The prices you are going to pay for hard coal (which is the longest burning and hotter than the softer), you might as well buy a corn burning stove which is burning a renewable resource. You just add a scoop of recycled wood pellets to get it going, then a scoop corn, and it will last you approx. 24 hours. . . Hope this help you, cause you will be saving tons of money, plus helping the environment

Edit: The exhaust from the corn does not build up any creosote or tar, so you wont have to worry about a flue fire also

Coal Gasification and the Gasification of Biomass

Coal gasification has the potential to answer most of the problems of coal power stations and to see us through until improved renewable energy technologies can be developed to replace the use of coal as a main base-load power gernation fuel in many of the world\'s nations.

It offers the most versatile and cleanest way to convert coal into electricity, hydrogen, and other energy forms. Furthermore, the first coal gasification electric power plants are now operating commercially in the United States and in other countries.

New gasification power stations are, for example, planned for the United Kingdom and many experts predict that coal gasification will be the core technology of the future generations of clean coal technology plants for several decades to come.

US experts have recently confirmed that far from the idea of carbon capture and storage being unproven, there are many examples in nature of carbon storage, and that carbon from the atmosphere is already effectively stored in huge quantities underground across the globe, completely naturally.

Carbon capture and storage (known as CSS) will therefore work for man as it already has done in nature, and the gasification process is the one to use when power stations also need to capture carbon. The reason for this assertion is it lends itself to the reactions needed to remove the carbon dioxide from the combustion gases before they are emitted via the chimney or flue.

Now lets take a step back to consider how gasification has been used in the past. Coal based "gas works" in huge numbers around the world produced manufactured “town” gas from the early nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century. In fact it preceded the natural gas which has since the 1960s replaced town gas in our gas grid distribution systems. Coal gasification was used in the 1700\'s in England, France and Germany for street lanterns. During World War I small gasifiers were even developed to operate vehicles, boats, trains and electric generators.

So, the commercial utilization of manufactured coal gas pre-dated that of natural gas due to the comparative ease of producing coal gas.

Coal gasification still has economic potential with high oil prices in mind, however, there are some drawbacks. There are a number of technical challenges to the power engineers in making the process work reliably, and in particular slagging must be dealt with to prevent the bed of coal from fusing.

These problems are now being overcome the US and international conglomerate GE has been saying for some years that it has the technology tamed, and in Europe the public funding of some flagship IGCC plants has enabled the technology to advance to maturity. The result is that most believe that coal will most likely be the principal source of syngas in the short-term future.

However, before, you say, what about the possible polluting and greenhouse gas producing effects of this? Let me stress that the sulfur, metals and other impurities in coal which have been causing pollution, and the solid residues from the gasification process which were often toxic, are now removed from the gases before they are discharged. Former gasworks sites are often contaminated with hazardous wastes, but this will certainly not be the case for the new plants.

Coal gasification involves the combustion of some of the carbon in the coal to produce the heat that makes the process work. By-products of this carbon combustion which will now be collected greenly are carbon dioxide, ash, and sulfur, all of which in their uncontaminated modern forms will have a market value and may be separated for sale. Meanwhile the provision of CSS (which I would rather not call “carbon sequestration" although many call it that) will avoid these coal burning systems contributing to global warming.

Once the technology of gasification becomes mature it will then be possible to take the whole thing one stage further to use gasification to produce energy from renewable carbon fuels which are continuously regrown, known a biomass

Biomass gasification extends the idea very well demonstrated in gasifying wood stoves. Indeed, there are a number of products now on the market using a huge range of available fuels, not just wood. In its current state the use of biomass, is open-source and grassroots, but it is fat becoming a mainstream power generating source.

Look out for biomass energy plants over the next few years. These are the renewable energy future for society, rather than coal which will eventually be used up in any event, even if there were no problems of climate change.
About the Author

Steve has built a great web site where there are a lot more facts about gasification. This is a hot subject indeed for this technology which has become an essential read for all those who appreciate renewable energy issues and are interested in taking action to reduce the impact of climate change.

