[Christ]

Originally Posted by Dr. Jerryrigger

I seem to recall water to steam expiation is 1:1075, but that is likely not factoring in a large temp change. Anyway, that doesn't really matter at all...

If we are just trying to drive the alternator, then this drip boiler seems like it would really be quite sufficient. I feel like it would need a rather beefy fly wheel, which might have some trouble getting started, but popping the hood and giving it a spin start is not big deal.
Dose anyone have access to CNC machines? I'm willing to draw up a turbine/fly wheel. It seems like it would be best to just make the turbine directly connect to the alternator shaft, and be really heavy, though a easy to alter weight may be good....

You might extract more energy from a flywheel if you can change it's angular momentum.

In other words, if you start with a small diameter flywheel, and make it expand as it speeds up, then extract it's energy after it's at maximum speed/diameter, you get more angular momentum. You can put less energy into it and get more out than you normally would. It just brings the energy input/output closer to equilibrium, is all.

You'd have to make it so that it only contracts once the usable energy is used up, though, so as not to lose the momentum developed prematurely.

Does this make sense? Just something I thought of.