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Power Generator for travel trailer – alternative energy kinds like biodiesel or hydrogen or solar?

We have a 27′ older travel trailer we’ve parked in the woods. There is no water, no power, no electricity. We’d like to turn this old dinosaur into an experiment in off-the grid cottage (start off with trailer and build around it). One thing is a power generator. Does anyone know if biodiesel (i.e. vegetable oil) portable generators exist or if perhaps hydrogen generators? This would be a back up to a solar panel hooked up to the trailer battery. Also looking into how to build a well and septic system. Links to books or examples of websites or other resources would be nice. Piece of land we have is in Quebec. P.S. not sure which category to put this in, there’s nothing on alternative energy.

Hello,

I find your question very cool as alternative fuels are one of the hot topics of our times.

Ok, I’ll list the most popular alternative fuels and some chunks of information and useful links alongwith them:

1- CNG i.e Compressed Natural Gas.
In India’s capital city Delhi, the public transport vehicles have switched to CNG. It not only helps reduce pollution but, also is good for the economy. Your country, Canada is one of the largest producers of natural gas in the world.

I think you folks might try switching to CNG. I recommend CNG if you have a nearby retail CNG gas-station. CNG cylinders might also be available there.

Here are a few useful links:

1] Info on Natural Gas in Canada

http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/fuels/natural-gas/natural-gas.cfm?attr=8

2] Technocarb Equipment Ltd.- Alternative Fuel Power

http://www.technocarb.com/news.htm

3] FIBA Canning Inc.- Another company pioneering the Natural gas buisness

http://www.fibacanning.com/FIRSTS.htm

4] Very useful info on CNG and its market

http://www.transoceangas.com/

5] Canada’s initiatives with the “Green Gas”

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/04/canada_funds_hy.html

6] You want fuel cylinders? Check this link out:

http://www.dynetek.com/

7] A forum for starters

http://www.ngv.org/ngv/ngvorg01.nsf

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2- Biodiesel
An excellent choice for alternative fuel this one. I didn’t need to research much about it as there is a website called biodiesel-canada.org on the internet. Here is the link:

http://www.biodiesel-canada.org/

You can find almost everything you might wanna know there.

Here is another site with awesome info on biodiesel and ethanol-

http://www.greenfuels.org/biodiesel/index.htm

A useful link from greenfuels.org -

http://www.greenfuels.org/biodiesel/pandf.htm#f

Unfortunately, I don’t think biodiesel generators exist as it is produced from organic activities e.g. decaying of leaves etc. You’ll have to buy the cylinders from biodiesel stations.

Here is some more info about this :

http://www.thevarsity.ca/media/storage/paper285/news/2005/02/03/Science/Biodiesel.Canadas.Future-850736.shtml?norewrite200606021946&sourcedomain=www.thevarsity.ca

If you are intersted in trivia, here are some biodiesel facts :

http://www.canadacleanfuels.com/biodiesel.html

http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/cars/biodiesel/emissions.html

Now, if you’d like to “brew” biodiesel in your own backyard, here is a web-page you’ll love :

http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/biodiesel.htm

If you like researching, Wikipedia is the place to start :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel

(Just click on the external links under the article)

And if you’d like to see some papers and books about biodiesel, here is the link:

http://web.missouri.edu/~pavt0689/biofuel.html

An advice: Please, be sure that the use of biodiesel has been approved by the manufacturer of your vehicle.

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3. SVO – Straight Vegetable Oil
Dancingrabbit.com has some useful info on unmodified Veg oil which is used mixed with other fuels. Here is the link:

http://www.dancingrabbit.org/biodiesel/

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4- Hydrogen
I am afraid, Hydrogen (as an alternative fuel) too might not be available through generators. You’ll have to go to fuelling stations like this one to run your vehicle with Hydrogen gas :

http://www.h2.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=158&Itemid=58

Here is the ultimate website for some who wants discussion papers, CDs, accesibility, info, etc on Hydrogen as an alternative fuel, check it out :

http://www.h2.ca/

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Here is a great online journal about alternative fuels:

http://www.greencar.com/index.cfm?content=links

You might also be interested in alternative fuels other than those listed above. Here is a list of some other interesting alternative sources of energy :

* Electricity,
* Ethanol,
* The p-series,
* Propane,
* E85 (E85 is an alcohol fuel mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, by volume) and
* LNG (Liquified Natural Gas).

Solar powered HAM radio setup.