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Mini steam electric generator for a NYC apartment

maestr0pl

Hi,

 

I've recently moved in to a small expensive apartment in Manhattan. My rent covers gas and water but not electricity. I want to save some money. I was thinking about building a small steam electric generator I could use on a gas stove. It's all about money efficiency, gas and water is free!

 

I'd like Ben to build an electric generator powered by a steam from a boiling water on a typical gas stove. Would that generator be powerful enough to charge my phone or maybe even it could light on a regular 110V bulb?

 

 

EDIT:

 

It is absolutely obvious that such an idea is nothing but a waste of resources. The only reason to build a steam generator is that it can be built!

If the ideas posted in this section are supposed to be more serious, let me rephrase mine:

 

Imagine, you are camping deep in the woods of Alaska. It's a cold night and your phone battery is about to die and you need a phone GPS to find a way back home. The situation seems to be very bad, but you know that you are safe because you have an awesome steam powered mobile charger. You boil water from a melted snow in a pot on a fire. You put a special lid on the pot. Steam from the boiling water powers a mini electric generator. The phone gets charged. Your life is saved.

 

Message was edited by: Pawel Raszewski

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  • Hi Pawel

    The cost to build such a device and make it safe would cost more than years of electricity especially if you are only talking about enough to charge a phone or run a small light. You might be better off looking at a solar cell and battery if your apartment has access to sun light. The side effects of a boiler on the stove would be excess humidity in your apartment from the burning gas, (when gas burns it produces water),and from the exhaust steam of the steam engine. There would also be excess heat in your apartment, and danger from the pressure inside the boiler.Strictly from a monetary standpoint I would use the electricity provided and be conservative by using efficient light bulbs and unplugging appliances and chargers when not in use. I am not from the Ben Heck show so they may still weigh in on your question.

    John

  • in reply to jw0752

    Hi John,

     

    I'm totally aware that such a device doesn't make sense from the economic point of view. I'd like to get it built because "it can be built", it may work, it solves the problem of free electricity in a ridiculous way (free water and gas in this case).

     

    I was also thinking about a different type of electric generator which would be powered by a running water from a faucet. Imagine this, it's dark in your bathroom and to turn a light on you have open a faucet with a generator connected with some LEDs.

     

    I think those ideas fit well the concept of the show.

     

    Pawel

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  • in reply to jw0752

    Hi John,

     

    I'm totally aware that such a device doesn't make sense from the economic point of view. I'd like to get it built because "it can be built", it may work, it solves the problem of free electricity in a ridiculous way (free water and gas in this case).

     

    I was also thinking about a different type of electric generator which would be powered by a running water from a faucet. Imagine this, it's dark in your bathroom and to turn a light on you have open a faucet with a generator connected with some LEDs.

     

    I think those ideas fit well the concept of the show.

     

    Pawel

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