You could have stopped at "Am I Bad?" cause yes darlin, you're a bad bad girl in need of a spank spank.

Biofuels, Hybrids or Herbivores

South Park parodied hybrid car owners creating clouds of ‘smug’, but do they really have anything to be smug about? In the battle against man-made global warming and reducing pollution ethanol powered cars, not hybrids, are touted the way to go and politicians and the environmentally conscious alike are jumping on the bandwagon.

There is no doubt that ethanol burns far more cleanly than diesel or petrol – we could radically reduce the pollutants in our atmosphere by switching. Or can we? You see, to create ethanol, crops need to be grown. Because ethanol is not as potent as petrol, more ethanol is burned per kilometre. It takes between 75-90% of the energy yielded from ethanol to actually grow it – ploughing, harvesting, processing and shipping all add up – and ethanol still releases a lot of carbon dioxide. Then there’s the environmental destruction caused by the conversion of land to biofuel production. This either takes forests or fallow land, or removes land from the general agriculture pool which pushes up food prices. Both of these reduce biodiversity. Add to that the increased erosion, fertiliser pollution and waterway silting and the argument for ethanol is fizzling rapidly.

Even if we manage to eek out a saving using hybrids as opposed to ethanol, at best these cars get only marginally better fuel economy than, for example, a diesel VW Polo, and they take as much if not more toxic metals and fossil fuels to produce. The most we can hope for is a fraction of a percent reduction.

There is one radical change we can make, though. Cows, sheep, pigs and chickens account for a whopping 9% of GHG emissions, but 18% of the GHG effect (methane from farts is over 20 times more damaging than carbon dioxide in terms of its global warming potential). So, would a better solution to reduce greenhouse gases be to change to a diet of lentils and beans? Our own emissions might then match those of the livestock! It’s a no-win situation, then, so where’s my chicken sandwich.

To see more motoring articles and new car reviews visit Car and SUV

About the Author

Darren Cottingham - motoring journalist, member of the motoring writers guild and editor of Car and SUV, a website focusing on new vehicles, road tests, reviews and news.

Say more about the wheel arrangement of the locomotive; and whether what you are calling a 'coal car' is a tender for a steam engine.

I'll be back later.
Day 2- I see you have not provided any additional information.
I've done some research with links for you. I am wondering whether this is a N&W locomotive. Here, check these out for yourself:

N&W diesel roster data:
http://nwry.railfan.net/roster.html

N&W steam roster data:
http://www.trainweb.org/railmaster/historical/nw_roster.html

High Oil Prices Mean Invest in Coal-to-liquid Technology (ctl)

Who in their right mind would consider a Coal-To-Liquid Technology(CTL) investment when we have plenty of oil supplies? You should. Because we dont.

Yes, oil prices are high. But crude production has peaked. Output in all major fields is fixed, or is declining. New oil fields are smaller and harder to get at, and extraction techniques are getting more difficult and expensive. Energy demand around the world is rocketting. Oil prices are rising steeply. Increasing political unrest means uncertain supplies, and the markets hate uncertainty.

That suggests oil substitute fuels like liquid coal will be needed soon. The obvious oil substitutes-liquid natural gas, oil sands, biofuels, fuel cells, renewable sources and nuclear power can't meeting total demand at a reasonable cost for the next decade at least.

What is likely to be the solution? Large supplies of coal. Combined with a long-used proven technology which can convert coal into a clean pumpable liquid with low burnoff emissions- CTL. Both are now readily available at competitive costs.

There are vast available coal deposits in the USA, China, India ,Canada, and Australia, allowing enough liquid coal for scores, maybe hundreds of years, even if demand accelerates.

Note that the Middle East has declining oil and virtually no coal.

Once oil prices rise above $35 a barrel, coal-to-liquid technology providing liquid coal at $20-$30/barrel begins looking very attractive as an oil alternative. Presently oil prices remain above $60, show no sign of descending and could peak at $100-$150 a barrel - IF available from anywhere. This would potentially lead to gasoline at $8/gallon at US pumps and widespread recession.

