefer moving pictures. The link will take you straight to the video. Enjoy! Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:14:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_thermal_hot_water_heater_enerworks_sdhw_fm.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_thermal_hot_water_heater_enerworks_sdhw_fm.htm A friend of mine kindly allowed me to photograph his Enerworks solar thermal/hot water system and share it here. He and his wife use it to supplement their natural gas water heater. They use it for tap water, dish washing, clothes washing, showers and so on. Click on the link for details. Enjoy! Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:57:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/space/index.htm http://rimstar.org/space/index.htm On October 22, 2011 JP Aerospace flew their Tandem airship to 95,085 feet, almost 4 miles higher than the previous record. The specially designed, electric motor driven propellers then drove it around. The three hour flight culminuated in a parachute soft landing. This is just one step in JP Aerospace's Airship to Orbit program which they've been working on steadily with 126 missions since 1993. See the link for details and a video. Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:21:00 EST Space http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solarnrg.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solarnrg.htm The previous explanation of how nuclear fusion works in the sun was highly simplified. I've now added more details about how gravity, high temperature and quantum tunnelling all play a part. The video has also been updated with new animation showing it all. Enjoy! Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:15:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solarair.htm#SELECTABLEINOUT http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solarair.htm#SELECTABLEINOUT Some things are so simple you never think of them. Typically a solar air heater either takes indoor air as input or outdoor air. This idea is for one that can take either and also has the option of sending the air outdoors too. Why? To help with ventilation when heating is not needed. See the link for the details. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:41:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/sptypes.htm#OFFGRID http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/sptypes.htm#OFFGRID I finally remembered to bring my camera when I did some maintenance on a large off-grid solar power system that I'd helped install a few years ago. So I put together this video tour and threw in all sorts of added detail to give you a good idea of what's involved in this type of system. See the link for the details. Enjoy! Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:56:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/types_of_insulation_table_list.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/types_of_insulation_table_list.htm I compiled a table of different types of insulation used in solar/renewable energy projects along with some of their properties. See the above link for the details. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:12:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/passive_solar_house_simulator.php http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/passive_solar_house_simulator.php I made a stable version of what I have so far of a passive solar house simulator. It's still in the early stages but it does illustrate the temperature smoothing effect of using a thermal mass. See the link for the simulator and some discussion of the effect. Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:01:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/insulation.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/insulation.htm Adding some more supporting information for folks interested in doing their own renewable energy projects, here's a page with the basics of insulation. See the above link for the details. Tue, 03 Oct 2011 11:55:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/space/index.htm http://rimstar.org/space/index.htm Elon Musk gave a talk today at the National Press Club luncheon about the future of human spaceflight. In that talk he revealed how SpaceX will make the Falcon 9 rocket, normally an expensive throwaway item, reusable, thereby lower in the cost to space even further. This is certainly the first time I've seen serious plans for legs on the 1st and 2nd stages of an orbital rocket. Truly awesome. See the link for details. Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:39:00 EST Space http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/getting_started_with_renewable_energy.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/getting_started_with_renewable_energy.htm Did you know you can cook using the sun? Or heat the air in your house and even your tap water using the sun? Many people don't know this so I added a getting started page that gives a brief description of each of the various renewable energy projects they can do. See the above link for the page. Sat, 24 Sep 2011 10:12:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/repair/index.htm http://rimstar.org/repair/index.htm I was brought up to have my first instinct when something breaks to be to fix it. Sadly, today most people's first instinct is to throw it out and buy a new one. This new section is all about repairing things, starting with two examples: a knapsack and a bicycle lock key. Click on the link for details. Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:34:00 EST Repairs http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/finding_true_south_pole.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/finding_true_south_pole.htm True south isn't what a compass points to and yet that's usually what you want your solar collectors to be facing. A compass points to magnetic south. This new page shows various methods of finding true south for optimal solar energy collection. Mon, 05 Sep 2011 11:05:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solarnrg.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solarnrg.htm I made up a video explaining how nuclear fusion works in the sun and how it provides us with solar energy here on Earth for things like photovoltaics, solar domestic hot water, solar air heating and solar cooking. See the bottom of the page at the above link for the video. Enjoy! Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:34:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/can_solar_air_heater_DIY_gs.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/can_solar_air_heater_DIY_gs.htm Guy's DIY can solar air heater has given him measured savings on his gas bills for the past two seasons, as much as 18% one March (unfortunately his neighbor's trees block his solar air heater after 2:00pm most of the winter.) The page at the above link shows his solar air heater, how he made his measurements and the results. Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:55:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_air_heater_manufacturers.htm#LUBI http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_air_heater_manufacturers.htm#LUBI Enerconcept Technologies Inc. has recently come up with a new type of commercial solar air heater called the Lubi that breaks all previous efficiency records. It does this by using a perforated glazing. Outdoor air enters through the holes in this glazing, gets heated by the building wall and then enters the building. Since the air always flows away from the glazing, the biggest source of heat loss is virtually eliminated. See the above link for details. Fri, 12 Aug 2011 10:17:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/car_sunshade_solar_cooker_windshield.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/car_sunshade_solar_cooker_windshield.htm Who'd a thunk you could cook with a car sunshade?! I got a free one off of Freecycle, bought an oven bag, shaped the sunshade for optimal solar cooking and cooked up a can of beans at 200F (93C) for 30 minutes. Yum! See the above link for details. Wed, 10 Aug 2011 11:05:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/diy_pex_solar_hot_water_thermal_dn.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/diy_pex_solar_hot_water_thermal_dn.htm This is a unique DIY solar domestic how water system made by David Norman in Florida. It's unique because the collector is a combination of plastic spiral tube collector, hot water storage tank and solar oven. Designed for one person it works very well. See the above link for details. Thu, 04 Aug 2011 10:11:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/how_design_solar_cooker_sun_reflector.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/how_design_solar_cooker_sun_reflector.htm The purpose of reflectors in a solar cooker is to capture a large area of sunlight and direct it all down to where it can be converted to heat. Improperly designed reflectors will reflect some of that sunlight right back away. The above link leads to a new page on how to design reflectors for a solar cooker and will show you how to make sure the sunlight goes to where you need it. Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:46:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/space/index.htm http://rimstar.org/space/index.htm Space X and NASA have announced date for test of docking the Dragon spacecraft with the International Space Station. Also, Bigelow Aerospace has gone straight to development of the BA 330, 330 cubic meter inflatable habitat, side stepping development of the smaller 180 cubic meter Sundancer. And a side note, Bigelow may have a launch date with SpaceX. Details on the above link. Tue, 27 Jul 2011 11:12:00 EST Space http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/fresnel_lens_mirror_solar_cooker_design.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/fresnel_lens_mirror_solar_cooker_design.htm Rather than make, remake and remake again my fresnel lens solar cooker I sat down and designed it fully first. This page details those steps, from finding out the minimum and maximum sun angles it would have to work with, to figuring out where the cooking pot could go without blocking the sunlight going from the lens to the mirror, to figuring out the needed mirror size, and so on. There's plenty here that can be applied to designing any solar cooker. Check out the link for details. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:22:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/fresnel_lens_and_mirror_solar_cooker.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/fresnel_lens_and_mirror_solar_cooker.htm After much effort I managed to add a mirror to my fresnel lens solar cooker that still resulted in something compact and portable. The nice thing is I don't have to wear welding goggles while cooking with my fresnel lens anymore since the light comes from below and strikes the pan. Also, instead of concentrated sunlight from above cooking the food directly, it now comes from below and heats the pan or pot just like when cooking on a stovetop. See the above link for details. Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:57:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/mini_solar_power_tower_v5.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/mini_solar_power_tower_v5.htm Version 5 of the mini solar tower attempt to generate electricity was a big improvement over version 4, but it only manages to rotate a small paper turbine a little. It's a fun experiment and a great learning experience though. Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:34:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/mini_solar_power_tower_v4.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/mini_solar_power_tower_v4.htm Version 4 of the mini solar tower attempt to generate electricity was a definate improvement over version 3. With an internal absorber chamber the temperature achieved was at least 165C (330F) instead of the previous 65C (150F). But there was a problem with melting insulation. See the above link for details. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:45:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/blog/index.php/2011/07/03/the-world-in-2050 http://rimstar.org/blog/index.php/2011/07/03/the-world-in-2050 I recently finished a book entitled The World in 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization's Northern Future in which the author discusses four different forces that will shape the the future of all land and oceans lying north of 45 degrees north latitude. That's land belonging to the United States (i.e. Alaska), Canada, Iceland, Greenland (which is a part of Denmark), Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. This is my synopsis of what I learned about just one of those forces, climate change. Sun, 03 Jul 2011 10:02:00 EST Blog http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/mini_solar_power_tower_fresnel_lens.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/mini_solar_power_tower_fresnel_lens.htm My 2'x4' fresnel lens intercepts 640 watts of sunlight in July on average. This is an attempt to turn that sunlight into electricity using a small solar tower, basically a tube with an absorber inside it and a fan/generator at the top. See the above link for details. Sat, 25 Jun 2011 10:33:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooker_capture_area.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooker_capture_area.htm One thing I find some people misunderstand when thinking about their solar cookers is the effect their reflector surface areas have on the amount of sunlight they actually capture. So I created this page to help with understanding how it works. Sat, 18 Jun 2011 11:53:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/equip/fresnel_lens.htm http://rimstar.org/equip/fresnel_lens.htm Build anything with any amount of rigour and you'll learn a lot of new stuff. In my case I recently built (and am always improving) a solar cooker using a large fresnel lens. So, I thought I'd share what I learned on the above webpage. I included a detailed video showing some of the experiments I did along the way. Enjoy! Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:32:00 EST Equipment http://rimstar.org/blog/index.php/2011/06/13/doers-ruin-preditions http://rimstar.org/blog/index.php/2011/06/13/doers-ruin-preditions We've all heard of 2012, the prediction of the impending end of the world. Before that there was the ice age for 2005, 2001, 2000, ... However, many catastrophic and non-catastrophic predictions are based on sound reasoning and could very well happen, but don't happen. This blog entry suggests why not and points out that there may be some hope for us yet. Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:56:00 EST Blog http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking_adventures.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking_adventures.htm I fried an egg for lunch today using my fresnel lens solar cooker. This is the one using a lens from a rear projection TV. Yum! See the link above for photos and a video. Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:32:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/equip/build_make_van_de_graaff.htm http://rimstar.org/equip/build_make_van_de_graaff.htm For anyone not familiar with these, they're the big metal balls in museums that a volunteer puts their hands on causing their hair to stand up. Fun and safe and can be made using a Coke can, rubber bands, a small motor, parts from pens and mechanical pencils, ... basically stuff from around the house. A great science learning experience and in my case, a useful research tool. This is a very detailed description of how to make a Van de Graaff generator, including a step-by-step video. Tue, 07 Jun 2011 11:51:00 EST Equipment http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/fresnel_solar_cooker_bruces_wooden.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/fresnel_solar_cooker_bruces_wooden.htm Bruce's fresnel lens solar cooker has a number of features that were added over time. The most useful of these is that the grill is in very stable, fixed position while always being at the focal length of the fresnel lens no matter how the lens is positioned. See the link above for details. Sun, 05 Jun 2011 10:37:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/fresnel_lens_solar_cooker.