Jan./Feb. 1984 RAIN Page 27 then “close" it with little disturbance. "A racy shape at lower speeds," says Propp, "is blunt in front and flat toward the end, like a teardrop. A wedge is not streamlined at lower speeds." The air rushing past his vehicle creates a minimal disturbance far to the rear, nearly eliminating drag. Performance tests confirm his innovations. At 40 mph, the vehicle requires four and three- fourths horsepower. A mid-sized compact car requires 12 to 13 horsepower at 50 mph. Except for a broken chain, his electric car has been trouble-free. Using all 12 batteries at an average speed of 40 mph, the car will travel 48 to 50 miles. A comparable electric vehicle, a converted VW Rabbit made by Southern Coast Technology, one of the most efficient on the market, travels 20 to 30 miles at 35 mph. Despite its superior performance and low cost (but many hours of labor), Propp sees places for improvement. One drawback is the initial cost of batteries. Another is in the weight of the steel-bottomed VW chassis. He would use fiberglass and epoxy throughout the vehicle's shell without steel supports. Propp calculates that the weight reduction would be significant without compromising strength. (Richard Propp, 1935 Orchard Avenue, McMinnville, OR 97128.) Alcohol Production for Farm and Home Given the fuel needs of a small farm, what could be more practical, if not idyllic, than producing one's own alcohol for home and farm use? For the Stull family of Dallas, Oregon, developing a cost-effective distillery for heating their greenhouses—where they grow miniature roses—became a process of discovery, from choosing feedstocks to modifying equipment. While small-scale stills are available for farm use, the Stulls found that "small-scale" meant production of one million gallons per year. They were interested in a size between small-scale and a moonshiner's five-gallonper-day model: one that averages 50 gallons in 24 hours. This form of "intermediate technology," they realized, had not yet been pefected or made cost-effective. To minimize costs, their still was designed to use the most inexpensive feedstock—the source of the sugar used for fermentation—and conserve as much energy as possible. Through extensive research, they found that fodder beets provide the best source of sugar, but the beets would not grow in their heavy clay soil. The next cheapest feedstock was found to be corn sugar waste from canneries—abundantly available in the Willamette Valley. Other sources were considered, but turned out to be undesirable. Grains, for instance, must be heated first (an expensive extra step) and converted to starch. Jerusalem artichokes, native to the Northwest, are nearly impossible to remove once planted and are tricky to break down into mash (the sugar "feed" for yeast fermentation). A seldom-mentioned consideration in choosing feedstocks, and consequently the appropriate still equipment, is whether those feedstocks will require storage space. For example, enough fodder beets to produce 10,000 gallons of alcohol per year (the approximate capability of an intermediate size still) fills a 25-by- 15-square-foot building. (For further information on fodder beets, contact Pacific Seed Co., 123 SW Second, Albany, OR 97321; 503/928-5868.) On the other hand, the Stulls discovered that soft drink bottlers have inexpensive waste corn syrup available year-round. This makes it possible to avoid the storage problem. Other cost-cutting measures were taken by improving the still's energy efficiency. "A first step," recommends Cynthia Stull, "is to insulate the building well where the still is housed." Another effective method involves recirculating the hot, spent beer—the product left after distillation—back through the unfermented mash. This way less energy (gas, wood, or electricity) is needed to heat the mash to a constant 80 to 85 degrees for proper fermentation. Cynthia Stull and her continuous-energy still and cooling column. The Stulls found that "'small-scale" meant production of one million gallons of alcohol per year.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz