On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 19:39:21 -0700, "
wrote:


Capturing wasted BTUs is the most important issue.

Now you've confused me -- bless my heart I am dumber than a box of
rocks. I was good with "I steam distill water because I want steam
distilled water", but if capturing the BTUs is the most important
issue then why use an inefficient desalination system like steam
distilling?

Well, it's pretty well established - I think - that Larry doesn't want
RO water. He wants distilled water. You have said, "Steam distilled
water is a luxury version of drinking water."
IMO, Larry is not one bit averse to luxury.
At the same time, and perhaps in other threads, Larry has talked
about engine waste heat recovery as a separate issue.
And it is.
How the waste heat is used is a different matter entirely, though
Larry happened to be talking about distilling when it came up, or
maybe he was thinking about waste heat and distilling all at once.
Hell if I know.
But theoretically you may use the waste heat to generate electricity
to run RO, the TV, an A/C unit, etc, or to heat hot water for the
shower, or to distill.
The only one I see happening is heating the hot water tank, which
is closer to a distilling system than to a system that generates
electricity.
Hey, too bad they don't make thermal blankets/material that could
enclose an engine compartment and generate electricity from the heat.
I'm not up in physics, and don't know how solar cells work, whether
they use UV or IR, but they work.
I offer my apologies to Larry for butting in and making assumptions,
but figured he could use some time with his parrots anyway.

--Vic