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/fresnel_lens_solar_cooker.htm From a 2'x4' fresnel lens found in a derelict rear projection TV I've now made a solar cooker and so far cooked minced pork with it. You gotta love that idea of 'reuse'! Details at the link above. Wed, 01 Jun 2011 11:12:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_air_heater_types_diy_homemade.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_air_heater_types_diy_homemade.htm Over the last few years, most DIYers seem to have settled on making a handful of types of solar air heaters. This page goes over those few types. Fri, 27 May 2011 10:22:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/sdenergy/piezoelectricity_from_water_rain.htm http://rimstar.org/sdenergy/piezoelectricity_from_water_rain.htm I had some fun finding a way to have rain drops power a piezoelectric crystal to light an LED. It turned out to be a lot harder than I originally thought, mostly because rain is so variable. Details and a video are at the above link. Enjoy! Thu, 26 May 2011 11:09:00 EST Non-conventional Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking_adventures.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking_adventures.htm Walking along the side of the road I saw a large rear projection TV. Looking inside I saw a large flexible mirror. Of course my first thought was "solar cooker!" Returning with a screw driver I also found a huge fresnel lens. This time I thought "another solar cooker!" Click on the link to see more about my scavenging. Sun, 22 May 2011 11:17:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/materials/piezo/piezoelectric_crystal_gift_card.htm http://rimstar.org/materials/piezo/piezoelectric_crystal_gift_card.htm I wanted to see if I could use the rain to power the piezoelectric crystal disk that is in the speakers in gift cards. After many refinements I'm waiting for the next good rain and I should have the last of the bugs worked out. In the meantime I've documented how I extracted the disk, attached a diode and done some testing, including in the shower. See the above link for details (final rain test and video still to come.) Fri, 20 May 2011 11:54:00 EST Materials http://rimstar.org/blog/index.php/2011/05/15/redefining-normal http://rimstar.org/blog/index.php/2011/05/15/redefining-normal Recently I took up solar cooking and made it a normal part of my life. For most though, it isn't normal. Should it be? Do we redefine normal often enough, or for good reasons? This blog entry talks about redefining normal and asks that it be made, well, a normal thing to do. Sun, 15 May 2011 10:17:00 EST Blog http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking_adventures.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking_adventures.htm I realized I've started to build up some firsts and mishaps in my solar cooking efforts so I started the above log. Enjoy! Wed, 11 May 2011 10:24:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/cone_solar_cooker_design_construction_videos.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/cone_solar_cooker_design_construction_videos.htm While designing, making and using my cone solar cooker I took lots and lots of video. I then compiled it into a 4 part series which I've assembled on the above page. So if you enjoy seeing how things are sometimes design and built, you'll enjoy this. Fri, 06 May 2011 11:45:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/equip/mount_transistor_heatsink.htm http://rimstar.org/equip/mount_transistor_heatsink.htm In looking for details on the web on how to do this so I could make reference to it when helping someone, I quickly realized it wasn't anywhere to be found. There were plenty of pages on calculating the heat build-up on a transistor, but no details on mounting a transistor to a heatsink to dissipate that heat. So I put the above page together. Hopefully this helps a lot of people. Thu, 05 May 2011 11:54:00 EST Equipment http://rimstar.org/space/index.htm http://rimstar.org/space/index.htm As with most everything else SpaceX does, its launch escape system is unique. It will be integrated right into its Dragon space capsule itself rather than being a separate tower sitting above it to be jettisoned shortly after liftoff. However, the really unique thing about it is that it will double as landing rockets to be used as an alternate way of landing back on Earth... though from SpaceX's latest video it looks like it can also be used for landing on Mars! Click on the above link for details. Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:56:00 EST Space http://rimstar.org/blog/index.php/2011/04/21/live-without-a-washing-machine http://rimstar.org/blog/index.php/2011/04/21/live-without-a-washing-machine Hans Rosling's Ted talk about the magic washing machine hit me right where rimstar.org is meant to live - and prompted this blog entry. You may think it's easy to to list the things you can do without to be green but some things you use daily may make you realize it's a lot harder than you think. There's technology in everything - and that's a big problem. Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:07:00 EST Blog http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_cooking.htm I started doing solar cooking! There's nothing like solar cooked food done on a solar cooker of your own design and making. See the above link for details. Sat, 16 Apr 2011 10:37:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/sun_finder.