Curnutt Furnace Update: Free Steam, Winter Heat
 by Sean Capogreco

October 2004

End of Summer

10/27/04 -- This summer's season of building was exhaustive, expensive, time consuming, yet lots of fun and tremendously educational.

The dish that I referenced in July is mostly completed, now I am adding fine tuning adjustments and modifying the plumbing. It is not difficult at all to make steam for free. With winter inbound I'm curious the savings I can generate through winter heating utilities.

As far as my current dish stands I've been able to make temperatures into the 930f range and steam pressures up to 40 lbs. Short term goals are a nose wheel and auto tracking control.

Record Temperature

12/05/04 -- Same batch of mirrors now reaches 1060F on a clear day. Soon to add another 11 Sq feet bringing the total collected area from 37 Sq feet to 48.

As winter set in Skies are clearer and guess what? The sun being closer in wintertime must be lending itself to generate higher temperatures when we need them.

Ambient temperature makes NO DIFFERENCE.

Roasting marshmallows

This is fun.

Sean Capogreco