Other technologies such as coal gasification and gas-to-liquids (GTL) are currently cheaper than coal liquefaction and so some companies afraid of a downturn in oil prices and seeking the best current investment returns may be tempted by those instead.

However China and the US-now the two major powerhouses of world industry-are likely to opt for liquid coal on the basis of huge cheap domestic supplies and the incentive of non reliance of volatile outside markets.

China is an fast awaking industrial giant. They need vast amounts of energy badly for electricity for factories homes and schools, have little oil but lots of coal. Trouble is, the coal is in the north, and industrial developments in the south, China is huge and the roads and railways are presently poor.

It's hard to transport solid coal then burn it and create lots of pollution, but much easier and ultimately cheaper to pump clean liquid coal by pipeline.

The government there doesn’t argue or debate issues with the public-with collaboration with Royal Dutch Shell, they have already started to build a liquid coal plant in the Ningxia region, with three more on the way.

Also, consider the car. Demand is growing worldwide. But so are demands for cleaner more efficient vehicles. Liquid coal can be used to make both gasoline or diesel fuel. But the most ecofriendly efficient car of the near future probably WON'T be a electric-gasoline hybrid but an electric-diesel hybrid. This will have similar refinement and performance but far better overall miles per gallon, lower emissions.

Also note that China and India plan to break into the car production market and will be in a powerful position to provide cheap clean fuel-efficient cars to their own vast markets and overseas.

Extra pressure on car manufacturers (dependent on crude oil and suffering from high production costs) and already hovering on the brink of bankruptcy in the US? Or to switch production heavily towards hybrids?

Liquid coal - way to go!

Present coal plants can't and wont use oil for a fuel- burn profile is wrong and way too expensive. However any existing coal plant that presently burns coal will be able to burn liquid coal too. Efficient, kinder to the environment, no sulfur, mercury or ash AND less smells dust and fumes.

Expect politicians to push CTL and give it an easy tax ride for the same reasons they are presently favoring biofuels like ethanol:

(1) there’s the lure of a vote winning rural job-creation side from an industry otherwise viewed as declining.

(2) Many Western voters and investors are getting worried about the security implications of depending on their energy supplies from increasingly unfriendly or unstable nations.

(3) Many environmentalists, given the right conditions (e.g. high carbon capture at CTL plants, alternatives like nuclear energy), are likely to warm to CTL because of its overall cleaner profile.

Many firms are already investing in CTL. Forget oil and other oil substitutes for the moment. Look into it now if you are interested, and look for CTL specialists like Headwaters, Syntroleum Corp, and Rentech, and particuliarly, the highly experienced South African company, Sasol.

About the Author

Discover the best and latest secret red hot investments at
http://www.red-hot-investment.com

I saw that same thing. It was on the Food Network, I think it was Alton Brown. I tried it this weekend, and it really does work. You have to make sure to get the ash all off. I don't know the best way to go about that. The hair dryer thing didn't work so well for me, but maybe I did something wrong. It was still reall tender and had nice charring without burning.

Menu Ideas For The Barbecue Grill

A good barbecue isn't easy and there's no substitute for experience but we've all got to start somewhere so if you're a BBQ novice then read on.

Below are plenty of fantastic barbecue tips and menu ideas for the grill so if any ladies out there have read my article entitled "Modern Man And The Barbecue Grill" you'll already be on the road to converting your man from the fire pits to the BBQ King with some easy BBQ recipes.

I've already spoken about the patience that's required when it comes to lighting the grill and the need to heat up the coals and eliminate the flames. Remember, "coals are hot, flames are not!" and we're on the road to a successful BBQ cookout. This same rule applies to gas grills as well as charcoal, gas grills may be more or less instant but it's still important to ensure that the lava rocks are fully warmed through and this usually takes about 15 minutes. Charcoal of course will be more like 45 minutes before it's ready to cook on.

So what's the next step? The best tip I can give is to take time to plan the menu, think carefully about what you're going to cook.

But isn't it easier just to do burgers and sausages? No! In fact burgers and sausages are quite difficult for to reasons:-

1. Relatively speaking they're high in fat compared with other foods. Now I know we need fat to drip onto the coals to create the smoke to give the flavor but too much fat and the BBQ will flare up - a sure fire way to cook up a burnt offering.

