The
Energy Tree
As
you scan the headings and subheadings in the list below, consider
their benefit in a locally sustainable infrastructure. These are real
processes achievable through heat.
Space heating
Cooking
Hot water
----Convection space heating (old
technology radiator)
----Cooking, bathing, etc.
----Heat storage in hot tub or tank
Steam
--Mechanical energy (steam engine)
------Shop power
------Electrical energy
----------Lighting
----------Appliances
----------Shop power
--Cleaning
--Pest control (cockroaches hate
getting scalded)
Kiln or high temperature oven
--Ceramics
------Basic kitchen implements
------Special purpose bricks, etc.
------Stove parts
------Machine parts
------Tiles
----------Floors
----------Counters
----------Pools
------Vacuum chamber construction
----------Aluminize surfaces
--------------Mosaic for solar energy
collector
--------------Lighting reflectors
--------------Reflective optics
----------Drying of foods, etc
----------Chemical separation processes
--Glass blowing
------Recycling broken or discarded
glass
------Artistic creations
------Kitchen containers
------Chemical process hardware and
storage
--Forge for blacksmithing steel
------Custom steel parts
------Custom tools
------Welding
--Metal casting
------Lead, Aluminum, pot metal
------Precious metals
------Copper, bronze
--Refining of certain ores
--Desiccant drying
------Heat retrievable through adding
water
----------Portable stored heat
----------Transportation fuel
----------Camping comfort
------Drying vegetables and fruits, and
other things
--Pyrolisis of wood or biomass (Over
40% of energy in wood is gas)
------Charcoal production and
reactivation
----------Filtering
----------Clean fuel for cooking and
heating
------Petrochemical replacement
----------Cooking gas
----------Internal combustion engine
fuels, both liquid and gas
----------Bases for paints, solvents,
plastics, varnishes, etc.
--Pyrolisis of bone and calcium based
minerals
------Cement
------Plasters and related compounds
--Charge thermal storage for remote
usage
------Solid thermal mass
------Desiccant or other thermal
reversible processes
------Phase change thermal storage
(such as eutectic systems)
Non-steam heat engines
--Forced air heating
--Shop power
--Electrical generation