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/sun_finder.htm Solar cookers and other things that have reflectors or parabolic dishes, need to be aimed directly at the sun to work best. Just as I was building my first solar cooker I realized I needed a way to do this and I came up with and built the device described on the above webpage (includes a video I made of the whole process.) Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:23:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/space/index.htm http://rimstar.org/space/index.htm Today SpaceX made an announcement about its Falcon Heavy rocket, capable of lifting twice what the space shuttle can to low Earth orbit. Two Falcon Heavy's could send humans to the moon and back. The above page has more details about the news. I also added the Falcon Heavy to Path to Space page as it will clearly play a big part in future human space travel. Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:17:00 EST Space http://rimstar.org/efficiency_conservation/low_flow_shower_head.htm http://rimstar.org/efficiency_conservation/low_flow_shower_head.htm I recorded the times and using a low flow shower head and an on/off valve to shut off the flow of water when soaping and shampooing you can have a full 8 minute shower and use only 2 gallons/7.6 litres of water! Surprised me. See how to install such a valve as well as the table of numbers and calculations on the above page. Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:54:00 EST Efficiency and Conservation http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/sizing_a_solar_pool_heater_system.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/sizing_a_solar_pool_heater_system.htm Sizing a commercial solar pool heating system is easy - just use the online calculator on the vendor's website. Sizing a DIY system is a little trickier. Some pointers and a worksheet are provided on the above webpage that makes doing so easier. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 10:34:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/sdenergy/vacuum_energy/design_ideas.htm http://rimstar.org/sdenergy/vacuum_energy/design_ideas.htm My approach to tapping vacuum energy, or more precisely, converting vacuum energy to electrical energy, is to create charge particles with some of the energy contribution coming from waves from the rest of the universe. In a model where particles are just wave structures, such a thing may be possible. I added some clarification of the general idea to the top of the design page. See the above link. Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:09:00 EST Non-conventional Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/ontario_microfit_feed_in_tariff.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/ontario_microfit_feed_in_tariff.htm The Ontario microFIT program allows people to install solar systems that feed electricity to the grid and get paid either $0.802 per kilowatt hour or $0.642 per kilowatt hour. The customer in this video that's been added to the microFIT webpage does a great job of explaining it while showing his system. Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:12:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/space/jp_aerospace_balloon_airship_to_orbit.htm http://rimstar.org/space/jp_aerospace_balloon_airship_to_orbit.htm Since 1993, JP Aerospace has been working non-stop on a novel way to go from the Earth's surface to Earth orbit. That is, to use airships. One for the first 140,000 feet where passengers and cargo transfer to a second airship to go the rest of the way. The above page details that approach. Fri, 25 Mar 2011 10:54:00 EST Space http://rimstar.org/efficiency_conservation/kill_a_watt_meter.htm http://rimstar.org/efficiency_conservation/kill_a_watt_meter.htm A watt meter can be used to learn how you are using electricity. Once you've done that you can make changes to reduce your usage. This page shows you how to use a watt meter. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:17:00 EST Efficiency and Conservation http://rimstar.org/efficiency_conservation/low_flow_shower_head.htm http://rimstar.org/efficiency_conservation/low_flow_shower_head.htm Using a low flow shower head instead of an older one saves water and since it uses less water, saves on heating costs. This page talks all about low flow shower heads and also the use of a quick on/off valve for when you want to temporarily stop the water without having to use the taps. It also includes a video on how to remove your old shower head and install the new one. Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:20:00 EST Efficiency and Conservation http://rimstar.org/space/path_to_space.htm http://rimstar.org/space/path_to_space.htm Predicting the path to human colonization of space or at least an Earth-moon system economy is becoming easier all the time as anticipated developments become reality, such as with the recent announcement by Astrobotic Technology of their plans for commercially driven robotic exploration of the moon, starting with a rocket launch booked for December 2013. The above page has correspondingly been vastly improved. Fri, 11 Feb 2011 10:17:00 EST Space http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_in_cold_climate_and_winter_snow.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_in_cold_climate_and_winter_snow.htm Since this webpage has gone up, folks have made more suggestions for ways to clear snow off of solar panels when the panels are difficult to access: anything from throwing something up on a rope to blowing compressed air. Their suggestions, however fancy, have been added to the page. Mon, 7 Feb 2011 10:04:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_snow_pre_melter_experiments.