2. They're made from ground beef and that means they must be cooked through. Food poisoning is generally caused by the bacterium e-coli that grows on the surface of the meat. Cook the outside of a steak and you can safely eat the inside raw but think about a burger, with ground meat, the meat that's on the inside has also been on the outside.

So if you're not yet convinced about your man's BBQ capabilities choose a meat that doesn't need to be cooked through to be safe. Try barbecue beef, barbeque lamb or BBQ fish.

Back to the "coals are hot, flames are not" theme it's important to light up the grill on its highest position away from the coals. This means that the meat will be cooked slowly therefore giving you the best guarantee that it will be cooked through and should there be a "flare up" you are as well protected as you can be from burning. Of course if it's going too slow, lower the grill step by step until you get the sizzle, in other words start gently and slowly work up the heat.

Finally to make for a really flavorful cookout, why not try a marinade? Marinades not only add flavor they also tenderize and all that's needed is a little thinking ahead for preparation time. There's a good few websites out there offering free barbecue recipes so it's easy to find different menu ideas.

About the Author

Resource Information:
Easy Barbecue Recipes
- Free barbecue grill recipes & meat smoker cooking ideas on gas, charcoal or electric.
Barbecue Grill Sales
- An independent buyers guide.
Smoker Grill Recipes
- Outdoor grilling tips, easy fire pit menus and healthy rotisserie suggestions.

I would say local brokers are the best way to find a business since they expertise in this field they can help you with the type of business you need. You can also keep an eye for the signs on some gas station for sale or lease. Also you can always walk into gas stations and speak to the owner, operator, THAT REALLY HELPS!!

GOOD LUCK

Gas Station Business Opportunity

Gas station business comes in many forms and types from what it used to be years ago. There are brand name stations, convenience stores, private brand stations and those stations that are part of a larger car care operation.

All of these different options make for an interesting mix to consider if you are in the market to own a “gas station”. The first big difference to be considered is the fact that there is a big difference between a brand name station and a convenience store operation. In the first place a brand name station must buy its gas from the oil company it represents. A private convenience store can buy its gas from any supplier willing to sell to them. Or they may be tied to the convenience store chain they are part of.

The path to ownership of a gas station can be done two ways. The owner can buy an existing business or start up a new one. There are many facets to buying an existing situation. This is particularly true if it is a brand name station or a name convenience store operation. These situations can be only a partner like situation and not a complete ownership deal. There are many variations in these deals and a business broker would be a good place to get advice as well as any of the brand name companies. In any case, be sure you understand completely any restrictions that will be placed on your business. After the purchase is not the time to discover that you do not have a free hand to run your business.

Buying one or starting one could be very high in the requirement for capital. In either case the new owner of the business is going to have to come up with some decent amounts of capital in order to get into the business.

Finding the opportunities in the Gas Station Business

The way to find opportunities in this business is to talk to people who know what is available and the details of how it works. The buyer would be wise to speak directly with some of the brand name companies and also visit with business brokers to discuss their listings. The brokers will be aware of many of the deals that are currently open and they should be able to answer most questions that you have in mind. The convenience store operators will also be worth speaking with, as they are very interested in expanding their operations. They offer different deals depending on what they are after, just like the brand name gas companies.

You can find all of this information or contact info on the NET. Using this resource can save time and allow the buyer to get quality facts and figures. This is very helpful in finding the right deal for you and deleting those that do not fit the your expectations. You might also approach some of the facilities near you and see if you can get any information from that owner. If nothing else you may be able to get a contact number.

Convenience Stores are different

Convenience stores are more like a retail operation and they make their money not only selling gas, but also by selling all manner of other products. Gas sales for most of them are really a convenience for the customer and not a big profit item. The other consideration for a prospective buyer is you are going to need employees to run the store. These stores usually are open seven days a week and 24 hours every day. This means it is mandatory to have employees to keep the doors open. This becomes an on going monthly expense that needs to be covered by the sales that are run through the cash register. If you are not good at hiring people and then managing them this could be a problem in owning one of these stores. The chain outfits are very good at teaching these skills to owners that have never done it before. If you learn easily, then this possible problem can be avoided.

If you get into a private convenience store ownership, you do not have the immediate name recognition. You may gain the ability to buy from any company that will sell to you. The pros and cons in this area should be studied and many questions asked of the broker or the old owner. These questions should include the advantages of no brand name connection. A person looking to go into this area of gas sales should know all of the answers about the operation of the convenience store before purchasing this type of business.

Find the Money and Make the Deal

If a buyer has the money the deal is easy to make happen. If the buyer can find the money the deal is still possible. The point is, there are companies that show up on the Internet that specialize in making business purchases and sales happen. These companies will show up just by putting in “financing a business purchase” into the search engine. The results are huge when this is put into the search engine. There are any number of companies that finance business purchases.

The advantage of having the money for the purchase is simple. The buyer can usually get a substantial break in price when offering an all cash deal. The savings can make whatever you pay in interest for the loan seem small compared to the savings. A cash offer is very difficult for a seller to ignore as long as the offer is in the realm of reason. This could give you an edge if there is another buyer in the picture.

If you do not have the money and can not borrow it, this leaves the seller as the possible source of the money you need to complete the deal. Maybe the terms from the seller will be something the buyer can live with and even tolerate.

Conclusions

The gas station business is not as simple as it once was. The sales are made by brand stations or by stores that sell gas as a convenience for the customer and not as a great profit maker. Private companies can be a good buy if they have an isolated customer base. This business does not lend itself into getting started in it slow way. The first step is all in or not.

A person with a reasonable down payment should be able to gain the rest of the money needed if the figures for the business show that it is a profit maker that could cover the loan. The seller may even consider carrying some paper back to facilitate the sale.

Finding a business for sale is a natural for the Internet to do. The buyer can certainly find business brokers that would have listings that included these types of businesses. Speaking with these experts could go a long way toward helping the buyer make a good decision. The more factual information the buyer has at his disposal will improve the decision making process. There is no substitute for doing the homework when looking for a business to buy.

About the Author

Bill Henthorn formerly was principal broker and owner of a resort / commercial real estate brokerage in Honolulu which specialized in representing sellers in transactions up to $50MM.He currently serves as the marketing director of http://www.acquireo.com

It can snow in September. More in the north and mountains. Ski slopes even in the south can open in November.

Central American Coffees

The countries from the Central American Region produce some interesting coffees and here we discuss them in more detail.

Mexican Coffee

Mexico is the seventh largest coffee producer in the world, most of which is of the arabica variety from the southern part of the country, where it is grown by smallholders and sold on to the National co-operative.

Vera Cruz State, on the gulf side of the central mountain range, produces mostly lowland coffees, but coffees called Altura (High) Coatepec, from a mountainous region near the city of that name, have an excellent reputation.

Chiapas and Tapachula coffee is grown in the mountains of the southeastern most corner of Mexico near the border with Guatemala and has a delicate light flavour similar to the well-known Oaxaca.

Primo Lavado (prime washed) is a grade of Mexico coffee that includes most of its' finest.

Mexico is also the worlds' main source of maragogype beans, which are extra large and some experts consider produce the very best coffee.

Guatemalan Coffee

As the second largest producer in Central America (and 8th in the world) Guatemala is another main source of the maragogype bean.

The best Guatemalan coffees have a very distinct, spicy, and (when dark roasted), display a unique smoky flavour that sets them apart from all other coffees. They are very acidy, with the spiciness or smokiness coming across as within the acidy tones, and are medium to full in body and rich in flavour.

High grown beans (Strictly Hard Bean) grade coffees(such as Antigua) from the central highlands tend to have a rich, spicy or floral acidity with excellent body characteristic. Coffees from mountainous areas exposed to either Pacific or Caribbean weather, display a bit less acidity and more fruit.

Honduran Coffee

Honduran arabica coffee is ninth of world's leading coffee producers, yet most of it is fairly undistinguished and is mainly used as a blending coffee.

