Ideas I've had in the last few days...

Ideas I've had in the last few days...

On those all-too-rare occasions when I get off my ass and haul said lump of lazy to the gym, one of my favorite bits of equipment is the good ol' fashioned rowing machine. I like the nearly-whole-body movement, and tend to just close my eyes and imagine I'm rowing over to Fox Island from my Uncle Paul's beach house just south of Purdy.

But for all the liking, there are a few things that could most definitely improve this fitness classic. I don't like how the chain-driven machines require you to pull in a completely straight line. If you try to put a twist into it, to work the sides of your lower back (which in my case are a pair of muffins that always come out on top) you can totally trash the machine. The other main problem is that while the act of pulling yourself forward does work out your legs and abs a little, you get almost no work from your pecs and triceps.

So I came up with a simple solution. Instead of the chain, or the older (and much less fun) design with the two hydraulic handles, you have a single pneumatic tube, with an adjustable intake and outtake valve, which would provide resistance on the push and the pull. Mount this on a ball-joint, so that you can twist, lift, and lower, and viola! You've got a rowing machine that provides a whole-body workout, won't get all messed up if you add a bit of rotation or twist (especially if the handle can be rotated vertical to horizontal), and is mechanically far simpler than most of the models on the market. Rpm, distance, etc could be calculated by a fan-wheel on the end.

The other idea I can't stop playing with whilst walking to work is based on my personal fascination with methane. I don't know why the idea of converting waste (yes, including poop) into fuel appeals to me so much, but it does.

Go ahead, get all Freudy on me.

Anyways, I've come up with a automated system that connects the kitchen sink drain via a garbage disposal unit, and the toilets in a house to a smallish (about the size of a large refrigerator) device that heats the waste slurry to the necessary temp, mixes it to the necessary consistency, and then allows anaerobic bacteria to break it down, producing bio-gas, which would then be filtered and pumped into a holding tank for use in cooking, hot-water systems, fireplaces, grills, etc. The waste would then be pumped right down the same sewage lines it would have run before. A second input could be mounted on the outside of the system (which could be installed up against the wall outside of a house) for yard waste (especially lawn clippings) to be added to the mix.

A small computer and a few sensors could make sure that the temperature staid optimal, and with a few automated valves said computer could add chemicals (mainly ammonia) to maintain the pH levels. All in all it would require only the occasional maintenance, not unlike a wood stove, heat pump, or septic tank.

Now, for a system like this to work, one would have to be really consciousness about putting all organic wastes down the garbage disposal (vegetable scraps, food scraps, etc) because human poo just doesn't have the right make up for massive methane production. You'd also have to come up with a way of breaking down the TP, as cellulose takes a long time to break down this way. Finally, you'd have to create a specially formulated toilet cleaner to prevent throwing the Ph off and/or killing off all the bacteria.

A family of four could probably cook most of their meals on a system like this, or enjoy a lot of fire-side reading, BBQ, or hot showers. For a house with a gas range, it would likely pay for itself in a year or two, and combined with other power-saving/producing features (solar cells, solar water heating, wind turbines, etc) it starts to make even more sense. I mean hell, if you buy a methane powered car you could never pay for gas again!