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_snow_pre_melter_experiments.htm These are experiments that attempt to quickly melt a hole in snow at the beginning of a sunny day to expose a small area of a solar panel so that the dark color of the solar panel can take over melting from there. Tue, 25 Jan 2011 08:27:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/ontario_microfit_feed_in_tariff.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/ontario_microfit_feed_in_tariff.htm Previously neither of the Ontario feed-in-tariff programs, microFIT and FIT, allowed companies to rent roofs or property for putting solar systems on in order to sell power to the provincial grid. A new program called CFIT (Commercial FIT) is in the works to allow just that. Details can be found on the above webpage. Tue, 25 Jan 2011 08:27:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_in_cold_climate_and_winter_snow.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_in_cold_climate_and_winter_snow.htm Snow, frost, ice and freezing temperatures all have various effects on solar systems, whether that's freezing water cracking pipes in a solar domestic hot water or a solar pool heating system, snow covering various kinds of solar panels, or water in batteries turning to ice and cracking the battery cases. This page and its subpages attempts to address these issues. Tue, 25 Jan 2011 08:27:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/space/index.htm http://rimstar.org/space/index.htm Why send humans to space? Two reasons: a backup civilization in case we blow it down here on Earth, and for rescue in case we need it down here on Earth. On January 17 I added a page detailing an attempt to predict a reasonable path to space. Now the above is a link to the start of a main 'Space' page to hold it all together, starting with some news. Thu, 20 Jan 2011 10:05:00 EST Space http://rimstar.org/vermicom/tempwinter.htm#WINTER2011 http://rimstar.org/vermicom/tempwinter.htm#WINTER2011 My previous worm composting bin temperature measurements for a winter were made in March 2008. I wanted to make some that were more in the dead of winter so today, January 19, 2011, I did. While the outdoor temperature was 7C (19F) and the surrounding ground temperature was -0.6C (31F), the worm composting bin was a balmy 11.9C (53F). Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:05:00 EST Worm Composting http://rimstar.org/space/path_to_space.htm http://rimstar.org/space/path_to_space.htm Rather than making pie-in-the-sky predictions, this is set of predictions of how humans will proceed to live sustainably in space based on real forces: economic, political, market and technonlogical breakthroughs. Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:34:00 EST Space http://rimstar.org/efficiency_conservation/heat_retention_cooking.htm http://rimstar.org/efficiency_conservation/heat_retention_cooking.htm I made a very complete video on how to do heat-retention cooking. Not only does it demonstrate it being done but it also covers insulation issues, timing, bacteria, and more. You'll find the video at the bottom of the heat-retention cooking page. Mon, 17 Jan 2011 11:15:00 EST Efficiency and Conservation http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solarair.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solarair.htm It's been a while since I've updated the solar air heating page (which is getting massive) and a lot has gone on in the DIY world lately regarding this, so I've made a lot of little additions. Mon, 10 Jan 2011 12:23:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_air_heater_manufacturers.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/solar_air_heater_manufacturers.htm I updated the table of commercial solar air heaters with what type each is, backpass or matrix and I also added a column with CSA (Canadian Standards Association) Performance Factors. Mon, 10 Jan 2011 12:23:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/efficiency_conservation/heat_retention_cooking.htm http://rimstar.org/efficiency_conservation/heat_retention_cooking.htm Heat-retention cooking allows you to cook things using only a fraction of the time on the stove. I now cook long grain brown rice using the stove for only 10 minutes instead of the normal 45 minutes. This page details how to do it. Wed, 22 Dec 2010 10:45:00 EST Efficiency and Conservation http://rimstar.org/composting/green_bin_composting_ottawa_ontario.htm http://rimstar.org/composting/green_bin_composting_ottawa_ontario.htm The city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada now has a green bin composting program where kitchen waste (including meat and dairy), tissues, kitty litter, yard waste and whole lot more, can now be placed in a green bin for periodic pick-up along with the recycling and garbage. It gets composted into fertalizer and sold to farmer's for their crops. This page details how I use it. Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:17:00 EST Composting http://rimstar.org/blog/index.php/2010/12/09/can-100-miles-of-mirrors-solar-thermal-power-the-us http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/blog/index.php/2010/12/09/can-100-miles-of-mirrors-solar-thermal-power-the-us A proposal was made to use 100 miles by 100 miles of concentrated solar thermal power to produce enough electricity to power the US. I decided to do the research and calculations to see if it was possible. It is. Click the above link for details and a map of Arizona with an overlay of just how big 100 miles of mirrors is. Fri, 3 Dec 2010 10:34:00 EST Blog http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/sp_diy_homemade_solar_cell.