Excellent coffees are grown here, but most are blended before export. Beans are named after the growing regions, including Santa Barbara, as well as Copan, Ocotepeque, Lempira, La Paz and El Paraiso.

Costa Rican Coffee

Costa Rica only produces high quality arabica coffee that display a full body and clean, robust acidity that makes it among the most revered of all Central American coffee.

It is grown primarily in the countryside surrounding the capital, San Jose, on rich, well-drained volcanic soil above 3000 feet.

The most famous coffees are San Marcos de Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Heredia, and Alajuela. La Minita is a well-publicized estate in the Tarrazu district of Costa Rica that produces an excellent coffee - reputed to be the most meticulously prepared in the world.

Nicaraguan Coffee

Situated between Honduras and Costa Rica, the coffees of Nicaragua display a characteristic more of the former than of the latter. They are coffees in the classic Central-American style but usually undistinguished - being medium-bodied, straightforwardly acidy, with reasonable flavour.

El Salvadorian Coffee

Despite being the smallest country on the American continent, El Salvador ranks 15th in world coffee production. This hasn't always been the case, as political problems have regularly beset this densely populated country.

El Salvador's arabica coffees tend toward softer, less acidy versions of the classic Central America flavour profile and are often used in blending. The best high-grown coffees are from trees of the Bourbon and Pacamara varieties and the taste can be fragrant and complex.

Strictly High-Grown is the highest grade of El Salvador coffee.

Look out for my other articles in this series on the coffee growing regions of the world.

About the Author

For more information about coffee and coffee making equipment visit http://www.cafebar.co.uk

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Brand New Solution For Wind Power Generation - Tower Wind Turbine

Wind Power: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Historical background in brief

People have been using wind power from the time immemorial.  
Originally they learnt to transform kinetic energy of wind stream into mechanical one. There appeared lots of different wind mills making men’s life much easier in those times.

An idea of a wind turbine for electric power generation using wind power started up around 100 years ago.

Inventors created wide range of various types of wind power generator designs:
- by axis (horizontal, vertical, inclined); 
- by number of blades (one, two, three and more);
- by capacity (from tens W to several MW);
- by blade design, by generator design etc.

But in an attempt to raise WTG’s capacity inventors faced new problems:

1. Mechanical properties of materials modern wind generators are made of become serious constraints due to the generators’ size and dynamic loads they bear. Further expanding capacity (size) of wind generators calls for application of the latest which means more expensive materials which is reflected on the rise of prices of generated power that are rather high even without that.
2. Wind generators of higher capacity require higher wind speeds. Nowadays it becomes more and more difficult to find areas for construction of wind farms but people require more and more power.

Today wind energy market grows up to 30% annually. But with wind power generation enthusiasts along there lately appear more and more skeptics. Wind power generation being clean and using renewable sources has number of substantial disadvantages: low quality of generated power, TV and radio signals interference, bad sound influence on fauna and need in additional reserve power generating capacities of traditional design etc.

More and more people being worried about negative trends in wind energy generation reasonably ask such questions as: What are the prospects of wind power generation? Will wind power generation take economically significant place in world economy? Will the investments in wind power generation be fruitful etc.?

World oil and gas market situation stimulates development of power generation using renewable sources. High price and low quality of such electric power does not make estimates of wind energy generation prospects more optimistic.

People need new reliable sources of electric power meeting following requirements of today’s life:
1. Low price of generated power
2. High quality of generated power
3. Power output should satisfy constantly growing demand
4. Clean power generation
One of the alternative power generation solutions meeting most of the requirements mentioned above is presented below.

Everything new is long forgotten old

Wind energy generation is fundamentally based on two elements: energy source (wind) and energy receiver (wind turbine generator).

Since first steps in wind power development and until now inventors have been improving energy receiver but energy source (wind) has been considered to be a gift of nature that is beyond any control.

In many ways it reflected in various disadvantages of modern wind power generation.

