2 replies to this topic

[Genhack]

Being a novice of the first order and an infant to the gasifier world, I found your workshop weekend to be one of the most inspiring and creatively stimulating events I’ve attended in quite a few years. All that I saw, heard, the conversations I had with all people I met from around the world, the information freely shared and demonstrated continue to replay in my head.
As a, from the ground up, small business owner myself, hearing about APL’s evolution from concept, to development (obviously ongoing) , to bringing a product to the market, competing in that market, facilities issues, employee issues, compliance issues, work comp, insurance, taxes, etc., etc. and accomplishing all this in one of the most hostile business environments in the country--------------California, in a hand full of years, you deserve a whooping, howling, Bic flickin with the lights off in Candlestick Park standing ovation that lasts for five encores. WELL DONE Sir/Madam!!!!!!!!!! (there is always at least one great woman in the background of every success story)
I am a middle market commercial/industrial electrical contractor, licensed in 15 states, a commercial/industrial generator dealer, a hurricane recovery contractor (emphasis on portable gen installs on the fly, gen mechanics & fuel---get’em up, keep’em running) and a pretty good wrench. I came to the workshop thinking, ”Hmmm, I know stuff.” Well…………………after hearing Jim’s excellent presentation Friday night and watching him address all comers who were 3 & 4 deep at times, working with Nathanial (calm, skilled & knowledgeable) on David, from Victoria’s, outstanding GEK he built from the plans on this site, witnessing Jim’s extreme generosity regarding that unit,  Ken’s Lister project, talking with Bear (amazing knowledge, experience & insight), going over the Power Pallet’s assembly procedure, wiring and quality control checklist and torque specs (you’re not going to get that out of China)  with this “kid” who blew me away with his understanding, imagination, creativity, energy, confidence ( Jim, clone this one if you can keep him focused) Teiwaz (age beyond his years) , the guys working on the PowerTainer (skilled, quiet, almost invisible) didn’t get a chance to catch their names, observing Jay inconspicuously answering questions and keeping tabs on all the activities…………I thought to myself, “Pal, if they knew how far out of your league you are, they’d show you the door. You know nothing!” And, somehow I think they may have, yet it didn’t matter.  What I witnessed was a group of dedicated, humble, organically creative, universally aware, focused personnel, volunteers and engineers doing real engineering  on meaningful real world projects. I deal with EEs & ME’s on an almost daily basis who’s focus for the most part is get a set of drawings through the “authority having jurisdiction” de-jure and let the contractors figure out the holes in the field.  The weekend with these individuals was refreshing to the extreme! Not soon to be forgotten.
I do have a vision as to how the technology will best work for my personal model. I need that mid-sized unit  Jim eluded to over the weekend. I’ll be patient and wait until they’re ready to release it. I want to match it up to one of my own gens and integrate it into my own home place model. I’ll be looking for a bit more of a process vs batch run and need more that 20KW but less than 100 KW for the additional loads on the material processing and handling.  So while I wait, I plan on working on the feedstock up-stream issues. With a prior farming background and keeping in line with readily available equipment vs custom made, it seems to me that a homemade trommel , for sorting integrated with a perf floor grain bin for storage and pre drying, augers for transporting and a bit of automation on the fill and ash management side it should be doable. I’ll leave the GEK design to the experts. No sense reinventing the wheel.
Thank you all at APL.
With Respect,
JP

[fuel spiller]

quote     "dedicated, humble, organically creative, universally aware"

Thank you JP, for finding the words that best describe the gang at APL. I agree with everything you've said here.
I too will work on the fuel prep process in the near future... and let the crew at APL continue to perfect 'the wheel'

Thanks again to Jim, Jess, Jay, Bear, and EVERYONE who worked so hard to make the workshop so 'top notch'.

[Hairy Larvae]

Thanks to all the people who traveled from all over the world to attend the workshop.  As a newbie at APL I learned a lot as well, and certainly from the questions that people were asking me.
It was a humbling experience to  experience that I only know a little bit of the collective knowledge of people interested in alternative energy.