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/sp_diy_homemade_solar_cell.htm Homemade cuprous oxide solar cells are usually made using salt water as the means of electrical conduction between the outer cuprous oxide layer and the copper sheet within. Descriptions have been added to this page about how to do it without the salt water. Fri, 3 Dec 2010 10:34:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/sdenergy/vacuum_energy/theory.htm http://rimstar.org/sdenergy/vacuum_energy/theory.htm The previous version for the theory for tapping vacuum energy involved summing wave amplitudes at a location in space. It should have been summing the square of the wave amplitudes. The theory page has been revised to reflect this. It's actually fortunate that the physics is this way since as anyone who's summed waves amplitudes knows, adding two amplitudes with opposite phases results in zero whereas adding the squares of those same two amplitudes results in a larger number. Thu, 2 Dec 2010 12:12:00 EST Non-conventional Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/ontario_microfit_feed_in_tariff.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/ontario_microfit_feed_in_tariff.htm In a feed-in tariff program, power is generated by anything from solar panels on a residential house to a large solar farm, to a wind farm, to a hydroelectric dam. This power is fed onto the grid. It's not unusual that a system on one house might be using some of that power and feeding the rest to neighbors through the grid's power lines. With Ontario, Canada's microFIT program, rooftop solar power systems 10kW or smaller in size get paid $0.802 per kWh, four times what the household normally pays for that same electricity. This new webpage details that program. Wed, 1 Dec 2010 10:53:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/squaring_solar_array_frame.htm http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/squaring_solar_array_frame.htm The frame for an array of solar panels, and sometimes for even just one panel, must be squared. This can be especially crucial when the frame consists of a set of rails lag bolted to a roof. You don't want to find out when you're attaching the last panel to the rails that the rails need to be moved. This webpage shows two methods for squaring a frame: squaring by diagonals, which is suitable for small frames, and squaring using the 3-4-5 method, which is needed for larger frames. Thu, 18 Nov 2010 09:47:00 EST Renewable Energy http://rimstar.org/sdprop/highk/barium_titanate_doorknob_capacitor_propulsion.htm http://rimstar.org/sdprop/highk/barium_titanate_doorknob_capacitor_propulsion.htm T. Townsend Brown, a man who experimented with capacitors for propulsion, claimed that a capacitor under the influence of a high voltage will move in the direction of the positive plate. He also said that the higher the dielectric constant the better. Barium titanate has a stupidly high dielectric constant. Back in 2005 some friends and I connected ten barium titanate doorknob capacitors in parallel, put the result on a digital scale and applied up to 59 kilovolts across it before the capacitor broke down. An interesting experiment to do, but there was no weight change. Click on the link for photos and details. Mon, 15 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST Non-conventional Propulsion http://rimstar.org/equip/temp_control_circuit.htm http://rimstar.org/equip/temp_control_circuit.htm The previous version of Part 2 of the video "Wiring a snap disk controller for a solar air heater" just showed the wiring being done, and not even in an electrical box. This new version shows the wiring being done in a box, the box and snap disk controller being installed in a window solar air heater, the solar air heater being installed in the window and a short test being done. Basically, the whole process from start to finish. Go to the webpage and scroll down to watch this new Part 2. Sun, 12 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST Equipment http://rimstar.org/equip/temp_control_circuit.htm http://rimstar.org/equip/temp_control_circuit.htm Solar air heaters often have a fan for blowing the heated air into the house. A snap disk controller is the simplest way of having the fan turn on when hot air is available and off when not. A thermostat can be added to make sure hot air is blown in only when the room needs it. Safety is also a concern with the electronics, especially if the power source is the grid. All this and more is now covered along with schematics and videos. Sun, 07 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EST Equipment http://rimstar.org/sdenergy/testa/testatika_magnet_coil_capacitances.htm http://rimstar.org/sdenergy/testa/testatika_magnet_coil_capacitances.htm Most people, myself included, had assumed that the capacitance of the testatika magnets came from the space between the legs of the magnets. As these new measurements demonstrate, the majority of the capacitance comes from the electric field through the body of the magnet and only a little comes from the electric field between the legs of the magnets. Mon, 04 Oct 2010 10:00:54 EST Non-conventional Energy