In technical system “wind – wind generator” both elements are equally important. 
Only control over all elements of a system allows reaching highest working efficiency. 
Improving energy receiver they dropped an idea of controlling wind for no need. But in vain!

Level of modern technical development allows arrangement of quite an effective control over such systems.

But wind power generation went the other way. At present all wind generators operate on the basis of the same principal: collecting energy of incoming air flow.

We decided to develop a brand new technical system which could allow controlling both energy source as well as energy receiver. Using men’s experience and knowledge in construction and operation of wind generators we can sufficiently increase their working efficiency by controlling of air flow parameters (energy source).

One of the results of our long year researches and tests is a tower wind turbine. It gives a possibility more or less to control all the elements of the system “wind – wind generator”.

Tower wind turbine consists of the following main elements: energy collecting device, generator, energy concentration device and control system.

Energy collecting device is designed as a vertical cylinder the walls of which are framed of profiles making end-to-end channels connecting outer side of the cylinder with its inner vertical channel (input convergent channels). Their aim is to “catch” incoming air flow and turn it vertically up along the vertical axis of the unit and to send it to generator blades.

Generator with blades is places inside the energy concentrating apparatus. Generator transforms kinetic energy of wind into electrical one.

Energy concentrating device is contractually designed as a vertical hollow tower inside dimensions of which converge in the central part where the generator is placed. Inner part of the tower is continuation of the vertical inner channel of the energy collecting device. Such design allows concentration of kinetic energy of wind on generator blades.

Control system (is not shown in the picture) provides timely opening of convergent channels of the tower from the side of the incoming wind and closing of all the other convergent channels.

What are principal differences between tower wind turbine and conventional wind generators, transforming energy of incoming air flow?

1. It allows controlling wind energy concentrating on generator blades. 
2. Rotor blades do not need to be “tuned” to wind. Vertical axis generator is fixed in the upper part of the unit. Wind is “tuned” to the generator itself owing to design of the energy collecting device.
3. Speed of wind rises significantly when it reaches generator blades. Design of the energy concentrating device allows raising wind speed in the inner vertical channel of the unit increasing its capacity accordingly.

Experimental tests of the unit models in aerodynamic tunnel showed growth of power output of the generator placed inside the tower more than 4 times, and at low wind speeds – more than 10 times.

To prove received results a 100:1 scale production prototype was constructed. Diagram of comparative tests is similar to laboratory tests diagram.

Analysis of received results shows significant efficiency growth of the generator placed inside the concentrating tower in comparison with wind generators of conventional design: 
- Wind initial velocity is 2 times lower;
- Rated wind speed is 2 times lower;
- Utilization factor of installed equipment can reach 0,6…0,7 (was calculated) ;
- Power output is 2-3 times higher;
- 5 times more energy is collected from wind stream area unit at all wind speed ranges, at low speeds – more than 10 times;
- Area of allotted land per unit of rated capacity of the TWT is the lowest among all types of generation.

Tower wind turbine concentrates wind energy on generator blades like a lens collecting sun light into the focus.

Design features of the TWT allow elimination of various disadvantages of conventional wind generators:
1. Noises and radiation harmful for people that can appear during operation of the generator of the TWT do not leave the tower as generator and blades are placed inside of it. Modern materials allow reduction and absorption of harmful noises and vibrations. For the same reason generator and blades of the TWT do not interfere TV and radio signals.  
2. TWT can not cause any injuries for birds. To prevent birds from getting onto generator blades one may place protective nets at the entry to the convergent channels. To avoid birds clashing into the TWT at night its outer surface is lighted. It could also improve tower’s appearance.

Future Outlook

Technical characteristics of the TWT surpass all the modern convention wind turbine generators using incoming air flow.

Tower wind turbine can be a worthy substitute for conventional wind turbine generators:
- TWT can work at low wind speeds. 
- TWT allows reaching larger power output. 
- TWT’s effectiveness is in no way lower than that of conventional power stations using carbon fuel such as: gas, coal, black and crude oil and its ecological cleanness has no analogues.  
- TWT becomes very effective in areas with low wind speeds. 
- Area of allotted land per unit of rated capacity of the TWT is the lowest among all types of generation
- Due to its compactness TWT can become an autonomous self-sufficient power source.  

