Appropriate tech Pulser pump and mechanical mathematician

"The pulser pump uses low grade hydropower, has no moving parts, is definitely not a ram pump or hydraulic ram you can find it with google search. It can use large volumes of low grade water power for local use. "

The Ragged Chute Air Compressor Is very similar to a pulser pump but rather that pumping water it pumps air. Makes a spectacular blow off when pressure exceeds usage.

There is also a "Natural Siphon" which fills a rock space and empties when water level rises about outlet. Also natural geysers such as old faithful.

"The mechanical mathematician is a new simple device for making the surface of a large parabolic reflector for solar ovens. "

gaiatechnician:NOTE: The videos are horrible. Get a TRIPOD and USE IT. Far better to not post such. A verbal description should be sufficient to convey the idea. Merely a mechanical representation of a mathematical parabolic construct.

Hi, Stan, Perhaps you could give a verbal discription? All the solar sites say it is really hard to make a good parabolic dish and they often give pretty long mathematical details about making them. All 20 minutes or so of video was a one man effort. It is very difficult to use a tripod in such situations. Also, I was dealing with intense light and mucky cob and handling the digital camera at the same time. I did not want to destroy it. It is not a vanity project, I posted it so that others could improve it and make better video too. Also, people in poor countrys are making tiny solar cookers from imported cardboard to very strict templates. The mathematician is an attempt to get away from templates. Of course it is "merely a mechanical representation of a mathematical parabolic construct" and that is the whole point. If you can beat my explaination, I would be really happy. It is released under a creative commons licence and anything to improve it is welcome. Brian

A parabolic dish has to be +/- 1/8 of the reflected wave for coherent concentration to a point as in Radar dishes.

Concentrating sunlight differs since the sun has a finite size, all you can do is make a spot the size of the focussing power of the lens. if it is not perfect the spot diameter goes up, however if you are concentrating the heat on a spot larger than a perfect image, you can tolerate a larger spot as the black collector will get it. True, the peak temperature will be lower, but the tradeoff is usually made this way.

Most solar collectors are not dishes but are linear colums of reflecting material with a parabolic cross section and logn length. These are usually steered, but you can make a broad spot non steered aray that is a lot cheaper and gathers acceptable heat.

Perfect concentration is needed for the maximum electrical energy generation, and most high performance systems use active steering and to save silicon concentrate 10:1. Going too much higher can ruin the silicon by heat, google for details.

There are some fields of mirrors that are all steered to aim at a black body to make steam. These currently beat silicon at making heat the carnot way, since most high performance silicone is aboyt 20-24% efficient. Cells with many layers have been made close to 45% efficient, but cost a lot. They are hard at work to make these in mass production above 40% efficient. Once this arrive our energy problems will be solved in most sunny places.

The mechanical mathematician is for helping people make solar cookers for heating food and water. It is intended for low tech solar power. If it focuses to a 6 inch wide spot it is just fine.

It is not possible to use a high pressure compressor like the raged chute one nowadays because it desolves toxic levels of nitrogen gas in the water. This gives fish the bends, and slowly kills them! The cost of drilling down hundreds of feet is also a problem. Scientists concluded many years ago that low pressure trompes were not economical. But, I believe they estrapolated results from work with high pressure trompes and high pressure airlift pumps. (I also believe that that is very bad science). Any engineers want to approach it? On the little stream back in ireland, the pulser pump converts about 30% of the kinetic energy into compressed air and up to 10% to the water being pumped to 10 ft high. I think that is not too bad from a half meter head and 250 to 350 liters per minute flowing through the pump. What would be the efficiency with a 1 meter head? Or with a 1m head and a thousand liters per second flow? If you accept that we live in a greenhouse world, these are very important questions. In some poor villages round the world, that is enough power for the entire village.

gaiatechnician: The links from Post#7 are repeated for both the video and the graphic display of the draftsman's method of generating a parabola.

The Mechanical Mathematician Video

Geometric Principle of the Mechanical Mathematician

The video and graphic should provide enough information to construct a device similar to the one shown.

See Post #7 (Marked Off Topic in error) for an up to date video and a graphical representation of the principal of the Mechanical Mathematician.

Apologies for error. SS

I did a new video which I hope is clear enough in explaination. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBUbHIeXzXY I am looking for a new and exciting name for the thing. Any ideas?