Need advice - How to live Non-Electrically

Originally Posted by doodah

True, Anchor, that keeps happening here.

Baggywrinkle, thanks for the reference, photos and humor. A previous post of yours here about a setup for methane production shows pits with black plastic covers. I understand the prinicple in the use of the plastic, but don't want to use anything made from petroleum (ie plastic). The only other non-permeable materials that come to mind are glass, metal, and possibly glazed ceramic. Have you seen methane production using anything else but plastic?

The bladder is the simplest technology. It is just a large
balloon. The problem is storing the methane which remains in the gaseous state. The other feasible system
consists of a steel or concrete container in a container.
as the methane builds it pushes the inner container
vertically to the limit of it's travel (Think of a glass inside
a glass). These are low pressure systems easily utilized
by folks like you and me. You start adding compressors
and tanks the price skyrockets rapidly. Not to mention complexity breeds problems.

The beauty of the bladder system is it was designed in
the phillipines for use by third world farmers. It is inexpensive and will provide cooking gas for a family
easily. With some planning all of your basic needs can be provided from this one source of energy -
Even lighting! At my home we use petromax kerosene mantle lanterns and one propane mantle lantern
At the web site below Dr David Fulford has a biogas lamp design which uses the mantles in the same
fashion as the lamps mentioned above. If you are a smallholder all you need is a few pigs, chickens,
and cows and no qualms about shoveling poop. Addng a steam engine you would have the means to
pump water into a water tower using a pump jack AND compress the biogas into tanks.

Paul Harris at the University of Adelaide has been all
over it.
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/