Tower wind turbines today are world wind power generation of tomorrow: low production cost and high quality of ecologically clean energy.

About the Author

Stanislav Gusak
Director of the R&D Enterprise ENERIS

Because at the time they [Thatcher and Ian McGregor of the Coal Board] denied they were going to close mines? Because such a disdain was shown to these people's lives? Because some of the negative effects of the "economic revolution" of the Eighties are only just starting to show up?

Secrets of a Search Engine Coal Miner

My company is involved in the business of search engine marketing - high tech stuff involving computers, mathematics, and lots of analysis. But in many ways, I'm a lot like a coal miner. I am often put in the position of having to promote my client's web site against much larger companies with much larger budgets. So I can't just go out and bid for top positioning for the top keywords, or to spend my time optimizing the site for the same keywords a million other sites are already optimized for. No sir, I have to dig - dig for nuggets.

On the paid search side, there are often keywords that, for some strange reason, are much cheaper than nearly identical keywords. In these situations, we load up on the cheap keywords. Eventually, our competitors catch on and start bidding the keywords up. But until that happens, we ride it like a gravy train. The way to find these keywords is to have a large keyword inventory which you watch closely. One caveat: a lower cost keyword may not convert as well as other keywords. However, the reduced cost may more than offset the reduced rate of conversion.

In the world of natural search, the temptation for a web site owner is to always promote his site for the top, most heavily trafficked search terms related to his business. This may be a big mistake. It can take many months, hundreds of hours of work, and many thousands of dollars to get your site ranked for the very most popular keywords in a particular industry.

A more prudent route is to do your keyword research and find keywords that have a reasonably high amount of expected daily traffic with less competition than the most popular keywords. Optimizing for these keywords will result in achieving high search engine rankings much quicker. The quicker you can get your site highly ranked for a particular keyword, the quicker you will begin driving targeted natural traffic. Again, you're looking for nuggets, not boulders.

You can be successful doing the things the big companies are not doing, and promoting your web site in places where the big companies are not. Look for under-utilized keywords and under-utilized web sites. And focus your budget. If you take a scattershot approach, trying to run your paid search ads anywhere and everywhere, you will quickly run out of money.

At first, it is difficult to know how to allocate your paid search budget. You need data to determine your best keywords, best ads, and best landing page copy; and that data can only be generated by actually running your account. So there is a cost in terms of both money and time to get started. At first, your paid search account may not be profitable, but it will be once you figure out where the profitable nuggets are.

When fighting for search engine visibility against larger and better-financed competitors, remember to think like a coal miner. Mine for nuggets - for keywords that can profitably be targeted. Decide on a niche for your business and a focus for your online marketing and you will be successful.

About the Author

Jerry Work is president of PPC management and SEO firm Work Media, based in Nashville.

Diesels dont have spark plugs. The explosion occurs based on compression, which is higest at the top of the compression stroke. Diesel engines use compression ignition where fuel is injected after the air is compressed in the combustion chamber and this causes the fuel to ignite.

Diesel Engines and Generators. Innovative Genius

Diesel engines are the combined inventions of two specific inventors, Rudolph Diesel and Herbert Akroyd Stuart. The internal engine is strictly from Diesel and the injection system is derived from Stuart. Stuart is best known for his advances in solid injection. Solid injection is derived from compressing fuel to extremely high pressures by means of pumps. It is then forced under pressure through injectors into the combustion chamber. Diesel's original engine injected fuel by means of compressed air into the cylinder. The fuel was atomized and mixed with air and then injected. This was "air-blast" injection. The early models of diesel engines were extremely large and heavy due to the large compressors needed as part of its' fuel injection system. Naval diesels were so large that they needed separate engines just to compress the air required to power the diesels. During the earlier years, the use of diesel engines with automobiles was not feasible.

Today's diesel is a miracle of innovative genius. No longer is the engine serviced by a mechanical fuel pump but by ECM run fuel pumps, which service the individual injectors at the proper and accurate opening times.